Big Leap - Dabbling in On30

[VonRyan]

So On30 has intrigued me for awhile. I like the fact that the much larger scale allows for more of the finer details to be modeled. Well as of last night, I won a Facebook auction for one of the Bachmann Davenport 2-axle gas-mechanicals.
I figure this will be enough of a side interest from everything else that it'll keep me from wandering down more rabbit holes (like Japanese logging in HOn30).
The idea I'm kicking around is to model some sort of quarry/mining operation so I can shuttle some short open cars from a loader to some form of unloading point (perhaps a pier for loading barges). The plan is also to make both the loading and unloading operations functional for more ops potential.

I'll probably build it as a sort of modular layout in two or three sections.
For track I'm thinking of hand-laying since I have a metric ton of Rail Craft code 70 rail on hand, and I'm pretty sure that I have a bunch of O or S scale wood ties somewhere. Turnouts will probably just be rebuilt from some commercial ones. Maybe I'll try to hand-lay those too.

Anyhow, I'll probably begin compiling some inspiration photos and posting them here soon.
In the meantime, feel free to let your mind wander and submit here your thoughts on the matter.

[Philip H]

If I could find a gas mechanical at a price I was willing to pay i'd be right behind you - for sugarcane mind you.  I almost bought one years ago when Micromark was blowing them out but demurred.  Live and learn.

How well will the code 70 and the flanges get along?

[VonRyan]

If I could find a gas mechanical at a price I was willing to pay i'd be right behind you - for sugarcane mind you.  I almost bought one years ago when Micromark was blowing them out but demurred.  Live and learn.

How well will the code 70 and the flanges get along?

I scored mine for $50, which is a little less than they seem to be going for on eBay these days.

No clue what the flanges are like, so hopefully they'll play nice with code 70.

[p51]

No clue what the flanges are like, so hopefully they'll play nice with code 70.

I wouldn't bet on that.
I bought a busted up 2-6-0 for the tender to turn that into a water car and when I was done, I noticed it bounded over my code 83 (ME) track's frogs on the turnouts. For code 70, I'd expect to have a bunch of issues with Bachmann wheel flanges...

[VonRyan]

"Track in a bag"

I inherited these from my late friend Tony, who was not only borderline obsessed with narrow gauge modeling, but was also a bit of a cheapskate.

The packages say S scale, but I think they'll do just fine for On30.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Dave V]

Another brother in the narrow gauge revolution!!!   

[VonRyan]

And so it begins, just as soon as I finish my tea.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[VonRyan]

Here we go. First ties are down and code 70 rail is staring to be spiked down. I'm starting with what will end up being a siding. It's slow going as I found that the heads of the Micro Engineering "Small Spikes" have rather large heads so I'm having to clip them down a bit. Nothing but the spikes are holding the rail onto the ties.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

The "benchwork" here is a secondhand former HO trolley module with a homasote top on it.

[VonRyan]

Here's as far as I got last night. Ten inches of track built so far.
I may re-lay some of the ties on the right to start a curve sooner.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Dave V]

So what's the vision here?  Industrial railroad?  Mining?

[VonRyan]

So what's the vision here?  Industrial railroad?  Mining?

Mining/quarrying is the vision. Casual ops is the plan.

The scheme is just to shuttle around some open cars from a loader down to a pier for unloading into a barge.

[davefoxx]

I don't know why, but there's something satisfying about running trains or even pushing a wheelset on track that you built yourself.

DFF

[VonRyan]

I don't know why, but there's something satisfying about running trains or even pushing a wheelset on track that you built yourself.

DFF

I know exactly what you mean. Building the track is a rather tedious process, but it's very satisfying to just sit there and push a truck back and forth over the completed section.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Here's what I did with a Bachmann Gas Mech.
Etched details from Backwoods miniatures out of the UK. (not sure if they are still available).
Fitted a Soundtrax decoder. Ran very nicely.
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[VonRyan]

Night two of my foray into the realm of tracklaying. Pulled up some of the ties I had put down yesterday in favor of laying new ones down to start the curve sooner. The HO turnout is just to get a sense of where an eventual handlaid one will go, and especially to help plan out this curve. The curve is spiked in place now, I just need to go back and put in the rest of the spikes in a few remaining ties on this new section.

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]
[ Guests cannot view attachments ]