Bloody On30 temptation, leave me alone!

[Dave V]

A few weeks ago I had a very vivid dream in which I built an On30 layout based on an Arizona copper mining operation (not unlike the United Verde & Pacific RR out of Jerome, AZ).

I'm very familiar with D. L. Meek's Thunder Mesa Mining Co. (http://thundermesa.studio/model-railroads/thunder-mesa-mining-co-model-railroad/).  He's a huge Disney fan and he's taken inspiration from the Big Thunder Mountain Railway ride among other things.  He's proudly doing a very artistic caricature somewhat like Malcolm Furlow but perhaps even more whimsical.  And while I realy enjoy seeing DL's work (and have learned a lot of neat scenery tricks from him), his layout isn't what I had in mind.

I've been struggling to find time to work on the RGS, so clearly this won't happen...but it's fun to dream.  Besides, working in On30 would require every inch of space I've allocated to the RGS and would have to supplant it entirely.

As a concept it would be a narrow gauge railroad running from a connection with the standard gauge SP or AT&SF somewhere in the Jerome to Sedona area (love that scenery!) that would primarily serve a major copper producer but also dabble in a little gold, silver, general merchandise, and passenger traffic.  It would be roughly 1915 or so...wooden truss rod cars yet knuckle couplers and electric headlights.  I'm not into the ultra-cutesy On30 stuff like the Porters or shorty cars.  Ideally I'd love to use one of those now out-of-production outside frame 2-8-0s (not unlike the engines on the Georgetown Loop Railroad) as the main freight power and maybe a 4-4-0 or 4-6-0 for passenger service.

I love this track plan and it would fit in my space...and it's exactly the sort of operation I have in mind:

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[Scottl]

Succumb... start in another scale

I like that layout a lot, especially the vertical aspects implied by the trestles. 

[Chris333]

LOL  ditch the trestle in front of the Borax bunker

[Dave V]

Arrrgh, get out of my head, On30!

Picture this:  Arizona Midland Railway, or AMRy.  I would ditch that trestle as Chris said.  I'm not sure at the bottom how that switchback to the borax (copper ore) transfer bins works within the other turnouts (or if it's a crossover, it kills the passing track), but I'd figure somethin' out.

Upper right would get a small depot to justify a passenger train or mixed.  I'd probably extend the mine into the backdrop because most of those Arizona copper mines were pretty big affairs.

A 2-8-0 for freight and one of the "modern" Bachmann 4-4-0s for the passenger train consisting of a Bachmann combine and coach.

Freight rolling stock would be the usual...  A  pair of boxcars, a pair of gondolas, a pair of flat cars, and several ore cars.  It'd be a toss-up between wood-sided side-dump car or steel-sided bottom-dump cars (or a mix of both...progress, ya know!).

I love this caboose.  Imagine the letterboard reading "ARIZONA MIDLAND RAILWAY."



Dammit, I'm thinking way too hard about this!   

Oh, and...

[Chris333]

Those modern 4-4-0's are U-G-L-Y, but they are also on sale at Trainworld for $59 bucks. 

[Scottl]

I was just about to mention the sale too.

On30 has a lot of attraction- good detail, availability, a good base for free-lancing, excellent operational characteristics, and it can be as simple (HO track, Bachmann) or elaborate as you want.

There is a new 0-6-0 coming as well.

[wcfn100]

Bachmann On30 has a lot of cracked plastic.   


Jason

[Dave V]

My wife isn't onboard with another scale change, LOL...unless I can sell every piece of HOn3 for exactly the cost I paid for it!

This was a fun thought exercise anyway...I have every intention of sticking with the Rio Grande Southern in HOn3.  But if one of you is looking for a fun narrow gauge concept, help yourself to this one!

Those modern 4-4-0's are U-G-L-Y, but they are also on sale at Trainworld for $59 bucks. 

There are indeed, ugly as fork.  The squat look screams narrow gauge though.

Bachmann On30 has a lot of cracked plastic.   

Jason

Hadn't heard that before, but thanks for the heads' up!  That does somewhat help keep the On30 virus in check.

[Scottl]

Gears on a few models (Heislers, Shays) have cracked.  Fixes have been around for a while.

[Chris333]

Climax not Heisler. I waited about 2-3years to geat gears for my climax and rail bus.

Mostly bevel gears that cracked.

[tom mann]

For sale:

[davefoxx]

Hmm, I could do something with the guts of this track plan for my On30 ET&WNC.

Thanks,
DFF

[Dave V]

For sale:

Tom, can I come live with you after my wife throws me out for changing scales again?  LOL.

Nah, I dug deep into my RGS books for a while and managed to fight off the bug, if only temporarily.

[davefoxx]

Nah, stay in HOn3.  If someone produced ET&WNC equipment and rolling stock in HOn3, I wouldn't even consider On30, partially because of the gauge problem (30" versus 36") and the size (1:48), but also because I suspect your HOn3 steam locomotives run like Swiss watches.

Here's hoping that procrastination will bring me HOn3 ET&WNC offerings before I get around to an On30 layout.

DFF

[Dave V]

Nah, stay in HOn3.  If someone produced ET&WNC equipment and rolling stock in HOn3, I wouldn't even consider On30, partially because of the gauge problem (30" versus 36") and the size (1:48), but also because I suspect your HOn3 steam locomotives run like Swiss watches.

Here's hoping that procrastination will bring me HOn3 ET&WNC offerings before I get around to an On30 layout.

DFF

I've spoken to the Blackstone reps at several shows including the National Narrow Gauge Convention last year in Denver regarding other projects and other prototypes.  It seems the EBT hoppers didn't do nearly as well as their D&RGW stuff so they're focusing on Rio Grande narrow gauge prototypes for the foreseeable future.

Given how much mileage Bachmann has gotten out of the Tweetsie tenwheeler I would think that a Blackstone ET&WNC 4-6-0 would make money but I'll be the first to admit to my own ignorance on how the model railroad market works.  I did recommend through their website they consider doing the D&RG/RGS C-16 2-8-0 and they seemed to agree that might be worth looking into.  The EBT had a very similar engine as did a few other roads that bought them second-hand from the D&RG after the C-19s and K-27s were delivered.

I have never in my life owned a locomotive that runs as well, looks as good, or sounds as amazing as my three Blackstone engines (RGS C-19s #40 & 41, and D&RGW K-27 #461).  They're so good I may never do anything with my brass RGS T-19 4-6-0 #25.  I can't say enough about what amazing machines they are: