Modelling 3'6" gauge - ideas please

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

As I said in another thread today, I started thinking I’d like to model the Wellington and Manawatu Railway. I know that won’t mean much to most of you, but just accept for now that it is a New Zealand prototype from about 1880-1906 (from memory) that ran nice Baldwin locos alongside huge Briti***ank locos through amazing NZ scenery and came within a mile of my current house.

Trouble is I want to be true to prototype and the danged prototype was 3’6" gauge!

There isn’t much of that around in any scale. How to model it, especially the locos? The WMR had a mix of late 19th century / early 20th century American and British gear.

I’ve been looking at HOn3 locos. Model Railroader gave me the impression there are a few around but there ain’t. Just a much-reviled 2-8-0 kit from MDC, and tons of brass at US$300-US$1000. (there IS quite a bit of rolling stock around). Neither is suited to kitbashing

other options:

Go Sn3.5, known here in New Zealand as NZ64. A big scale for a small room, and all the locally made kits are NZR prototype not WMR.

Buy TT loco mechansims and scratch build bodies in HOn3. Maybe, but the wheel style, valve gear etc is still gonna be all wrong

Go HOm (metre gauge). Not much more choice and its all European

Go HOn30. Sligthly more choice but it is all that noddy little Colorado n.g. style stuff, and 2’6" is getting too narrow

Go Farish N scale (which is slightly oversize, so it has a narrow gauge look). Can’t get that Baldwin loco look and I don’t think my old eyes can handle N

Go HO and forget the narrow gauge look. Tons of choice and the price is right but can I live with standard gauge models of a narrow gauge prototype?

At least WMR was a heavy mainline with big beefy locos and rolling stock so standard gauge wouldn’t look too bad, but IT WON"T LOOK RIGHT.

Any ideas or opinions? I think I"m gonna have to compromise my pr

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Rob;

You can roll your own…go HO scale, then modify the smaller HO standard guage locomotives to 3’6" guage.

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I’m not sure it’s that easy. Most of the 3’6" gauge stuff was narrower and a bit smaller than standard gauge, so it still won’t look right. You should see the loco cabs - even on the big 4-8-4s it’s a wonder the fireman didn’t hurt the engineer swinging a shovel around in there. And our rail carriages - it feels more like being mailed than transported [:)] US diesel cabs look like the bridge of a ship compared to ours, even though some come from the same manufacturers.

And how much would I have to hack the frames before squeezing the drivers together? and clearances to the internal drive gears etc etc?

But you’re right, it bears serious investigation. Time to dig out my WMR loco drawings and compare dimensions with the US protoypes.

Anyone out there narrowed the gauge of standard gauge models?

4

Try modeling in Sn42. This is S scale equipment that runs on HO standard track. I think there is a Yahoo group that caters to Sn42. I also believe there are a few manufacturers that sell S scale superstructures that fit over some HO scale locos.

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I think there is some HOm (HO made to metre gauge) European-pattern equipment out there–one meter is about 5 cm short of 3’6" which would be pretty close.

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I can’t help with your specific prototype, but here is a link to a group of people who might be able to help:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nfld_Rwy/

The Newfoundland RR was 3’6" and is commonly modeled in Sn42. However, there are a few who model it in HOn3. I am just a fan of it, having kissed my opportunity to travle on it before the 1988 shutdown. I’ve been a member of the list for some time now and they’re a great bunch. Although your question is just a bit off-topic, I’ll bet that they’d be willing to make suggestions on your dilemma.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL

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The advantage of Sn42 (or Sn3.5) is that you can use standard gauge HO trucks, tracks, and loco mechanisms. Depending on what’s available you’ll have to scratch/parts build the rest.
Enjoy
Paul

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H0m is the same as H0n3.5. Queensland modellers now have a little to choose from, South Australians a little less. Steam Era makes very nice wheelsets, and their bogies can be regauged.

Your real challenge will be to find locos with small enough drivers in any scale bigger than N: other than the Ud class, the biggest drivers are 4’1, and most are smaller.

My suggestion: if you are under 30, you might live long enough to scratch build your trains in H0n3.5, if not, find an easier prototype! None of the locos are the least bit like anything I can recognise, but i know nothing of the rollingstock.

Ironic that the NZ locos that came to SA were 5’3 gauge…

Allan Lees

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Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Here’s how I see it right now:
Sn3.5 or Sn42 (same thing) has a few loco kits about, but all the surrounding detail is in S - limited range. And S is bigger than HO - my room is pretty small.

HOn3.5 or HOn3 or HOm is more attractive because all the surrounding stuff is HO - endless range (buildings, parts, vehicles, people etc etc)

There is more HOn3 than HOn3.5, and HOm plastic costs the same as HOn3 brass, so I think I’ll just have to limit the size of my roster and start forking out for old brass. Will I have the courage to kitbash it to prototype???
And can I find anything like the WMR locos? They had huge drivers for a narrow gauge loco for starters: 43"-49" http://www.baldwin-steam.org.nz/loco/wmr.html

The alternative is to give in and go HO standard gauge. After what i said about prototype vs freelance modelling in another thread, I can’t do that with dignity [:)] Anyone got as good recipe for humble pie? [:)] [:)]

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Before you bite off more than you can chew, read some of the English model magazines (I’m sure NZ is awash with them) and have a look at what can be achieved in a very small space. Some of thje Poms have O gauge layouts that are 8x2’, and they are exquisite, and have a lot of operating potential. Don’t write off S scale, yet.

Allan Lees

11

Thanks Allan

I kinda feel that Sn3.5 is a bigger mouthful than HOn3.5. In HOn3.5, locos for the WMR prototype are a big problem and rolling stock is a medium sized problem. But track is available, and everything else is easy, plentiful and cheap.

Speaking of Poms, another option is OO on HO track. That scales out to 4’2", which is as close to HOn3.5 as HOn3 is, only 8" wider not 6" narrower. Still plenty of variety about, I can still use a lot of my HO scenic stuff in the background, and rolling stock may be a closer fit to my prototype, which was British influenced in most stuff except half the locos.

Ah options options…