Need opinion on On30 Porter

[Matthew Ginkel]

Can anyone offer their opion on the bachmann 0-4-0t? (specifically DCC instalation) Walthers has them on sale for about $50 and I wanted to get back into on30. I dug my 2-6-0 out a few days ago to see why it wouldn't run properly. Turns out the gear is split    . (plus some of the detail parts have broken off, and all 4 tender step are gone)  Adding to that. But the passenger cars are fine. Right now im dissasembling the 2-6-0 for parts (i plan on putting its dynamo on the porter, possibly also the number plate)  Anychance anyone could provide a photo of the porter coupled to some passenger cars?

Thanks,

Matt(g)  

[Spule 4]

I have an On30 Porter here, along with the Fn3 "large scale" B-S-I (yup, I am a bit of a narrow gauge steam fan).

Honestly, they are a small industrial loco and the passenger cars (which I do not have) may be a bit large for it?

It does look cute with some Grandt Gilpin Tram cars tho!

[Jeff in NJ]

I run my 0-4-0 and 0-4-2 Porters w/ the Bachmann passenger cars. I think they look fine. I'll try to post a pic later.

Also, the Tanana Valley RR in Alaska used to run their loco #1, an 0-4-0 3 foot gauge Porter w/ standard sized 3 foot gauge passenger cars.

[David]

I would not recommend trying to install DCC in the ON30 Porter. It can be done (I did it) but it far from an easy or straight forward task. I ended up using a Digitrax decoder normally used in a "N" scale engine and fitted it the cab on the engineers side. To hide the bright red color of the decoder I just slipped a piece of black shrink tubing around it.
Good Luck,

[jpipkin]

I have added DCC to Porters and it is not for the faint of heart unless you have some previous experience.  The result is well worth the effort.  They are great little locomotives.   

I tried some experimentation with running a passenger car behind a Porter.  It will look a whole lot better if you can lower the passenger car with smaller diameter wheels or smaller trucks and cut down bolsters.

[kenruof]

Matt,

This engnine will look much better with the passenger cars from International hobbies http://www.interhobmodels.com/

As for the DCC instalation, on a lever from 1 to 10 10 being the hardest I would rate it a 9.

I did mine but it took some time. I used an MI decoder from TCS, I put it in the roof of the cab and ran the wires down the vertical pipe sticking up from the boiler in the cab.

Ken

[ebtbob]

Matt,

      I would like to dove tail on Ken's suggestion aboiut rolling stock.   If you need something smaller than what Bachmann offers,  check out Boulder Valley models.
      While I no longer have my Bachmann porter,   I believe it would be just fine with any rolling stock Bachmann offers from a switching stand point.   But,  again,  it truely is your perception that allows you to like or dislike something.  For me,  as my ideas for my On30 railroad progressed,  I found a need to for a large yard goat and have settled on the Bachmann 2-8-0s.  One thing you have to understand.   My On30 railroad is not a true On30 pike,  small engines and rolling stock.  My railroad is a narrow gauge railroad based off 3 foot gauge operations with broader curves and longer trains because I have the space to do such a thing.

Bob

[White60098]

I have four Porters, my 0-4-2 engines run better than the 0-4-0's. The pickups were changed fairly recently in the 0-4-0 and apparantly run as well as the 0-4-2 now. Make sure you get one of the newer models.... important

The Porters are great.. There is a huge amount of rolling stock and kits to modify them, cabs from Banta, the Chivers cars, they make a nice 20ft and 14 ft passenger car.. Backwoods is coming out  with cane cars and small tank cars, you can turn them into english looking narrow guage locomotives and someone is going to make a kit for a fireless loco based on the 0-4-0 chassis.

On30 is the greatest thing in the world (thanks Bachmann) and the Porter is the most fun locomotive in the entire hobby. People like Tonys train exchange will do the DCC for you for a decent price.

great time to dive in again... Micro Engineering is also finally coming out with real On30 turnouts so its all good.

[450sel]

Ok...a porter, a coach and a decoder....it seems that a decoder isn't easy to hide in the porter and I've read that a coach doesn't seem right when coupled to a porter...
But this combination has it al....and ample space for a decoder and a speaker 

[#94]

450sel, that is an interesting progect. I had wondered about one, but  with 18"R curves I would need to use a short combine and the porter would have to swivel as the front " truck". Please show us the finnished project.

[450sel]

It isn't finished yet, It's waiting on a shelve to be finished...currently I am moving my layout to another room and I have no time to work on it yet..
I also didn't experiment with the minimum radius yet, I started this one when my layout was already down. But I think it should be able to handle an 18" curve....

[#94]

Very interesting. Looking good. Some little R.R. wil appear very comopolitan.

[ebtbob]

Good Morning All,

      Reference was made above about the Micro Engineering On30 turnouts.    I have no ax to grind with M.E.  as I use their On30 flextrack, 
but......after seeing their ad in the latest addition of Model Railroader Magazine,   I called my local train store about availability.   The owner had just call M.E. several hours earlier and was told "They are almost finished making the molds".     I am sorry to say,   that is the same message I got about 18 months ago,  and again,   mid fourth quarter of '06 when I calle Micro Engineering directly.     Best thing to say about these turnouts is.......they will be at the stores when they get there.
      I have paper templates that M.E.  gave away at the National Narrow Gauge Convention in 2005 and they look really nice,   but I could no longer wait for them and am proceeding with the building of my On30 railraod using HO scale Peco turnouts remounted on wood ties.
     One last thing about the M.E. On30 turnouts.....they only come in code 83 rail while they offer both 83 and 100 in their flex track.

Bob

[David(UK)]

Bob,
Rumour Control is pretty sure that they will be out in December 2007.
Meantime, I'm ripping up my Peco Code 100 and replacing it with Code 83 stripped of alternative ties ala the old Atlas trick - quicker and cheaper for me over here in the UK

[450sel]

There is another turnout option, you've probably heard of the Fasttrack turnout jigs which make it easy to make your own turnouts.
There is a company, called Light Iron Digest who makes these turnouts in code 83, which match the M.E. track. The turnouts can be ordered through here: http://www.maine2footquarterly.com/turnout.htm
i just ordered 9 turnouts from them, I heard they are very good and professionally made.