Received my copy of David Myrick's "Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California" part III today. One chapter is about the 30" gauge Sloat Lumber Co., which operated two steam locomotives which would make excellent models:
- a two cylinder Shay, but a lot more modern looking than the current one, and around 24 tons, a more useful size for real railroad work
- an 18 ton, 0-4-0 side tank Porter, equipped with an auxiliary tender and a very funky air reservoir mounted on top of the side tank. Again a much more useful size than the current little dinky, and lots of room for sound and DCC.
Yes, I know Grandt Line made the 18t Porter, but the conversion to 30" gauge is not easy, and I am not sure it is still available.
Lennart Elg
http://web.telia.com/~u85436044/30inch/sloat.html
You may also get a copy of Gerald Best's "Mexican Narrow Gauge" and go through the 30 inch gauge lines there. One had a 4-4-0 much like the upcoming Bachmann On30 locomotive. The consolodation is also in there as it was originally a Mexican narrow gauge locomotive,30 inch gauge.
The Yosemite Short line was also 30 inch gauge, it's rolling stock went to a logging line near Twain Harte.
Some interesting information on protoype Mexican narrow gauge owned by the Penoles company is at http://www.mexlist.com/penoles/index.htm (http://www.mexlist.com/penoles/index.htm). While not all is 30 inch gauge, quite a lot is. 30 inch gauge locos included Porter 0-4-0s and 0-4-2s (similar to the Bachmann models) as well as many other Baldwin and Porter locos - 0-4-4t, 2-6-2, 2-8-2, and rack (cog) locos, small electric locos and more.
Plenty of inspiration for modelling and some great photos.
Hamish
One advantage of going "South of the Border" or overseas for modelling prototypes is that you can mix equipment from American and European sources and still be prototypical. Living in Brazil I'm inspired by our two-footer lines which once had a amazing variety of stuff, European, American and home-built stuff. My road has one FMT Krauss 0-4-0T, 1 German wooden gondola (Minex converted to 2 trucks), 2 British steel gons (actually Aussie NQRs) and 1 Caboose (B'mann w/o cupola) - and I can find close-enough prototypes for all of them!
Cheers Nicholas
Sao Paulo, BRazil
Nicholas
How can a country which converted 80T SHAYS to 4-6-2 Pacific's and
a 2-6-0+0-6-2T, not! have interesting protoypes to model<G>. I am
collecting bits and pieces to model Tankcar #400 Charuto (Cigar), home
made by EFPP in their shops. Sure is ugly<G>.
Cheers Ken
GWN