Micro-Train Nn3 & Hon3

[damrr]

 :(Not sure if this has been discussed before or not but here goes.
Micro-Trains has informed me that they have discontinued there Hon3 and Nn3 rolling stock which I asume also means that they are not going to produce it any longer?

[Chris333]

Would not surprise me. HOn3 didn't sell well and a lot of their Nn3 is very old Nelson Grey molds. I know the molds for the Nn3 gondola and flatcar have broken, like many years ago. All they have left is the Nn3 boxcar and caboose. The reefer and tankcar are Z scale items with Nn3 paint jobs.

Anything on trucks and couplers will go on because they are used for Z scale.

Anything narrow gauge would be limited with only a few prototypes and road names to choose from. Add that to it being N scale.

@Shipsure   might know an answer.

[Cajonpassfan]

I have a bunch of their cars, and I think most are quite good. Bought them hoping there would be a locomotive some day to make the Nn3 adventure feasible. Never happened; the lack of decent locomotives killed it for me. The available conversions on Marklin chassis are ridiculously expensive and mediocre at best, and not much else has materialized in any volume or somewhat attainable pricing. Too bad... just imagine what we could do with scenery in Nn3....
Otto K.

[wcfn100]

I have a bunch of their cars, and I think most are quite good. Bought them hoping there would be a locomotive some day to make the Nn3 adventure feasible. Never happened; the lack of decent locomotives killed it for me. The available conversions on Marklin chassis are ridiculously expensive and mediocre at best, and not much else has materialized in any volume or somewhat attainable pricing. Too bad... just imagine what we could do with scenery in Nn3....
Otto K.

Looking at it now, the big problem might have just been timing.  There was no way to produce a quality Nn3 locomotive without a coreless motor, but until recently that was a budget breaker.  The Lok14 K27 is as beautiful a locomotive as you'll find in any scale, but $800 can be a bit much to handle.

But there were always kitbash options.  My dad even went so far as hollowing out solid metal static models back in the 90's.  Even then, you needed a couple hundred dollar chassis to put it on (and have patience to find that chassis with black drivers not red).

I wouldn't be surprised to see a second wave of Nn3 at some point now that motor can be had at a fraction of what they could 10-20 years ago.  But it needs to be from a fresh source and new approach.


Jason

[Tom Todd]

MTL did sell an Nn3 loco about 15 - 20 years ago. It was a small Colorado narrow gauge.  As I remember it it was about $500.00.
Tom Todd

[Ed Kapuscinski]

MTL did sell an Nn3 loco about 15 - 20 years ago. It was a small Colorado narrow gauge.  As I remember it it was about $500.00.
Tom Todd

I think that might've been an OEMed Marklin engine.

[Cajonpassfan]

Yep.   
Otto

[narrowminded]

I have been working on an Nn3 chassis for the last several years now, instigated by my simple desire to have a narrow gauge battery style mining locomotive in N scale. That means not exceeding 6 scale feet in height (the bare chassis is now down to 4.6'). It will also show up in an N version.  The development has been a no pressure retirement effort with no original intent to make it a product, just satisfy my own whim.  As the development progressed the shop I was doing the work in took an interest in pursuing it as a product and it has morphed in that direction.  It still suffers from machine access for prototype development in a busy shop as well as my own low pressure retired guy attitude.   I'm doing it because I want to, not because I have to. 

That said, the basic performance issues have been resolved for a bit of time now and they are as excellent as anything I've seen regardless of scale and size.  I've  been playing with various packaging concepts for other applications where a small power truck is needed as well as all of the final details required for a standard, final, saleable product.  That is actually more time consuming than all of the technical development to this point.  The whole thing is made in USA (except coreless motors).  I'm pretty close, I think, but still finishing a never ending list of details required to really call it done.   Then there's rolling stock, scenery details, etc, etc. 

When it's time and before to release as a product I'll be wanting to show at least a few people here what I've got going for their reviews.  I've shown Randgust a few of the component parts, including gears and wheels in various sizes and gauges and, unless he was just being polite I think he liked them.  A lot.   And for developing future chassis parts I have decided to attempt a narrow gauge (Nn3) chassis for his Climax kit.  That has only been doable in N scale this far with a few failed attempts at making one in Nn3.  Is there a market?  Ready to run?   If I live that long we just may find out.

[JMaurer1]

I always wanted to have a Nn3 interchange with my N scale RR...either NCNG or SPng, but when Marklin discontinued the Z scale 4-6-0 that ended my dreams of SPng and there's not really anything that can easily be converted into NCNG. I do have some of the Nn3 cars that I plan on just having on an interchange track. I better think about buying some more soon...nevermind.

[160pennsy]

I always wanted to have a Nn3 interchange with my N scale RR...either NCNG or SPng, but when Marklin discontinued the Z scale 4-6-0 that ended my dreams of SPng and there's not really anything that can easily be converted into NCNG. I do have some of the Nn3 cars that I plan on just having on an interchange track. I better think about buying some more soon...nevermind.

Not that I'm trying to sway you in either direction, BUT.....The z scale German 2-6-0 can be used for Republic Locomotive Works kit GRP 160-3 Southern Pacific #8/#9 4-6-0 uses Marklin 8895 & 26129 + MT905 & MT961. . Those Marklin 8895 engines can be readily found on eBay every week. So for $89.95 + $79.98 + decals + couplers + shipping (= approx $200.00 +/-) and some elbow grease plus paint...you have a working Nn3 Southern Pacific steam engine.

https://www.republiclocomotiveworks.com/show_item.php?ID=187

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marklin-8895-Tank-locomotive-BR-74-701-German-Railways-for-track-Z-/282198726216?hash=item41b45ad648:g:8m0AAOSwc1FXaVry

[Cajonpassfan]

I don't know Paul, it's an awful lot of elbow grease, and it's still a mediocre outcome. Big flanges and lack of rod detail in N standard gauge are annoying; in Nn3 they kill it for me. YOMD..
Otto

[160pennsy]

"When it's time and before to release as a product I'll be wanting to show at least a few people here what I've got going for their reviews.  I've shown Randgust a few of the component parts, including gears and wheels in various sizes and gauges and, unless he was just being polite I think he liked them.  A lot.   And for developing future chassis parts I have decided to attempt a narrow gauge (Nn3) chassis for his Climax kit.  That has only been doable in N scale this far with a few failed attempts at making one in Nn3.  Is there a market?  Ready to run?   If I live that long we just may find out.

Sign me up for a review when your power chassis is ready as I'm currently building one of Showcase Miniatures Nn3 Class B Shay kits which is progressing nicely. Would love to have another Nn3 logging engine available like Randy's Climax kit remastered to work as a narrow gauge locomotive!

One of the big stumbling blocks for those narrow gauge enthusiasts that want to get involved with Nn3, is the availability of RTR Nn3 engines at a reasonable price point. I'm not sure what dollar range that works out to or what people are willing to pay BUT some modellers might be making the street price comparison against similar N scale steam engines (Bachmann, Model Power, Atlas, BLI, etc..) which end up selling for between $100 - $300. When they see eBay listings for the above Micro-Trains Nn3 engine & other RTR Nn3 steam engines running in the $500 - $900 range, then it's easy to see why Nn3 remains a niche market. Rolling stock, track & other accessories for Nn3 are all affordable but the sky high prices for the RTR engines are too steep for most. That's why the vendors of Nn3 engine kits (RLW, Showcase Miniatures, and others) cater to this niche market and offer the only cost effective solution !

[Blazeman]

Related aside: Friend who's worked in the hobby retail area told me he's had customers ask him for "HOn3 buildings." He takes them to the HO structure section of the store and they correct him that they don't want HO buildings, but they want HOn3 buildings. He attempts to explain they are one and the same but the customers won't agree.

He then asks them if they would then be seeking "HOn3 people." And they say they have interest in that item as well. He replies they haven't stocked any. Likewise, there is a positive response to buying "HOn3 vehicles" and he has to apologize to them that those are not in stock either.

In some cases, literally more money than brains.

Now back to the thread.