I’ll be doing a WV also, but it shut down before the period I ajm modeling, so I will freelance it a bit and update motive power…
I have modeled a variety of prototypes over the years as well as done both narrow gauge and HO standard gauge. Once you start looking in books for yard track plans of specific railroads and designing railroads based on these railroads you will be hooked and it will be more difficult to do free lanced model railroads. I think you will find that an HO version of an narrow gauge prototype will be frustrating and not as satisfying. I don’t recommend it. My best model railroads have been specific segments of real prototypes with enough research to make them as accurate as I can. I have modeled the B&O in Morgantown WV and the SPNG at Laws in both HOn3 and Sn3. All were very interesting and fun. Sn3 might be something for you to consider. My current project is the Tonopah and Tidewater and it has required several trips to Goldfield and Death Valley for research but will make a really neat model railroad. Judging by your recent designs you are headed down the same path I have gone, but it is really fun. If you don’t have Myrick’s books on RR in Nevada and Eastern Cal. it might be worth acquiring. I live 100 miles from Nevada City and visit there twice per year. I also have Best’s book, if you need further track maps send me a PM. - Nevin
Just can’t win can ya Space Mouse?
I found a 70’s flat/gon in the ER group, but did not find the 1887 flat/gon or the box car. Is there more than one place to look?
Opinions differ, eh? At least they aren’t being abusive.
Chip
Will find the info and get back to you this weekend. Had to finish and leave work early today due to combination of tornado and severe thunderstorms near work, and 8" of snow at the house, with another 12" forecast for tonight and tomorrow morning. Have been outside shoveling. Son has Sat morning drama practice, and daughter has/had doubleheader for opening of softball season. This after 12" of white on Easter Sunday.
Fred
Chip
I dug out my White’s The American Freight Car and found the plans and description for the MKT flat/gon. You were right and I was wrong. But…to quote White, “During the 1880s, western lines tended to accept more straight forward lines for gondolas.” The MKT flat/gon was 28ft internally, and designed in the 1870s. It had wood bolsters and no queen posts, but did have 4 truss rods. White shows a similar design published in 1885 for a Missouri Car & Foundry gon. In 1888, the C&O developed a 25 ton, 36ft gon which still had wooden bolsters, but needed body trusses to stop the sides from bulging when loaded, and which would have made unloading that much more difficult. White shows a drawing of an 1896 Rock Island gon which was 30T and about 34ft internal. This became the Rock Island standard, with iron bolsters, 4 truss rods, queen posts, Janney couplers, and air brakes. White’s comment, “…but as with all plain gondolas, immense manual labor was required to unload it.” seems very apropos.
I bought 3 of the MKT kits reckoning that an Oregon short line in 1900 would not have bought the latest and greatest and heaviest cars. They would have weathered the 1893 depression by being conservative. Good lumber for replacing bolsters and bearing girders for the truss rods would be plentiful. And my tiny layout needs smaller cars! The kits have 3 side boards instead of the 2 in the plans to make them more universal. The top board can be easily trimmed off if not wanted. There is a pocket for a lead sheet to weight the cars properly.
Craig B. sells the MKT flat/gon as Amesville Shops (http://amesvill
I saw you on the Early Rail Kits group (that gets a half dozen hits a month) but haven’t seen you post on the EarlyRail group (hundreds of posts per month).
Hi All I about to build an H0 layout with either a quarry or cement works and would like to have a small amount of narrow guage does H0n3 use N guage track if not what does
i am not into scratchbuilding
regards mike UK
No, N scale track is HOn30, roughly 2 and a half foot gauge. HOn3 is true 3-foot-gauge. There is little available commercially in terms of ready-to-run for HOn30, less, in fact, than for HOn3.
N-scale track is 9mm gauge, where HOn3 would be 10.5mm gauge (3.5mm x 3).
If you’re looking for HOn30 (HO scale, but scale 30" gauge, also known as HOn2-1/2), check out this guy’s stuff, as he makes industrial narrow gauge trains like you’re looking for…
Hi,
Have been gone 5 days. I’ll get back to you a little later today.
Chip, how about throwing caution to the wind and do in it in Gn3, that would be mind blowing to say the least! Sorry, i’ve got the urge to do a Baldwin electric freight unit in G for the Sacramento Northern and thought i’d inflict my self induced insanity on others.
You could find used, true, they may be more trouble then there worth, I still retain several HOn3 examples of early brass import orgin, they were horrible performers right out of the box and difficuilt and expensive to tune up , I would consider On30, not true 3 between rails, but can be accomplished in not much more space then HO, in a pinch you can even use standard HO track, though the tie spacing will be incorrect. No one can argue with the effort put forth by Bachmman to serve this growing scale. Or you can standard guage as was seriously considered, I consider this your best option.
Dave
The narrow gauge convention is this coming September in Colorado Springs. It is my understanding from another thread a few months ago this is a great opportunity to see all kinds of NG modeling stuff.
I have never been to this convention, but since it is only about 70 miles from my home, I will be attending.
I have a combo HO-HOn3 layout. My biggest problem is finding HOn3 turnouts. My goal is to purchase a Blackstone C-19 with DCC sound when it comes out.
Having been born and raised in Colorado, I have a love and bias towards Colorado NG.
Great ideas above!
BRING BACK THE SKI TRAIN! Boo hoo hoo, how could they?