Have fun with your trains
plugsy wrote:Im just getting into HOn3, I have found N just a little too small for my 2 kids to enjoy with me at this stage, and have found HOn3 to meet all required criteria and I love the modelling potential with this gauge. If you have any tips or great web sites please pass on.ThanksMike.
You might find less expensive and delicate things for your children to handle, like Swarovski crystal goblets or Hank Aaron rookie cards, than HOn3 locomotives. On30 is large, relatively inexpensive, cute, and offers all of the modeling potential of HO narrow gauge, and your kids will love it. Stick to the shorter equipment like the four-wheel critter diesel and the 0-4-0 Porter and you can run on really sharp curves, keeping the size of the layout down.
plugsy wrote: If you have any tips or great web sites please pass on.ThanksMike.
Mike Lehman gave you a pretty good rundown on the RTR side of HOn3. I started in HOn3 a little over a year ago. I'm on a limited budget, putting the detailed brass out of reach. Also, at the time, the Blackstone and MMI wren't very close to production, and the K-27 is a bigger and more modern locomotive than I wanted anyway.
In my locomotive budget (note Roundhouse, Ken Kidder, FED are out of production but still available):
Grandt Line box cab and 25T diesels (kits) ($50?): 4 wheel diesels "critters". Some have the bodies recast in brass for extra weight and pulling power. The drive needs to be worked carefully to get all 4 wheels to provide tractive effort.
Roundhouse Shay (RTR and kit - RTR about $125-$150, kit about $70, easily found on eBay). Often does not run well out of the box. Needs tinkering, NWSL parts help, can be made to run very well. Nicely detailed, and easy to modify/backdate. Some consider the frame too large for HOn3. I have standard gauge version.
Roundhouse 2-8-0 (both inside and outside frame versions made, almost all production was kit, available eBay and some dealers for $80 or less). A good kit to learn how to build kit locomotives. I have one of these. Matches a Baldwin C-25 reasonably in many dimensions.
Keystone Shay (non-motorized kit) Needs NWSL motorizing kit, which is currently out of production but available. Makes into jewel of loco but kit is at a craftsman level. I have one of these also, may do a second.
Ken Kidder imported brass models of Porter 0-4-0T, 0-4-0, 2-6-0 in the '60s in both kit and RTR. Very sparse detail. Available on eBay from $50 to $125, depending on model and condition. I have the 0-4-0T.
FED imported both 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 as low-end brass in late '60s and '70s. Generally need rebuild to run well. Sparse details. Available on eBay for less than $150.
As far as track goes, Micro-Engineering sells flex track with code 40, 55, or 70 rail, and #6 turnouts. Shinohara sells flex track and turnouts in all configurations with code 70 rail. Numerous suppliers of turnout kits or custom turnouts and items for hand laying track.
Numerous suppliers of cars and structures, in both wood and plastic, even a few cast metal. One of my favorite makers of wood craftsman car kits is Labelle, but there are other good ones, too. Suitable JV Models, Campbell, and Woodland Scenics structure kits are among my preferences. These tend to fit my small 1900-era Oregon layout better than some others. Again, there are many manufacturers in HOn3, and a good percentage are not in the Walters catalog or hobby shops, but are mail order and Internet sales.
my thoughts, your choices
Fred W
Colorado Front Range Railroad: http://www.coloradofrontrangerr.com/
marknewton wrote:Bob, HOn30/HOe runs on the same 9mm gauge track as used in N scale. HOn3 runs on 10.5mm gauge track. I've done a fair bit of HOe modelling over the years, using proprietary European models from DJH, Weinert, Roco, Bemo, Halling and the like. I've never found the track or running gear finicky. Cheers, Mark.
The original poster said he was looking for something for his kids. To me there isn't much difference between N scale, HOn3 and HOn30, it's all small rolling stock running on very small track. You as an adult would probably not have a problem, but kids could run/operate/rerail On30 stuff a whole lot easier. And it's a lot cheaper too!
There isn't a whole lot of difference between HO30 and HOn3 - 1.5mm.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
Curious as to your choice of HOn3 versus N scale - there isn't really a whole lot of size difference between these two, both are small and running requires finicky trackwork and running gear.
In fact trains running on slightly wider track - HOn30 gauge - do run on N scale track. Might be an idea to check out On30, which is much larger and more user friendly and runs on HO scaled track.
Just a suggestion!
Thanks for your direction Mike.
Thanks Mike.
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Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL