San Miguel Central RR, On30 layout.

[graffen]

I have updated my track plan, from HOn3 to On30.
It sure eats up more real estate in On30 compared to HOn3...

[Dave V]

Aw sweet!

Honestly I’ve been tempted to do the same!

Can’t wait to see your build!

[davefoxx]

Nice!  Take a look at the work in O scale by Thunder Mesa Studio on YouTube.  He designs structures that appear normal, but are carefully compressed, so they don't look ridiculous.  That can save a ton of space in O scale.  I look forward to following along.

DFF

[Chris333]

You changing scales or just track planning? 

[p51]

I, too, am looking forward to seeing more!

He designs structures that appear normal, but are carefully compressed, so they don't look ridiculous.

Yeah, nothing to be looks sillier in narrow gauge than the structures that wouldn't even be considered big enough for an outhouse, but looking like a legit business.
That's something people have said about my own layout, a guy right before the pandemic who came by to look it over said he was surprised to see structures that appeared, "to look as if they could have actually been used by real people in the scale," and agreed that far too many NG layouts have structures that he described as, "so small that a figure inside couldn't extend his arms without touching both walls at the same time."

[Dave V]

I wonder what I could do in On30 in the same footprint as my current RGS...a 12 x 14 foot space.

[davefoxx]

I wonder what I could do in On30 in the same footprint as my current RGS...a 12 x 14 foot space.

Now that you lived with the HOn3 layout in that space for several years, are you able to cheat another foot or two into the main room?  That could really make a difference in what you could do with On30.

Out of curiosity, what motive power would you be running?  If I ever get around to building something for my ET&WNC ten-wheelers, I know they start to look really ridiculous under 22" radius curves (what I have on the mainline of my current HO layout), but the ET&WNC's 4-6-0s are rather large for narrow gauge.  On the Thunder Mesa Studio On30 layout, he's got a 15" radius curve, limiting him to the 4-4-0 as his largest power!  He admits if he were to do it again, he would build a broader curve than that.  For that matter, what has @p51 got as his minimum radius?   He's running On30 ET&WNC ten-wheelers.  Once you can establish your minimum radius, it's just a matter of pen to paper or dabbling with computer software.

What say you, Dr. V.?  Oh, and got AnyRail? 

DFF

[Dave V]

Now that you lived with the HOn3 layout in that space for several years, are you able to cheat another foot or two into the main room?  That could really make a difference in what you could do with On30.

Out of curiosity, what motive power would you be running?  If I ever get around to building something for my ET&WNC ten-wheelers, I know they start to look really ridiculous under 22" radius curves (what I have on the mainline of my current HO layout), but the ET&WNC's 4-6-0s are rather large for narrow gauge.  On the Thunder Mesa Studio On30 layout, he's got a 15" radius curve, limiting him to the 4-4-0 as his largest power!  He admits if he were to do it again, he would build a broader curve than that.  For that matter, what has @p51 got as his minimum radius?   He's running On30 ET&WNC ten-wheelers.  Once you can establish your minimum radius, it's just a matter of pen to paper or dabbling with computer software.

What say you, Dr. V.?  Oh, and got AnyRail? 

DFF

I'd prefer not to hijack the thread but I think the governing principle for any project I do in On30 would be the minimum radius required by the Bachmann outside-framed 2-8-0.

[p51]

For that matter, what has @p51 got as his minimum radius?   He's running On30 ET&WNC ten-wheelers. 

Mainline, somewhere between 22 and 24 inches. One spur has a curve just over 18 inches in the back 1/3, but locomotives don't venture there.
As I understand, Bachmann On30 ten-wheelers can get through curves at just over 18 inches, but I think they'd look darned silly while doing so.

[Dave V]

I've been trying to get to the bottom of why I have this urge to switch to On30. I think the answer is that for as much as I love modeling the RGS faithfully, I have a strong urge to freelance something that straddles the whimsical/plausible boundary.

I can do that in HOn3.

In fact, I kinda do. My growing collection of San Juan Central-inspired freelanced stuff is the manifestation of that urge to model "cute" narrow gauge whimsy. I can run whatever I want in 3-foot gauge on my layout without apology. The real limitation is that the scenery and structures are true to the RGS, while a San Juan Central fantasy layout would have much more dramatic scenery and much more interesting structures.

@graffen , I'd love to read more about what prompted your switch to On30 and about the layout design itself.

[davefoxx]

@graffen , I'd love to read more about what prompted your switch to On30 and about the layout design itself.

^ This.

DFF

[graffen]

I've been trying to get to the bottom of why I have this urge to switch to On30. I think the answer is that for as much as I love modeling the RGS faithfully, I have a strong urge to freelance something that straddles the whimsical/plausible boundary.

I can do that in HOn3.

In fact, I kinda do. My growing collection of San Juan Central-inspired freelanced stuff is the manifestation of that urge to model "cute" narrow gauge whimsy. I can run whatever I want in 3-foot gauge on my layout without apology. The real limitation is that the scenery and structures are true to the RGS, while a San Juan Central fantasy layout would have much more dramatic scenery and much more interesting structures.

@graffen , I'd love to read more about what prompted your switch to On30 and about the layout design itself.

Well, I'm not getting younger, so it's more manageable to build in O scale.
That, and the fact that a friend of mine dismantled his On30 layout and could sell me a lot of rolling stock.
That it's now more than three times as expensive to build in HOn3 (here in Sweden) had a role in my conversion as well...
I have just enough space to build a nice On30 layout, as I only had to increase the minimum radius by 2".
A bonus is that it won't need as many structures, but the ones I build will have much more detailing....

[graffen]

I do have A LOT of HOn3 to sell though....
And craftsman structures, both finished and kits.

[Erock482]

Anything of the Brass K-28/36/37 variety? I might be interested

[Dave V]

I'm always game for:

1) Blackstone D&RG 401
2) Blackstone Class 70 diamond stack

Those two engines can be painted/bashed into anything. 401 would become Silverton Northern 4 and the class 70 would be RGS 15 in my world.