Converting an HO layout to On30

[NevinW]

My HO 14x14 Tonopah and Tidewater must be moved from Reno to Las Vegas.  Fortunately it is modular and can make the trip relatively intact.  However, since I have to take it apart anyway, I am thinking about the idea of converting it to the On30 Yellow Pine Mining Co. RR. 

I know that I will have to widen the sidings but my question is what roadbed do you use?  HO or something else ( S scale?).  Is Micro Engineering track the best, or is there something else I should look at?  Are there other sources of turnouts?  I can hand lay track but I am not that enthusiatic about doing it unless forced.  Any other resources I should look into?  Thanks, Nevin

[mabloodhound]

If you ballast your track or bury the ties in dirt, no one will see that they're HO.   I'd use HO code83 track (and I do) 'cause it's a lot cheaper.   If money is no object than go for the ME code 83 track.

[NevinW]

That Wenz Modellbau track looks interesting but the rail size looks a bit large.  Does HO cork roadbed look ok with On30 ties, or do they extend too far over the sides?  I have not measured the ties to see how wide they are.

[Catt]

When we built our On30 layout we used ATLAS code 100 flex and just removed every other tie then just shifted the ties around to vary the spacing.While it is true the HO ties are short for O scale once they are ballasted they don't look bad.

[Skarloey Railway]

 

Could have sworn I posted a link to various manufacturers of ON30 track on this thread. Peco do a range with ON30 flexi-track and R, L and Y switches.

What the track looks like will depend on what sort of RR you want. A mainline common carrier will have much better trackwork than a run-down industrial line.

[Bucksco]

Suggestions are fine. Let's not post links to manufacturers or retailers please.

[2foot6]

I converted my extensive HO layout to On30  six years ago.I used the existing track plan as it  worked well for me,increased the separation between tracks in the yards,rebuilt bridges to the correct scale and then started on the scenery ,it is now finished.To disguise the ties,I just covered them  with ballast or filled in the gaps with some plaster and covered with  grass and dirt  effect scatter matterials.My layout is a logging  layout so I was able to get away with it ,with this style of theme.  cheers Peter

[NevinW]

I converted my extensive HO layout to On30  six years ago.I used the existing track plan as it  worked well for me,increased the separation between tracks in the yards,rebuilt bridges to the correct scale and then started on the scenery ,it is now finished.To disguise the ties,I just covered them  with ballast or filled in the gaps with some plaster and covered with  grass and dirt  effect scatter matterials.My layout is a logging  layout so I was able to get away with it ,with this style of theme.  cheers Peter

I'll have to check the old photos and see what the roadbed for the Death Valley RR looked like. 

[Skarloey Railway]

Hi Nevin, Took at look at your HO T&T online. Looks very nice and clearly follows the prototype. Slightly puzzled by what 'convert' means as I'd have thought an awful lot would need changing on the layout to accomplish moving up to O scale (never mind the gauge) to the point where you're stripping back almost to bare boards.

Given that you do appear to be a modeller who prefers to follow a prototype, my thought would be to find your NG prototype, as you did with the T&T in standard gauge, and then follow it as closely as you can rather than try to turn your standard gauge model into a model of a NG railroad and ending up with something that could be a compromise.