In the UK modelling miniature railways is sometimes done. Britain has some well known 15 inch gauge railways e.g. the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch and the Ravenglass and Eskdale.  In British O scale (1:43) N gauge track equals 15 inches. There are some kits for O9 (as this combination is known). N scale locomotives are sometimes used to represent miniature locos with modified tenders to take an O scale driver. For an example of O9 modelling seehttp://shiftingsands.fotopic.net/ On that site you will see a Bachmann N scale 2-6-2 modified as a miniature loco!

Hamish

I just noticed an error in my post, HOe is of course the equivalent on HOn30, not On30!

Sorry

Hamish

Liliput, Bachmann's European branch, currently has a range of HOe (the German version of On30, i.e. HO scale running on N gauge track) narrow gauge equipment. There are 2 classes of 0-6-2 tank locos and 3 types of diesels, plus rolling stock. I would have thought, given the world wide popularity of On30, they might consider making O scale versions of this range. This would however be a matter for Liliput to decide, not Bachmann Industries in the USA. Note that, if by any chance they were to do this, the scale might not be American O scale (1:48) but Oe (1:45 on HO scale track) as 1:45 is more common for O in Europe.

Here's hoping

Hamish

I don't have the 4-6-0 but judging by other Bachmann DCC equipped  motive power it should work unless your layout is large. That controller has  sufficient power for one loco on a small to medium layout. Bachmann's DCC On30 locos run fine on DC power, speed and direction are no problem. With lighting, you will not (on DC) have independent control of the lights, so they will come on and go off as you control the speed, with a DCC controller you can separately turn the lights on and off.

I hope this helps

Hamish.

The difficulty is that current Oe modellers (1:45 on HO track) and 016.5 modellers (1:43 on HO track) might be put off by 1:48 models and this would limit the market, especially for UK and  European prototypes. These scales are used in the UK and Europe. I suggested 1:45 as a possibility as, being in the middle,  it involves less of a compromise for everybody. If  US On30 modellers are going to insist on 1:48 or nothing the alternative of using the scale appropriate to the country of origin is probably the best option. This would however mean that a collection of items from different combatants would be in different scales. Making everything to 1:48 would depend on enough UK and European modellers accepting models in that scale, or enough US modellers buying the foreign prototypes. Some WW1 narrow gauge models are currently available as kits in 1:43 scale.

Hamish

World War 1 commenced in 1914 in Europe, the USA joined in in 1917, Canada and Australia and New Zealand were involved from 1914. While the centenary is still some years off it is not too early for Bachmann (and other manufacturers)  to start planning what they might release to mark the occasion. Can I hope that Bachmann will release a series of On30 models of  WW1 light railway equipment? It would be really nice if they worked together with their European branches to produce models from both sides, e.g the USA 2-6-2 tanks, the German Brigadelok 0-8-0 tanks, a British Hunslett 4-6- tank. There are many others to choose from including internal combustion locos and the French Pechot-Bourdon articulated locos that look like they have two boilers, one at each end (many of these were built by Baldwin). After the war this equipment was widely used on light railways in many parts of the world, and a few examples of all the main types have been preserved.

I realise involving the European branches has a scale problem, O scale in the UK is 1:43 and 1:45 in much of Europe (1:48 in the UK). However I am sure a compromise could be found (either use 1:45 for the entire WW1 series or use the scale appropriate to the country of origin for the particular item).

Can we hope?

Hamish

Many thanks for the info.

Hamish

As far as I know Bachmann has never released any excursion cars in ON30, neither the Jackson Sharpe open sided (available in HO and N) nor the other type described simply as "open sided excursion car" (which is available in HO). A number of us have been asking for ON30 excursion cars of either type - my preference is for the non Jackson Sharpe version, but either, or preferably both, would be fine. I am hoping these may be among the ON30 goodies which we have been promised will be announced at the NMRA convention next summer (as always, we have been given no hint as to what these goodies will be!).

Hamish

The prototype RGS#1 (the second) was based on a Buick 6 sedan and was about 20 foot long. I think you will find that Bachmann's model is definitely O scale, as in fact are all Bachmann On30 locos and motive power. Narrow gauge prototypes varied greatly in size.

Hamish.

Note that there was a 30 inch gauge OF side tank in Hawaii that was very similar (though not identical) to the Puffing Billy locomotives. I have posted on this previously in the threads mentioned by Lurch Bird.

Bring it on!

Hamish

In a post below on another topic,  there was a mention of unlettered passenger cars being available in burgundy and black. These have now appeared on the online product list and show that the baggage, passenger car, combine and observation car are available separately in this livery.  The observation car is also available in unlettered olive green. This is, I think, the first time that the observation car has been available outsie of a train set.

I am interested in the colour of the bugundy cars - is it the same as that previously used for the Ohio River and Western, and PRR passenger cars (were those the same colour)?

I would have liked these available earlier - a reddish colour is more appropriate for my line than the green I currently have! Still, a welcome move.

Hamish

I too love my little Porters. I agree with NarrowMinded, it would be nice to see them return as side tanks, or in some other way a bit different from the previous versions. This would increase the variety of my loco fleet. In Large Scale the (somewhat different) Porters have, at different times, been both side and saddle tanks.

While I am not interested in DCC or sound, some would probably like to see that in the Porters. One solution to finding space for sound and DCC would be to add a small 4 wheeled tender (there are some kits available to do this, but ready to run would be nice). Adding such a tender to small tank locos, including Porters, was quite common in real life. If Bachmann were to do this, I would plead for a non sound version of the tender loco as well as the sound version. 

However whatever versions Bachmann decide to produce, even if the same as the previous ones, lets see the Porters back soon.

Hamish

The S&RL's 2-6-2s were quite a bit smaller than this loco, #23 (the largest) weighed 63,000 lbs, had 33 inch drivers and 13*16 inch cylinders. Shows how small the Maine 2 footers were!

I always thought the S&RL were essentially catalogue locomotives, at least some generally similar locos were exported, including to Mexico.

My preference would be for a roughly Maine sized loco, with a tank version (they existed, including in Hawaii). While such a loco might not be exactly both an S&RL prototype loco (tender) or a particular Hawaii prototype (tank) they  should be close enough for most people, and would be valid as catalogue  locos.

That George Town Loop (ex Hawaii)  loco does look nice however.

Hamish.

Quote from: WBRANDY300 on February 23, 2010, 12:53:42 AM
THEN A 30" RADIUS WOULD HANDLE MOST ANY LOCOMOTIVE AND ROLLING STOCK

Any Bachmann equipment and most others should be fine -  I have read that the very largest K class locos (K36 and K37), made by MMI (not Bachmann} may require modifications to run well on 30 inch radius, but as I have only Bachmann equipment I don't know.

Hamish

There is no single "right" radius. It depends on the equipment you plan to run, what type of layout you are building and how much space you have. And most importantly, what you like the look of.

The recommended by Bachmann minimum radius for most Bachmann On30 stuff is 18 inches, but a few, e.g. the 2-8-0 and the 2-4-4 Forney have recommended minimums of 22 inches. However some people report successful running with less than the recommended minimum. The Porters and Davenports will run well on quite tight curves. Some models of large Colorado etc. prototypes by other manufactures require minimums of 26 inches or so.

Type of layout? narrow gauge "main line" (e.g. major Colorado narrow gauge routes), small "backwoods" operations, industrial (e.g. mining or logging), or something else? For main line type operations many people would say the largest you have space for - even in narrow gauge most real life lines had curves that scale to larger than most modellers use. On the other hand some "backwoods" and industrial lines did have very tight curves, so the minimum for your equipment can look good.

Finally, do what you like the look of. Some people criticise as unrealistic lines with lots of tight curves, but if you like how it looks - its your railroad.

Hamish