When dual gauge O/On30 has been raised in the past people have objected that the near dead centre third rail would make it look like 3 rail O gauge track (Lionel etc) and thus have regarded it as unacceptable, at least where the layout is representing 3 foot narrow gauge. Prototype dual gauge standard/30 inch or 750mm gauge track does look a lot like 3 rail O gauge track, so this is not a problem if a 30 inch or 750mm gauge line is being represented. However sales of such track are likely to be limited in the USA, where representing 3 foot narrow gauge is quite common.(although 30 inch and 2 foot gauge lines are also modelled using On30).

Commercial dual O/On30 track would probably need to come from Europe, but currently there is very little ready to run in Oe or O16.5 (the European and British versions respectively) since the demise of the Fleischmann Magic train line. So the demand for dual gauge track would not be high. I would have thought there was scope  for Bachmann's European branches to make O scale narrow gauge locos and rolling stock, but so far they have shown little interest, despite Bachmann On30 selling quite well in Britain and Europe.

Hamish

This may be the locomotive Kevin S saw photos of  - a two foot gauge Baldwin 0-10-0 in China! http://www.kurogane-rail.jp/yunnan/esl_sn23.html
Hamish

There were ten coupled tender locomotives on 30 inch (or 750mm, which is close)  gauge lines. I don't know of a 2-10-0 but Poland had 0-10-0s http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:PKP_class_Pw53. Argentina had the Rio Turbio 2-10-2s
http://www.martynbane.co.uk/modernsteam/ldp/rfirt/santafes.htm
. There may be others. Ten coupled tank locomotives also existed on 750mm gauge lines, for example in East Germany.

The reason for so many drivers was to spread the weight for lightly laid lines.

I'd say go for it.

Hamish

I too would like to see WW1 narrow gauge items made. To my mind the obvious locomotive for Bachmann to make would be the 2-6-2t. Alco delivered a batch of these to the UK army and, when the US entered the war a very similar (though not identical 2-6-2t) was chosen as the standard US steam locomotive. They were built by various makers, including Baldwin. A number of these did operate in the US after the war. Earlier Baldwin had made a 4-6-0t for the UK, these were of similar dimensions to a 4-6-0t made by the British  maker Hunslett, but of typical American appearance with American features. Hunslett had not been able to build the locos fast enough.

Another loco Bachmann could consider would be the Baldwin gas mechanical, which was also used by the US in WW1. This could replace the former Davenport in the On30 range.

Scale would only be an issue if Bachmann were to aim at European and UK existing narrow gauge modellers who use 1:43 or 1:45. If they aim at American modellers and international modellers who use On30 (On30 is quite popular in the  UK,  Europe, Australia and other places) then they would stick to 1:48.

One possibility would be for a separate international range made to 1:45. I suggest 1:45 as, being in between 1:48 and 1:43 it would less obviously different and some modellers (but not all) would be prepared to mix. The small size of the WW1 prototypes could assist in making them look OK with 1:48 scale models. The On30 1:48 range would of course continue alongside such a range. In this case a range of WW1 locos from different countries could be produced.

OK I am dreaming, but why not?

At least make an On30 (1:48) scale 2-6-2t. With centenary of WW1 this would be good way of commemorating it

Hamish

Quote from: Skarloey Railway on January 13, 2013, 08:15:22 AM

Quote from: Dusten Barefoot on January 11, 2013, 08:27:54 PM
The 8-18c/d 4-4-0/2-6-0 still sounds like a nice idea.

Rock On!
~Dusten

agreed.
logging and mainline rrs ran them and they ran from the 1870s to the 1940s, with modifications. Everyone should be able to justify one of them on their layout.

Not if you regard your line as 30 inch gauge, nothing very close to the 8-18c/d seems to have run on a 30 inch gauge line anywhere in the world. Bachman's existing OF ON30 4-4-0's a typical 30 inch gauge 4-4-0.

This highlights the problem for Bachmann in choosing prototypes for On30, On30 modellers are very diverse, modelling 3 foot, 30 inch and 2 foot gauge lines (and probably others) as well as different types of layouts. No single model will suit everyone.

Hamish

r_dave

I agree that many narrow gauge modellers model a particular line or theme, and may want particular models to continue in production. I was observing, not advocating. The problem as i see it is that Bachmann has  many demands on them to make new models, as this board shows. They do not have the capacity to keep everything in production and also make new models. Something has to give, and some people will be unhappy. I do not know their intentions for rolling stock, and I would like to see both the new 18 foot and the older rolling stock continue in the future. Whether this will happen I do not know. I believe that they do understand the narrow gauge modelling scene, but it is not possible to make everything all of  the time.

Hamish

Some observations. Sometime ago I raised the question here of the future of On30 and received an assurance that Bachmann remained committed to On30. Since then Bachmann have announced a number of new On30 items and delivered most of them (the exception being the Heisler). So I have no reason to doubt that Bachmann remains committed to On30. Tooling for a whole new range of freight cars is clear evidence of this.

It is true that some local hobby shops, including mine, have ceased stocking On30. Current economic conditions, and internet sales, have caused my local hobby shop, and no doubt others, to concentrate on their best selling ranges only. This trend is likely to continue.

I expect that a number of existing On30 items will cease to be available over the next few years. New items are essential to keep interest in the scale high and no manufacturer can afford. or has the capacity, to keep all of an expanding range in production all of the time. Bachmann, and other train manufacturers, manufacture in batches, a run of a particular item is made, and then that production line used for a different item.  An item may be rerun if there is sufficient demand. It is inevitable that some items will not be rerun in order to provide capacity to make new items.

I am confident that Bachmann On30 will continue, but expect the range to gradually change. In what directions, I have no idea. The Bachmann. or Yardmaster, might like to can comment on the future availability of the standard box cars.

Hamish
 

I thought that the current On30 Trolley sets had a variable speed controller built into the car barn.  The description in  the online catalogue on this site states that they have a variable speed controller.. I know there was an earlier version without variable speed, could you have got very old stock?  Perhaps the Bachmann or Yardmaster can shed some light ?

Hamish

World wide there were a lot, and I mean a lot, of 30 inch gauge railroads and the near metric equivalent gauges of 760mm and 750mm. The former Soviet Union had a huge network, there were quite a few in China, the former Yugoslavia, Austria, some in Germany, Poland and other European countries. India, Japan, and Taiwan were some of the other  Asian countries with them. In the Americas, as well as a small number in the USA,  Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, amongst others, had 30 inch gauge lines. And of course our beloved Victorian Railways 30 inch gauge lines here  in Australia. Some years ago an attempt was made to identify all 30 inch gauge lines worldwide, see http://www.pearcedale-conservation-park.com.au/c&b/thirty.html. This site has not been maintained, so many of the links are obsolete, but it still provides a starting point.

Researching overseas lines can be an interesting challenge in itself, finding a suitable line and then modelling it can be a very satisfying exercise. Good luck to any-one who attempts it.

Hamish

Unplugging the decoder from your 4-6-0 and replacing it with the provided plug should be a simple task. I don't have a 4-6-0 myself so I haven't done it. Whether this is necessary for good running  depends on the controller being used. Pulse controllers do have a reputation for not working well with DCC decoders, so doing this might be desirable..

You certainly don't have to buy a DCC power pack, if you did you would have to fit DCC decoders to your other locomotives.

Hamish

The standard Bachmann DCC decoder, such as that fitted to the non-sound 4-6-0s, is a dual mode decoder that can operate on DC as well as DCC. It should not require any modification, although you might have a slight delay when the power is first applied. Is your Shay DCC ready or DCC euipped? DCC ready means that it is an analogue locomtive (but able to be fitted easily with a DCC decoder). As it comes it will operate on DC. I am not aware that Bachmann made Shays with a non-sound DCC decoder. If it has been fitted with an after market decoder it will depend on the controller. A standard Bachmann controller should be dual mode.

I hope this helps

Hamish

Quite a few Bachmann items have been discontinued and reappeared at a later date. Examples include the Large Scale Lynn 2-4-2 tank and the industrial 2-6-0, the On30 Porters, the HO 2-8-0 (discontinued as a spectrum, re-appeared as a standard line), and many others. On the other hand there are a lot of discontinued items that have never reappeared. I guess it depends on many factors, including how well the item sold originally, why it was discontinued, whether the tooling is in good condition, what would have to be done to bring it up to modern standards, as well as perceptions of the current market for the item. If you have particular items in mind perhaps you could  ask about them in the relevant scale forum.

Hamish

I don't want large narrow gauge locomotives, to my mind narrow gauge should be small and funky e.g. Porter tank locomotives, small geared locos, etc. I am not alone in this view, although I know there are others who disagree. That's fine, each to his or her own.  My point was market size, not whether Bachmann could make a K27 to go round 22 inch curves (I agree that they could, incidentally my curves are 18 inch maximum). The question is, are there enough people who would buy such a loco to enable Bachmann to make a profit on it? I have no idea. The relevance of MMI is that they have apparently decided that they can't make a profit on their range on On30locomotives.

Hamish

An issue for Bachmann in producing these locos, especially a K series, is size. Not everybody wants, or can accommodate, large locos. I can't for one.  The ability to have O scale in a small space is one of the attractions of On30, and it is not surprising that there are many small layouts with tight curves in this scale. So, is the market for large locos large enough?
MMI apparently can't make a profit with this type of loco, so could Bachmann? I realise that they are different operations, but  I expect Bachmann would need to sell more locos than MMI to break even. Could Bachmann could produce them at an attractive enough price to sell enough to make a profit? Bachmann would have a better idea of the answer to that than I do.

I agree that Bachmann should produce a range of different On30 products to suit all sections of the market, but they have to be able to sell their products at a profit.

Hamish

This locomotive was apparently to be based on former K-Line tooling and was to be relatively expensive, compared for example to the Williams 4-6-0 announced at the same time.   Lionel also announced a very similar 2-8-2, also apparently based on K-line tooling,  at about the same time.  I presume that Williams decided that the market wasn't big enough for both. I hope Williams will produce more new steam locomotives, preferably at prices similar to the 4-6-0.

Hamish