# Bachmann Fn3 Boxcar Details



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I finally got one of these with my Christmas money, and I'm amazed at the level of detail.  The flat and hopper are nice, but there aren't so many bits to model.  Check out these latches on the side and end doors.  Now, where are my Ozark padlocks...
(P.S. the first one is a bit fuzzy as I had to save it with low res compression to get it below 60KB.)


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## Tom Lapointe (Jan 2, 2008)

*I have one of these boxcars myself; the detail on it is INCREDIBLE!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif             Tom
*


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Pete -

Another nice bit of detail these cars have are the hangers and roller hardware that are (unfortunately) hidden behind the protective side-board above the door. Most people don't get to see 'em unless they remove the roof (which is easy to do, BTW) to detail the interior 'n' stuff.










Too bad - they work, of course, and are really well done. I considered leaving them exposed when I removed the flat, featureless slab of plastic that B'mann hangs down from the side of the roof casting to simulate a horizontal wooden board. As you can see here, I eventually substituted a separate piece made of strip styrene and some NBW castings. I hated to do it, but it is much more in keeping with prototype practices.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmm... maybe a broken board is called for on that covering of the hangers. Nice weathering job, Jack.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry guys can you job my memory, what scale does Fn3 represent?

Thank you

Robert


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## Big65Dude (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Robert on 01/11/2008 7:24 AM
Sorry guys can you job my memory, what scale does Fn3 represent?

Thank you

Robert

Robert,

Fn3 (the "F" supposedly stands for "fine" or "finescale') is a term being proposed to describe narrow gauge railroad models built to a scale of 1:20.3. The gauge of 45mm wide track scales out to exactly three feet in Fn3.

Hope that clears it up for ya.


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

Thank you Jack
Robert


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## Road Foreman (Jan 2, 2008)

Jack & Robert,

F scale is 2.75 inches or 70mm gauge &/or standard scale..  Fn3 then becomes 1.75 inches or 45mm gauge &/or 1:20.3 scale.. 

BulletBob


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

F is the scale designator for 15mm to the foot scale.  That works out to 1/20.3 in a ratio.  That's it.  Simple.  

Then we get into the modifiers that confuse some....F being the basic scale....

Fn3 means 1/20.3 scale on a prototypical 3' wide track...resulting in a 45 mm track gauge (3 ft at 15mm /ft = 45mm) for modeling.  Of note....45mm track is also called Gauge 1 track.

Fn2 means 1/20.3 on prototypical 2' wide track....resulting in a 30 mm track gauge (2  ft at 15mm/ft = 30 mm) for modeling.

F, without the narrow gauge delimiter , is standard gauge (4' 8.5")  That would make the track gauge 70.5 mm wide for modeling (4' 8.5" = 4.7083' ... 4.7083' ft at 15 mm/ft = 70.5 mm). 

In all cases...the buildings, people, cars, trucks, trees, etc are the same scale...F...or 1/20.3...15mm to the foot.

This is the same nomenclature system used in HO and O gauge.  HOn3 means 1/87th scale models operating on 3' gauge track.  On3 means 1/48th scale models working on 3' gauge track.  Now....there's one variation....On30 means 1/48th scale models operating on 30" gauge track.


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## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

weird....a double post


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

As I mentioned in the thread on Doug's huge SG 4-8-4 in F scale...
*F-scale Standard Gauge 4-8-4 Northern (cont.)*  (I'm still working on that GN green for the link..)

Dave Queener did the initial work on track, rail and wheel standards, based on the G1MRA experience.  His website has the details.

Cumberland Model Engineering F Scale Standards


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