Na, 'cause then he'll be wanting to do HOn21/2 and model the Maine 2 footers.
(At least that's what keeps tempting me toward On30)
Your required action is simple. Bring home 1 (>ONE<) really nice piece of N-scale equipment. After staring (drooling) at it for several weeks your existing equipment will seem large and easy to work with.
There, no need for On30!
Hi Nevin
I recently purchased two On30 locomotives and am also contemplating a change from modern HO to 1920's On30. Some of the things that I have found include a relative scarcity of rolling stock, for example the Bachmann 18' freight cars are out of stock. Freight cars are also relatively expensive but at least you won't need so many. Same applies to buildings. Also looking for early motor vehicles but all I have been able to find is the Athearn Model A and an old Renwal Chevy. What I do like is that one can perhaps be more whimsical than HO, sharp curves, extreme grades etc, ie more Macolm Furlow than Tony Koester style.
Bill
Like others here, I wrestled with all these issues after my long dormant MR period 1994-2010. I had tons of HO stuff albeit a bit old by today's standards. I always loved narrow gauge steam but never made the move. I had already 100% decided to go narrow gauge on my new layout.
Examining the situation, I decided to continue in the 1940-1950's railroading era as I had always modeled in HO.
On3 was tempting to me, but the quality of the locos offered was not in my estimation up to my standards and, also, I would be modeling, suddenly, in O scale.... Less trackage and operation in the old HO space.
The deciding factor was two fold.
1. I had all that HO scale, period correct, buildings, cars, people and scenics. new scenics in any scale are outrageously expensive. Why throw all the period correct HO scenic stuff away?
2. Blackstone's HOn3 offerings were simply fabulous coupled with their superb Soundtraxx DCC systems.
For me, the decision was easy. Stay HO and do HOn3.
In your case you may already have a decent amount of On30 rolling stock, this I do not know, but if so, On30 might be best if you are willing to totally fore go all your old HO scenics and now buy or make new O scale scenics and accept the reduction in operational scale trackage over HOn3. All this assumes you do wind up going to narrow gauge, of course.
It's narrow gauge for me! All scales are good in narrow gauge!
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions. I definitely lean towards the side of the hobby where building and designing is more important than operations. I think what I will do is re-assemble the modules in the new railroad room see how much fits and then decide whether to stick with HO or jump to On30. The mountains and the deserts will remain the same either way.
You could come up with a plan and get it up and running on the old HO track for your On30 empire and gradually replace the track.
I wrestled with this question when I moved seven years ago. That Bachmann On30 2-truck Climax looks and operates great! I actually went to a big train show with cash in the pocket and the idea to make that initial leap. Generally, in On30 one would operate fewer locomotives and rolling stock, so that portion of the cost might not be too severe.
Then, as cited in posts above, the issue of structure size came to mind. We may well use a small station in HO that scales out to 40' by 30', but apply that same station in O Scale and it might limit the number of tracks that can fit along that portion of the layout. Desert railroads did use some small structures, but if we build them too small they can become characatures of the real thing.
I also thought about the boxes of parts and the drawer of detail parts that I had in HO. On30 would be far easier for aging eyes, but all of those accumulated bits & pieces and left-overs from HO would be of little use and difficult to sell for any kind of value.
Additionally, recognize that On30 track looks, or should look, different than HO track. The locomotives will run on HO track, but "simply" converting the layout by operating On30 on HO track will not create the narrow gauge track image that we seek.
I still admire the On30 models in hobby shops and at train shows. I still retain the right to "go there" sometime in the future, but it would be a wholesale change. Study, sketch out track plans for both, sleep on it, make some realistic cost estimates, sleep on it a couple more nights and then enjoy the heck out of whatever size layout you build.
Tomikawatt is right. After 30+ years in HO, I recently changed to ON30 and although having a dedicated 15' x 35' hobby room, I thought it would be easy to plan an O scale pike. Wrong! Everything just doubled in size with comparison: buildings, minimum track radius, budget...
I have decided to continue with the ON30 adventure modeling the DRGW. I like the size of the rolling equipment; better on my aging eyes. Less buildings to complete but with more details.
My surplus HO is up for sale.
Looking back at the construction and operation of your previous layout, what parts held your interest? If you were operations-oriented and did scenery as more of a chore, then you might want to just do what you have to and get the old layout up and running again. On the other hand, if you're a "Builder" like me and you get a lot more satisfaction from laying track and assembling structure kits, then starting again in a new scale might be more what you want to do.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Considering that On30 is 1:48 scale, as far as structures and scenic detail is concerned your 10 x 18 garage just shrank to 5'4" x 10' in HO terms.
One possibility is to put the big stuff on a level below your HO, with a very simple track plan, and operate it from a chair.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I've thought about doing the same, but once I seen the size of the train I bought (off of eBay, thinking it was HO scale, as the seller says she runs it on HO track, and didn't know what scale she had), I decided I needed to create a whole new layout. I built, and run an HO scale "modern" layout, and when I put this On3 steam loco on the track, it looked all wrong. After all, it is O scale, and even the scenery didn't look right, especially the track side scenery. The engine didn't even look right, sitting on HO track. I decided to get the right scale track, and build a separate layout. Once completed, it will be a Christmas themed layout I can set up during the holidays. I have never seen a source for "modern" On3 rolling stock, or buildings, everything was steam orientated, usually logging or mining as a theme.
Just my thoughts, good luck ! and most of all, have fun !
Mike.
My You Tube
I'd say do it. On30 is a nice size, about that of S standard gauge. You'll find it a lot easier than HO scale to work with.
Enjoy
Paul
Nevin
I'm a fan of desert railroading, and also have been considering On30 for my next layout. The question is, were you happy with your present layout and scale? or is it a case of you reached that milestone and you want another challenge?
I picked up an On30 Shay a while ago, not sure why , but I like its size and weight, and I run it often on my HO railroad, at least up to the tunnel.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
I wrestled with the same question 3 years ago. I had mainline ATSF HO equipment but always admired On3. I wanted something different, but in the end, I realized my life long attraction to mainline railroading was just too strong.
Not an easy situation, so give it the time/effort it deserves before you lay track.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
My HO Tonopah and Tidewater made it to Las Vegas and now sits in storage while I figure out what to do. It was a 95% completed depiction of the mining railroads of the Beatty Rhyolite area around 1910. It was in a 14 x 14 spare bedroom but now will have to fit into a 10 x 18 3rd car garage, so no matter what, some surgery will be required. If you google Tonopah and Tidewater, I'm sure some photos of my model could be seen.
For some reason, I have gradually acquired some On30 engines and cars and now I an thinking about converting it to On30. It could be a more freelanced version of the Death Valley RR which connected to the T&T at Death Valley junction or I could model the Yellow Pine Mining Company that ran to some mines from the UP at Jean, Nevada. The buildings would have to go, track replaced and the track centers widened but the scenery could remain the same. What is everyone's opinions about converting a relatively large and complete HO RR to On30? Good idea or something to regret? - Nevin