Just got back from a week long trip to Chama New Mexico and rode the C&TRR (third time there) again. What a wonderful experience!!! The beauty of narrow gauge steam railroading, and of course the scenery is just unbelieveable, and it got me to thinking…
I’ve modeled mainline (ATSF) railroading in HO for 40 years and have an 11/15 layout and an extensive collection of locos & cars. What a switch (pun intended) it would be if I changed over to On30 and built a layout using the Colorado/New Mexico lines as a guide!
I’ve given this a lot of thought, and come to the conclusion that I just don’t think I could leave the big trains, or the flat land layout I currently have to support that type of railroading. But just the thought sure got my MR interest peaked!
Narrow gauge has an incredible fascination, doesn’t it? I was born in Nevada City, CA, and spent my first four years living right across the from the terminal of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge railroad–used to walk the roadbed when I was an adolescent, after the railroad had been torn up. There’s a certain fascination about watching trains go where one wouldn’t normally EXPECT them to go, only because the 3’ guage allowed them to get there.
I’m heading to Durango this summer to ride the Silverton Line and then to Chama to ride that railroad, also. Even though I model standard gauge steam in the California Sierra, there are times when I think “Wow, I could get TWICE as much if I switched to narrow gauge.” Tighter curves, maybe heavier grades–it’s always a thought in the back of my mind. Your thinking about On30 as a possibility has crossed my mind also. There’s just something about those 3-footers chugging along–
It’s not really much more expensive than good quality HO stuff. It seems like many people get their feet wet by doing a small diorama or switching layout and super detailing it. I’m probably going to get a Bachmann 2-6-0 set for around the Xmas tree and start that way.
There’s just something about those closely-spaced rails…
In my case, my ‘standard gauge’ is narrow gauge - 3’6" gauge, to be exact. That doesn’t make me resistant to the still-narrower 762mm gauge prototypes for my Kashimoto Forest Railway and Haruyama Electric Railway. Both will be present as non-operating transloading ‘industries’ unless and until I can arrange to add some ‘mainline’ for one or both.
Then there are the still narrower mine cart tracks at the two coal mines…
Maybe it’s a good thing that garden railways were unknown in the Upper Kiso Valley in 1964.
And then there’s the two footers of Maine. I couldn’t resist getting a Forney, and some rolling stock in Sn2 (runs on HOn3 track). Not sure how I am going to work it in, but I will.
Been an N scaler way too long to switch now. However, the wife has only just started her standard HO collection, so perhaps… [(-D]
Honestly, I find the narrow gauge locos down right fascinating and cute as he**. Often think about picking up one or two, just to put out on display. They are a bit pricey though.
After 40 plus years in HO standard gauge I moved to On30 a few years back. Not sorry that I did. I sold off most of the HO stuff only keeping my brass and some of the better rolling stock. It is in a display cabinet. Couldnt bear to part with it. It is a little hard to adjust to “O” scale size but great to work in.
Dont dump your current layout, add an HOn3 somewhere. On30 is the wrong gauge from where you visited anyways, On30 is really the smaller smaller 2 foot gauge.
I have narrow gauge planned into my current layout building, something like EBT, semi-freelanced.
I am using a real 3 foot line that had an early abandonement, but I am re-activating it, and served the current line(s) I am building. If you want to take a similar route, I can look up some 3 foot lines that may have run on your modeled line, just to give it that prototype sense.
On30 is 30 inch gauge, aka 762mm - once rather common for secondary, industrial and logging roads in Japan and Taiwan, and in plenty of other places. It most emphatically is NOT 24" gauge even if somebody has put SR&RL locomotives on wrong-gauge wheels.
For a real classic on On30, try the 750mm Rio Turbio line in southern Argentina - Porta-modified 2-10-2s (with 33" drivers!) pulling 50 car, 2000 ton unit coal trains. The railroad still runs, and there’s a movement afoot to build a tourist route into Chile and resurrect a couple of 2-10-2s for motive power…