on30 scale ???

[union pacific 844]

will on30 train sets run on ho scale tracks?

[jward]

yes and no.... yes they will run on ho track, but if you already have your layout built they may not fit under bridges or through tunnels. you'll also need to have wider spacing on parallel tracks.

[Doneldon]

844-

Be aware that, although On30 will run on HO gauge track, it won't
look completely correct because the scale is wrong. Actual On30
track has larger but fewer crossties than what HO track has.

                                                                                    -- D

[rbryce1]

I may be confused about something.

As I understand the designators, the first part is the gauge of the railroad, the "N" stands for "Narrow" and the last number is the distance between tracks.

That would mean the HOn30 means:  HO Gauge, Narrow, 30" between track rails and HOn3 is HO Gauge, Narrow, 3 feet between track rails.

Where does On30 fit in.  That seems to indicate it was O Gauge, Narrow, 30" between track rails.

[richg]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On30

Rich

[Len]

Where does On30 fit in.  That seems to indicate it was O Gauge, Narrow, 30" between track rails.

You've got it exactly right. On30 is O-scale (1:48 or 1/4in/ft), narrow gauge, 30in (2-1/2ft) gauge between the rails. So, even though it will operate on HO track, buildings, scenary, etc., should in fact be 1:48 scale.

Strictly speaking, the gauge after the 'n' should be specified in feet, e.g., Xn3 for 3ft gauge, Xn2-1/2 for 2-1/2ft gauge, etc. Unfortunately computer keyboards lost the 1/2 key typewriters and older word-processors had. So people started using 30, for 30 inches, instead of 2-1/2 for 2-1/2ft. Which can lead to confusion with Xn3 gauge when people think the zero was left off.

Len

[Desertdweller]

rbryce1:

You've almost got it right.  HOn30 means HO scale (not gauge), n (narrow) 30 (30").
When I got into model railroading in the 1960's, this was always written as HOn2 1/2.
Since we can't write 1/2 easily on computers, to be consistent, HOn3 should be written HOn36; and HOn2 should be HOn24.  But that's just me.

Since the HO is a scale rather than a gauge, think of a 1/87 scale world with 4'8 1/2"; 3'; 2 1/2', and 2' wide tracks in it.  HO is always 1/87.  There can be no such thing as a narrow gauge automobile, station, or tree.  Only narrow gauge track and train equipment.

Les

[rbryce1]

I noticed that I said that right after you posted it.  You are correct, HO is a Scale, not a Gauge.

[wjstix]

Back in 'the olden days' someone worked out that the then-new HO scale standard gauge track worked out to be about 30" in US O scale (where 1/4" = 1 foot). This meant narrow gaugers could use HO trucks and engine chassis in creating O narrow gauge models, instead of having to build those from scratch themselves.

Bachmann introduced their On30 line about 15 years ago or so, and it created an easy way for modellers to get into narrow gauge, since the trains could run on standard HO track like Bachmann's E-Z track, rather than having to fiddle with O narrow-gauge flex track, cork roadbed, ballast etc.

[Woody Elmore]

I remember that there was an On30 group operating in the early eighties in the Maryland area so On30 is not that new. That group relied on converted HO engines for motive power. It was a way to model in O scale narrow gauge without spending the rent money on brass engines.

As for the On30 versus On2 1/2 - this is an old debate. The folks at Kalmbach at one time were insisting on one usage - I don't recall which rhey chose.

I don't see what difference it makes.

[ebtnut]

Kalmbach, last I knew, was still using On2 1/2.  I believe that their position is that all the designations should be the same for consistency - HOn3, On3, HOn2, On2, HOn2 1/2, On2 1/2, etc.  It is the traditional terminology, refering to the gauge in terms of feet, not inches.  YMMV.