B-man On30 prototype?

I believe that I've found the prototype for the b-man's On30 boxcar...OR&W #605. The plans are in the current edition of the NG&SLG. The only differences are that the brake wheel is slightly too tall, the Eames Vaccuum brake diaghram points the wrong way, and it is missing the stirrup steps on the end.

Dimensionally it is close to spot on. The odd combination of safety hardware and dimensions are explained in the Gazette.


Note the trucks and hardware...there should be a grab iron above the left stirrup step...not just to match the prototype, but because the brakeman has nothing to grab onto when using the stirrup step.


The Needlebeams are slightly too tall, and the Eames Brake diaghram is clearly in the wrong place.


Note that the hardware is not just in the correct places, but is the exact same. Again, there is a missing grab iron above a missing stirrup step.

Perhaps there is another OR&W boxcar which is a better match for this model...one without the end stirrups, but this is pretty close.

I'll convert mine to On3, add the missing stirrups and grab irons, move the diaghram, and re-letter it for OR&W #605.

Michael

 

This is the secret that everyone has know since the cars first came out. Welcome to the club.
--Steve

 

Well Michael, I am with you...had no idea this was the B-man prototype and I've been doing On30 for years now eek: but we must have come across the drawing in the NG&SGL at the same time because I was looking at it closely also. Sure wish they had chosen a prototype that was closer to the C & S design...

 

I've missed it as I am an On3 guy...and don't focus to much on the On30 offerings unless they have relevance to my On3 work. So I'm late to the party, but will make use of the info now.

I'd love to know how B-man comes up with prototypes. That Mt. Gretna 4-4-0 really has me puzzled.

 

A friend once told me they pick prototype from a hat

Again, as is the case with many model makers, "Generic" is the optimal word. Yes the new 4-4-0 would be more at home in Central America than North America but I think they count on these things being "close enough" to cover several roads. Even for a "protofreelancer" such as myself this can be frustrating. BUT this is On30 where anything goes and fantasy is the word of the day...

 

Sounds about right!

That one actually does make sense to me. It is of adequate size and sufficiently common (outside of the continental US)...but it is the IF one which is based on the three 2' gauge 4-4-0s of the Mt. Gretna in Pennsylvania that puzzles me. Why didn't they just build a classic small 4-4-0? Many railroads had them...and several builders built them. They were midway in between the big, common 8-16Cs (like MMI's 4-4-0) and the toy-like Mt. Gretna engines.

Considering the success they've had with 8-16Cs in Fn3, I'm surprised that they didn't just go ahead and produce it...as they've offered so many of their locomotives in multiple scales.

Michael

 

I don't think the statement holds...unless you know someone (in which case, I find that to be cool!)

From what I've gathered...here are the prototypes for their On30 offerings...
-Forneys...Maine I presume...or generics which are close to Maine
-Mt Gretna 2' gauge IF 4-4-0
-Brazilian OF 30" gauge 4-4-0
-Generic OF 30" 2-8-0...probably a standard design which resembles many south of the border locomotives...and some in the American west.
-Rogers 2-6-0...Rogers only ever produced one, was this the prototype or is it generic? Whom bought her?
-the Porters and Davenports are standard catalog items
-Climax and Shay are standard small locomotives
-I'll defer to your statement on the new 4-6-0

I would guess that they picked the OR&W boxcar not because of any preference for it, but rather because it looks far better on 18" On30 curves than a 30' modern (and distinct) 3' gauge boxcar would. All of their On30 cars are on the small end of the scale...which is why they don't work too well with Colorado NGs. Once the standard underframes and trucks were produced, it is only reasonable to produce everything using these components to save on tooling costs. The EBT hoppers are a bit obscure, but they filled a void in the product line...and they are the smallest steel cars the EBT had.

I've sort of gotten the impression that B-man is working 3 separate lines here: true latin american 30" gauge, industial non-common carriers, and a small common carrier line. Every item fits into one of these three, except maybe the new 4-6-0. I've long suspected that they would offer a 4-6-0 along those lines due to the G scale one.

In large scale...
-the old 4-6-0...dates from 1990...from frequenting large scale forums, I've gathered that its prototype is not known...but that some presume it to be Tweetsie. I'd guess its prototype to be the same as the On30 model (or rather, the On30 model's prototype is it)...and I'm under the impression that it is actually 1:22.5 scale.
-The Baldwin 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 were standard designs...generic.
-The K-27 is specific to the D&RGW and RGS.
-OF 2-8-0, like the On30 version, could depict engines from NdeM, OR&L, and various other roads...a nice starting point for SG&N, CR, D&RGW, WP&Y, or various others.
-The geared engines are standard models...generic
-The new 2-6-6-2t seems to be freelance...it is representative of standard gauge logging 2-6-6-2ts, but is a ng model according to their marketing. Perhaps it is a design that was never built.

The new rolling stock looks like standard 30' AC&F equipment...all or nearly all of which was built for western roads.

I do not see an eastern bias at all. I don't really see any regional bias...but certainly a trend towards standard designs in general. Perhaps the it can be said that the On30 mainline stuff does target eastern roads...but I suspect that the size of the equipment has as much to do with it as anything else.

EDIT: I'm sure that many modelers would disagree with me on this...especially Robert...but I find it refreshing that B-man doesn't offer any On30 D&RGW stuff. 1940s-present ngs may be what initially infects people with ng fever, but there is so much more that predated that! (such as 99% of the railroads and equipment!) I've found MMI's offerings to leave a lot to be desired because they are so incredibly focused on the twin Rio Grandes of the post-depression era...what is wrong with actually offering the C-18 in any of the other roads which owned them??? Surely there is more market for a F&CC or D&RG 2-8-0 than for the 50th different version of the modern 318??? Thank you B-man for giving us variety.

Michael