“Hopefully we never start a thread on vacuums!”
Well, it may be the only item that we complain about when it doesn’t $uck. :lol:
Had a co-worker at Ingersoll-Rand who made a business trip to London, England in the 1980s. He came back with an amusing story about a large billboard he saw that proudly proclaimed; “Nothing sucks like an Electrolux!”
Okay, I’m over it. Back to the thread.
Have fun,
David Meashey
Huh? When did the word $uck become off color as it relates to vacuums?
Quote:The problem isn't the rolling stock, but the locos. The 1:24 equipment made by Aristo and Hartland use motor blocks which would have to be completely re-engineered to accommodate a narrower track gauge. In fact, that's pretty much what killed the 1 1/2" gauge movement that tried to gain traction in the late 80s. Putting new trucks under the rolling stock was certainly simple enough, and there were one or two companies offering trucks and wheels for that gauge, but there was nothing to pull them. At that time, pretty much everything used LGB-style motor blocks, so re-gauging them was impractical. With nothing to pull the trains, the movement fizzled fairly quickly. Today, most of those modelers who are that particular about proper scale/gauge relationships have migrated to 1:20.3, so the part of the market that'd be interested in 1 1/2" gauge is even smaller now than it was 25 years ago. It's different than On30/On3 where there's a solid market for both, and both track gauges are well-established. There, it makes sense to make equipment suitable for either gauge.
... Maybe there would be a 1:24 narrow gauge revival if HLW and Aristo Craft were to offer properly gauged 1:24 scale three foot track with a newly gauged product line. Offer two sets of wheels for the cars and have the customer order the specific gauge (fine scale or gauge 1) of locomotive. What have HLW and Aristo to lose? This seems to be the only way to revive their 1:24 scale product sales.
The reality is that you can do narrow gauge railroading in 1:24 and 1:22.5 on 45mm track very, very well. There are plenty of examples of very well-done railroads that capture that “narrow gauge feel” even though the rails aren’t exactly 3’ apart. The key to those railroads’ successes is that they don’t try to be a 3’ gauge railroad. As a modeler, you have to divorce yourself from the notion that what you’re building is “supposed to be 3’ gauge and really isn’t,” and instead embrace the fact that it’s 39 or 42" gauge. My dad’s railroad will never be the East Broad Top, regardless of how close some of the equipment resembles those prototypes. But it does have a definite narrow gauge flavor to it; the track, buildings, equipment–all has a consistent theme that ties everything together. Ray Dunakin’s railroad is very similar (if topographically the polar opposite). His trains run on cliffs cut into the sides of mountains a la many modelers’ visions of the Colorado narrow gauge (this, despite the fact that such stretches of track are very rare, but that’s another rant). You’d never look at his stuff and see anything out of sorts that doesn’t cry “narrow gauge.” It’s not 3’ narrow gauge, but no one remotely cares. The atmosphere creates a very successful environment that puts you in that narrow gauge mindset. I think when you’re modeling a very specific prototype (D&RGW, EBT, etc.) it’s hard to make that separation, since your vision is built around a specific “look” the prototype has. But if you’re not married to any one specific prototype, it’s easy to work in the other scales. I had–and still have–a blast whenever I work on a model for my dad’s railroad. The modeling is the same regardless.
Later,
K
I have a blast with my 1:29 stuff, and never give a thought to it being a bit narrow, or is it wide, gauge. Who really cares? I run 3 rail 0 gauge in the basement, and that is just fine, too.
It is a hobby, after all. It is supposed to be fun.
Tim Brien said:I'd settle for that. Two even! :)
My vote is the next release will be an EBT Mikado.
Personally I’ve never understood the particular “Gnashing of Teeth” angst about the fact that the rails of 45mm track are mere fractions of an inch off “correct” gauge in 1/20.3, 1/24, and/or 1/29. Its like listening to the decriers of 1/48 scale EBT or D&RGW models being offered in On30. Who gives a fig if it gets more people interested in the hobby?
45mm track is and will be the Lingua Franca of large scale unless someone wants to go out and handlay all their own track and cast their own trucks and wheels and scratchbuild engines to do things “correctly” oIf its that important, thats going to be their only option as no company is going to spend a big chunk of $$ to further isolate themselves in an already small niche market.
A Class A Climax would be nice. 
I forget if I said that already
Shawn said:I'll bet you did! Can't be said often enuff! I second it. Oh, and as long as we're wishing here, how about with a [u]really[/u] reliable mech.
A Class A Climax would be nice. :) I forget if I said that already :) :)