I have been in HOn3 for 35 years

I have been in HOn3 for 35 years and I have seen a lot of changes, the biggest change is from the good folks at Blackstone, a division of Soundtraxx. They have come out with a new line of engines and freight cars. 

Check them out at http://blackstonemodels.com/

The engines come with Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders installed. HOn3 track can be ordered on the web, Caboose Hobbies is a good source. I recommend that you make your own switches with Fast Tracks jigs.

Since HOn3 is HO scale, all HO buildings will work just fine.

--Bill B.

HOn3 =/= tighter curves

Dear ???

Unfortunately, you may fall foul of the Xn3 curve radii curse. That is to say, just because it's 3' narrow gauge of a given scale does not necessarily mean that the models can reliably run around any smaller curves than small standard gauge equipment of the same scale can...

To take an example, the Bachmann HO 44 and 45 tonner diesels (relatively small Standard gauge models) can run around 15" radii curves,
whereas the HOn3 Blackstone K27 loco (a relatively large "narrow gauge" locomotive),
really wants a minimum 18" and preferrably larger curve radii.

Strangely enough, if we go narrower and get into the Xn30 (2' 6" gauge, as opposed to 3' gauge) worlds (IE HOn30), then you get most of the heft of HO scale bodies,
but you get the gauge of N, and thus a workable curve radii down into around 9"!

Example : "Broughton Vale Tramway"

http://www.zelmeroz.com/album_model/members/klyzlr/BroughtonVale.pdf

http://members.optushome.com.au/jdennis/broughton/frameset.html

If you have 4' x 4' available, and have sight/dexterity issues,
maybe the range of smaller On30 equipment maybe within striking distance???
(Larger trains, HO gauge track, smooth running cheap mechanisms)

I'd suggest checking out the offerings by Boulder Valley Models as a starting point,
great for "I want to build it" type modellers, good fit-and-finish kits, and certainly captures "the spirit of narrow gauge"...  http://www.bouldervalleymodels.com/ 

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

tighter curves

Hi Professor, and thx for the reply.
I have seen some of these mixed gauge sets turn in as little as 4" radius. That's the kind of thing I'm trying to do, tho not quite so small a radius. Have you seen the sets I'm referring to? How do they do it? Are these homemade/handmade sets, tracks, trucks, bodies, et al?

HOn3 for 35 years

Thanks Bill B., I need all the resources I can gather right now.

"To take an example, the

   Yeah, it can even make it around 12.5 inch curves but I wouldn't recommend that unless one was building the Harlem Transfer.    15 inch should be no problem for the 44 tonner and 40 foot freight cars. On a 4 ft. by 4 ft. board a loop of 18 inch radius would still give 6 inches of buffer from track to edge of world.  If one wanted diesels I'd recommend sticking with HO instead of HOn3, it's a lot cheaper and the selection much greater. For steam equipment Blackstone HOn3 is very nice but also very expensive.....DaveB

It is a matter of preference

It is a matter of preference at this point. I would recommend that you look at the Bachmann Spectrum 0-4-0 and 0-4-2 Porters with DCC and sound.

just to get the juices flowing watch these videos;

The above is Joey Ricard's layout and he is a member on this forum.

The above is Dave Meek's layout and he is also a member on this forum.  His is much further along than what is shown.

The above is Verne Niner's layout and he is a member on this forum.

You have enough room to run these Porters.

Den

"Mixed gauge sets"? Confirmed ID required...

Dear ???

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "mixed gauge sets"?
Do you have any links or pics of the "sets" you are thinking of?

I have not seen a Ready-to-Run HOn3 model which is designed and promoted as capable of 4" radii,
although the old Grandt-Line HOn3 kit-type 4-wheel Boxcab loco kits might have a sniff at such tight curves,

I _am_ aware of the re-released MiniTrains HOn30 sets, which may well be capable of 4" radii if pushed,
http://www.minitrains.eu/mt-trains.html
/> but I'm not sure that these are what you are referring to?

Just in case it needs to be clarified,
- "HOn30" is 30-inch gauge (9mm between the rails in HO scale),
- whereas "HOn3" is 3-feet, or 36-inch gauge (10.5mm between the rails in HO scale)!

Point being, they are _not_ the same,
and it's important to keep track of the difference when comparing specific models head-to-head...

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

More HOn3

I also am modeling in HOn3. It's more of a scratchbuilders scale than RTR, but lot's of fun.

Here's another place you might want to check out. http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=96

Have you seen this? http://www.hon3annual.com/ Made strictly for the discriminating HOn3 modeler.

Happy HOn3 modeling.

Bernd

HOn3 vs HOn30

From your original post, I think you have HOn3 and HOn30 mixed up.  HOn3 uses its own track, scaled for three feet.  It's quite commercially available, although can be costly.  There's ready to run in quantity.

HOn30 is very much a niche scale.  It uses n-gauge track, although HOn30 track is available commercially--same track, but ties and such appropriate for the larger scale.  There is very little ready to roll, and not many kits out threre.  (F&C makes some nice ones.)  It scales to 30"/ 2 1/2 foot gauge, and is often used to model the very small narrow gauge trains, such as the Maine 2-footers.  These trains are VERY small, as a quick look here can show you. http://wwfry.org/

Very different prototypes, and very different models--and different sizes!

....and yet all the same scale...

Dear Irish,

...and astoundingly, even with the "dinky" Maine 2' loco dwarfed by the Colorado K27 3' loco,
(which in turn is dwarfed by a standard gauge Mikado locomotive),

they're all the same "HO scale"...

The pic below illustrates the difference beautifully, although we "lost" the Colorado K27 in between somewhere along the way...

(Bridgton and Saco River Forney meets MEC SG loco at Bridgton Junction)

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS just because the above is how 2' gauge was seen in the Eastern USA,
doesn't mean 2' gauge always = "dinky little things" all over the world,
or thruout the eras... try Sth Africa's 2' gauge Garratts

​

or the modern-day Cane haulers in Queensland Australia

(these locos are simultaneously running on 2', 2' 6", and 3' 6" in different locations along the east coast of Australia, with barely more than a truck/bogie swap...)

More on HOn30

If you want to see the HOn30 kits you can go to http://www.shapeways.com.  Do a search for HOn30.  You will get a good number of results.  You have to keep in mind these are all kits.  Here is an example of one that uses a N scale boiler and drive system;

http://www.shapeways.com/product/9HDYTD3TA/parts-for-2-6-0-conversion-cab-pilot-tender-a?li=search-results-2&optionId=41320814

Here is a diesel shell that fits a N Scale diesel drive chassis.

http://www.shapeways.com/product/SUYEPLF5D/hon30-pbr-dh?li=search-results-4&optionId=43340626

With the above items you have a lot of work to do.  However, it you are able to put the time and skills into it you can have some nice models.

If you decide to go this route there some things you should know.  One is that you are not alone.  Another member has announced his intention to model HOn30.  You can go to the right top corner where you see MRH Search.  You can type HOn30 there to see what comes up.

As to the track.  HOn30 uses the N Scale track, which is 9mm.  HOn3 is 10.5mm.  There is plenty of N Scale track available.  Flex track is available from Atlas, Micro-Engineering and PECO.  The newer N Scale engines and cars come with low profile wheels and are just fine for all three in code 55.  PECO is different though.  PECO has a deeper profile between the rails so that the older trains with the bigger flanges can run on it without bumping along the ties.

Atlas and PECO have a variety of turnouts, cross overs and double slips in N Scale.  ME not as much.  A number of modelers have bought a jig from FastTracks to build their own turnouts.

I recommend you do a search on MRH for the term "chainsaw."  It is a small layout that you learn on.  While you learn on your chainsaw layout you can dream about your next layout.  Make plans and ask lots of questions on this forum.  Use the search option to see if your question has been discussed.  Sometimes you will see a certain subject went on and on.  Search the term "druthers" too.  Don't be afraid to rip out something to do it better. Once you feel confident in your knowledge and skills you remove your structures and trains with anything else you want to keep.  Take the layout outside, grab a saw to cut it up.  Hence the name chainsaw layout.  Or you could donate it to a deserving kid.

If you have a hobby shop for trains to visit you could look at the different scales.  You can get a few of these in your hands.  Get an idea of what scale you really want to model in.

Den

Amazing differences

Having had a chance to poke about the old Forneys some, the difference is amazing.  Coaches have only one seat on each side of the aisle.  But they did all the same jobs their broad gauge (Maine 2-foot term for 4' 8 1/2" gauge trains) did.

More like it

These are examples of what I'm trying to learn to build.
These are HOe. From what I've learned so far "e" is the European equivalent to North America's "n" gauge. The 2nd video is build on a 19.5" x 24" platform.
I'll try to find the vid, but one guy claims he has 4 inch radius curves.
Are these guys building these trains, trucks, and track and so on??

...

HOe is basically HOn30"

Nice setup.

More like it

an extreme example

Hon30/Hoe/009

The UK has thriving 4mm narrow gauge scene with lots of kits etc. Peco do track and now some ready to run stock based on the old Lynton and Barnstable Railway stock including undecorated stock. Its similar to HOn30/HOe but being British is built to 4mm scale not 3.5mm scale. For an American enthusiast good news is that Bachmann will be releasing ready to run locomotives based on a US prototype a 9mm gauge Baldwin Class 10-12-D 4-6-0T that runs on 9mm gauge track. It will be released with some freight cars. Many other HOe and 009 freight cars are available ready to run and in kit form from UK and other European suppliers of UK and mainland Europe prototypes. Try Parkside Dundas as one supplier

http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/009__00n3_NARROW_GAUGE_4MM_SCALE_SECTION.html

The Bachmann range of On30 short wheel and 4 wheel freight stock will do tight radiuses (though not 4" radius curves). There is a very good supplier of short 4 wheel stock called Backwoods Miniatures in their Select-a-car range

They have also introduced an Oe range - 1/48th scale bodies on N Gauge chassis - mainly industrial prototypes that will do very small radius curves. http://www.backwoodsminiatures.com/0n3kits.htm

Good Luck

HOn3 Newbie - Some suggestions

If considering HO scale, I would suggest HOn30 narrow gauge, as a way to get started in a small space.  You can actually take HOn3 cars and car kits and change out the trucks with N-scale trucks.  Rail Line makes box car, stock car, and flat car kits that are reasonably priced, well detailed, and will work using N-scale trucks.  I have used N-scale arch bar trucks, but replaced the wheels with N-scale 36" wheels by Fox Valley and Intermountain.  For a locomotive, you can take the N-scale MDT Plymouth by Bachmann, remove the shell, and add an HOn30 "Critter" (small 4-wheel diesel) shell offered by Shapeways, as someone else in this post has suggested.  All the buildings can be conventional HO scale.  You just need to pick a theme and an era, and select accordingly.

Someone else also suggested O scale narrow gauge using HO track, i.e., On30.  If you go that route, a 4 ft. by 4 ft. won't provide a base for big time railroading, but it could provide a nice industrial (mining, ore, logging, quarry, etc.) theme layout.  I suggest you go to http://www.bouldervalleymodels.com and see what they have to offer.  They do make nice little 4 wheel cars, and conversions for several HO mechanisms to provide a switch engine locomotive.

Finally, take a look a Carl Arendt's Microlayouts web site (can't remember the exact URL right now), there is plenty in there to give you ideas for a small layout.

Thanks

Thx for the suggestions guys (any gals?) Now that I think about it, are there any women into model-building? I've never met one.

I've got time to figure this out before I commit, so I just have to keep reading and collecting references/sites for now.

Does anybody scratch build their cars/locos on this forum?

Female Modeller

On the January issue of Railroad Modeler Craftsman Magazine there are a couple of articles that the layouts owners are Females.

Scratchbuilding & Female Modelers

I scratchbuild models. Working on some freelance HOn30 electric boxcabs. Look in the "What's on your Workbench" thread. It's not a step by step. Just high lighting miles stones.

There is a female RPM modeler that would put some of the guys here to shame when it comes to building and detailing diesel engines. I can only remember her first name, Elizabeth. I've seen some of her work in detailing engines. Outstanding. She displays at RPM meets.

@Nick I looked through the Jan issue of RMC. I didn't see or read any reference to females.

Bernd

Up-date. Ok, Found one reference, Bob Walkers wife models. You're right.

HOn3 is a terrific

HOn3 is a terrific scale/gauge if you have fallen in love with narrow gauge prototypes, especially in Colorado, and feel you must have highly detailed models of those specific prototypes. 

1. A nice fleet of motive power and rolling stock can be assembled from the various ready to run and kits that are available. 
2. The rolling stock can be made to work with tight radius turns, but motive power is usually another story.  Most common n3 motive power is in the 2-8-0 or 2-8-2 category, and can be made to run down to about 18", but runs better and looks better on 20+".  Small critters and 0-4-0 type locos can run down to about 15". 
3. HOn3 allows you to take advantage of the huge variety of scenery and structure kits and accessories available in HO.  Some of them specific to D&RGW, RGS, EBT or ET&WNC prototypes. 

If you aren't going for one of those specific prototypes, then why bother with the specialization of the gauge?  HO standard gauge has more types of track, rolling stock and motive power available much of which can run on tight radius turns.  Still allowing you to use the vast array of HO structure and scenery materials. 

If tight turns are most important to you, N scale would work great.  While not as prolific as HO, N scale has progressed a great deal over the last decades.  Some new locos even come with DCC and sound built in.  Rolling stock has improved dramatically, track has improved dramatically, and scenery and structures are widely available.  They run so well, that one can usually find train shows where people are running 150 car trains pulled by multi-unit engines.  All without derailment. 

The micro layouts are an interesting thing if space is limited and scratchbuilding is no problem.  Using N scale engine drives, trucks and couplers, all manner of strange and wonderful worlds with railroads can be created.  HOn30 would allow you use of HO structure kits and details, but O scale or S scale or even larger can use the 009 mechanisms to create these micros.  

Personally, my love is HOn3, but only because I'm head over heals in love with Colorado prototypes. 

Female Modelers

Bernd, I gave you the wrong scoop. I am reading two or three magazines at the same time and I got them confused. The layout is on the Model Railroader special issue, "How to Build Small Model Railroads" Winter 2014. Is about a Rail-Marine Operations On A Shelf by Barbara Brunette. It is on page 44.

The one in Railroad Model Craftsman ( January 2015) is a square footer scenery that the author's wife created. This article is on page 88.

Again sorry for the wrong scoop

Female Modelers

Hey Nick no big deal. I had to go back and see if I had missed anything. The Craftsman story was pretty good. She did some excellent modeling.

Bernd

Clarification

Thx for the comments all.
I have been mulling this over for quite a while now and have decided that I am going to "scratch" build everything.
I use the term to mean I will mill. lathe, saw, measure, cut, and solder from raw materials.
I'm not a fast machinist, nor am I a slow machinist, I'm a half-fast machinist that has little money and lots of time.
I am looking for people that do this type of construction, and are willing to tell me a couple of their secrets (in exchange for something, of course), particularly in forming/laying 8" radius curves and fabricating turnouts and frogs.

Thank for the responses