Large Scale Central

Damn it I'm switching

Other Scales O / On30
#1

On30 has long been of interest to me. I was working towards a 1:24 Vic inspired micro in doors and have built several items for it already. But always in my mind I have thought of On30. One of our club members is going On30 and is trying to find people to jump ship with him.

So I decided to do it. I will use the stuff I have made to date on the outdoor or recycle it for the On30. Things like locos I have started will be for the outdoor as well.

Same theme, the Sinsley Mountain mining and logging rr. But it will have a mainline running stuff like a 2-6-0 mogul on 18"r curves and 0-4-0 type stuff on tighter branch lines to the logging operation and mines.

I have a preliminary track plan that will be a dog bone with balloon tracks on each end for continuous running. A wye in the middle. The two ends of the dog bone will actually be on top of one another to give as long a mainline as I can.

#2

Staying on topic as suggested …a few figured that out years ago!

#3

Devon Sinsley said:

Same theme, the Sinsley Mountain mining and logging rr. But it will have a mainline running stuff like a 2-6-0 mogul on 18"r curves and 0-4-0 type stuff on tighter branch lines to the logging operation and mines.

I have a preliminary track plan that will be a dog bone with balloon tracks on each end for continuous running. A wye in the middle. The two ends of the dog bone will actually be on top of one another to give as long a mainline as I can.

NO …you have a main that runs rubber scale so you will do a an ON30 branch line that brings the materials down to the main! Amtrak may occasionally run on that main so factor that in as well !

#4

forgot the comma between A and An …Auntie Em …Toto

#5

Devon, I have long thought about building an indoor On30 layout and would if I had the room, maybe one day. It may be the perfect compromise between size and space. I’ve enjoyed watching Doc Tom build his layout and read with great enthusiasm each issue of NG&SL Gazette which showcases many beautiful O scale layouts. Look forward to seeing your empire come to life.

#6

Why O? Why not HO? Just asking as I am interested in the reasons. There is so much HO available…

[edited to fix a typo]

#7

Folks;

Just tossing this tidbit out, since some folks are eyeing other scales that run on HO gauge track. Sn3 also runs on HO gauge track. Slightly smaller, but not that much. 3/16 inch equals a foot - no conversion from metric. Think there is a fair amount of kits, rolling stock, and locomotives available. Not sure of cost; may want to peruse ads in the Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette. But the scale/gauge combination may allow longer locomotives to traverse an 18 inch radius curve.

Might be worth investigating.

Best, David Meashey

#8

One of the biggest reasons to go On30 is because that’s what my buddy in the club is running

#9

I have a friend who has both g-scale and On30, and the On30 guys do some fantastic modelling, don’t get me wrong…but…but…however…whenever I’m over at my friend’s and see them On30 locomotives and rolling stock, I say “NO WAY!” Why? Because they’re too damn small to work on. You go try switching out some couplers on On30 locomotives and rolling stock and then come back and tell me you’re going away. Speaking of switches, have you seen the size of those switches? You telling my you’re gonna try to fix one of them?

Didn’t your momma ever tell you not to jump off a cliff just because your friend does?

#10

John Passaro said:

I have a friend who has both g-scale and On30, and the On30 guys do some fantastic modelling, don’t get me wrong…but…but…however…whenever I’m over at my friend’s and see them On30 locomotives and rolling stock, I say “NO WAY!” Why? Because they’re too damn small to work on. You go try switching out some couplers on On30 locomotives and rolling stock and then come back and tell me you’re going away. Speaking of switches, have you seen the size of those switches? You telling my you’re gonna try to fix one of them?

Didn’t your momma ever tell you not to jump off a cliff just because your friend does?

I switched from HO to G 10 years ago after finding I had HO trains but G scale eyesight.

10 years have passed and I am starting a HO layout that I can work on when it is to hot to work on the G layout (it has been 36C or 96.8F here for over two weeks now) so I am saying go for it if it works for you.

As for fixing switches in my experience in HO I did not have an issue for over 15+years, I never saw an article about fixing brand X switches or crossings in Model Railroader like I have in Garden Railways.

My now dearly departed neighbour went from G to On30 because of bad knees old age etc and he had a great layout even with failing eyesight.

I have now solve my eyesight issue by 1) getting glasses and 20 using my magnifying lamp to work under.

I would post a picture of the plan I am following now but I have so much trouble posting (using MS Edge) I will do it later on when I switch browsers and muck around sizing the pictures etc.

Edit

Changed browsers and did the sizing thing.

Pictures of plan I started with

Picture of what I am building.

This has been modified and orientated so it fits into a 10"x10" area, allows bit of continuous running and a bit of shunting.

I will most likely use DCC for this as I have the controllers and my locos are “DCC ready”.

All the curves are now 22" radius so even my ‘Mountain’ can run on it.

#11

I started with 0n30 about 20 years ago. I was browsing through Nicholas Smith Trains and saw this cute passenger set up.

Kinda fell in love with it. It went downhill from there. Picked up a freight set and started on a small switching layout.

Got Bart hooked on it and he told me about an outfit that made paper buildings you can print out yourself.

And found this as a switch assignment for the freight. I think it came from Kevin Strong.

It’s somethin to putz around with in the winter. Since there’s only one freight engine, it’s still all track powered.

#12

Devon,

Come look at 7/8’s. It’s much bigger and easier to see when you work on it. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Except for one club member who has a couple pieces, I’m all alone.

And this member is starting to produce 7/8’s products with a new resin 3D printer. Including a switching loco.

#13

John 7/8ths would be so much fun. But even bigger yet than the 1:24 rubber scale I was playing with.

Guys don’t worry I’m not leaving G. I will still have G outdoors in its various scales.

This is strictly for my indoor empire. Smaller scale so I can do more with the space but not so small I can’t work with it. HO or even HOn3 would be ideal for what’s available but it’s just way to small.

I think this will be a happy medium between size of scale and available space.

#14

Devon, smaller 7/8 stuff will run on 3 or 4 foot diameter curves.

I plan on moving into my basement with the 7/8’s next year.

#15

I am dabbling in late 1800’s HO, and yes its darn small for my fat fingers and my eyes.

#16

Hi Devon, I think it’s great that you’ll have an indoor layout! I’d so love to, but the unspoken rule here is that I have to “finish the outdoor layout first.” Which will be like 236 years from now. But good on ya Dude! And to me, On30 has always looked like such fun!

But I’ll throw out a thought. I’m sure you’ve thunk it already, but here goes. How about Gn15? It’s 1:20 on HO track, and there’s tons of examples & resources. Like Gnatterbox and Carl Arendt’s work. A big focus with this crowd seems to be one how tiny you can make the layout, and still be viable / fun / realistic. For me, the attraction would be the sharing of figures, vehicles, animals, props, small structures, and props with the outdoor layout. Also, the ability to mix them with a future interchange of narrow & really narrow gauges. But like I said, just a thought.

Have fun planning,

Cliff

#17

Hello again;

Cliff just reminded me about Gn15. I have a college buddy who builds Gn15 for the “Fish Head Glue Company.” The premise being that they can make a glue from the parts of the fish that are not canned as a foodstuff. (Thank God he is not interested in modeling the “aroma” of such industrial processes!) I’m not trying to throw anyone off their plans. Just noting it as another indoor possibility for folks interested in larger scales on HO gauge track.

Back in the day there were a lot of industrial and estate railways built to the 15 inch gauge. Presently there is a small section of this very narrow gauge track still embedded in a piece of sidewalk outside the former General Office Building of the N&W Railway in Roanoke, Virginia. I was told that it carried small push cars of mail to a larger sorting facility by the tracks.

Have fun, David Meashey

#18

Looking forward to seeing what you build…On30 is a lot of fun as is 1:20.3 large scale…heck all the scales are fun.

Doc Tom

#19

I can understand the draw, I did HOn30 and still dabble from time to time, but each time I do I get reminded why I chose G, HO is really small, even O is getting tough, I dabble with N but its strictly RTR, too damn small to bash anything. G is still just about perfect for my fists of ham.

#20

I solved my ‘small train-poor eyes issue’ by going to 1.5" scale 7.5" gauge ride on. Also affectionately called ‘hernia gauge’. I still have G to run on our club’s modular layout. The ride on sized stuff requires more of a commitment of space, time, and finances, and has involved, at least for me, a pretty steep learning curve. Yet, if I was to build an indoor layout I would probably gravitate toward On30.