what is HOn3

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

hello…what is HOn3…how does it differ from HO?..thanks…tishman

2

HOn3 is HO scale that runs on 3 foot scale track. Regular HO scale runs on 4’8" scale track. HOn3 breaks down like this: HO= HO scale. n=narrow gauge. 3+ 3 foot gauge. Remember, scale and gauge are not necessarily always the same. Scale is the actual size being modeled, while gauge is the distance between the rails. Hope that clears it up.

3

Or, if you can stand another way of putting it, the letters HO mean that the loco is “scaled” to be an HO sized real locomotive, just like other HO locomotives. However, in the real world, some regular locos ran on narrow “gauge” track, so their axles were shorter. The n3 after the HO means that it is a correctly scaled HO locomotive that would have had short axles to run on 3’ gauge, or 36" tracks.

I hope I got that right.

4

thank you for the explanations…i really have alot of information to process…i will definately have many more questions…thanks again…p.s…MERRY CHRISTMAS…tishman

5

all I know is…my girlfreind found a nearly perfect HOn3 Rio Grande loco at a show a few years ago, but neither of us can find any rolling stock that she would like to run with it…any ideas?