Got the narrow gauge bug!

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hi all! I bought some brass HOn3 locos made by Sunset in Korea.

I got them really cheap, I paid $ 250 for both!

I have painted and decaled the first K-27:

I painted it to depict the look of it in the mid to late thirties with green jacket and silver steps. I used the very nice decals I got from San Juan decals. Very nice quality!

Here are both of my Mudhens:

I’m going to paint the other one with black jacket as it is a switcher. It will be very weathered as well. I also bought a caboose made by Balboa.

Here is the new long caboose: #461 with the caboose:

Brass all over:

[:D]

I think I will like this narrow gauge bug!

2

Very nice!

3

I would say you got more than the ‘bug’ you have the full-blown disease ! nice brass !

4

Graffen - that´s a steal [;)] - congrats!

I have been bitten by the narrow gauge bug for close to 40 years now. I bought a WMC D&RGW T-12 in 1975 for a little more than 100 $ - at that time, this money would buy you three Marklin Crocs!

5

I don’t model narrow gauge, but have always liked it. Knew a guy in Reading Pennsylvania (my hometown) about 35 years ago modeled DRGW narrow gauge in On3…took up his entire basement. He had mudhens and K36’s…all brass.

He called it ‘the narrow gauge fever’

Mark H

6

Graffen,

Yes, narrowgauge is seductive. And in recent years, the cost to get into HOn3 is pretty darn close to standard gauge. For On30, it’s usually cheaper than SG. Availability of items, kits and parts still varies, but isn’t very far from SG, either.

If you shop carefully, there are even darn good bargains, like your K-27s. After Blackstone came out with theirs, the brass K-27 market went into sharp price decline. There are lots of great locos out there still.

Here’s a tip. With Blackstone soon offering K-28 and K-36 locos, too, you’ll likely see similar declines in the value of these brass models. It probably won’t be as steep, because so many have come into HOn3, then went in search of these heavier Ks to supplment their Blackstone K-27s, but it will happen. The running qualities of a Blackstone are simply too superior out of the box to brass.

That said, I have several Sunset locos and have Tsunami-ed them all, added lots of wipers, and they preform comparably to my Blackstones now. For instance, my Westside C-25 was my very first HOn3 loco, never was quite right even after a remotor. It got the Tsunami, but also a remotor/gear kit from Locodoc. It’s like butter now.[8D][Y] He also offeres lots of other repowering options, so if your brass needs a little help, he’s a good source to keep in mind. http://locodoc.com/SuperGlideDriveHOn3.html

Here’s the C-25 at work

One of my K-27s switching at Animas Forks

And if you need an affordable diesel, the Liliput Gemeinder is easy to set to HOn3 ( 10.5 mm) by narrowing the available HOm drive axles to HOn3. Do that and have both the HOe (9mm, HOn30 stateside) and HOm (12 mm, same as TT and Swiss HO meter gauge) wheelsets also and you

7

I am jealous sir… totally, totally jealous.

Steve

8

Thanks all! Mike L, thanks for the tip on the remotoring source and the heads up on the other K’s! I actually have some HOm locos in my collection! Now to find them… :wink: