On30 Layout Question

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B

Bama Red

New Member
I've been modeling on and off for ten years now (moved so often lately, I haven't modeled in a while), but now we're settled in for the long term and I'm starting back, but switching from HO to On30.

Dedicated On30 layout plans are few and far between (leastwise it seems that way to me), but lots of HO. So what multiplier do I need to use to scale up an HO plan to On30? I'll probably wind up with a shelf layout due to competing hobbies in the man cave.
 
This seems to be a fairly popular question.

The bulk of the modification is going to be directly related to the equipment you plan to run. Most production On30 products can handle 18" curves and most HO scale pre-planned layouts use 18" radius as their minimum, so that shouldn't be an issue. The problem comes in clearances for surrounding objects and distance between parallel tracks.

Two links that are at the top of my "Trains" bookmark collection are:

On30 equipment measurements
http://www.all-model-railroading.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=8806
This forum post includes many good measurements for popular production On30 equipment.

NMRA Clearances
http://www.nmra.org/standards/sandrp/s-7.html
This is the NMRA's list of clearances for all popular scales/gauges. On30 and HO standard are individually listed and you can compare numbers from there.

So really there is no 'multiplier' of sorts. It's more of a case-by-case adjustment to meet the needs of larger equipment. The other big thing is the buildings. HO is 1:87, O is 1:48, so basically your buildings will take roughly 8x the volume (depth, width, height) of the HO scale counter part. Though most narrow gauge modelers make smaller structures anyway, like small lumber mills, bunk houses, etc, that essentially fit into the space of what would go on an HO scale layout (big warehouses, passenger stations, etc).

I often tinker with layout designs for On30 and would love to build one someday. I can share the rest of my bookmarks with you if you'd like, but only by request as I don't want to seem too over zealous :eek: ;)
 
Zealous away. It would be a good resource for many of us.

I'm running only the shortest of equipment on my layout (scenery base stage), and I chose 11" minimum radii. It looks like I could have gone tighter, but the flex track didn't like bending that sharply.
 


I model both HO and On30 and still planning for that great On30 layout, so when I find a plan I like in HO that I'd consider doing in On30, I scale it up by 50%.

So, a 15' x 20' layout in HO I'd scale to 15' x 30' for example.
 
cct70 said:
I model both HO and On30 and still planning for that great On30 layout, so when I find a plan I like in HO that I'd consider doing in On30, I scale it up by 50%.

So, a 15' x 20' layout in HO I'd scale to 15' x 30' for example.
Click to expand...

22.5' x 30'? ;)

That's rather large to begin with. Not having more information I assume he's referring to things more like 4x8 layouts, or 10x10 room layouts. As a rule of thumb I wouldn't argue against 50% increase, but it's also not necessary. You just have to get creative, which is how the small narrow gauge companies operated anyway. Whatever they could slap together and move freight.
 
Guys, I'm planning (subject, as always, to revision) on a shelf layout to start off with. Max two feet deep and mebbe twelve feet long. It will be a layout for me to learn on and work out any kinks in my track-laying, clearance allowances, track radii, grades for my motive power and so forth. It will, in all likelihood, be a pre-WWII logging, mining, industrial or waterfront layout (small motive power, small cars, etc.). Or mebbe a combo of those depending on how I feel when I get up any given morning!:D

So......any hints, tips, links or opinions are more than welcome!
 
Well, 2x12 is a pretty good start. If you go with small enough equipment you could even have it turn around in that amount of space. I've seen websites for layouts that use 9" radius for On30 :eek:

In my mind narrow gauge was mostly used for getting around rough terrain, climbing steep grades, and following winding rivers. Certainly everyone does it their way, but that's a large part of what I use in my conceptual designs.
 
Bama Red said:
So what multiplier do I need to use to scale up an HO plan to On30?
Click to expand...

HO is called HO because it is essentially 'Half of O' O=7mm/ft HO=3.5mm/ft so as such, although the track work is the same dimensions as HO, simply double the parallel track centers (i.e. 2in apart to 4in apart).

That said, narrow gauge railways were typically built to serve a particular purpose for a short period of time, In the main they were built of a temporary nature and I feel give you far more artistic licence over the standard broad gauge particularly the ability to have the sharper than 'normal' curves which is prototypical for narrow gauge.

Just remember, if it looks right, then it is right!
 
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