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 On30 vs HOn3

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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Frogford Posted - 02/29/2012 : 5:43:22 PM
Managed to build a relatively small HOn3 layout in our home office (master bedroom) a few years back. At some point, On30 started looking very tempting, so decided to tear apart the (learning/ training) framework, and have replaced it with an L shaped 14' x 10' x 2' layout. The layout is modular, in that it can break apart into individual sections, and is supported by birch plywood cabinets. Started with some On30 ME code 70 track & turnouts, and a basic DCC system just to get the feel of the scale. Now I am looking at changing BACK to HOn3, where I can focus on my real pleasure - structures. Which by the way, are much more interesting than the current O gauge choices. I am also seeing a real estate limitation with On30 in this small space; This hobby is becoming a real sickness, but I love it !!
13   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
ELK RIVER RR Posted - 03/14/2012 : 08:37:23 AM
If we meaning the Ho Hon3/30 folks could only get some porters and critters and some good looking little people I would be vary happy. But it's still a great hobby.Tom
dougcoffey1950 Posted - 03/14/2012 : 07:35:02 AM
The good slow running was most important to me too. It was the reason I left HOn3 and moved to HO standard gauge and i am very happy with the change, I back dated from the 1940s to early 1900s and continue to run short trains with small steam. If I were 30 years younger I'd probably start over in Sn3 as that scale and gauge now has so much to offer and is still relatively small.
adrian_batey Posted - 03/13/2012 : 11:36:50 PM
Its interesting to see the comments about good running equipment being a big factor in the choice. Over the past 2 months i have found myself looking more towards this as well.
Unforunantly i model logging opps. Haven't had much luck with the re motoring of locos and things and its making me consider HO with smaller off the shelf items again.

I think the day we see logging style locos in Hon3 will see a lot more people heading that way. Just think what a Ready to run Hon3 porter at a reasonible price would do for us.

I will have to see how my Bachman 70 ton conversions go and run
BigLars Posted - 03/13/2012 : 11:05:07 PM
I have n, ho, hon3, on30, on3 and g scale trains. The only one to hold my interest is on30. As sully said you can be very creative and no real rivet counting to do. The now hon3 runs great as do the on30 engines.
Good luck.
Tom Sullivan Posted - 03/13/2012 : 9:57:54 PM
I've been in HO, On3, HO again and now On30. Each of them has their pluses and minuses.
To me, first and foremost.....the engines have to run smmmmooooothly or the whole effect is not right. When I was in HO the first time it was Hobbytown diesels.....they ran great.....pulled a ton and even sounded good before DCC and sound decoders. On3 was fantastic....every detail imaginable....Grandt Line parts....Fahlhaber motors....brass ran good with a little tweeking. Detail, Detail, Detail but also those "nitpickers"....little room for creativity beyond Colorado prototypes. Back to HO...now ATLAS and PROTO-2000 steam, stuff is really running great with great detail so you can build big layouts and buy lot's of stuff....life is good. I ended up in On30 after the Bachmann stuff comes out running great at great prices....O scale narrow gauge at HO scale prices....nice combination for me.
All this is good because I favor "smooth running" to be first and foremost.
I enjoy structure building but not enough to make that my number 1 priority. I view structures as only necessary to help put the track and trains into perspective. (I can also say with certainty that I am not that good of a structure builder...I build them fast and it shows)
So to the question at hand....I saw the new Blackstone C-16's running with sound at the Hickory convention....unbelieveable smooth running. That may pull some folks back to HOn3 because you can build a good representation of Colorado in a decent sized room. HO laser kits are suburb and a lot of variety.....Life is pretty good right now for us whether we model in O or HO.....go 3' gauge for authenticity or go 30" gauge for more creativity....
IMHO of course.....sully
milocomarty Posted - 03/13/2012 : 7:22:13 PM
Love it to design real estate that fits into narrow space and still looks good..doin this in 0n30
andykins Posted - 03/13/2012 : 6:02:32 PM
feel free to discount this. since its not quite the same scale.

a while back i did OO9 (british hon30) and it was fun, i was already modelling in the scale, so going to narrow gauge made sence. however apart from 2 ready to run locos, that ran REALLY well, other items didnt. was a bit of a faff and everything was expensive (single v tipper wagons where around £5 each, in 0-16.5, its about the same)
however, you can indeed fit more into any given space. but even at 21, i struggle to see N scale couplers and tiny tiny details.
with on30 you can see stuff better, there is more that can be brought r-t-r and quite a good a price. runs well. ok the buildings take up alot of space. but ive managed to model the back end of a small town with a railroad on 6foot by 1 foot :)
leikec Posted - 03/13/2012 : 5:42:24 PM
I would be VERY tempted if a company like Blackstone starting producing non-Colorado prototype rolling stock and locos in HOn3.

It is a struggle in On30--I like the size of the rolling stock, but it is hard to squeeze buildings onto my small layout.

I also would be tempted by 1880's-1910 era standard gauge, especially in a larger scale (S scale would be perfect!). The SMR O scale stuff is very nice, but most of the equipment offered is too early an era for my taste.

Jeff C
dougcoffey1950 Posted - 02/29/2012 : 9:00:50 PM
Don't rule out early HO stsndard gauge. I was in HOn3 for a few years and made the switch to std. gauge for heavier locos and rolling stock. Those 1880-1920 era branch lines had all the flavor of narrow gauge.
(I always refer to On30 as On2Big....way too much real estate required IMHO for structures and trees)
George D Posted - 02/29/2012 : 7:39:28 PM
Jim, the nice thing about this sickness is that you can pick your symptoms.

I've been awfully tempted by On30, but have too much invested in HO and too many unbuilt HO kits to seriously consider the change. Our club is planning a HOn3 interchange and when the design is final, I'm going to do the track work, which means I'll probably have to get something to test the track with.

I think a very significant consideration is what Bruce said, On30 takes up a lot more space than HOn3

George
adrian_batey Posted - 02/29/2012 : 6:17:17 PM
Ive changed scales a number of times over the past years.
I started out in N scale about 5 years ago. Built a number of bar mills kits and others in n scale. FOund i really enjoyed the kit building but wanted more from it.

I ventured into On30 when someone from my old club had a shay running on a section of the HO layout (club still hasnt got an on30 layout as far as i know). I build a few rolling stock kits and detailed some locos did some bashing and things. Really enjoyed it.

Then i wanted to build more structures. I have only built one O scale structure and thats Stoney Creeks blacksmith shop. A lot of time and effort but worth it. I figured i would have to spend a lifetime building O scale structures at the speed i build to even fill a shelf layout. And i also wasn't to kee on the price of the O scale kits.

Then i built a Ho structure, Bar mills Pinkhams. It made me remember what i enjoyed in the hobby. Building kits. So now i have Hon3. Plenty of HO kits around and i still get the narrow gause charm :-)

Only draw back is there isnt any equipment i like in ready to run.

I guess the question is what do you enjoy the most in the hobby?
Schoolmaster Posted - 02/29/2012 : 6:13:09 PM
And a lot more variety too. I would probably have gone for HOn30 if Bachmann had made the same equipment (and I have a huge amount of N scale track)
Dutchman Posted - 02/29/2012 : 6:08:54 PM
One thing for sure, Jim. You can pack more of everything, including structures, in that space modeling in HOn3/30.

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