Is 3'6" Narrow Gauge?

alister Apr 23, 2006

  1. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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  2. Triplex

    Triplex TrainBoard Member

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    I think 3'6" qualifies as narrow gauge... though in many areas where it's used, it is the standard.

    What scale is that model? The only scale/gauge combination I know of that produces 3'6" gauge is S on HO track.
     
  3. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yes. It is narrow gauge.

    Am also only familiar with seeing a little bit of Sn42. Have heard there is On42 out there somewhere. What is your scale?

    :D

    Boxcab E50
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 25, 2006
  4. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    The scale is 1/120 but running on 9mm N scale track. It sorta works out to be TTn3.5 I think. In NZ its called NZ120 scale and there are no ready to run locomotives or rollingstock, you have to make them from kits or scratchbuild them.
    This one is a DC class kit from Etchcetera. The mechanism is either a Lifelike SD7/9 or an Atlas SD7/9 mechanism.
    I'm waiting on decals to be made so I can finish it.

    These loco's roam the length and breadth of the country and are made originally by EMD (G12 export model out of Canada I think).

    cheers

    Alister
     
  5. Triplex

    Triplex TrainBoard Member

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    TTn3.5? Wow! I wouldn't have thought of that, since TT is basically extinct here.
     
  6. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Here's some more info:

    http://www.automationz.co.nz/nz120/nz120.html

    This is becoming a little more popular downunder. To model NZ Railways you either have to do it in Sn3.5 gauge or NZ120 to get the correct narrow gauge feel.
     
  7. Conrailrad

    Conrailrad TrainBoard Member

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    Anything narrower than 4 ft 8.5 inches is narrow guage in my book!!

    Nice work on the "TT" engine.
     
  8. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Definitely a unique scale to model. Must be a challenge getting some parts? Mostly scratch built items?

    :D

    Boxcab E50
     
  9. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    They are mainly made from available kits. Usuallly pewter or brass.
    There's a small variety being made with some more being added from time to time whether it be a locomotive or wagon (car).
    The brass kits are a flat pack of etched brass that you have to fold and solder together.
    The pewter ones you can either solder them or epoxy it.
    Anything else has to be scratchbuilt. I'm finding it quite fun. only got into it this year with NZ120. :)
     
  10. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Narrow gauges can be quite appealing. :thumbs_up: I've found myself following them more and more. Even so far as dabbling a little in HOn30, On30. Have fun!!!

    :D

    Boxcab E50
     
  11. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Here's another narrow gauge from Kiwiland :)

    It's a DX Class Diesel Electric Loco (GE U26C Export model).
    Still awaiting decals and I need to repaint the fuel tank!
     

    Attached Files:

  12. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    You're a busy fellow!

    :D

    Boxcab E50
     
  13. alister

    alister TrainBoard Member

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    Not really , I just prepared those earlier :)
    I have one more to finish - a Da class, it's been sitting in primer for a bit.
    I need to get some more paint to finish it off, a nice combination of signal red and SP Scarlet Red and a white roof!

    Once thats done that's all my narrow gauge projects done.
     
  14. pjb

    pjb E-Mail Bounces

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    Railroad Gauges and Colonial Gauge

    This gauge (a/k/a 'Colonial)was most widely known
    for its use on the last operating big time narrow gauge
    carrier north of the Rio Grande on our continent.
    To whit, the Newfoundland railway's fascinating
    operations out of Corner Brook, that also had the last
    bigtime wheel changeout facility. Passenger cars were
    all N.G. as the ferries from Sydney only carried freight
    cars. Too damn bad we lost that operation. I believe
    the N.G. EMDs were sold to Brazil when it closed.

    In any event, the GAUGE SAGE has a worthwhile
    site containing more information than most people
    would ever hope to garner on where and when
    the various rail gauges were employed in the
    world.
    < http://www.paravoz.com/spravka/gauges.-en.php >


    On the other matter TT, which was invented by Joyce
    in the U.S. is not quite dead here. Outside of canal
    and other engineering diorama modellers there is
    an active and vociferous bunch of model railroaders
    at YAHOO groups devoted to "TT Scale", and many
    more , principally in Europe, modelling in the scale.
    TILLIG, that is best known probably for producing
    the best mass produced model track,( used in the
    U.S. by most 'HOn2' types), supports 'TT' with
    a vast arrray of locos, rolling stock, and all forms
    of rail. Most U.S. 'TT' DE models adapt there chassis
    and so forth.
    Good-Luck, PJB
     
  15. pjb

    pjb E-Mail Bounces

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    Railroad Gauges and Colonial Gauge

    This gauge (a/k/a 'Colonial)was most widely known
    for its use on the last operating big time narrow gauge
    carrier north of the Rio Grande on our continent.
    To whit, the Newfoundland railway's fascinating
    operations out of Corner Brook, that also had the last
    bigtime wheel changeout facility. Passenger cars were
    all N.G. as the ferries from Sydney only carried freight
    cars. Too damn bad we lost that operation. I believe
    the N.G. EMDs were sold to Brazil when it closed.

    In any event, the GAUGE SAGE has a worthwhile
    site containing more information than most people
    would ever hope to garner on where and when
    the various rail gauges were employed in the
    world.
    <http://www.paravoz.com/spravka/gau... there chassis and so forth. Good-Luck, PJB
     
  16. Greg Elems

    Greg Elems Staff Member

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    Alister,
    Neat modeling there. How about some more pictures, even though you are waiting for decals. The nice thing about 3'6" gauge is HO works for S and S works for O like your TTn3.5 with N scale track. A spread out track plan could be built to accomodate HO, Sn3.5 and On30. A simple matter of changing buildings for the change of scale. :D

    Cheers,
    Greg
     
  17. GS4

    GS4 TrainBoard Member

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    [​IMG] Hi Alister! Yes, 3' 6" is narrowgauge. Here where I live in South Africa, it is the standard gauge of the railway system. pjb refers to it as the "Colonial" gauge. It is also widely known as the "Cape" gauge, as the Cape Province (now known as Western Province) was one of the earliest places to use the gauge. The orginal gauge was the standard 4' 8 1/2", but when the railway reached the formidable barrier of the Hottentot's Holland Mountains at the town of Worcester, it was deemed to expensive to try and build a standard gauge pass through the mountains.So it was decided to use a narrower gauge.It was even suggested by certain parties to use 2' 0" gauge.Fortunately more sober minds decided to use 3' 6" gauge, which resulted in the wider standard gauge being converted to the narrower gauge.But despite this Gauge handicap we had some big and powerful Steam engines.EG. the 25 class 4-8-4 Condenser engine had an engine weight of 120 tons + tender weight of 113 tons, the GMAM Garrett engine 191 tons, the GL Garrett engine 211 tons and the GO Garrett engine 172 tons, and the Mallet class MH engine 128 tons. I trust this bit of South African Railway history is of interest to you guys. If you want to know more about it,let me know and I will do my best to answer your questions.That's it for now. I'm out of here.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. Mark 4 Design

    Mark 4 Design TrainBoard Member

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    Simon,

    We have 2 of your class 25s and a GMAM in Auckland.

    I have had the pleasure of photographing 19Ds, 15CAs, 15Es, 15Fs, 24s and 25s in action during the 80s. Double-headed 25s on freight trains between Kimberly and De Aar were quite a sight.
     
  19. wagr38

    wagr38 New Member

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    If ever there was a story of how not to determine your country's 'standard' gauge, treat individual areas as colonies for a few years and let them decide for themselves - this is what happened in Australia !

    One state went for 5'2", two for 4'8", and three went for 3'6".
    In Western Australia, our chief engineer of the time had recently arrived from New Zealand where, as you've seen from previous posts in this thread, they'd settled on 3'6" so that's what we got.

    The railway was owned and operated by the Western Australian Government for around 100 years or so, however due to various policies relating to interdepartmental responsibilities, and the sheer size of the network vs the volume of traffic, the freight side of the operation was sold off to Genesee and Wyoming, who now operate over a substantial area of the entire Australian rail network, which includes South Australia and the Northern Territory.

    The W.A. branch of the Australian Model Railway Association (AMRA) have a SIG of W.A.-centric railway modellers whose chosen scale is Sn3.5. This evolved out of having to scratch-build everything in the 70's using predominantly British OO model chassis.
    In fact the majority of long-standing members of AMRA(WA) joined to specifically model the W.A. scene. one or two of these guys love the scene so much they make a range of kits which are available at near cost, just to help others get into W.A. modelling.

    Here's a few links:

    Andy May's Railway page

    The Western Australian Railfan Site (has Tripod pop-ups)

    Yahoo! Groups : warail

    Webshots - Images of Western Australian Railway Photos (just a few of my photos of the railway museum's open day)

    Marbelup Valley Railway - Home Page (one of the best examples of a W.A. steam-era layout)

    Hope you find the links interesting !

    Cheers,

    Steve
     
  20. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Steve-

    Welcome to TrainBoard! :thumbs_up:

    :D

    Boxcab E50
     

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