On30 Layout Design

Hi everyone,

Can anyone provide some basic On30 layout planning information such as minimum radius, recommended radius, typical car length, etc. A website or other basic source would really be nice. I am starting to think about building a small On30 layout and any help will be appreciated.

 

Don,I would reccomend at least an 18" radius (though you can go smaller if your running the little B-mann 0-4/0-4-2 Porters).

Freightcar lengths vary but the B-mann are around 26' and coaches are 35'.Thats 6 1/2" and 8 3/4" respectively.

Some of the aftermarket cars are abit shorter ,though the Sandy River &Rangley Lakes (2' gauge) cars are longer.

Though you can use regular HO track I highly reccomend PECO's 0n30 track though if your building it high enough that the track can not easily been seen I would use the HO track (cheaper and redily available)

 

Catt,

Thanks. I appreciate your help. Do you have any other thoughts about building an On30 (or On2.5 if you are Model Railroader Magazine) layout?

 

The following are Yahoo public groups with large numbers of members devoted to On30 modelling: : "On30conspiracy" , and "Bachmann On30 trains".
Yahoo is free , but their are two private groups that you have to apply for membership , dealing with the modular On30 area. These are "On30modules" and "OCMODS".
There are also two foot gauge and other narrow gauge groups which are prototype oriented , and deal with modelling as an any scale activity.

The "small layout design" group , arguably the best such site on the web , is not scale or gauge specific . However, in their links and messages deal with industrial and mainline narrow gauge modelling of all kinds , everywhere .
Good-Luck, PJB

 

I keep hoping that Model Railroader will get the message and quit calling it 0n 2 1/2,but I have my doubts.

 

Catt, I don't thing Model Railroader will get the message anytime soon. They just like to use feet when designating narrow gauge scales. I do appreciate your help and ideas on possible new layouts.

PJB, I will look at some of these yahoo groups this weekend. If nothing else, it will be interesting.

 

Don,I highly reccomend the 0n30 Conspiracy.There's a ton of info there and these guys are very helpful.

Not to mention some of the baddest modeling you'll ever get to see.