i was wondering what the difference is track wise does anyone have a photo comparing on3 to on30 this would be helpful.
Upper case "O" indicates O scale (1:48) the "n" indicates narrow gauge, the "3" indicates 3 feet between rails. A single digit indicates feet. The "30" indicates 30 inches between the rails. Two digits indicate inches. 30 inches may also be listed as 2.5 feet. Actually On3 is 0.750" between the rails and On30 is 0.649" between rails the same as HO.
Art
On3 track gauge is three quarters of an inch (because American O scale is a quarter inch to the foot.) On30 is the same scale but runs on HO gauge track which is approximately 5/8 of an inch so the On3 is about 1/8th inch wider.
On30 got its start in the 1970s when people began to make models that were O scale but ran on HO track.
Links you can store for future reference.
http://tinyurl.com/bpdtqmz
Rich
Quote from: Woody Elmore on November 27, 2011, 09:46:22 AM
On3 track gauge is three quarters of an inch (because American O scale is a quarter inch to the foot.) On30 is the same scale but runs on HO gauge track which is approximately 5/8 of an inch so the On3 is about 1/8th inch wider.
On30 got its start in the 1970s when people began to make models that were O scale but ran on HO track.
do you think it would still be possible to run On30 on On3 or On3 on On30
The models themselves - locomotives, rolling stock, buildings, etc., are interchangable because they are the same scale BUT the wheel gauge is different. To run a Bachmann box car on On3 track would require widening the wheelsets or changing the trucks.
There are people who convert from one to the other and it's not hard to do with rolling stock. Locomotives are the problem. Grandt Line sells a kit to convert the Bachmann 2-6-0 to On3. It is a conversion that requires some skill.
Good Morning All,
The two bay steel hopper that Bachmann produced in the On30 line has trucks designed to allow the use of On3 wheel sets.
The Bachmann On30 Climax may also be easily converted to On3. To answer the question - No, you cannot run On30 on On3 track, or vice versa. You have to change the gauge of the wheelsets, either by moving them in or out on the axles, or replacing the trucks. As noted, though, the models are all the same 1/4" scale.
shay-
Some trucks can be used for either On30 or On3, depending on
the spacing of the wheelsets but some On30 trucks cannot be
widened for On3.
-- D
I have regauged Grandt Line On3 trucks to On30 but was not happy with the result. I made bushings from an empty ball point pen ink tube to take up some of the play in the trucks. Also, the Grandt trucks seem huge on a typical Bachmann car.
I haven't attempted an engine yet - and the more I think about doing it the less inclined I am to tackle the project.