Greetings folks, I've been a member here for some time but haven't posted much, so I thought I'd show off some of my Maine themed HOn30 models. All three are kits from Chivers Finelines and assemble easily. The flatcar has a laser-cut deck from Steven's Creek Models and Grandt Line trucks. The others have trucks from Chivers and all have Micro-Trains #1025 couplers mounted at a prototypical height, which is a little lower than standard N scale. I don't yet have any 'Maine appropriate' motive power yet but some is in the works. Regards, Cody
Here's a little diesel I use to pull around the above cars. It's a kitbased Jordan 15 ton Mack locomotive kit. The cab was lengthened to fit on a Kato four-wheel mechanism and it runs pretty good. It still needs a bit of detailing and weathering but it's pretty much done. It's been a good stand in until I get around to building a proper Maine style Forney. -Cody
Nice! I always enjoy seeing these little guys. Especially the little diesels people create, such as yours. That's why I wear out pages of Hayden & Frary C&DR articles. Several years ago, I tried to buy one from a well known HOn30 basher/seller, but he didn't respond to my emails, so I moved on. Boxcab E50
Thanks Boxcab I love these little diesels too, steamers and electrics as well. Here's another diesel, very similar to the first one. It was built from an Aru Models etched brass kit and powered with another Kato pocket mechanism. I think it'll get stripped and repainted one day because I'm not very happy with the colour I chose or the quality of the finish. -Cody
Ooooh. That looks really neat! Can you tell me about that manufacturer? I am not familair with the name Aru. Guess I've somehow missed them over the years. Boxcab E50
Oskar, that rolling stock looks brilliant and best wishes for continued success. Boxcab: The second issue of MR that I ever purchased was the Feb 1980 issue with a story on the Carrabasset & Dead River. I wore the printing off the cover reading it over and over (I still have it) and it's where I learned (as a 12 year old) that in model railroading, less can be so much more. If you like building kits and as I'm sure you are aware, there are several Japanese manufacturers making small brass HOn30 diesel kits. I thought I recognized the name "Aru." They make the brass railtruck kit I've mentioned in the past. http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=110445 Those look facinating but I studied soldering at the "Bigger the Blob, the Better the Job" school and am not up to that kind of challenge.
Thanks Tetsu, I've always been a fan of the C&DR, especially the Cundy's Harbor section, just a perfect little switching spot... Aru is a Japanese manufacturer that dose HO, HOn30 and On30. Their website is in Japanese but I've found clicking the blue links will usually show you something interesting: ARU MODEL (Unless you can read Japanese which will simplify navigation considerably!) I have two other Aru models, both Japanese prototypes which I dig up some photos of. Stay tuned! -Cody
Heh... Me too... Here's my other two Aru models, both are Japanese prototypes, the first ran on the Akou Railway and the second on the Narita Yumebokujo Railway. I don't really know anything about these lines, except I really like their railbusses! Both are powered with Kato pocket mechanisms, which have been a great thing for HOn30 modelers. I want to add handrails by the doors before they get painted but they're pretty much done. Regards, Cody
Those are cool! It's hard to ignore HOn30. I was just going through my list of bookmarks, accumulated over the years. Finding many are no longer good. Makes me worry about health of the scale? I also hear that Micro-Engineering has dropped their HOn30 track line? Boxcab E50
Bummer. I wonder what guys will use now, which approximates the tie lengths and spacings of M2F? Boxcab E50
My track is all handlaid with code 55 rail on HOn3 ties. Switches were made with a Fasttracks jig. Peco makes HOe/HOn30/OO9 track and switches and I've seen Kato Unitrack used to good effect. Just a little extra ballast and paint dose wonders. If I were to start over I'd probably just use Unitrack and bury it in dirt and weeds... -Cody
Hand laying for me is out due to health issues. I like Unitrack in N scale. So that adaptation has me curious. Do you know of any on-line photos showing how folks have fixed it up like you described? Boxcab E50
This Japanese modeler uses Unitrack: 鋼製é‹æå°è»Šã®å¢—å‚™-4: Mukashino News 梅雨晴れã®æ¦æ¨«é‡Žä¿å˜é‰„é“: Mukashino News I also really like his concept of running Japanese and Maine prototypes on the same layout, I think I'm going to do something similar in the future. Having spent a great deal of time scratchbuilding track I'm starting to feel it's less important that it be superdetailed as I'm usually looking at the engines and cars going by. As long as it blends with the landscape I can deal with ties being too small or rail too high... -Cody
Well, it is true here as well that although I try to view an entire scene, I end up tending to focusing upon the passing event instead. Boxcab E50
Maybe the best way to get people to study your meticulously detailed scratchbuilt trackwork is to not put any trains on it I actually really enjoy building track but find it takes allot of time. I really like watching what people are doing in Proto:87 and Proto:48, it's pretty amazing stuff. -Cody
My Japanese is pretty rough (you don't use it, you lose it) but then I make my wife do the translations. I have always thought that the Japanese prototypes could be "Americanized" pretty easily, though. I was looking at the Aru "modern" mini-diesels and this thought occured to me. What would a 1:1 industrial plant operator do to replace an old 2' gauge locomotive if there were no more American manufacturers? Using that premise, you could do an industrial/switching layout using modern small Japanese prototype locomotives.
