What is On30?

[Bucksco]

What is On30?

On30, sometimes also named On2½, is a narrow gauge railway for O-Scale.
The Scale is 1/48 (1/4'' to 1').
The On30 gauge is .649'' (16,5 mm), same as HO. Also the couplers and the coupler high are the same as HO.
Bachmann released his first On30 passenger train in 1998 and has now the leadership as a high volume manufacturer for On30.

The On30 gauge is in accordance with 30'' (2 1/2') in original.
The prototype locos and cars have gauges between 2' and 3' 6''.
In the USA they used narrow gauge railroads mostly for logging, mining, industry or short lines. But there were greater narrow gauge networks too, for example in Colorado. Narrow gauge lines were cheaper to build than standard gauge lines.

For On30 you can use all O-Scale accessories, figures, buildings and vehicles.
(Not the O gauge locos, rolling stock and tracks, they have a larger track gauge). Why, yes you can use HO tracks with the same gauge, but for correct On30-Scale the size of ties and the spaces between the ties are too small.

For more information about scale, gauge, size, clearances and so on see at National Model Railroad Association NMRA.
http://www.nmra.org/index-nmra-standards-and-recommended-practices