A small layout

I will keep this post updated as I go. I usually model in N scale and have been running these HOn30 chassis on a N scale layout. I decided to build a small proper HOn30 layout. It is only 13.5" x 24" and is based on a plan in the Oct 1979 MR. I have built this same layout twice in On30 so you could say it is a favorite of mine. You can see some of the On30 versions here:

http://www.carendt.us/scrapbook/page37a/index.html

This is a overall shot of the drawn plan.

And here is the basic shapes in place.

Soon as copper PC ties arrived from Fast Tracks I started laying code 55 rails.

The tightest curves are 3" radius and the grade is about 4.5%. The Porter will turn this sharp, but will need a longer drawbar to it's tender. The Porter doesn't have compensation in it's chassis so I will run the Plymouths only on this layout.

Here is a quick video of the 7 ton Plymouth giving the layout a spin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4uEzh8sqcc

Since I want to keep things looking "Eastern" I guess it will be a coal hauler with a truck dump and bin at the top and a very small processing plant at the bottom.

The rockwork has started on the left side of the layout.

Another Plymouth

Well I'm on a roll now with these small chassis so it's on to another Plymouth, this time a 7 ton DL model. I used drawings from the Sept/Oct 2006 NG&SLG, but instead of a -2 model (low cab) I modeled a taller cab that hides the motor.

The chassis has double worm reduction with a total ratio of 210:1.

Again using Nigel Lawton's 10x12mm coreless motor.

This is round one of etching the body.

Basically it was a test etch to check the fit, but I got lucky and everything worked out so I kept going with adding details.

Still more to add... This locomotive is only 1-5/8" long!

Porter is done

Finished up the paint and Neolube.

Lightly weathered with dirt colors and good old powdered graphite.

In the end I do wish I had added compensation to the rear driver, but feel with the siderods it would be out of my skill set. Maybe next time? I am happy with the see-thru frame and the fact it has many details that a Bachmann On30 porter doesn't.

Almost time for paint.

Still a few small details to add, but here we are.

Up and running

Gave the porter it's first taste of electricity tonight. No pick-ups yet so I wired up the tender. Here is a quick video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo8Eyp4RbcE

Not as quiet as I thought it would be, but still an improvement.

And a few shots showing where I'm at, everything mock-up for the photos.

You can see the gap between the tank and cab, just like the prototype.

The rear end looks like a Volkswagen with the hood (trunk) popped. This is the only problem area, hopefully the tender, crew, and other clutter with help hide it.

Rubberband man get down.

After receiving another bag of goodies from Nigel Lawton I set off to try and quiet down the spur gear drive that was used on the Plymouth chassis. On the Porter I will try this rubber band set up.

The reduction from the motor to the lay shaft is 8.5:1, that coupled to the 14:1 of the worms gives a grand total ratio of about 119:1. The small and large V-groove pulleys were bought from Nigel and the center compound pulley was turned on a lathe as one piece.

The motor is a 10x12mm, 12 volt coreless also from Nigel.

Can't wait to see it run!

Porter tender

The tender is finished.

As said before this is built on a Kato N gauge truck with axle point 4 wheel pick-ups to be later connected to the locomotive. It is filled with small tungsten cubes for weight.

On to the Porter

I had a Grandt Line On30 8 ton porter way back before Bachmann knew what On30 was. That locomotive is long gone, but I did still have the instructions and they include scale drawings and many details. I used those Grandt line drawings to start planning my HOn30 version.

The plans were scaled to HO and then imported into AutoCAD where I basically traced over them to create artwork for etching. This was the first test etch I came up with.







The drivers are 7mm and from a N scale Atlas/Micro Ace 2-6-0. 2 of the drivers needed to be bored out to 1.5mm while the other 2 drivers were bored to 2mm for bushings. The insulator bushing were then lathed down to a 2mm od.

Here are more porter parts.








And now with the cab sides soldered together.




This is where things sit right now.

This is a pretty small locomotive at about 2" long and 1" wide. The finished locomotive will have a "tender" that is slightly smaller than a stock porter item. It will have parts from a Kato truck that will let it have 4 wheel axle point frictionless electrical pick-ups.

More later...

Proving it will work.

I started out by finding a chassis for the Plymouth that would run nice and slow, I found inspiration here:

http://www.nigellawton009.com/MPD18.html

But I wanted more than a 46:1 gear ratio. So I set off etching parts for my own chassis and ordering gears and motors from Nigel. To reduce the ratio even more I found these small gears inside a Radio Shack "ZipZap" mini RC car steering linkage:

Here they are adapted to the chassis:

And a quick video of it running:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LDjoc6wmdM

Now the gear ratio is 84:1. With the proof of slow running ability I can now start on my 8 ton porter. This chassis above will get put under a resin copy of the Minitrains Plymouth.

There has to be a start...

After modeling mainly in N scale and playing around with Z and On30 I figured why not try HOn30. I had worked in HOn30 before, but it has been many years. I want to eventually build a mini layout with a clay or gravel pit using a steam shovel to load V-tip cars. Once I figured out a good running chassis for the AHM minitrains Plymouth, I then continued with what I really wanted, a 8 ton saddle tank porter.

Here is will document these adventures as time permits.