https://photos.shutterfly.com/full/54050428470
The picture is of a railbus made from a kit sold by Budget Model Railways. 009 is very popular in the UK.
009 trains run on N gauge track, so you can model in a smaller space.
009 is very difficult to find in the USA. However, this is an opportunity for free lancers. An old HO car can be converted to 009 by cutting down the height, length and width. This is an enjoyable project and much cheaper than buying new. Kato sells a powered 009 chassis for only $13.00. The railbus shown above rests on a Kato 11-103.
You would need to scratch-build structures.
Not real sure what 009 is, but how is this any different than HOn30, which is HO narrow gauge running on N scale track? Sounds the same to me. Is 009 more of a standard gauge, mainline scale?
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
OO9 is British OO scale (1/76) narrow gauge, running on 9mm tracks (Peco OO9/HOn30 track, not N scale track), representing a conglomerate of British narrow gauge railways on 2ft. tracks (or slightly wider, like the Talyllyn Railway).
There is quite an extensive cottage industry in Britain catering for the narrow gauge railway modeler (that´s a model railroader in British English). Bachmann also sells some RTR stuff - like a WD (War Department) Baldwin 4-6-0, as well as Rheneas, Skarloey and Rusty from th "Thomas the Tank Engine" series.. Heljan markets a 2-4-2 Manning-Wardle engine of the former Lynton & Barnstaple Rlwy.
Don´t forget that HO scale is considerably smaller than OO scale - HO scale buildings, figures and vehicles are undersize for an OO9 gauge layout! You will have to obtain those from the UK! Good news is - there is plenty available!
Just an example of a typical OO9 train - the loco is a scratchbuilt shell on a Kato 2-axle chassis!
Happy times!
Ulrich (aka The Tin Man)
"You´re never too old for a happy childhood!"
Tinplate, your train is beautiful. I love it.
009 can run on N gauge track. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/OO9
The Gnome009 can run on N gauge track
It just looks silly, with the ties being too short and the spacing too tight. For my planned "Lighthouse Rlwy." micro layout, I´ll be using Kato N scale Unitrack, but the track will be more or less buried in sand and the ties not visible.
Looks silly. Yes, maybe it does. But prototypers might say all freelance trains look silly.
Once you let go of reality based modeling, you are free to mix and match however you like.
In the first post, it states that you can cut down an HO car to make it 009. In another post, it states that 009 is larger than HO. I'm still not sure what it is. I'll do some searching to try to figure it out.
Chuck - it is not as confusing as it may appear:
OO scale - 1/76 is bigger than 1/87 scale by a little over 10%
OO9 is 1/76 scale narrow gauge, running on track with a gauge of 9mm
Want to know more? Maybe the British based OO9 Society has the answers!
Chuck,
my 009 railbus is smaller than HO but larger than N. I suggest you check out Budget Model Railways, a father-son YouTube channel in the UK. They are freelancers and they produce 009 kits on a 3D printer.
It is my impression that narrow-gauge modelers like those in the 009 Society are not freelancers. They are prototypers. Putting freelancers in with prototypers would be like The Odd Couple.
But i could be mistaken.
The Gnomemy 009 railbus is smaller than HO but larger than N
It is a model of a small narrow gauge rail car, hence it is smaller than an average HO scale model.
I am afraid you are getting a few things mixed up here!
Anyhow, OO9 is for folks who like to model British narrow gauge railways, but not a really an option for people who fancy US railroading.
l really do not see any difference worth mentioning between "OO9" and "HOn30" as far as anything goes.
.
Personally, if I was one of those Britsh Railway Modelers I would be looking at HOn30 track because running those models on N scale track looks awful. HOn30 also has a guage of 9mm.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
009 could be the best choice for Americans who want to model in compact spaces but who think N scale train cars are too small.
just ignore the spacing of the ties.
now, somebody please tell me where the free spirits in the model train community hang out. I might be in the wrong place.
The Gnome009 could be the best choice for Americans who want to model in compact spaces but who think N scale train cars are too small.
How about HOn30? There is a well-established community of model railroaders modeling in HOn30, thus avoiding the necessity to import OO scale figures, buildings, vehicles. There are a number of HOn30 engines and cars available, which are quite close to a specific US prototype. You´d be surprised what a web search will unearth!
Btw, you can use the inexpensive Kato or Tomytec N scale mechanism for frellance stock in HOn30 as well. It´s all on 9mm track.
The Gnomesomebody please tell me where the free spirits in the model train community hang out. I might be in the wrong place.
I seriously doubt you will find a much more free spirit than me!
I model complete nonsense.
OO scale. 4mm to the foot.
HO scale. 3.5mm to the foot.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Kevin, you said you modek complete nonsense. Thank goodness!
https://youtu.be/u3QHeIX2XjI
This is what I was talking about in my initial post.
The red box car on the right was made from parts. It runs smoothly on N gauge tracks. Behind it is a 009 railbus. The old N scale boxcar supplied the chassis with wheels and trucks. A broken yellow HO boxcar supplied the shell, which i cut down using my trusty dremel. It is not pretty but that is because the worker is clumsy. The principle is sound. Using parts is much cheaper than buying narrow gauge cars.
HOn30, 009, and HOe are all basically the same thing HO scale on N scale track. There are some differences in what they call "HO" as stated with 009 using 1/76 "OO", but outside that they're all the same. There are even groups that lump them together as one interest.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/604300132965220/
LensCapOn HOn30, 009, and HOe are all basically the same thing HO scale on N scale track. There are some differences in what they call "HO" as stated with 009 using 1/76 "OO", but outside that they're all the same. There are even groups that lump them together as one interest. https://www.facebook.com/groups/604300132965220/
Tinplate ToddlerA 009 layout with HO scale buildings, ... just looks silly.
But if you change the doors to OO and add some foundation to raise the height you can make it work.
Paul
You could of course kitbash an HO scale building into an OO scale building by installing bigger doors and maybe bigger windows - providing that each story is also high enough.
Tinplate Toddler LensCapOn HOn30, 009, and HOe are all basically the same thing HO scale on N scale track. There are some differences in what they call "HO" as stated with 009 using 1/76 "OO", but outside that they're all the same. There are even groups that lump them together as one interest. https://www.facebook.com/groups/604300132965220/ 1) "I am sorry, but I can´t sign into that statement!" 2) "A 009 layout with HO scale buildings, figures and vehicles just looks silly."
No reason to go all rivet counter on this! There are so many people who are "having fun with trains" who haven't yet, and may never will, care that much about the finer details. To speak to them is why "basically" rather than "exactly" was used.
So lighten up on this a little.
As for the second people have been using off scale items for so long, what's the point? Even using HO items it becomes a question of how undersized they were modeled in the first place. On the worst, you would just have to have them on the other side of the street for a little forced perspective. On the best, they could work fine.
Edit: In trying to show the actual size of the locomotive, the only way I could think of doing this was by putting my whole reply in JPEG form so the photo would get unloaded to the forum. You can clicjk on the photo to get a larger size.
LensCapOnNo reason to go all rivet counter on this!... ...So lighten up on this a little
I am not counting rivets, I just think people should know what they are talking about.
O0 is not the same as HOn30/HOe, just like S scale is not HO scale. It is as simple as that.
I have collected a few Bachmann 009 freight cars with Skarloey and Rheneas. Waiting for Rusty to come out with the new coaches next year.
I been planning to get Peco 009 track, structures and scenery that will British inspired and favored. I'm having a hard time finding a locomotives.
The layout will be fictitious with Thomas characters if I get bored with them I'll switch locomotives but keep the rolling stock. Unless the coaches have faces than I'll get new ones.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
LensCapOn,
thanks.
To add a little perspective, i should say that this spring i bought a popular HO Atlas station kit For about twenty bucks. Just this week i noticed the door is over an inch high and very narrow. The roof overhangs the door so you don't really see the top. Maybe I did not notice because my lens cap was on.
it does not matter to me. Scales are approximate on a lot of model train stuff. This week I realized that i cannot guess whether a poster is 36” or 30” just by looking at it. Having a precise eye might be a curse. If so, i escaped that one, thank goodness.
Angelob,
you said you are having trouble finding a 009 loco. Have you considered buying a 3d printed kit? Kato sells a motorized chassis that clips right on.
angelob6660I'm having a hard time finding a locomotives.
Other than Bachmann (USA) and Bachmann (UK), there are only few manufacturers of OO9 stock.
Peco offers passenger cars following Lynton & Barnstable Rlwy. prototype, Heljan has the right engine for that train. Fourdees has a few quite interesting locos and sets and Narrow Planet some nice OO9 loco and rolling stock kits.
Of course, there is always Shapeways.
A quite comprehensive list of what is available, either RTR or in kit form, can be found here.
Please note, that Backwoods Miniatures has closed its doors and it is not yet known, if or to what extend their range of products will be picked up by others.
angelob6660 - I have sent a PM with more info!
The Gnome Angelob, you said you are having trouble finding a 009 loco. Have you considered buying a 3d printed kit? Kato sells a motorized chassis that clips right on.
I thought of that. But I wanted a steam locomotive with cylinders than having side plates.
There's no 3d kit looks really good.
Tinplate Toddler angelob6660 I'm having a hard time finding a locomotives. Other than Bachmann (USA) and Bachmann (UK), there are only few manufacturers of OO9 stock. Peco offers passenger cars following Lynton & Barnstable Rlwy. prototype, Heljan has the right engine for that train. Fourdees has a few quite interesting locos and sets and Narrow Planet some nice OO9 loco and rolling stock kits. Of course, there is always Shapeways. A quite comprehensive list of what is available, either RTR or in kit form, can be found here. Please note, that Backwoods Miniatures has closed its doors and it is not yet known, if or to what extend their range of products will be picked up by others. angelob6660 - I have sent a PM with more info!
angelob6660 I'm having a hard time finding a locomotives.