On30 MODELER

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On30 MODELER

WHAT IS On30 MODEL RAILROADING?

O SCALE MODELS ARE BUILT TO 1/4 INCH SCALE, 1/4" = 1 FOOT. On30 MODELS ARE O SCALE MODELS BUILT TO OPERATE ON NARROW GAUGE TRACK THAT IS ROUGHLY 30 INCHES BETWEEN THE RAILS. THIS PROCESS IS SIMPLIFIED AS STANDARD HO SCALE TRACK AND MECHANISMS CAN BE USED TO "KITBASH" On30 LOCOMOTIVES AND ROLLING STOCK. SHOWN BELOW ARE THREE LOCOMOTIVES WHICH ALL BEGAN LIFE IN HO SCALE.

WHAT'S NEW, MORE On30 MODELS ON PAGE FOUR

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GNOMY TRAM KITBASH INTO A STEAM DUMMY

JUST OFF THE BENCH. A "BASH A GNOMY STREET CAR" INTO A TRAM ENGINE. SIMPLY, I REMOVED THE CAB, HEADLIGHT, AND STACK FROM A BACHMANN 0n30 PORTER. DISASSEMBLED THE GNOMY TRAM, CUT AWAY THE INTERIOR BODY SO THAT THE TRAM BODY WILL FIT THE PORTER. A NEW LONGER STACK, RAISE THE TOP OF THE STEAM DOME TO PLACE THE POP VALVE AND WHISTLE ON THE ROOF.

ATHEARN CONVERSION

THIS IS THE ONE THAT STARTED IT ALL. BACK IN 1981 I READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT USING HO CHASSIS AND 1/4" SCALE BODIES TO CREATE WHAT WAS THEN CALLED On2-1/2 SHOWN RIGHT, IS MY FIRST On30 CREATION, A FREELANCED INDUSTRIAL DIESEL. IT WAS CREATED FROM AN HO ATHEARN HUSTLER MECHANISM WITH A TOTALLY SCRATCH BUILT BODY MADE FROM STRIP AND SHEET STYRENE.

HERE'S A TINY CLASS A CLIMAX. THE CHASSIS IS TAKEN FROM A MODEL DIE CASTING HO CLIMAX LOCOMOTIVE, THE SUPERSTRUCTURE IS A SHORTENED BACHMANN On30 FLATCAR WITH WALLS AND ROOF FABRICATED FROM EVERGREEN SHEET AND STRIP STYRENE. THE BOILER WAS TAKEN FROM THE MDC CLIMAX KIT AND MODIFIED TO "UPSCALE" IT TO "O" SCALE BY ADDING LARGER DOMES AND STACK. THE WATER TANK IS ACTUALLY A CUT DOWN TYLENOL BOTTLE.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO SEE CONVERSIONS BY OTHER MODELERS.

MDC CLIMAX CONVERSION