Abbie,
I’m pretty sure it’s On30, rather than On3. Probably what you meant, but just so there’s no confusion.
im nearly done with track work im short a switch and some straight track
Good to hear you’re making progress.
Use ta’ be On2 1/2… I have never heard of On36 or On24. On30 got started by folks who probably were not deeply involved with narrow gauge, but knew there was a lot of HO track out there and drive gear they could make smaller shells for… or the marketing departments thought the 1/2 looked tacky.
But it is hung out there now and seems to be the only U.S. narrow gauge referring to inches instead of feet.
Any one know of any 2 1/2 foot narrow gauge roads in the United States? I know we built steam engines in this gauge for export to Mexico and Canada may have had some. St Kitts and Nevis has the gauge, but were there ever any in the U.S.? I can’t seem to locate any.
I know that about 96% of all narrow gauge in this country was 3 foot gauge and virtually all the rest was 2 foot gauge. The rest were all odd gauges with tiny amounts of trackage.
Don’t forget On18, it is what they used on millatary bases and overseas in WW1.
There were a number of them in the Hawaiian Islands (although probably all were gone before it became a state). Most of those were sugar cane railroads, but there were two common carriers on Kauai that were 2 1/2’ gauge: the Kauai Railway and the Ahukini Terminal and Railway
Thanks for the info on the Hawaiian island roads. They count as it was a territory of the US. That is two 2 1/2 foot gauge operations on Hawaii. Any more real 2 1/2 foot gauge roads in the US?
With such a paucity of 2 1/2 foot gauge it makes virtually all On30 MR activity fanatasy roads which is no real big deal. It just means there are virtually no real world US modeling opportunities in the gauge.
I, personally, favor fantasy roads. No responisbility to follow any real world example. In my 50 years of MR’ing, I have never built a layout patterned after a real world railroad…Only reasonable fanatasy roads… Lets me do what I want within the limits of the geography and needs of the period I model.
Narrow gauge, in general, is an ideal setting for a small little road of your own design. Only the “scale” chosen for your narrow gauge line determines just how small or large your space requirements will be and what the costs are in completing a suitable example of what you want to do.
The Gazette had a series a few years ago on various 30" gauge railroads in the US - I believe it was by Mallory Ferrell. It’s true that the vast majority of American narrow gauge was 3’, but surprisingly there was a decent number of 30" gauge as well, although few were common carriers.
This website has a list that seems pretty comprehensive: http://www.pearcedale-conservation-park.com.au/c&b/SZ.html#usa