Bachmann On21/2?

[Royce Wilson]

In this month Model Railroader it mentions a conversion of a Bachmann 2-8-0 to a D&RGW C-21..Am I missing something where can I find On21/2? there is no mention of this in Yahoo groups or anywhere else, is this a new product?

Royce

[Anubis]

The folks at Model Railroader still use the old NMRA paradigm of using feet for track gauge.

So does our favourite publication, Australian Model Railway Magazine.

It's unnecessary, and has a 'grating' sound as well, at least to my ear....

[Royce Wilson]

So if the whole world has changed from On21/2 to On30, then why do these two magazines do this? there has to be a motive.


Royce

[scottychaos]

So if the whole world has changed from On21/2 to On30, then why do these two magazines do this? there has to be a motive.


Royce

IMO its probably just stubbornness..
they have been calling it On2 1/2 for so long, they simply have to keep calling it that just to "save face"..
if they started calling it On30, like the other 99.9% of the hobby, they would look like they "lost the argument" or something I guess..thats the only rational explanation I can think of..because otherwise it makes no sense whatsoever..

Scot

[scottychaos]

There is actually a fairly random mix of inches and feet in common use:

On30 - inches
On2 - feet
On3 - feet
Gn15 - inches
HOn30 - inches
HOn3 - feet.
Sn3 - feet.

etc, etc..
What makes one the "best choice" over the other is probably just simplicity..
"Oh n two" is easier to say and spell than "Oh n twenty four"
likewise "Oh n thirty" makes much more sense than "Oh n two and one half"!

If there is some archaic rule that says "the designation must ALWAYS be only in feet" then its a stupid rule!
and the masses have long ago spoken to reject it, in the case of On30.

I would argue that On30 IS the official name for the scale, in the sense that nearly everyone accepts it, and the primary manufacturer of the scale (Bachmann) calls it On30..so thats that..its offically On30!
Its seriously WAYYY past due that Model Railroader magazine should give up the pointless and ridiculous On2 1/2.

Scot

[terry2foot]

There are also modelling focussed designations such as;-

OO9
O14
O16.5
SM32

where the letters designate the modelling scale and the figures the actual track gauge of the model in millimetres,

Terry2foot

[Mike_AA9ZY]

It's just Kalmbach stubbornly clinging to the past. O Gauge Railroading magazine doesn't use On2 1/2 and neither does Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette. Those are two fine magazines that I subscribe to.

[Royce Wilson]

What I don't understand is that Kalmbach Publications owns bot the Gazette and Model Railroader, maybe the CEO of MR just has a ax to grind.

Royce

[JerryB]

What I don't understand is that Kalmbach Publications owns bot the Gazette and Model Railroader, maybe the CEO of MR just has a ax to grind.

Royce

Royce, All:

I'm certain that Bob Brown, the editor and publisher of the Narrow Gauge & Shortline Gazette would be very surprised to learn that his fine publication is "owned" by Kalmbach!

The Gazette is actually owned by Benchmark Publications, Inc. of Los Altos, CA. Benchmark Publications is Bob Brown's book and periodical publishing company. In some minor respects they are actually competitors to Kalmbach.

Kalmbach does distribute the Gazette to hobby shops, but Bob Brown, his wife Irene, and the small Gazette crew are totally responsible for all content. To put this thread back on track (pun intended), that includes the Gazette's uniform use of the more modern terminology "On30."

Happy RRing,

Jerry

[RGS Goose]

Hi Guys,
I thought you might all have something better to do with your time than post what has been posted on this thread; like getting on with your model railroading. Everyone may have a different idea about how the different scales/gauges should be described, but at the end of the day what does it matter, and why should anyone be directed to follow the dictates of ANYONE else.
Leave it alone and get on with enjoying your railroading.
RGSGoose

[Royce Wilson]

Goose,
I assure you that we are not wasting your or our time complaining about MR

You know the old saying about the squeky wheel. I have always saw MR as a beginners mag with the Craftsman as a step and the Gazette as the ultimate.

If MR cannot get it right just think of the folks that may have purchased a Hawthorne train set and want further find information and purchase this mag at ,Barns & Noble, confusing?
Are they not suppose to be helpful to beginners or are they just stuck in 1980?

Royce

[Royce Wilson]

I forgot to add that I do not purchase this Mag because of this, I do thumb thru it at Barnes & Noble.

Royce

[scottychaos]

Hi Guys,
I thought you might all have something better to do with your time than post what has been posted on this thread; like getting on with your model railroading. Everyone may have a different idea about how the different scales/gauges should be described, but at the end of the day what does it matter, and why should anyone be directed to follow the dictates of ANYONE else.
Leave it alone and get on with enjoying your railroading.
RGSGoose

I thought you might  have something better to do with your time than post about what has been posted on this thread; like getting on with your model railroading. 

reminds me of a Monty Python sketch, "I'd like to complain about people who hold things up by complaining about people who complain" 

Scot

[Terry Toenges]

RGS - Why should any company be directed to follow the dictates of the NMRA when producing equipment and why did we have USRA? Standardization.Why not industry standard designations when describing equipment?

[railtwister]

In this month Model Railroader it mentions a conversion of a Bachmann 2-8-0 to a D&RGW C-21..Am I missing something where can I find On21/2? there is no mention of this in Yahoo groups or anywhere else, is this a new product?

Royce

Royce is just stirring the pot here. The old On30 vs. On2-1/2 or On2.5 argument, and the discussion of terminology used by Model Railroader magazine has been a "hot button" issue for longer than I have been actively involved in this scale. Every few months a similar discussion pops up on some narrow gauge list somewhere on the web, and the flames are usually fanned by the same core of Kalmbach hating Model Railroader Magazine bashing fanatics (trolls ?). Guys, GET OVER IT! This is one of the most stupid, waste-of-time arguments I have ever seen! On30, On2-1/2, and On2.5 are all the same, none of these descriptions is wrong, they are all correct. Please move on to an intelligent discussion...

Bill