Odd HO Scale Question

Hi Y'all,

Sorry if this is a stupid question.

As you all know I am modeling a fictional railroad based on the Frisco absorbing the SA&AP around 1913. The SA&AP had a mish-mosh of locomotive equipment, that I'm trying to standardize to the Frisco. Some tenders I have seen that would work perfectly with the small 2-6-0's I'm going to build are HOn3. I know the car is HO, but the trucks are HOn3. Can you simply swap in HO scale tender trucks, or is there more to it than that? I've never tried to convert HOn3 to HO.

Thanks!

Manny

 

Hey Jim. Thanks. I don't mind kitbashing one bit. I just didn't want to pay a small fortune for a brass tender, just to see it not turn out because HO Scale trucks couldn't swing.

 

Funny you should say that. I snagged on old Kemtron Oil Bunker that goes to the Mantua tenders. Precision Scale no longer makes them, so I'm going to try and replicate it. It will be my first attempt at doing something like that in brass. I'm hopeful it will turn out okay. Since Frisco steam locomotive boilers are not tapered for the most part, outside of manufactured brass locomotives, rolling your own boiler is the only way to accurately get the shape.

 

Well, what I've learned is that you must have the correct tools in order to help you do the job. I'm looking at getting a NWSL Chopper and Bender. Brass is no different than any other media. It takes time to get acclimated to it and learn its characteristics. I like brass because it can be soldered. I have never had any success in working with plastic. No matter what I try, I never can get plastic smooth again. So you have these rough spots and they look horrible.

I'm not looking to replicate an entire brass locomotive, but if I can learn to do some work, it can increase the realism. I'm also looking at doing etched brass with the Micromark kit. I have read a great thread on it over at ModelRailroadForums.com. It will help tremendously!

 

I'm not so sure about this. I don't know much about narrow gauge but in my mind I think that the cars are going to a little narrower than the standard gauge cars. Maybe I'm wrong.......

Ethan

 

I'm not going to do cars. I just want some of the tenders. That's all. I will look into that fact with the tenders though. Thanks!

 

Well, what I meant was anything in general that moves down the track.

Ethan

 

Ethan is correct: Almost ALL narrow gauge engines/tenders are not as wide as standard gauge engines/tenders. The possible exceptions may be the D&RGW's K class engines, which were converted from standard gauge engines. Better view some scale drawings of your target tenders and do a bit of research before you lay out the bucks.

Andre

 

Thanks everyone. This is exactly why I asked this odd question. I don't want to spend big bucks buying brass tenders that will not work out correctly. Thanks. Based on what everyone is saying, I've dropped the idea and I can close this thread. Thanks to all who helped. I appreciate it.

 

This question created a good discussion and led me to search my books for drawings. Here are some "hard numbers" to illustrate the differences for rolling stock.

While drawings seldom show width dimensions, those that do generally give standard-gauge width around 10 feet (Loco 1, The Diesel published by Railroad Model Craftsman). Three-foot-gauge rolling stock was around 8 feet wide per Ferrell's Silver San Juan - The Rio Grande Southern and the Colorado Railroad Museum's Annual # 25 Rio Grande Narrow Gauge Varnish.

This 20% difference will be obvious in HO scale if a formerly narrow gauge tender is connected to a standard gauge locomotive. Hands can be used to demonstrate this 20% difference. Lay both hands on the table. Curl the thumb to hide it under the left hand to represent a narrow gauge 8-foot width. Leave the right hand flat on the table with the thumb visible to represent the wider standard gauge 10-foot width.

Did any 3-foot gauge lines interchange with the Frisco? Would there be any precedent for conversion of a 3-foot gauge tender (or locomotive) for such a connecting line?

George Nelson, aka WindsorSpring