That's a fine argument, Kevin, and one in principle I support. In practise, while working with material that costs $1000 might require no more skill than working with material that costs $100, the anxiety factor goes up considerably and can even increase the chances of fouling up. I've had this where you get over-cautious and too tentative and too much damn thinking gets in the way of what would otherwise be automatic.

You have considerable experience in cutting and modding and have acquired the skills and confidence to tackle major projects and probably know when you start hacking up a $1000 loco that there's a good chance of making a good job, but I imagine that you gained those skills gradually and on considerably cheaper lumps of metal and plastic. Many just haven't yet got the experience and confidence to cut up a $1000 dollars without worrying that they'll end up with an expensive scenic addition to the scrapline.

My ideal choice would be the 8-18 c Baldwin 4-4-0, but as we already have/have had 2 4-4-0s, that has to be a long shot. A convertible 8-18 c/ 8-18 d would be utter joy!

Other choices would be a 38t 2 truck 3 cylinder shay, or a wagon-top boiler version of the existing 2 cylinder shay. 

Based on folk's requests, it seems most On30 modellers use the scale to represent 3' gauge US railroads with a sizeable minority using it to represent 2' gauge US railroads. Very few seem to be interested in 2'6" gauge prototypes or in non-US railroads using US built locomotives.

Ignoring the geared locomotives and the 0-4-0 and 0-4-2 Porters (which are primarily  industrial locomotives), Bachmann have, from memory, only offered one 3' gauge 'mainline' loco, the C&S mogul. The 2-8-0, the O/F 4-4-0 and the 2-6-6-2 Mallet are 30" gauge non-US operated prototypes and the 2-4-4-2 Mallet (so far as I recall) never ran anywhere, though was a catalogue engine. The Forney is, of course, 2' gauge.

In some ways Bachmann are to be admired for modelling so many 30" gauge prototypes since that is what On30 represents and if more US modellers were willing to look beyond their borders (as a sizeable minority of Brit modellers do) I'm sure Bachmann's 30" gauge locos would suit a great many railroads that would make a much more interesting and characterful model than yet another D&RGW or RGS pike.  

I wonder how many On30 modellers whose main interest is Colorado and the D&RGW are now increasingly looking at HOn3 and the Blackstone range. I also wonder how many HOn3 modellers are looking at Blackstone and wishing they'd produce something other than D&RGW

That was rather wonderful. The roundhouse looks like a palace. It had never occurred to me that bagasse bales would be bigger than the firebox doors. Must be like trying to stoke a fire with dried grass clippings

Quote from: Cody J on June 06, 2009, 09:43:55 PM
It looks a lot like a foreign locomotive (which are very un-attractive in my opinion).

I do find that line really very odd. Locomotives, whether steam, diesel or electric come in a huge variety but for me discriminating between one's own country's locomotives and 'foreign' is just bizarre. Every country's locomotive manufacturers have turned out some beautiful machines and a share of the ugly ducklings.
And I speak as a Brit who likes British, French, American, German and Spanish locomotives, albeit with a strong preference for steam and overhead electric.

Inspiring work like this really deserves better than a single reply when a question on "minimum radius" usually gets at least three 

Not only does Kevin produce great work but his blog nicely demystifies the process and should act as inspiration. 
Colin.

I'm hoping that Backwoods Miniatures do something like an early Porter on that chassis. Those locos, in various forms, would suit 1880s NG RRs in Colorado through to 1920s logging lines just about anywhere.  That said, the HO Porter is a 'boxy' looking loco and without seeing the chassis with the body off it's hard to tell just how possible it is. The motor or a big lump of metal in the wrong place and it becomes tricky.

I think we'll be waiting a while before Bachmann make any of those, but overhead electric locos do have great charm. What struck me is those operations are far closer to 19th/early 20th century US narrow-gauge than anything you can experience on the preserved Cumbres & Toltec or Durango & Silverton.
You want to find out what it was like to ride on the narrow-gauge in the old days? go to China!

I've always liked the last loco you show. It has a long and sleek look, as though it was built for speed. Complete contrast to what it was capable of, I don't doubt. In large scale the climax trucks under a big hauler boiler with a combination of big hauler pistons and motion and climax eccentrics might give a rough imitation.

That was rather wonderful, thanks for the link. Not quite sure what you wanted me to see at the 7 minute mark. I assume it wasn't the garden full of gnomes, but I did like the little compressed air loco just before that.
I also thought the curve track at 22.45 was quite something.

Listening to it in German was nice. Even if I understood almost none of the words the passion translated perfectly.

Backwoods Miniatures do a kit to covert the Bachmann 2-8-0 into something very similar: http://www.backwoodsminiatures.com/xbm282_01.JPG
It's the wrong scale (On30) but as the largescale 2-8-0 is much the same as the On30 2-8-0 the Backwoods Miniatures kit could be used as a pattern for whatever bits you need to add.

Hmm
Odd looking arrangement of ties on some of those switches, but the HOm track is interesting. If we accept HO track (16.5mm gauge) as standing for 3' gauge in O scale, then HOm track (12mm gauge) can represent 2' gauge.

One would still have to find suitable stock and locos for the 12mm gauge but 12mm is an established gauge used in both HOm and TT so the basics are in place and there are probably some useful chassis that can be put under an O scale body to get something running.

An interchange between 3' gauge and 2' gauge is uncommon (Black Hawk is the only one that comes to mind) but it is intriguing.

It does seem rare. The Baie de Somme is the only one I know of where it's done. I guess it's to keep the couplers centred.

But many standard NG interchanges did without mixed gauge track so the complication needn't arise.

In fact, one could just have a couple of standard gauge spurs and a few cars to suggest an interchange without needing to find a massive amount of space and suitable motive power. Although the standard gauge would be scenic rather than operable the bulk of those cars would be a good contrast with the much smaller NG stock.

O + On30 3 rail dual gauge track representing 3' and standard gauge does look wrong, as you say. Are there any examples of dual gauge in the US where the narrow gauge rails are placed between the standard gauge (i.e., 4 rail dual gauge) The Baie de Somme in Northern France uses dual gauge 4 rail track for metre and standard gauge, as shown here: http://www.narrowgauge.nl/site/cfbs/img/058%20cfbs.jpg
The narrower gauge rails are normally centred between the standard gauge but are here canted to one side to give room for the pointwork, etc.