Re-gauge N Gauge steam to HOn3. HELP!!

[jon6516]

Years ago I started converting a N Gauge 2-8-8-2 to a narrow gauge HOn30. But now I am starting a Hon3 layout and would like to re-gauge it to 3’:cry: . I have worked out everything but the actual re-gauging of the wheels. The model is a old Rivarossi and my concern is that the axles will need to be replaced. I could push out the old axel with the new but I don’t know what diameter stock to use.

Also while I’m at it, I should convert it to DCC.

 

[shaygetz]

N gauge at 9mm isn't much narrower than HOn3 which is 10.5mm I believe. By using an NWSL wheel and gear puller ( http://www.nwsl.com/Products/Tools/Puller.htm ), you should be able to ooch it out enough without having to change the axles. DCC is a matter of isolating the motor from the frame of the locomotive, something I've done in HO Rivarossi steam with fairly little difficulty. :thumb: I am not familiar with Rivarossi N scale though.

 

[jon6516]

I don’t know, that’s ¾ of a mil on a 2mm wide wheel. I will give it a shot and see if the wheels (16 drivers) stay true. My concern has always been that they would wobble. After all the years (15?) that I have kept this project on the back burner. Ill try it, the worst that will probably happen is Ill have to buy drill stock and make new axils. Or sit it in the engine shop as a static display. I did finally attempt to sit a MDC narrow gauge boiler in the mechanism. The boiler was to narrow or the mechanism was to wide. I mocked up a boiler with a length of ¾ copper pipe. I not sure as how good it looks yet. But it has heft.

 

[jon6516]

note to self. copper water pipe is to much work

 

[nkp174]

That sounds like a cool project! I love it when people have the imagination to dream things like 4-6-6-6s or your 3' 2-8-8-2...someday I would like to build a 3' gauge 2-10-2...the locomotives the C&S was planning to order in the late 1930's.

 

[nachoman]

do all n scale steamers use the split axle design? I would think one with a solid axle would be easier to regauge simply by making a longer axle out of rod stock. I could really use a source for hon3 drivers, say 34-36" diameter.

kevin

 

[Jim Krause]

Was there ever a prototype for that ???

 

[jon6516]

a prototype for what?

 

[Jim Krause]

A 2-8-8-2, 3 foot narrow gauge locomotive. or 30 inch gauge for that matter.

 

[pgandw]

There were very few articulated locos made for narrow gauge in the U.S. Overseas was a different story. There were some small 2-4-4-2s and 2-6-6-2s made for U.S. narrow gauge logging railroads with sharp curves, and the Unitah had two larger 2-6-6-2s made for their very sharp curves and steep grades. I don't know of any 2-8-8-2s used in the U.S. for narrow gauge. Of course, when we rewrite out model line's history, we can have it justify what we want.

your choices, you are the prez of your railway

 

[jon6516]

Narrow gauge, rivet counting is frowned on.

sign1 You know, its narrow gauge, Freelancing is the norm and rivet counting is frowned on. I was at the club this morning and it’s a group of standard gauge diesel guys, were talking about running a 0-4-4-0T and unexpectedly one member said “narrow gauge? “Just about anything could have been shopped from those guys”. Well its my road and who cares what I can create out of steam that is to be scraped, the equipment is limited to the technology of the period, but the imagination of the shop Forman is bound only by the time period, Was there a 2-8-8-2 in 3’, I don’t think so, but that not what I enjoy about my layout. If you joy is in recreating what is real, kool. I love looking at Scale models and wonder at the time and skill involved..

So no one has attempted to re-gauge a N scale steam engine to HOn3?

 

[shaygetz]

sign1 You know, its narrow gauge, Freelancing is the norm and rivet counting is frowned on. I love looking at Scale models and wonder at the time and skill involved..

So no one has attempted to re-gauge a N scale steam engine to HOn3?

When I did my climax project, I felt I had gone about a foot wider than I should've. I pondered re-gauging it 'til I found an old pic of a three footer regauged to 30" on a sugar plantation. Just goes to show there's a prototype for just about anything if you look hard enough. Wish I had an N gauge lokey to spare, I'd be game to see if it'd work, a mil and a half can't be that much on an axle. I pondered regauging my HOn3 C&S 2-6-0 mogul to N gauge but the frame is too wide, I'd have to scratch one. Might just have to dive in and get me an NWSL gear puller so these ponderings can be laid to rest...:thumb:

 

[jon6516]

An NWSL gear puller, how can I have overlooked the simplest solution? Thanks my little gray cells need a prod.

 

[sumpter250]

Baldwin built a 2-8-8-2T, in 3' gauge, for the Ferrocarriles Nacionales. The loco weighed 288,450 lbs and had a tractive effort of 55,500 lbs. The Uintah/Sumpter Valley 2-6-6-2's were the largest U.S. narrow gauge railway locos.

 

[dkmecik]

Baldwin built a 2-8-8-2T, in 3' gauge, for the Ferrocarriles Nacionales. The loco weighed 288,450 lbs and had a tractive effort of 55,500 lbs. The Uintah/Sumpter Valley 2-6-6-2's were the largest U.S. narrow gauge railway locos.

yes, while the Sumpters were the largest built, they were not the largest proposed... The D&RGW and the RGS had a total of 3 different styles of 2-8-8-2 proposals done by baldwin, I have copies of them. unfortunaty the railroads hit some rough times and they were never built...

David

 

[krasnal]

Hi jon6516,
Tell me about your avatar,what is this?

 

[Triplex]

The D&RGW and the RGS had a total of 3 different styles of 2-8-8-2 proposals done by baldwin, I have copies of them.

And didn't the C&S consider both 2-10-2s and 2-6-6-2s? It would've been interesting to see US narrow gauge lines actually get large power.

 

[sumpter250]

One thing has not been mentioned here yet. Quartering! If for any reason a driver of a steam loco is removed from its axle, it must be quartered, as it is put back on. All the drivers must be quartered the same. Typically, the right hand driver leads the left, by 90 degrees. If all do not match, there will be side rod binding. There has been some discussion about quartering on this board in the past. Click "search", and type driver quartering.

 

[Greg Elems]

Without digging through my box of books I seem to remember large mallets in Mexico that had tenders and weren't tank engines. Whether they were 2-6-6-2's or 2-8-8-2's I don't recall. They were big looking, handsome in my opinion and ran into the early 60's. If I get a chance I'll look the book up, not sure about the title at the moment either but it was all about narrow gauge railroads of Mexico.

Greg

 

[Greg Elems]

I dug out my book Mexican Narrow Gauge by Gerald M Best. The mallets were 2-6-6-2's and my not have run past the early 1950's. More detailed reading is in order.

Greg