I know its a stupid question but....

[TN_Trainman]

Is HOn3 track the same as N scale track? Or is HOn3 something diffrent??


TN_Trainman

[TrainNut]

That's funny just because I thought the same thing till after I bought my first HOn3 engine. I thought.... I'll just run right home and test run it on my N scale layout. Nope. Didn't work. HON3 isn't quite the same. From what I understand N scale is the same as HOn30 - 6 inches different from HOn3. I'm still learning about this so I'm sure there is somebody else that can elaborate with a little more authority than myself.

[TN_Trainman]

ahhhh see thats what I wondered and could not find the answer on Google, so HOn30 is the same as N scale. So do manufactures produce HOn3 track or do you have to hand lay it?

The reason I am asking is we will be buying a new home next year(lots more MRR room!!) and I would like to mix my HO Tennessee & Western with a short line Narrow gauge RR.

Hence the intrest in HOn3.....

[TrainNut]

Yes, there is flex track and turnouts available in HOn3. Who, how much and where I could not say as I have purchased one piece of flex track so far and that's it.

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by TN_Trainman

ahhhh see thats what I wondered and could not find the answer on Google, so HOn30 is the same as N scale. So do manufactures produce HOn3 track or do you have to hand lay it?

....Hence the intrest in HOn3.....

Both Shinohara and MicroEngineering make both flex track and turnouts for HOn3.

Shinohara's line is all code 70, a little over-size for most uses, but there is a wide range of turnouts, dual gauge track and turnouts, and so on. Availability at the LHS isn't always there, which is true for most HOn3 items. Very few hobby shops carry much in the way of HOn3; most of the time I order or sometimes buy from eBay sellers.

ME makes HOn3 flex track in code 70, code 55, and code 40 rail heights. They make #6 turnouts in code 55, period.

BK and FastTracks make turnout kits in most any code, and a lot of different configurations. Railway Engineering makes beautiful custom turnouts to your specs.

HOn3 is an HO scale rendering of 3ft narrow gauge. It uses an accurate 10.5 mm track gauge (3 times 3.5 mm/ft). HOn30 is a rough approximation of 30" gauge in HO scale; it uses N gauge track specs and mechanisms. HOn30 is commonly use to represent 2ft gauge prototypes or free lance narrow gauge. True HOn2 has never caught on. In North America, the most common narrow gauges were 3ft, followed by 2ft. 30" prototypes were a distant 3rd.

It used to be there was more non-brass rolling stock available in HOn30 than in HOn3, but that has changed substantially in the last 2 years. Cheap N donor mechanisms have become harder to come by, and there has been a profusion of RTR HOn3 from Blackstone, MMI, and MicroTrains.

hope this helps

[Jim Krause]

I believe Precision Scale has a new line of track that includes HOn3 and dual gauge, HO and HOn3 on a common tie strip. American made by the way.

[60103]

George: HOn30 (or n 2 1/2) caught on because of the wide availability of N gauge track and rolling stock, which could be converted even if the results were more flavour than scale.
You'll also find that there's ready made dual gauge track for HO and HOn3, but not for HO and HOn30.

[TN_Trainman]

Thnak You everyone for the replys, when we move in the spring/summer of 08 I know I would like to add the Narrow gauge as part of the Tennessee & Western HO I already have.

Thanks again for the info.