Planning new HO layout incorporating Narrow gauge shortlines

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I have over the years had several HO layouts, earlier ones survived for a time, later ones did not last or see completion due to outside influences. Have just set up metal benchwork in half a 40 foot ship container for my new layout. The basic benchwork area is a central control area with duck under access with baseboard area roughly 20 ft long 8 foot wide and bench width being around 25 inches, except the ends which are about 32 inches. It will be in HO scale, with several elevations. Lowest elevation I’m thinking at least one continuos running loop, hopefully two in HO with several yards. Second elevation at least one continuous loop, third elevation I would like two shortlines in narrow gauge, one side in mountainous scenics as a timber operation, the other side a desert scene mining operation.

But the more I try to learn of HO narrow gauge, the more confused I get. HOn3, HOn2 1/2,HOe and HO 9mm. The principal defining factor is going to be that which runs on N scale track, with every other sleeper removed. Simply because of availability here in Australia.

Has anybody got any suggestions,thoughts whatever on this, particularly the narrow gauge aspects.

Thanks

2

For HOn2 1/2 (also called HOn30) see this page http://www.hon30.org/. I am not familiar with HOe or HO 9 mm.

Enjoy

Paul

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Standard guage is 4’ 8" (I think). Anyway that is close. HON3 is 3’ narrow guage. This is the guage that was most common in California and Colorado, and most other places as well (don’t know about Australia). It is also the HO narrow guage that is most common. The track is narrower than HO track and quite a bit is available, even at least one DCC engine. Stuff is available but not a LOT of it. Turnouts are somewhat hard to find. (Not that hard). Anyway, do a search on Ebay for HON3. Sort by price. Enjoy.

HON30 is HO scale (1:87), just as is HON3. It runs on N guage track and is rare. It was also rare in the real world. There is some, but not much and its mostly weird little logging engines. Of course track and turnouts are no problem.

ON30 was revived when Bachman built it’s series. It is 1:48 (O scale), runs on HO track and Bachman has DYNAMITE selection of cool engines and cars. To bad they didn’t do it in HON3 or HON30. Anyway, it will run on your HO track (needs taller underpasses than HO), but of course doesnt match the scale of your HO buildings.

Nn3 is narrow guage to N scale (1:160). Microtrains makes cars and track, you have to scrounge for engines. Track is Z scale so no problemt there. It is quite small, but very cool. My N guage layout is going to have an Nn3 section.

If you go HO, what you probably want to do is go HON3 with your narrow guage section. The N guage HON30, well, look around, there is not much available.

4

HOn3 runs on 10.5mm gauge track. So does HOjn762. HOn3 track is available (sometimes) as flex.

HOe, aka HO9mm, runs on 9mm gauge track, as does N-scale standard gauge. However, if you use N scale track, it looks like track built with too-short toothpicks for ties. I believe, but cannot prove, that 1:87 scale 9mm gauge flex is manufactured.

I suspect, but cannot prove, that HOn30 is also 9mm gauge.

Shinohara has manufactured HO/HOn3 dual gauge turnouts in code 70. For any of the fancier specialwork, build it yourself is the order of the day. I don’t know if anyone manufactures HO/HOe turnouts. Check, “To Hardscrabble, the Hard Way,” in The Classic Layout Designs of John Armstrong for a full spectrum of dual-gauge specialwork and a nice narrow gauge to standard gauge transfer operation. (Hand-building specialwork is no big thing. Even this arthritic old coot can do it.)

Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - prototype 1067, 762 and 600mm gauges)

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I am interested in basing the narrow gauge section roughly upon the logging industries of early Victoria, Australia, which was indeed an ad-hoc mixture of lines, gauges and construction methods. Narrow gauge was 2’6", but there were no set standards, I believe there were even sections of timber rail, although they would have been short indeed. Private short lines in Eastern Australia were extremely rough in construction in comparrison to lines in Western Australia, or North America.

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Hi Snaggletooth, and welcome to the Forum.

I am starting my third HO layout and am incorporating HOn3 (HO narrow gauge) with it. The toughest part I have had is finding suppliers of HOn3 stuff. And it is expensive as well.

The HOe you are referring to is the same as HO21/2. This is a 2 foot narrow gauge that was operated for logging in Maine. Your 2.5 foot narrow gauge in Australia is going to be very hard to find in HO, if any at all.

May have to scratch build your track and rolling stock.

Your might contact MRR and see if anyone has modeled the 2.5 foot narrow gauge track in Australia and submitted an article to MRR. All these years, my guess is someone has.

Good luck with your new endeavor!

Yours in NG Model Railroading,

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Here is a link to an Australian HOn30 site http://members.optushome.com.au/duttonbay/ I have a pair of HOn30 steam locos,neither one runs as good as a HOn3 or standard gage model.Welcome to the forum. Joe

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If you’re trying to emulate the 30" Australian narrow gauge lines, you’ll want to use N scale track and mechanisms with HO scale buildings, figures, and rolling stock.

Take 30" and divide by 87.1 and you have 0.344 inches. This is just outside the 0.353 to 0.367 inch range of standard N scale track. In otherwords, it’s so close that nobody would ever notice.

Obviously, your rollingstock and locomotives will have to be mostly scratch built, but at least you can use N scale mechanisms and track.

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Thank you for this information, yes indeed I wish to stick with the n scale track, and mechanism simply because of cost and availability. Joe thanks for the link to the site of the S.A. based NG layout. The area depicted is not that far away from here.As for handlaying track, I don’t think I’m up for that just yet. At present I’m still in the process of preparing the shipping container in which the layout will be housed.

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G’day. Snaggletooth.

Most of the answers you’ve gotten so far aren’t all that helpful, because unfortunately most US modellers aren’t aware of anything outside their own borders - TomikawaTT excepted! (G’day, Chuck!)

HOn30, HOe and HO9 all use the same track gauge of 9mm, which is the same as N gauge. Track of that gauge is made by Peco, Pilz, Bemo and MicroEngineering, and is readily available in Australia.

If you are interested in modelling the VR 2’6" lines, suitable rolling stock is manufactured by Ian Lindsay.

http://ianlindsaymodels.com/hon30.html

Whitemetal kits for the Na class 2-6-2 locos were produced by Colonial Models, you may still find one if you scratch around. Other local NG equipment, mainly Qld cane railway stock, has at times been produced by Hanovale Castings and The Turntable.

Hollywood Foundry produce a wide range of powered bogies and trucks in HOn30.

http://www.hollywoodfoundry.com/

If you want to model the timber tramways like Powelltown, Laheys, Mapleton etc., you might want to look at the books and magazines published by the Light Railway Research Society of Australia. They are the number one source for prototype information for Australian NG and industrial railways.

http://www.lrrsa.org.au

The best source of local modelling information is the magazine “Narrow Gauge Downunder”, which is published four times a year.

http://www.narrowgaugedownunder.com/

Another very good mag is one from the UK, “The Narrow Gauge & Industrial Railway Modelling Review”.

http://www.narrowgaugeandindustrial.com/

There are a number of Australian HOn30 layouts featured on John Dennis’s website:

http://members.optushome.com.au/jdennis/ng_webex.html

For some ideas on what can be done in HOn30 using proprietary mechanisms and kitbashed bodies, see:

[url]http://she

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No, HOn30/HOe is quite common outside the US. Mainstream European manufacturers such as Lilliput, Bemo and Roco all offer an extensive range of HOe locos and cars.

Sorry, but that’s just plain wrong. In the real world, 2’6" gauge railways were commonplace everwhere except North America. And they weren’t “mostly weird little logging engines” - in many countries entire mainline railway systems were built on the narrow gauge, and used locos such as big 2-10-2s and 4-8-2+2-8-4s. See the following website for a comprehensive list of 2’6" gauge railways in the real world.

http://www.pearcedale.com/c&b/thirty.html

Cheers,

Mark.

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I am planning a new narrow gauge (HOe) branchline to my European layout. I’m looking for anyone who has any ideas. Or places I can search out for trackplans.

Thanks,
davezeurorail

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The first thing that got my attention was metal shelf in a shipping container. What are your temperature extremes? Any narrow gauge is much more finicky then plain old HO. Big swings are potentially going to cause some pretty good expansion and contraction problems because a container is uninsulated from what I know. Of course if you cut some windows in it and install heat and air conditioning you will have a place to stay when in the doghouse :-)!

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What prototype? Geman? Austrian? Swiss? Yugoslavian? Baltic States? Russian? As I noted in an earlier post, Roco, Bemo and Lilliput all make RTR models in HOe. I don’t know about websites with trackplans, by which I assume you mean diagrams of prototype yards and stations?

Cheers,

Mark.

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Fortunately compared to many parts of the world, here in the South East Corner of South Australia, the climate is predictable and doesn’t see huge variations. Roughly estimating, winter is generally between 3 degrees celcius and 16 degrees on an average day. Summer time can reach into the high 30s, on the odd occasion into the low to mid 40’s,but not often.

Having said that, your absolutely correct in asmuch as a shipping container sitting in direct sunlight in temperatures over about 22 degrees celcius creates an internal environment thats pretty much unbearable.

Doors, window, roof vents have been added, it has been lined out with timber (chipboard/particleboard) it is a hi cube container 9’6" which allows a good ceiling area, and soon will be putting a corrugated iron roof over the top. The biggest trick is to stop the direct sunlight.

Latest photos can be seen here http://snaggletooth999.blogspot.com/

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I’m disappointed in your pen and ink drawings. There are no trains. I’d bet you could sell some US train prints on E Bay very easily. Nice work.

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Hi snagletooth

have you spoken to your local hobby shop about getting peco OO9 track it is avalable in Aus.

Would I think look better than hacked up N scale track but that is only if you don’t mind the irregular sleepers very narrow gauge though and in the correct gauge for what you want to do.

Since you are in Aus I would check out as much of the local narrow gauge as you can.

have a look for LRRSA publications and other books you must have those to see what you want to capture the feel of the place

also keep your eyes out for Australian Railway Modeling mag that has articals on the 2’6" from time to time.

regards John