When you do some scenery like grass and what not. Static grass shows up really well though 2mm and 4mm will bring your models out far more then the foam. I have been working slowly on a few modulus for my narrow gauge extravaganza. The only one thats done is a section depicting belgrave trestle from australia. very nice work on your engines I have a puffing billy garratt that i have yet to find the chassies for.

Hon30 us to be a very quiet and unheard of scale in model railroading. But then bachmann anounced the skarloy line which sparked so much interest. I started in the scale 16 years ago and i could only get resign models for several years. Once i had a few trains and a small railroad built that was it for my interest, the railroad was dicasembeld and the trains found a box. Once i saw the narrow gauge anouncment by bachmann my old trains cam out of the box and new modules were built. Though i'm now modeling a wide area from Australia, maine and welsh narrow gauges. A lot of parts i found from the 3d printer company use bachmann chassis to be mounted on, and that makes things run so smooth on conversion. Bachmann N scale locos have excellent motors for slow speed and don't shudder or stall. (except for dirty track) In the end using bachmann componets with bigger bodies from 3d printing still helps out bachmann, there young in hon30 and the scale is growing interest again. I will add some phots of my line soon.

I have been building bobber caboose models in g for a short time, currently waiting for some 3d printed parts. But i can make a bobber to order to fit your needs. my cars have full suspencion opening doors some under frame detail and lights. I do have a shell that would have a rear coupola but can be moved to the center if need be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLxSKKKOBck

For the Hon30 bit shapeways has a nice conversion shell for the bachmann n scale MDT. It a very easy three part conversion and you just have to add roof stack and possibly headlight.
https://www.shapeways.com/product/35FPJFXQ3/hon30-bachhood-switcher-part?optionId=19196035
I have one for my Hon30 line along with a 2-6-2 and a G-42 garratt 2-6-0+0-6-2. For a little line the shunter MDT works beautiful then you need little cars.
https://www.shapeways.com/product/URQ9PV8L6/009-c-m-tipper-x5?optionId=11458065
or the minitrains side tip.

There are a few living examples of sugar can engines in Australia. Tasmania has a very interesting narrow gauge line that works with the rack rail system, Mount lyell minning company now know as the West Coast Wilderness Railway.
http://www.radiomuseum.org/museum/aus/west-coast-wilderness-railway-queenstown/images/aus_w_c_w_r_loco5.jpg

I did find the correct knuckle conversions for the peco line and the skarloey line of rolling stock. Dapol makes the conversion knucles for bukeye knucles. It looks like bachmann is working with peco for the cars since you can flip them ofer and they say peco made in england (finally something not from china). Though peco anouced new car the side tip hoppers and slate wagons, and figuring bachmann is also working with them skarloey will have even more veriety of cars to pull.

Really nice layouts there and some fine looking talyllyn coaches. we just got our model skarloy wensday and does she look good, only one problem. All my hon30 stock has bukeye knuckles and not those loops. Nothing a little cuting and glue can't fix but it would be nice to have pre made knucles to swap out. after the work was done and the glue had time to set skarloy had time to pull a train of gilpin ore cars. I also had her try out Welsh highland pullman Glaslyn https://www.festipedia.org.uk/wiki/Carriage_2100 got to say it fit well. My next loco for hon30 is a puffing billy engine G-42 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Railways_G_class this engine is a beast for narrow gauge. I have one model section for my hon30 but had to stop since I don't have space to build more. If you guys are looking for some more models not from parkside look at 3d printing like shapewaves. I have 5 models from them a diesel conversion for the MDT, the G-42,  welsh  highland 2100 glaslyn, 20' reffer,and a 20' pulp wood flat. My railway runs anything hon30 narrow gauge for more rolling stock verity. I'll add photos and videos later and will keep linked up with more info.

Hello Mr bachmann.
Have the company though about making or using 3D printers and parts to make lovely trains. Figuring that the printer is a one time deal and then the cad program you can make anything without new tooling. Then the company can use there nice chassies and add new shells or detail parts.

Beyer garratts have a special place in model railroading and should be. as often as we see mallats these are really nice engines. They how ever did have draw backs in real operation, when full was used the weight on the drivers decreased. To make these models wouldn't really pay for the tooling to be productive. Otherwise skratch building with 3D printed parts using bachmann mechanisms will be the best way. I have the Hon30 G 42 3d printed engine sitting on my desk and does it look nice. If anyone has the program and the skill to make it that will do everyone well.

The item your talking about is a flanger air operated plow. D&RGW had placed on or two for expirimenting on there engines but, When derailments happened It was easier to put a flat car back on the the engine. Flanger cars are a lot easier to handle and if you don't raise the blade in time for either a grade crossing and switch points it's easier to repair.

HOn30 is a great little hobby but i can easily understand were the scale misconception comes out. I have been modeling Hon30 for several years off and on and finally building my first actual layout. Being a part of a modular railroad club I'm building my narrow gauge line on portable sections. I have a good part of the line planed out with the first town being loosely based of TYWYN wharf station. On the narrow gauge I intend to place the great deviation from the Ffestioniog, a slate quarry, sheep pastor and loading dock, parts from the puffing billy railway and three station stops for passenger service.

Bachmann has done a really nice job of supplying us with the skarloey models. I can understand bringing the price down for the rolling stock but not the engine. For having such a small frame that needs precis work to make the model work very well is worth the price. Also the only way bachmann can keep going with skarloey is we buy there product, that would give them more insensitive to build more.

lets clear up the scale difference a little more.
Hon30 is American 30" narrow gauge and really close to 2' narrow gauge.
In England OO is there scale for standard and OO9 is the OO scale on 9mm track. 2' narrow gauge in england is most seen in wales, the best know are the Talyllyn, Ffestiniog, The Vale of Rheidol, The Snowdon mountain and the Welsh Highland railways. Australia has there own little narrow gauge line called the Puffing Billy, you can find 2' narrow gauge lines all over the world based upon the the welsh slate lines. Maine had there own share of 2' lines the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes.

But in HO or OO scales the difference is so small between track gauges that it would be incredibly hard to replicate. There is another type of narrow gauge called HOn3 for 3' gauge. The lines that this would be based off are the Rio Grand, Colorado & Southern, White pass and Yukon and the East Broad Top. This scale has it's own size track that is smaller the HO but larger then N.

Whats nice with this scale it allows you to have a small N scale RR with HO scenery that you can see the details, and not take up so much space that ether you don't have or your wife won't let you take up.

I would like to point out that the skarloey range and the peco counterparts us a nem pocket system. This allows you to change knuckle systems to kadee to run with other train car items. When skarloey arrives and I replace the knuckles I will post a youtube video with him running wit a string of gilpin ore cars.

As promised from my last post I have photos to share of my upgrade model of L-8. also I have photos of the original engine and her sister L-9 also at east troy. enjoy

http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/uscgtanker/library/?view=recent&page=1

You don't need to glue the knuckles to your rolling stock. My brother models british trains and has converted all our Thomas and friends to Kadee couplers. for thomas all you need to do is remove the loop and hook, keep the screw. cut a 1/8th inch slot in the buffer beam to fit a #5 kadee coupler box minus the top cover piece. He has found this sit invaluable for conversion hope it works for you to.
http://www.mumbles274.co.uk/nonnemkadees.html#pullman