On30 ET&WNC R.R.

[svedblen]

Nice! And you even have a painted locomotive. which not all of has have 

[Chris333]

Saw Micromark is having a 44% off sale, including On30.

[OldEastRR]

huh? Last time I heard you had to tear down part of the Seaboard N layout because you didn't have room. Now you have space for a large O scale layout? Did I miss your moving to much larger quarters?

[davefoxx]

I never wrote that I tore down the expansion of the Seaboard Central, because I didn't have room.  Obviously, I had room; it was built.  I tore it down, because it was a space-eating island-style N scale layout.  For the space it took up, it could be so much more, i.e., a much more efficient shelf layout.

And, as has been discussed in that thread, I'm undecided on what will happen to the HCD version of the Seaboard Central.  The room I have could easily fit two shelf-style layouts, one for the Seaboard, one for the ET&WNC.  That's where this is possibly headed.  Oh, and I'm not building a large O scale layout, probably 10' x 12' at the biggest.

DFF

[k27463]

Dave,

Good to see another On30 layout 

If it matters, I think (I don't have a 4-6-0, but I've seen them) that the 4-6-0 will likely require more clearance on curves than anything else On30 -- if you build your curve clearances to fit that you should  be able to run about anything.  If the tender footboards clear on straights you should be good for anything Bachmann makes (i.e. the outside frame 2-8-0s that ET&WNC never had).

It's really a nice scale to work in and the Micro Engineering track is fantastic.  Please let me know when you figure out what you're doing with your turnout control though; I was planning on Caboose ground throws, but looking at the throwbar I'm not sure if it'd actually fit.

[Dave V]

Dave,

I'm excited for you!  Starting out in a new scale, a new era, a new prototype, or a combination of those is a fantastic way to reinvigorate your love of hobby.  The narrow gauge bug bites hard, and while I was finally able to keep that bug outside the basement (and in the garden!) I would be lying if I said On30 hasn't been tugging at my sleeve from time to time.  Were I to do narrow gauge in my basement it'd likely be HOn3 because Blackstone makes my beloved D&RGW/RGS narrow gauge prototypes in that scale, but you've really lucked out in that Bachmann based most of their On30 (and G scale Big Hauler) line on the Tweetsie.

I'll be watching your progress with keen interest.  But I will have to be careful, as my immunity is already suppressed when it comes to narrow gauge!

I'll second the opinion on the ME track.  I think the Peco ties are a little too "stubby" (i.e., one of the charming features of North American narrow gauge track is how long the ties look relative to the gauge).  However, Peco switches have the internal springs that make them easy to use.  Good luck!

[davefoxx]

Dave,

Good to see another On30 layout 

If it matters, I think (I don't have a 4-6-0, but I've seen them) that the 4-6-0 will likely require more clearance on curves than anything else On30 -- if you build your curve clearances to fit that you should  be able to run about anything.  If the tender footboards clear on straights you should be good for anything Bachmann makes (i.e. the outside frame 2-8-0s that ET&WNC never had).

It's really a nice scale to work in and the Micro Engineering track is fantastic.  Please let me know when you figure out what you're doing with your turnout control though; I was planning on Caboose ground throws, but looking at the throwbar I'm not sure if it'd actually fit.

Thanks for posting.  I don't know what I'm going to do with turnout controls yet.  I have to admit that I am intrigued by handlaying track in O scale, but I bought a pack of ME flextrack, and it's really good-looking stuff.  If I go with flex, I might as well consider ME turnouts.  But, since I don't have an ME turnout in hand, I can't experiment yet.  I may order one or two to help me decide.  I have three unemployed Hex Frog Juicers, since I dismantled a portion of my N scale layout, so I'll definitely use those.  That also means I may be able to try to build something a little more prototypical than slide switches or Caboose Industries' ground throws.  We'll see.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Dave,

I'm excited for you!  Starting out in a new scale, a new era, a new prototype, or a combination of those is a fantastic way to reinvigorate your love of hobby.  The narrow gauge bug bites hard, and while I was finally able to keep that bug outside the basement (and in the garden!) I would be lying if I said On30 hasn't been tugging at my sleeve from time to time.  Were I to do narrow gauge in my basement it'd likely be HOn3 because Blackstone makes my beloved D&RGW/RGS narrow gauge prototypes in that scale, but you've really lucked out in that Bachmann based most of their On30 (and G scale Big Hauler) line on the Tweetsie.

I'll be watching your progress with keen interest.  But I will have to be careful, as my immunity is already suppressed when it comes to narrow gauge!

I'll second the opinion on the ME track.  I think the Peco ties are a little too "stubby" (i.e., one of the charming features of North American narrow gauge track is how long the ties look relative to the gauge).  However, Peco switches have the internal springs that make them easy to use.  Good luck!

Thanks, Dave!  The clean slate is a wonderful thing.  But, one lesson that I have learned is that I will not dump my N scale Seaboard System equipment and rolling stock.  Back in the 1990s, I kept wavering between HO (RF&P/ACL/SCL/SBD) and G (ET&WNC), which kept me from building anything.  Not this time.  I know that there's times when I want to be highballing on a Class 1 1980s era layout, i.e., Seaboard System.  At other times, I want to be deep in the Appalachians on a narrow gauge line. 

Like you, I think that two separate roads in two separate scales is the way to go to keep this hobby exciting.  In my case, On30 is a gift from Bachmann for the ET&WNC.  It appears that I will have to kitbash or scratchbuild the rolling stock, though, if I want to be prototypical.  But, it's O scale!  After working in N scale for so long, working with my hands and superdetailing kitbashed or scratchbuilt cars will be enjoyable.  It's not like I'll need a fleet of hundreds of cars.  Two ten wheelers and a handful of passenger and freight cars will do fine.

If Bachmann (or any other manufacturer) had offered ET&WNC stuff in HOn3, I would have happily gone in that direction.  So, I think your choice to go HOn3 if you were to build an indoor narrow gauge layout would be the way to go, since nice quality equipment for your road is offered in that scale.

Thanks!
DFF

[mcjaco]

Very nice Dave.  I've been floundering in my desire to jump to On30 and model a Hawaiian plantation RR, and all of my N scale stuff for Modutrak.

I love N scale, but my kids just can't "handle" it yet.  At least not my stuff.  They love trains so, I keep thinking On30 would be a nice compromise with the ability to do tight radius turns, with my available space, and the boys being able to enjoy them too. 

[Chris333]

Dave. Another way to find stuff cheap since you'd have to paint anyways. Is to look for Christmas sets or things like the Dale Earnhart trainsets. Most everything comes apart with screws and snaps so you can soak #3 off the side 

[davefoxx]

This should make @Dave Vollmer very happy.  This evening, by happenstance, I discovered that Trainworld had an On30 ET&WNC 4-6-0 on sale for $119.95.  Now, that's not a bad price for any Bachmann On30 ten-wheeler, but this one includes DCC and sound!  This is No. 12 painted in the WWII-era black scheme.



I already have No. 14 in the green scheme.  I would have preferred a matching green No. 12, but that's okay.  It's plausible to run both schemes together if it's very early in the war.  I'm sure that they didn't all get painted black at once.

Oh, and since I now own two On30 locomotives, I need some rolling stock.  Surprisingly, there's not a lot out there that's useful for the ET&WNC.  But, I found Bachmann On30 painted but unlettered passenger cars from Micro-Mark at the crazy price of $24.95 each.  So, I bought three cars tonight, too.  While these cars aren't based on the ET&WNC, there are laser-cut wood kits available that use these Bachmann cars as cores to build close-to-scale ET&WNC passenger cars.  So, these cars will be useful, and, for now, they're reasonable stand-ins.



Just last night, I set up the HCD that was left over after I tore down the expansion to the Seaboard Central about one year ago and set up a loop of Kato HO Unitrack.  It just barely fits on the HCD, but this is temporary.  The eventual plan is for a shelf layout.  Whodathunk you could do a roundy-round of On30 on a HCD?!   



I actually enjoyed running No. 14 on this loop this afternoon, and I took the time to adjust some CVs to slow the chuff rate to approximately four chuffs per one driver rotation, slow the bell ring rate, and mess around with the whistle.  I am fortunate that Tweetsie No. 12 (former ET&WNC) still exists, and there's tons of video on YouTube of this, my favorite, locomotive.  I was able to use these videos to try to get the sounds as close as I could.  I have the bell almost perfect.  The whistle is close, but the pitch could stand to be raised one or two steps.  That, however, is not possible  It's acceptable to me, though.

Now, if I could just sell the Seaboard Central 2.0, I could raise some funds to start room construction.

DFF

[Dave V]

A door's probably pushing it but something about 42" wide (3.5 feet) would do nicely.  Assuming you're happy just to watch it chase its tail.

I know shamefully little about Tweetsie ops.

[davefoxx]

Yeah, this loop is temporary.  I just set it up to play with the locomotive and mess with CVs.  To give you an idea of the direction I'd like to go, here's a track plan that I posted in the first post of this thread.  I've also got some ideas to improve this plan:



DFF

[Dave V]

Yeah, this loop is temporary.  I just set it up to play with the locomotive and mess with CVs.  To give you an idea of the direction I'd like to go, here's a track plan that I posted in the first post of this thread.  I've also got some ideas to improve this plan:



DFF

Call me slow, but isn't this just a mirror of the San Juan Central without the flyover?  For a guy with so much imagination, Malcolm's creativity didn't really extend too deep into track plans.  Come to think of it, his Carbondale Central was a folded dogbone too...

[jpec]

It's like the trains were a moving piece of art in a larger piece of art. And yes, now that it's mentioned, he seemed to favor the folded dogbone. Set it and forget it with something different than the usual loop or oval weaving in and out of vignettes.

Jeff