30" gauge was not unknown for contractor's railroads, such as would be involved with a major earthworks project, including major road and railroad construction. When MiniTrains first came out with HOn2 1/2, at the same time as the Eggerbahn line from Europe, the engines and cars of both were very much of the small mining/contractor/industrial railroad prototypes, with two axle freight cars and such. It was really Bachmann's On30 line that basically modeled 36" gauge trains on 30" gauge wheels and track, with larger locomotives and cars as a result
Bachmann has little 0-4-0T and 0-4-2T steamers that would be perfect for contractor's railroads but they seem to lack the small two axle freight cars to go with. Were I to dabble in On30 (and the trains seem very nicely done) I think I'd go with a real prototype 30" railroad.
There is usually a nice selectionof Bachmann On30 in the MicroMark sales flyers.
Dave Nelson
Wow... guys thank you for the great support!!!
zstripe, thanks for the welcome, and the link is great... just what I was looking for.
Sir Madog, I have looked at the Bachmann stuff, and for the cost, they seem highly detailed. I think I will use them for consists I will not use all that much, and for the workers go with brass, as the Bachmann's I hear have plastic gears. Thank you for the advice, and good luck with the shelf layout.
tomikawa, thanks... not sure I understood all that.
G Paine, thanks. Do a lot of folks run both guages like that? Is there a difference btween On3 and On30? I think now I will stick to strictly On30 for both mining/timber operations, and also for a mainline loop for passenger service. I have vasilated between HOn3 for open scenery between operations, and On30 for the locomotive detail I admire. Solution... got permission for a little more room. Planning a "U" shape using 4X8 sheets, with one leg being 16 feet the other leg being 11 feet, and the base of the "U" being 12 feet. Do you guys feel this is suitable for On30?
Thanks again guys for the quick responses. No so confused anymore.
Life is tough, but it's tougher if your'e stupid.
As with HOn30, On30 is used to represent 2 foot narrow gauge. This was the commmon narrow gauge in Maine from the late 1800s until the 1930s Great Depression killed most of these RR off. It was also a common narrow gauge in Wales.
The reason that 30" gauge is used to represent 2 ft is that N scale locomotive mechansims can be used in HO scale and HO scale mechanisms can be used in O scale. This makes life easier for this small niche market (particularly in HO) to survive, and scale 6" is not that that much of a difference visually.
Here, on the Boothbay Railway Village layout, a 2 ft gauge train passes by the end of standard gauge.
The 1:1 2 footers at the museum pass by a couple dozen feet from our layout building front door. Here are a couple of prototype photos. An undated photo of SD Warren #1, probably around 1900.
And the museum's Plymouth critter with a restored passenger car that ran on Sandy River & Rangley Lakes RR
And last, but not least, one of the museums Henchel 2 footers working Day Out with Thomas
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Chuck, I agree to what you say, and I disagree at the same time. Outside of the US, 2 1/2 ft. railroads were and still are quite common. Germany and Austria, just to name a few countries, have a number of lines still in operation (if you consider 750 mm, resp. 762 mm gauge as being the equivalent to 2 1/2 ft. gauge. In North America, 2 1/2 ft. gauge lines were mostly unknown.
Sir Madog Bachmann has a nice selection of On30 locos and the can be had at prices way below MSRP. None of them has a real prototype though, which is no issue for me, as there has been no 2 1/2 ft. gauge railroad, either.
Bachmann has a nice selection of On30 locos and the can be had at prices way below MSRP. None of them has a real prototype though, which is no issue for me, as there has been no 2 1/2 ft. gauge railroad, either.
Ulrich, my friend, I most respectfully beg to differ.
My monitor desktop is Kurobe Gorge Railway EDS13, a 762mm gauge Bo+Bo steeplecab that still exists and still runs - or will, once the KGR reopens after its winter shutdown. (You don't buck snow when its depth is measured in meters!) The Kiso Forest Railway, also 762mm gauge, survived until it was superseded by self-loading log trucks in 1975. Models of both are in the as-yet-unbuilt parts of my master plan.
Japan had quite a few 762mm gauge rail lines, from commuter EMU under wire to little rural tramways. Very few survive today, but I rode several back in the 'sixties that have since dried up and blown away. The Kurobe Gorge Railway survives because it is the only access to the power stations in the roadless gorge. (Much of it is closed to passengers.)
Australia has an extensive system of 2'6" sugar cane railways. In the US, the Portland (Oregon) Zoo Railway runs 1:2 scale rolling stock on 2'6" gauge. If you add in 760mm ('Bosnian gauge') and 750mm (Decauville) the list of countries with close approximations of 30 inch gauge rails comes close to filling a page. The prototype helix (Tzu-li Shan) on Taiwan's AliShan Forest Railway is also 762mm gauge, and once hosted two classes of Lima-built Shay locos.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with two 30 inch gauge feeders)
I am right now starting a small, shelf-type On30 layout and just got my first engine and car a few days ago. Man, do I love them! it´s a Bachmann Forney, which was at sale at Micromark´s for just $ 99,95 (DCC, no sound), and a caboose, I bought at a train show for about $ 10.
The loco has a wealth of detail, including a choice of 3 different headlights and a cinder trap for the smoke stack. It´s a smooth runner, right from the beginning. The gearbox was a bit noisy at first, but after an hour´s running in, the noise is gone.
Aside from BLI, who had a D&RGW C-16 on sale some time ago, Bachmann seems to be the only source for On30 locos. I am not aware that there are any brass models around.
Fouled Anchor,
To The Forums.
I personally don't have any experience with that gauge, but know of a site, that has ton's of info and pic's, that if it does not help you, it will surely entertain and give you more idea's than I can:
http://www.railserve.com/Models/Layouts/Narrow_Gauge/
Frank
I've been a reader here for quite a while, and now have room, wonderful, wonderful room to build. So, as you may expect, I have questions.
I have a carpeted 10 ft. square basement room, that is dry. Never no moisture.
My plan is for Colorado mining and lumber, and at this point is just forming in my mind. So, I figured it was big enough for On30, but correct me if I am wrong.
I have been looking for turn of the century shay/heisler locos, and it seems most of the economical stuff is Bachmann. Could you guys help me with plastic/ cast/brass manufacturers for these type engines? I have kinda decided to not go over $500.00.
Actually any help on good quality On30 suppliers would be a huge help. I have been searching on-line, but prefer suggestions by human beings with lots of experience to jump start me.
So... what's up with On30?
Thanks guys.