How about ...

What about making it double sided? Opposite the industry would be the transfer as a point facing spur so you would have to run around the loop to switch the cars. An easy photo backdrop down the middle could give a greater sense of distance apart. 

Something this small could be built on casters to pull away from the wall or "parking spot" for running trains. With some coordination it may support a couple operators. Leave some passenger cars at the interchange to make it interesting. 

My two cents or 17 yen. 

Neil

HOn30 gauge - Where do you find your rolling stock?

Hi -

I've been fascinated by HOn30 ever since running across the MR article about Hayden & Frary's Carrabasset and Dead River layout; so much so, that I've done something akin to it in sort of reverse (the main layout is standard HO, with the narrow-gauge line running up the long side of the layout, meeting the the HO portion at a junction station. It will come out of a "tunnel" of trees, loco will uncouple & turn on a wye, then disappear back the way it came, interacting with the standard gauge on a transfer track at the station. It's mainly an excursion train with a little freight, running to an off-layout resort lake location). My main problem; locating at least a combine or pass. car, & maybe another flat and a boxcar. I am definitely not any kind of scratch-builder (not right now, anyway!), and I'm not enamored with the only current offering from the only HOn30 "set" that's offered right now (can't think of their name offhand). I managed to find one loco, a bobber caboose, a sand gondola & a box car at a show, (looked like someone bought part of a scratchbuilder's estate, and sold some of it) but nothing since then. Funaro & Camerlengo aren't making or selling anything in HOn30 anymore, and I haven't  acquired the skill (or courage!) to kitbash anything from a standard HO scale car. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

                                                       fred1940

                                              Fred Barrett

C.I.G.*, Cumberland Transfer RR

(*Chief In Garage; elsewhere, not so much...)

 "I'm not enamored with the

There's plenty of HOn3 stuff available so why use HOn30? .....DaveB

Finding Rolling Stock

I believe you're thinking of the Minitrains by BCH International of Johnstown, Pa. They are the makers of the Plymouth deisel, 0-4-0 Baldwain steam loco, coal, mine, plupwood, dump, cement, log, trash cars.

I don't think you will find anything commercial in a passenger type equipment in RTR.

Perhaps it's time to take the plunge into scratch building. Trucks are easy. Any N scale trucks would do. Give it a try, scratchbuilding that is. You may find you have more talent than you think you have.

Bernd

Search

Try http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=minitrains&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg= or search HOn30,HOe and you will find some choices for rtr equipment. Funero has some great looking kits and several designers are selling easy conversions on Shapways. I was always bothered by the N scale trucks and wheels so was happy to see some manufacturers making appropriate ones to use. Even a 36" diameter wheel in N scale is only 20" in HO. That may be fine but I would prefer 24" - 26" diameter wheels. Early Maine cars used 18"-20" wheels as did many small mine railways so, depending on your preferences, some easy conversions are possible. 

HOn3 has many, many more followers so the choices are plenty and not always more expensive. You can't beat the look of these little engines through and a lot has been written about turning Minitrains engines from caracatures today lovly pieces. Google Dave Frarey as well - one of the pioneers in this scale/gage combo. 

Neil Erickson 

HOn30

Here ya go available from Caboose hobbies US and European Prototypes.

http://www.minitrains.eu/