diff in size of hon30 and hon3 rolling stock?

[diningcardave]

Hi gang! jusy returning to hobby after 2yrs off.been in ho since '69 and should know.can hon3 be put on n scale trucks and use as hon30?

[SeeYou190]

Can it be done... sure... but it will not look right.

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1) N scale trucks do not look like HO narrow gauge trucks. You should buy HOn30 trucks.

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2) Most HOn30 (HOn2 1/2) railroads are based on Maine prototypes. Most HOn3 equipment is based on Rocky Mountain prototypes. The cars just will not look right.

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3) If you are freelancing (like I am), go for whatever looks best to you. If you think an HOn3 car on HOn30 trucks looks good to you and your railroad there is nothing wrong with that.

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The most important things are to build something and to have fun. Do not let rules that do not apply to you effect your enjoyment.

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I hope this helped.

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-Kevin

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[7j43k]

A look at a 1926 ORER shows boxcars with the following APPROXIMATE dimensions:

 

Bridgeton and Saco River (2 ft gage)

IL  25  IW 6  IH 6

Denver and Rio Grande Western (3 ft gage)

IL  30  IW 7  IH 6

 

So, two foot was narrower and less long than three foot.  Height was the same, as if you can't stand up in a boxcar, it really slows loading and unloading down.

 

But then the question comes up, as it has, about 30 inch gage.  It surely looks like you should be following "non-prototype".  Meaning not copying either of the above.

Which is mostly an affirmation of what's just been said.

 

Ed

[G Paine]

This is a comparison of standard gauge and 2 foot (HOn30) I did a while back. Shown is a standard gauge HO scale 40 ft boxcar, an N scale standard gauge 40 ft boxcar and an HOn30 28 foot boxcar.

At Boothbay Railway Village, we run prototype 2 foot gauge trains, and have 3 Sandy River & Rangly Lake and Wiscasset & Quebec boxcars awaiting reestoration. On our layout, we have both HO scale standard gauge and HOn30. I think 3 foot boxcars on HOn30 would look too large. Funaro and Camerlengo make HOn30 resin kits including boxcars, flatcars, gondolas, cabooses, and tank cars If you are considering modeling Maine 2 footers, these would be better choices than cobbling together something from 3 foot.

http://www.fandckits.com/ho_narrow.html

Also, there are a lot of HOn30 designs that can be 3D printed on Shapeways.

Peco makes sone nice HOn30 track, check Walthers

As to the question of why 30" gauge instead of 24", the reason is the track spacing of N scale standard gauge is 30" gauge in HO scale. Locomotives can use N scale mechanisms rather than having something custom made for a very small niche market. An example is this critter I kitbashed from an Athearn Hustler using a Bachmann N scale 44 Tonner mechanism

 

[IRONROOSTER]

The idea of using the track, trucks, and locomotive from a smaller scale has long been a way to easily and/or economically get into narrow gauge. 

N track is approx 30" in HO.  And so it's neither 2 ft nor 3 ft.  As long as you don't try to mix 2 ft and 3 ft, either one should look alright on N trucks.  Plus you can convert N scale locomotives for less than current HOn3 locomotives cost.

Other such combinations are using HO for Sn42, HO for On30, HO for Gn15.  Using Z for Nn3.

Intrestingly HOn3 has been used as a base for Sn2, unfortunately the inexpensive HOn3 locomotive kits from Roundhouse are no longer produced.

Paul

[dehusman]

diningcardave

Hi gang! jusy returning to hobby after 2yrs off.been in ho since '69 and should know.can hon3 be put on n scale trucks and use as hon30?

Short answer, yes but it won't look good and the coupler height will be off, and maybe underbody details may be too low and drag on the track.  You can put HOn3 on HOn30/HOn2 1/2 trucks and it should work ok.

Or...............

You can take HOn3 trucks and move each wheel in 3" on the axle, narrowing the gauge to 30" from 36", you can run HOn3 cars on N guage TRACK.

Next problem is that N gauge track won't look right, it has ties that are too close togeher and too short.  But it will run if the radii of the curves are big enough and the tracks are spaced far enough apart.

I did something similar by regauging an Athearn SW7 to 3 ft gauge to make an HOn3 switcher.

[DSchmitt]

List of 30" gauge railroads in the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_ft_6_in_gauge_railroads_in_the_United_States

 

https://bigindoortrains.com/primer/narrow_gauge_railroads/30in_rwys/30in_rwys.htm

 

 A 30"gauge railroad in Cuba

http://www.taplines.net/November/cuban.htm

 

30" gauge electric locomotives in Mexico

http://www.freerails.com/view_topic.php?id=4102&forum_id=53

 

 

[G Paine]

dehusman

Next problem is that N gauge track won't look right, it has ties that are too close togeher and too short.

At Boothbay Railway Village we use Peco HOn30 track. The ties are correctly spaced

https://www.walthers.com/products/layout/track-and-accessories/scale/hon30-scale/mode/list/show/120?match=AND

This is a comparison. Top HO code 83 standard gauge, middle Peco HOn30, bottom, N scale standard gauge

[IRONROOSTER]

dehusman

Next problem is that N gauge track won't look right, it has ties that are too close togeher and too short.

Well you can always remove some of the ties.  And of course N gauge track is more available, cheaper, and has more turnouts, crossings, etc. to choose from.

Paul

[diningcardave]

Thanks everyone,you'r ans. really helped.was most wondering about height and width of body. knew east broad top just swapped out trucks.Since railroad is free lanced and somewhere in central New York or Catskill or Adirondacks mts..Reading diff. information,seems no two alike. Thanks again and won't just lurk in siding.