discovered On30 gauge today

[krump]

wondering how popular this gauge is, are the accessories readily available, and how modern the rolling stock is?
I love the fact that it can operate on my HO track, and yet it is closer to O gauge.
think I'm chosing On30 over G in the future...[^][^][^][:D]
I know that the tunnels will need to be a bit wider, as will bridge decks, but I think On30 will add variety.)
any thoughts, experiences to share?

[Anonymous]

cool

[NevinW]

On30 seems to be taking off, with models offered by Bachman (Check out their shay), BLI and even brass manufacturers. Seems like lots of small companies making kits for rolling stock. Peco makes On30 track. If I was to jump to O scale I would consider it. Not for the purist though. - Nevin

[Eriediamond]

Morn'in krump, On30 means O scale, the N denotes narrow guage, and the 30 denotes 30 inch track guage. For all intents and purposes, narrow guage was used where tight curves and the smaller size rolling stock were needed for the environment the railroad was operating in. Mountains played a big role in this back in the early days of railroading. Narrow guage railroads could also be found being used for logging, and mining operations. I think I'm safe in saying that todays narrow guage railroads are all privately owned, used for tourists and to some extent mining. The most modern narrow guage I saw operating (may still be) was back in 1970 running out of a small town called Plaster City California. The town was bulit for the company there that made plaster board or sheet rock, hence the name Plaster City. The company had diesel powered trains hauling the raw plaster from a mine out in the desert to the mill there. I don't think ther are any logging railroads operating any more do to the technology in the logging industry today. Now, of coarse I realize narrow guage is still used in some countries around the world today as major railroads

[pbjwilson]

There was a layout featured in MR a few years back that was On30 or might of been H.O.n21/2. Anyway it depicted the Dolly Varden mining railway. Might get some ideas there.

Paul

[krump]

thanks for the info and history. I think the On30 appeals because I had intended a second layout in G Scale, but now I think the larger size running on HO track appeals even more.
learning something new every day...

[Anonymous]

Model Railroader seems to insist on calling On30 "On2-1/2" for some reason, although almost no one else does.

I discovered the Bachmann train set several years ago, and have been accumulating some more of their line with the idea of making a modular diorama with a logging theme. Just today I got a set of their skeleton log cars complete with resin logs. These will go behind my Shay, one each of their Porters and the new gas mechanical.

Much of the interest in this stuff is whimsical, with a lot less "rivet counters". There is a YahooGroups "On30Conspiracy" that has over 1500 members!

While you can use HO scale track, the Peco and Micro Engineering track looks better because of the larger ties and wider spacing.

Have fun!


BB in Canada[:D]

[Jetrock]

I think they call it that because 30 inches = 2-1/2 feet, and most narrow or wide gauge indication is listed in feet. HOn30 was initially referred to as "HOn2-1/2" and so maybe the 2-1/2" naming convention fell into favor at Kalmbach or something.

In terms of modernity, like any narrow-gauge equipment, anything past the 1940's (with very few exceptions) would probably be out of place, and narrow gauge had been fading in popularity for decades by then. There weren't a lot of narrow-gauge diesel engines--just a few "critters" and smaller boxcabs.

On30 is also a very new scale, so there isn't a whole lot of motive power or rolling stock available for it yet.The only ones I've seen are the one that comes with the train set (a 2-6-0?), the 0-4-0 Porter, and a Shay.

[vsmith]

Hey Krump, Isnt On30 cool? I already had a bunch of G scale stuff when I had to switch from outdoors to indoors, but if i had to start over I too would definitly choose On30. I like the scale of the trains, the relative small space requirements and the quality of the products out there is top notch. Plus there seams to be new stuff coming on the market each year.

[orsonroy]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Jetrock
On30 is also a very new scale, so there isn't a whole lot of motive power or rolling stock available for it yet.The only ones I've seen are the one that comes with the train set (a 2-6-0?), the 0-4-0 Porter, and a Shay.

Bachmann has several On30 engines available now, with more on the way. Right now, they have the 2-6-0, 0-4-0T, 0-4-2T, and 2-truck shay available. They've announced a heisler and a 2-8-0. BLI has a RGS 2-8-0 with sound available, and Precision Scale just announced a D&RGW K-28 (I think). Bachmann has their On30 trucks available seperately, so you can modify any On3 car to fit HO track.

On30 has been around as long as long as HO has been on the market, but it's never been taken seriously. It took Bachmann to release their On30 stuff to really give it any exposure. Right now, I think it's the largest growth field in the hobby, which is why we now have three major manufacturers supporting it.

If anyone ever comes out with the EBT 2-8-2s in On30, I'm going to have a VERY hard time resisting! I almost switched to the Bachmann stuff two years ago as it is!

[Anonymous]

[krump]

this is getting better all the time...
I've abandoned the 4x8 sheet and found a way to incorporate the model r/r and my office into the same 10x14 ft room - storage under benchwork, pullout desks for office and for the hobby corner... now the HO and the On30 can share the room. (quite exciting actually - I had to think completely differently to design the room layout so that proper storage and display was possible) this is the reverse of what I had started building--- now instead of the 4x8 sheet, I will have approx 4x8 of floorspace in the centre of the r/r layout ... all that and a swing in dutch-door (NOT a duck-under - my body doesn't bend like that)
hope to have track down by Sept.

(good to be back - did anybody miss me? no comptr for approx 3 weeks)
ck

[greatn]

And my wife wants a On30 layout under the Christmas tree because its scale fits Dept 56 structures. WOW, my wife WANTS to me to purchase trains stuff!!!!!! How cool is that?

[Anonymous]

Is it true that On30 goes with Department 56? That's awesome, because now I can buy some stuff for my moms village. [:D]

[IRONROOSTER]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

Is it true that On30 goes with Department 56? That's awesome, because now I can buy some stuff for my moms village. [:D]

Unfortunately, Dept 56 does not use the same scale for all their structures. Their vehicles and people are a larger scale than their buidlings. For the most part On30 or S standard seems to look best depending on which pieces you have. I would think an On30 trolley would look pretty good.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

Well, being a former HO enthisuat (long, long ago in another galaxy, etc), my wife surprised me last year with a Christmas present on Bachmans On30 which I did set up post Christmas. I then made plans to develop a layout, scenery, structures, etc. after being out of this hobby for 20 plus years. We then set up the layout for this Christmas using some dept.56, but mostly Carol Towne structures (Lowes) & Lemax. They actually looked pretty good for what they were- a Christmas display. But I really plan on fullfilling my ideas of a scale layout with scenery and scale structures which I am currently building. My final comment is to go for it. there is quite a bit of stock out there and it will only increase.

[OldArmy94]

I am not too familiar with On30 but am becoming intrigued..is "O" gauge scenery scale to this size?

[DSchmitt]

O scale scenery is 1/4" = 1' There is a lot available in accurate O scale and marketed as O scale, but much (not all) of the stuff marketed as O gauge is not O scale and is made for use with "tinplate" trains, not scale trains. For instance O gauge buildings are usually somewhere between S and O in scale.

[philnrunt]

krump- I missed ya. Seems like all of the guys that were on when I joined are going on vaca or having puter problems.
As for modern protptype equip, US Gypsum runs a NG line (I think this is part of that Plaster City deal) using NG Alcos originally built for the White Pass & Yukon, but they never bought them. Pentrex has a good section of a video (ITHINK the 3rd Incredible Alcos tape) dedicated to this line. If Bachman came up with a model of these or the older WP&Y units, it would be real tempting. LGB has the WP&Y units, but they cost 700$.
If you get into On30, let us know what is available.

[Anonymous]

Phil- When i visited the Georgetown Loop 3'ng in Colorado about 14 years ago, they had two ex-US Gyspsun (Plaster City) diesels that were probably old GE units, but until I find the photos I can't say for sure. They sure looked somewhat out of place sitting next to an ex Cental American Baldwin 2-8-0 and a Shay. They were still painted in the original road's paint sheme.

[Jetrock]

One common misconception I see a lot (here and elsewhere) is that On30 is HO-scale. On30 is narrow-gauge O scale (1/48) which means all buildings, miniatures, cars, and other scenic elements will be O scale. This means that, while the track one runs on is as wide as HO standard-gauge track, everything else will be twice as big--and HO track won't look right if used on an On30 layout--the ties are too small and too close together.

On30 is not for people who run modern-era layouts. As mentioned above, anything past the 1940's will look right out of place.

On30 has some popularity but there is not a lot of rolling stock out there yet. If you really like narrow gauge and want something with more heft than HO narrow gauge but hefts your pocketbook and space constraints considerably less than G, or you want a small garden layout for a mild climate, then On30 could be the way to go.

Re Department 56: If On30 is the same "scale" as Department 56, then so is O scale. Which means that, if you wanted to, you could use O-gauge toy-train tinplate stuff with Department 56. Considering the revival in toy-train items this might be a more economical and flexible option.

[philnrunt]

Hey krump- I was just looking thru my Aug 04 RMC, and theres a good article about kitbashing HOn30 engines that would work in any scale. Simple and fun looking. This could be just the ticket in On30. Check it out and see what you think.If you take his (author James Foster) methods and adapt them to whichever locomotive you might want, it would seem you could have just about any power you wanted.
It's early, and I might not be thinking straight, so let me know what you think.

[krump]

well I'll be... thanks for all the recent interest in this topic. Good info guys.

philnrunt - I'll need to go and get that Aug 04 RMC mag - your thoughts make sense re converting the kitbash, so I'll check it out. ( and yes, I've been away drinking camp coffee, also our printer isn't working) How's Summer in Indiana?

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised that Bachmann hasn't introduced O scale narrow gauge track components such as flex track and a few different manual switches (#4s, #5s, #6s and some curved ones) that would accept good switch machines. Serious modelers will probably not want to use HO track w/ its way too short and too narrow ties that are too close together. I know Peco makes some track components, but most of their stuff has been more typical of European practice, although I am not real familair w/ their On30 track.

What's needed is typical uneven spaced ties that are not 100% parallel to each other, of uneven spacing and almost as long as standard gauge ties. Narrow gauge ties were often more "beat-up" looking than the manufactured look of standard gauge ties. Hopefully if Bachmann or someone else steps up and produces On30 track they'll pay attention to the details such as molded on rail spikes and tie plates, rail height and cross-section, and even how the track is 'nailed' to the roadbed.

One of the best things about O scale is how details pop out, and the opportunity to add more of them when modeling. That can be its worst attribute if the manufacturer cuts corners and omits important ones, or botches how they execute them.

One of the things that kept HOn30 from ever becoming a reasonably popular gauge to model was having to use the mostly clunky looking N scale track available when it first made a splash on the scene back in the late '60s when the Carrabasset & Dead River was first featured in the hobby press. The other obvious issue were wheel sizes (flanges, diameter, etc), the lack of US prototype models, and just how awful most early N scale ran, which we converted over to HOn30. Today we are fortunate to have most of that covered in On30, plus there's plenty of room in the larger scale for decent can motors, DCC components, and smooth mechanisms.

This gauge has almost arrived !

[tutaenui]

FundayNorthern was, in an earlier post questioning the distinction between On30 and On 2 1/2. To me On2 1/2 is a scale model of a genuine 2' 6" prototype whereas On30 generally in its commercial form are either freelance or models of 3' gauge prototypes bastarderized to run on a scale 30" track (HO gauge). Not that there is anything wrong with that, the object is to have fun!

[on30francisco]

Micro Engineering makes flex track for On30 in codes 70, 82, and 100. It is available either weathered on non-weathered.The ties have the proper spacing and they are not all parallel to each other. I've used this track and it is super; both it it's appearance and quality. By the way B&k Enterprises makes a variety of turnouts and crossings specifically designed for On30. While you can use HO trucks for On30, several companies make trucks specifically designed for On30. They have more proper wheelbases and wheel diameters that HO trucks have. What I like about On30 is that you can use a lot of HO components and still have the heft and great detailing possibilities of O scale.- and it's very affordable (especially the high quality locomotives available) and easy to work with even for a beginner, compared to other narrow gauge scales.