Roco narrow gauge mining set.

[jerryl]

Really confused about the actual gauge of this set. Most on ebay say it is HOn3..Some websites say it is HOn30. Does anyone know what gauge it really is?    Thanks

[jrbernier]

  They should be HOn30 - They use 9mm N scale track...

Jim

[Anonymous]

Definitively not HOn3, but HOn30, as stated before!

[mlehman]

To further confuse the issue, in the last few years Busch began offering a "mine train" that is HO scale, but runs on Z gauge track. They call it HOf, maybe for "feldbahn" which is what this class of light railways is called in German. Not cheap, but I'd sure like to see some of it in action. They have rolling stock for mining, peat production, and other industrial uses.

[Anonymous]

mlehman

Not cheap, but I'd sure like to see some of it in action.

Here you go - watch this video.

A major drawback of the Busch "Feldbahn" is, that it runs on 3 V DC. Busch does not provide a controller for it, just a battery holder with a switch to change direction. Heisswolf in Germany makes an excellent controller for it, but it is also quite pricey.

[hon30critter]

Hi Ulrich:

Is that video showing Hon30 scale track or Z scale? I'm a bit confused by the posts. Looks like Hon30 scale track to me, but it's a bit difficult to measure the track in the video.

Dave

[Anonymous]

It´s showing both. The yellow Diesel circulates on Busch´s bespoke Z gauge track, which has a metal strip down the middle, as the wheels of the loco are magnetized to enhance traction. The static trains are on Eggerbahn HOn30 track.

[Graffen]

This video with a HOf layout is really interesting as it shows how uncritical they run.

http://youtu.be/eCOQmN0hKSU

And the underside with the animations! Spitzenklasse!

[Anonymous]

Graffen

Spitzenklasse!

Couldn´t agree more! If only that stuff wouldn´t be so (beep, expletive, deleted) expensive.

Busch announced a O& K 0-6-0 steamer for next year!

[mlehman]

Thanks for the video links, guys. I'd heard of the magnetic adhesion trick. Seems to work and run well, although they seem to be noisy enough to not require a sound decoder, presuming one could shoehorn something in. The passage through turnouts seems rough as heck, but they just keep going...

[Graffen]

The set I have seen in action was very quiet and did not jump like that on turnouts. It did run on a layout set on a wall though! Those magnets really! And I mean really, work!

[Anonymous]

Graffen

It did run on a layout set on a wall though! Those magnets really! And I mean really, work!

Seeing is believing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKxc-60mYN8