Are you aware that Bachmann has recently introduced a 4-6-0 and a 2-6-6-2 mallet in their On30 line.
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/products.php?page=2&act=viewCat&catId=390
After I received the Forney I was so impressed that I acquired the On30 Climax and outside frame 2-8-0 both of these units have excellent detail and running characteristics. The On30 engines will have to reside in a cabinet until I decide to build another layout.
What about Shinohara HOn3 track?
Enjoy
Paul
I believe On30 is much more than a fad. I’ve tried to model narrow gauge in On3, Sn3, and HOn3. There was (and still is) very little affordable supplies available in these scales. Locos are expensive brass and track is scarce. On30 offers quality affordable locos, rolling stock, and track since it runs on HO standard gauge track. I switched to On30 when Bachmann introduced the Mogul. On30 is affordable narrow gauge for everyone and has all the advantages of O scale in the space of HO.
I agree that On30 is much more than just a new fad. I was a long time HO modeler and got bit by On30 in a serious way about three years ago! I really never had much of a desire for narrow gauge until I saw what Bachmann was marketing in On30. Now with several MMI K27’s and K28’s plus San Juan and AMS cars being added to my Bachmann rolling stock, On30 is a fun and very affordable way to be in this hobby. Plus the larger scale makes it easier on the eyes and fingers and the sound is fabtastic! I’m in it for the long haul as I believe are so many new and veteran modelers. The On30 has ignited an interest for me in a whole new arena of this fantastic hobby!
D&W
You can all be sure that 0n30 is here to stay! As mentioned above, the low price, the easy to get tracks are important factors, but most importantly is the SIZE I think. As many people realize when seeing an 0n30 layout live is the nice size of everything but being narrow gauge it isn´t more space demanding than a H0 layout. As you get older it isn´t so easy to see all miniscule details of a H0 model, whereas on the 0-scale you have much easier to see it.
To see some nice On30 models, see:
It is a friend of mines layout. Enjoy!
Well, though I haven’t been bitten by the On30 bug to the point where I’m looking askance at my HO equipment, I don’t mind admitting that my little On30 Bachmann Rio Grande set comes out every Christmas around the tree, and it’s a little charmer. And it gets its shares of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from my family when they gather around the tree during the Season.
However, I’m a little astonished, but very pleased at the huge variety of motive power and rolling stock that Bachmann and several other companies have released over the past several years. They’re obviously treating this scale seriously, and it seems to be taking with a lot of modelers, lately.
And unlike Large Scale, which seems to have some trouble making up its mind exactly what proportions to scale locos and equipment to, On30 appears to have hit a happy medium with proportions. Okay, it’s not ‘true’ O-scale American 3-foot narrow gauge, but it seems that a lot of modelers are willing to overlook that 1/8" between railheads. Besides, as mentioned, the Bachmann can be re-gauged to On3 with evidently very little trouble.
So “Fad” or not, if On30 brings more people into the hobby, I say hooray. And Bachmann seems to be treating the scale very seriously with some good quality locos and rolling stock.
Tom [:)]
First, in the highly unlikely possibility that I might change scale, 0n762 would be my choice - and I would still be modeling Japanese prototype.
That said, I have been ROFLMAO about all the, “No track!” complaints in reference to narrow gauge. As long as stick rail, sheet balsa and micro-spikes are available, I’ll never have a track problem.
XXn(whatever) has always been the realm of the scratchbuilder and extreme kitbasher. Serious slim-gauge modelers have never depended on manufacturers’ whims, since they were in the habit of making whatever they needed out of raw materials. This is not to disparage all of those who would like to have everything RTR - but that’s not the norm for the venue.
If I were to shift to 0n762 I would expect to have to scratchbuild just about everything. Many of the prototype items I would wish to include were things built from raw materials and leftovers in the (1:1 scale) Kiso Forest Railway shops. The possibility that anyone will ever produce them commercially is somewhere between zero and the square root of minus 1. As for the available On30 (I ate the half-a-tuna as maguro sashimi) it’s all WAY too big!
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Hi D&W
Just wondering what your min radius is and if you had to modify any of the San Juan cars. I recently started modeling in On30 and am about to start a scratchbuilt RGS Dolores inspired depot. So far I have 0-4-0, 2-6-0 and Shay by Bachmann. I might buy a couple of their passenger cars but most of my freight cars will be either craftman kits or scratchbuilt. But would probably have never started building in O scale if it were not for Bachmann.
Tom
I think a few folks are getting a little too excited about someone using the word “fad” to describe On30. I think the comment wasn’t a put-down, it was just pointing out that On30 has been extremely hot over the last 5-10 years, and has become one of the (if not the) fastest growing portions of model railroading. As a former O-scaler (HO for 20 years now) who recently made the trip to Bifocal Land, it’s certainly tempting to go back to a larger size where seeing what you’re doing is easier. [:)]
BTW, I saw this in another post re “55n3” scale, and thought it was interesting and related to this discussion…
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/
It’s based on the idea of using HO track as 3’ gauge track. HO std gauge = 16.5mm. Divide by three and you get 5.5mm = 1 ft. which works out to about 1:55 scale.
I have a 2-6-6-2 on the way with a caboose to match. They will form the first set of the On30.
No fad here. Just a natural move up from HO while taking advantage of HO track as might be useful.
I will probably use On30 as a foundation for the O Gauge in the future pending more space.
For the number of individuals who have commented on the fact that On30 uses HO track; there is a line of “true” On30 scale track that is offered through MicroMark. Including some very nice turnouts. I switched from Large Scale to On30 several years back, and have never regretted it.
I’ll be more than happy to take that forelorn Forney off your hands, even pay postage [;)]
My next layout will be On30, once I finish the last level of my large scale pizza layout. While still a niche scale, On30 has been around for a long time, I have articles in the SL&NG Gazette going back to the early 80’s. What I struggled with to do in large scale in G in 10’ x 20’ can be done and then some in only 5’ x 7’. I have a Mogul and some coaches to experiment with for grade and curvature operations before I finalize my layout plans.
Peco makes On30 specific flex track, and turn outs even a wye for the scale guys, but its a little higher priced. Me? I’m using inexpensive bulletproof Atlas code 100 and alot of ballast.
For reference, Bachmanns large scale Forney street price will be around $700, the On30, $150, most everything is designed to operate on 18"R and most will get around 15"R no problem, and there are new players entering the market each year, so between the space savings, cost saving, and increasing variety, I’m definetly IN.
[quote user=“vsmith”]
I’ll be more than happy to take that forelorn Forney off your hands, even pay postage 
My next layout will be On30, once I finish the last level of my large scale pizza layout. While still a niche scale, On30 has been around for a long time, I have articles in the SL&NG Gazette going back to the early 80’s. What I struggled with to do in large scale in G in 10’ x 20’ can be done and then some in only 5’ x 7’. I have a Mogul and some coaches to experiment with for grade and curvature operations before I finalize my layout plans.
Peco makes On30 specific flex track, and turn outs even a wye for the scale guys, but its a little higher priced. Me? I’m using inexpensive bulletproof Atlas code 100 and alot of ballast.
For reference, Bachmanns large scale Forney street price will be around $700, the On30, $150, most everything is designed to operate on 18"R and most will get around 15"R no problem, and there are new players entering the market each
[quote user=“don7”]
[quote user=“vsmith”]
I’ll be more than happy to take that forelorn Forney off your hands, even pay postage
My next layout will be On30, once I finish the last level of my large scale pizza layout. While still a niche scale, On30 has been around for a long time, I have articles in the SL&NG Gazette going back to the early 80’s. What I struggled with to do in large scale in G in 10’ x 20’ can be done and then some in only 5’ x 7’. I have a Mogul and some coaches to experiment with for grade and curvature operations before I finalize my layout plans.
Peco makes On30 specific flex track, and turn outs even a wye for the scale guys, but its a little higher priced. Me? I’m using inexpensive bulletproof Atlas code 100 and alot of ballast.
For reference, Bachmanns large scale Forney street price will be around $700, the On30, $150, most everything is designed to operate on 18"R a
Hi Tom,
To answer your questions, my mainline radius is 30 inches or more with a few yard areas down to 22 inches. I’ve found on the San Juan cars the tighter turns at times can cause the trucks to bind on the inside under brace rod detail. I’ve had to bend the detail back a little on some of the San Juan cars and l may eventually end up removing the inside rod detail while keeping the outside rod detail for show but so far it hasn’t been that much of a problem.
The 30 ft. AMS boxcars run very nicely and the detail is about as good as the San Juans for 1/3 the price so most of my fleet is now becomming AMS. I’m looking forward to the 30 ft. AMS stock cars and more I hope!
You can check out http://www.osomaha.com/kempkes.php to get a better perspective of my radius and the AMS cars (RGS 8507).
Regards, Carl
Thanks for posting Carl. I may have to sacrifice a bit of underbody detail since my curves will probably be a little tighter.
Nice layout!
Tom
Actually if you poke around I think you’ll find On30 has been around since the 1940’s or maybe even earlier. It didn’t take long for O scalers (the predominate scale then) to realize they could adapt the new HO trucks, wheelsets, engine mechanisms etc. for use in O narrow gauge modelling. Back then the track wasn’t that big an issue in that virtually everyone not in three-rail handlaid their track (well, actually a lot of three-railers hand laid too, but they usually moved the third rail from the middle to the outside). However there were few (if any?) products available specifically designed for On30, certainly no RTR equipment like Bachmann has now.
As noted, the recent On30 boom started as trains to go with Christmas village buildings, but was seized upon as a way to get into narrow gauge without a lot of hassle. A new modeller can build a first layout using standard HO track and switches and RTR equipment. Later they can either use more correct On30 flex track, or re-gauge to On3 and use On3 track and turnouts.
One thing I notice is that Bachmann’s On30 line is having a little bit of an identity crisis. Originally the equipment was modelled on Colorado 3’ gauge equipment, adjusted to use narrower gauge track. Now the newest stuff is based on industrial and Maine-style 2’ gauge equipment, adjusted to accept the broader On30 track.
Not to mention all that rolling stock lettered for roads that, to the best of my knowlege, never ran narrow guage equipment. But what other manufacturer gives you the opportunity to run a Rio Grand K-37 followed by a B&O stockcar, a PRR flat, and finished off with a SR&RL caboose?
Ya it is odd that Bachmann made/makes narrow-gauge stuff decorated for Great Northern!! If they needed an Upper Midwest prototype, the CNW had narrow gauge lines in southwestern Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee operated 3’ lines across the Mississippi in southeastern Minnesota til 1903, and in northeast Iowa into the 1930’s.
Or they can build a EBT Mike to go with the hoppers that they made.
It might not quite fit what EBT was doing in real life scale wise. But pretty close.