I have a question about a subject that has bugged me for quite a while. Why are there not any HO scale Porter locos made? They seem to appear in every other scale except HO. If there is a specific reason for this let me know. My current layout (in building stage) should have at least one 8 or 12 ton Porter yet I find no models of one or even any reference to one in the forum. Is this subject[#offtopic] or what ???
JR
It may have to do with the fact that the “classic” 0-4-0 wood cab Porter was almost always a narrow guage critter. Though Porter made several models in standard guage they have a contomporary counterpart already modeled, I.E. the ubiquitous 0-4-0 Dockside Switcher, or Bachmann Spectrum 0-6-0, etc. There may be some avalable standard guage HO models thru smaller brass manufacturers but they would be pricy. You might be able to kitbash one from a Dockside mechanism using plans that are around from various sources or modify a narrow guage kit, but most models out there are strickley narrow guage HOn3 or HOn30.
I have seen a couple of HOn3 conversion kits for the Porter–but not standard gauge. Most of those were castings you put on top of an N scale Dockside mechanism. That’s a tricky question, though…
Kemtron, I think, had the Porter mogul 2-6-0 in their line at one time.
Dave Nelson
I think what jrlauch is talking about is the 0-4-0 Porter tank engine, not a Mogul. Of course, since he doesn’t specifically mention it, I could be wrong…
Outside of brass I think it will be very hard to find a 0-4-0 saddle tank Porter in HO. I havent heard of anyone who made them. I have seen several though in G, On3, On30, HOn3, and HOn30, so I feel your frustration. It seems like a good choise for a manufacturer to produce, but hey, I’m not in marketing so my opinion is nil.
Could you use another make of saddletanker like Bachmann’s 0-6-0 spectrum loco? There are several 0-4-0T’s out there some good, some very bad, that are similar to Porters.
Tyco used to make them. They made a lot of small locos to go in sets with a couple of freight cars and a caboose. You could probably find one on ebay if you looked hard enough. That’s usually what I see the most of on there in terms of HO steam locomotives. Or you could go with a Bachmann 0-6-0 or a Spectrum 0-6-0T.
Right now the hobby is going in the other direction - who can announce and provide the largest engines. I have a dockside based on the B&O prototype and find it to be not my favorite engine. Limited weight, pulling power, contact with the rails plus if I could enter it in the track and field comeptition at the Olympics I think it would win the hundred yard dash every time. Small engines were the mainstay when the hobby was forming in the 40’s. Not any more and I don’t have time to tinker with them but to ech his own.
I agree about the state of HO going towards the Bigger is Better mindset. I’m in large scale and I consider myself fortunate because I love these types of locos and there are quite a few to chose from in large scale. [#offtopic]
But even large scale is going to the big guys… Bachmann issued a new 0-4-0 this year based on a Porter saddletank prototype and its a terrific looking engine, but thats the only really small engine to be introduced in years. All the new engine are really large ones like SD70’s GP’s and steam Hudsons and even a 2-8-8-0 will be out this year.[:0]
I have so far in large scale:
4 ) 0-4-0 LGB Porters which look based on 6 to 8 ton prototypes
0-4-0 LGB Baldwin based 6-8tonners
0-4-0 Bachmann Porter sidetank 12 tonner prototype.
0-4-0 LGB Steinz German engine ( I actually really hate the looks of this one)
not to mention a bunch of critters and gas/mechanicals…
Its a shame that these are not avalible in HO but theres so much avalible in HO thats missing in large scale, I guess it even’s itself out.[8D]
I guess if you want to model those types of engines, I’d switch to HOn3, On30 or G gauge, theres a way better selection to chose from.[:D]
Us guys who like small locos are pretty much stuck where the big-engine guys were decades ago–we can just go scratchbuild! Fortunately it’s still cheaper to scratchbuild a large loco than a small one. And there are a bunch of old small locomotives (like those Docksides and Hustlers) that we can re-power, and the neat little 23 and 25 ton GE diesel kits, and the magnificent 44-ton and 70-ton GE engines that Bachmann makes…okay, well, maybe it’s not so bad after all.
Several companies make body shells to put on top of N scale locomotives for HOn30/HOn3 Porters–it would be a bit more work, but one could theoretically modify one of these with an HO power truck, or an N scale 0-4-0 with new standard-gauge axles, to make a standard-gauge Porter.
Makes you wonder about those guys who have to own all the BIG locos…you figure they’re trying to compensate for something??? And you thought all those narrow-gauge guys just naturally had confident smirks on their faces…
Wah he said…[#ditto][:D][:D][:D]
Several year ago I’ve seen an ad for a brass HO scale Porter in Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette magazine. Other than that I’ve never seen any references to a Porter in HO. Bachmann makes these engines in On30 and G scales. Grandt Line has a kit for these Porters in either On30 or On3. The Bachmann Porters look great and run well.
I have seen ads for the brass Porters in NG&SL, but they cost like $300-500!! I am aware of the On30 and G scale Porters, but those aren’t in HO scale. I suppose part of the reason is demand…On30 is aimed at folks who like large scale but don’t have room for full-size O scale, and G and other large-scale stuff is naturally biased towards small engines for those who don’t have football field sized garden layouts and monstrous fortunes to spend on full-sized large-scale locomotives!
Obviously there isn’t as much market for small engines, and those who do like them are more likely to just roll their own…I’m just keeping an eye out for parts. The relatively low-cost kits are out there but most of them were limited runs, not easily available. That’s okay, though, I have time.
While I haven’t had much urge to do HOn30 stuff lately (other than my diesel critter) I have subtle plans to turn an N scale Dockside chassis and some donkey-engine and static steam-powerplant parts into a gypsy logging engine.