# Precision Scale Co testing the waters in 1/29



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

You may recall last spring that we found Precision Scale Co offering a model of "Minnetonka", a cute little 0-4-0T+T, in 1:20.3.










We complained to them that it was a standard gauge loco and the 1:20.3 (Fn3) guys were all narrow gauge.

I was looking at the P-line stuff from India recently and remembered Minnie, so I went and checked PSC's website. Lo and Behold - it's now 1/29th! 
*Precision Scale Minnetonka Page*

Here's the original thread:
*Precision Scale Co testing the waters in 1:20.3*


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Makes more sense given its a standard gauge engine, but somewhere down the line, someone is going to make a true 1/20.3 F scale model in standard gauge. Be interesting to see how that sells.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

How wide would the track be for F Std?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

hmmm..interesting! 

my first thought was: "odd choice for 1/29..because everyone in 1/29 models only late steam or diesels..nothing as early as "Minnetonka"".. 

but then I thought: "maybe the only reason everyone in 1/29 models only "late steam and diesels" is simply because that is all that has been available so far!"  

This could open up a previously under-served market for "older" 1/29 standard gauge modeling..which is probably deseriable, 
and which up to now has been limited to only narrow gauge.. 

Whats the oldest prototype currently available in 1/29? 
1940's steam probably?? 1920's steam maybe..still "modern" by most accounts.. 

'Minnetonka' was built in 1870, is today preserved at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. 

http://66.116.202.72/Education/steam.asp 

I like it!  

Scot


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

How wide would the track be for F Std? 
70.6mm. You can buy plastic tie strips (and dual gauge!) from Don Niday's Iron Creek Shops. 

Later, 

K


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Not me, I can barely afford my wrong gauge track! lol 

Must take a hefty chunk of real estate to run that size! 

What diameter would be a R1 equivalent? 

Thanks 

John


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

That is so funny it isn't funny! "Precision Scale" and "1:29" in the same sentence? 

Sorry, I can't help it, but doesn't anyone see the Oxymoron in that?


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

+1- I see that! Maybe a name change to Pointless Scale Models


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

I was thinking the same thing....


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Jeff 

It's not an Aster. Why were you thinking about it at all?


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## StanleyAmes (Jan 3, 2008)

Already been done. Missouri Locomotive Company produced a lstandard guage ogging locomotive in 1:20.3 that was guaged for the 70mm. Hopefully others will follow. 

Stan Ames


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

Good question Jim..... I'm guessing your in favor of the move to 1:29  by more companies ?


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

As we all know, Aster makes locomotives to 1:30 scale. Best wishes from Tokyo, Zubi


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Posted By vsmith on 17 Nov 2009 11:58 AM 
Makes more sense given its a standard gauge engine, but somewhere down the line, someone is going to make a true 1/20.3 F scale model in standard gauge. Be interesting to see how that sells. 
1:29 makes some sense as it belongs to G-scale range for gauge 1. But not 1:20.3 standard gauge - what is the point to make things to such a nonsense scale and gauge combination? 1:22.5 is the proper choice for standard gauge and model track gauge 3 (64mm). Best wishes, Zubi


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## JEFF RUNGE (Jan 2, 2008)

Zubi, quick check on Southern Steam Trains web site it looks like Aster did lots of different scales at one time or another. 1:20, 1:22.5, 1:24, 1:28, 1:30, 1:32. Over the past decade or two they have used 1:32 for their SG models, and 1:30 for Japanese, 
the 1:22.5 was done twice, specifically for the LGB market. The new B-1 is in 1:20, 
What is the track gauge in Japan? I thought it started out as 3'-6" gauge?


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

odd choice for 1/29..because everyone in 1/29 models only late steam or diesels..nothing as early as "Minnetonka" 
You know, that thought occurred to me as well. Does anyone model older short-line standard gauge railroading? Are there any older steam engines in 1/29th? I guess the USATrains tank and the Aristo Rogers loco qualify? 

My impression is that most 1/29th folk are running big, modern trains. 

But not 1:20.3 standard gauge - what is the point to make things to such a nonsense scale and gauge combination? 
Zubi, tut, tut.. 

We have some large F-scale 'empires' around here with extensive 3' gauge trackage. Most US 3' railroads intersected with the mainline and had lots of dual-gauge track, which is fun to model. My chosen prototype, the EBT, re-trucked the standard gauge cars and took them for a 3' gauge ride to their destination! 

So a feeder interchange would be a fun addition and would need some track and a loco.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

They goofed. 
The model was built and then informed modelers pointed out it was too small for 1:20.3 so they probably rebranded it to fit the closest scale... 

Adding a sloped back tender to Aristocraft's 0-4-0 shifter back dates it as the tender is on archbar trucks! 

As others have graciously pointed out to me, my 1:24 isn't narrow and isn't standard gauge, but in my mind, it's old time standard gauge; smaller equipment and shorter cars.... I probably could run that loco and it wouldn't look too out of place. 

John


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By zubi on 17 Nov 2009 11:31 PM 
Posted By vsmith on 17 Nov 2009 11:58 AM 
Makes more sense given its a standard gauge engine, but somewhere down the line, someone is going to make a true 1/20.3 F scale model in standard gauge. Be interesting to see how that sells. 
1:29 makes some sense as it belongs to G-scale range for gauge 1. But not 1:20.3 standard gauge - what is the point to make things to such a nonsense scale and gauge combination? 1:22.5 is the proper choice for standard gauge and model track gauge 3 (64mm). Best wishes, Zubi 

Because some people are already making track in true F scale standard gauge and there is a base (small one admittedly) of modelers working in that scale, stands to reason that somewhere down the line, someone will offer a standard guage F scale angine. Besides as 1/29 proves we Americans have never been too keen on following "proper" scales and guages....


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 18 Nov 2009 09:22 AM 
They goofed. 
The model was built and then informed modelers pointed out it was too small for 1:20.3 so they probably rebranded it to fit the closest scale... 


John 


That seems unlikely..
are you saying they actually built production models to 1/20.3 scale, but then simply said "We are now calling them 1/29 scale instead" ?
that doesnt compute..
If it was built in 1/20.3 scale, it would fit very nicely with all the other 1/20.3 scale locos..
its a relatively small loco..not much bigger or smaller than prototype 3-foot gauge locos that are already being modeled in 1/20.3 scale..

*Minnetonka: *The wood-burning Minnetonka was the first locomotive to see service for the Northern Pacific Railway. Weighing 12 tons and stretching 27 ½ feet long including tender,
from: http://www.lsrm.org/Education/steam.asp












Bachmann Spectrum mogul and 4-4-0 are 30 feet long, including tender..just about the same size.
so it would "fit" just fine if built in Fn3 scale..it would just be 3-foot gauge instead of standard gauge..

I think they are probably re-doing it completely to 1/29 scale..which will result in a much smaller model.

Ironically, either way, the gauge isnt 100% accurate!  and it would probably sell better as a 3-foot gauge model in Fn3 than it will as a standard gauge model in 1/29!..(maybe)
so they might have been better off actually building it to Fn3!  although I also think it will be well-recieved in 1/29..because nothing like it is yet available in 1/29..


Scot


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Still stirring the pot, eh Zubi?


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

and adding a good dash of obfuscation 

Greg


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

The model was built and then informed modelers pointed out it was too small for 1:20.3 so they probably rebranded it to fit the closest scale 
The 'informed modellers" was us... And all we said was that it wasn't a 3' gauge prototype so the Fn3 crowd would have a hard time finding a place for it. D&RGW certainly never had anything like it!

I don't think any model has been built, in Fn3 or 1/29th. Note on the bottom of their page it says "Reserve yours today". Then look at the page that says: 

New and Recent Announcements from PSC! 
It says on the first line: "[/i]PSC would like to produce the following models" [/i]and there's your Minnetonka on the list.


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Posted By JEFF RUNGE on 18 Nov 2009 08:16 AM 
Zubi, quick check on Southern Steam Trains web site it looks like Aster did lots of different scales at one time or another. 1:20, 1:22.5, 1:24, 1:28, 1:30, 1:32. Over the past decade or two they have used 1:32 for their SG models, and 1:30 for Japanese, 
the 1:22.5 was done twice, specifically for the LGB market. The new B-1 is in 1:20, 
What is the track gauge in Japan? I thought it started out as 3'-6" gauge? 







Jeff, Thanks for the note, I just listed the scale which is closest to 1:29 and which uses non-prototypical gauge. 1:28 also exists but this is pre-history as I believe it was done once, on the 4-4-0 Reno. 1:30 is used for some small standard gauge (Glaskasten) and for most Japanese prototypes (cape gauge, 3'-6"). Yes, absolute majority of track gauge in Japan is cape gauge, although there are numerous exceptions, such as Keisei line from Chiba (e.g. Narita airport) to Ueno. Also the Shinkansen uses standard gauge, Best wishes, Zubi


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Scot, 
I know no more than what has been posted here. Since it's a standard gauge loco, running on 45mm track, they may have picked the 'popular' designation of 1:29 for standard gauge. 
I assumed they had a preproduction model made and maybe some dies etc..., money is tight and youse guys told them it's standard ga. 

From what I've read here nobody of right mind would enter 1:24, so Polk's 1:29 became their choice.... maybe those guys are easier to please.... lol 
If it was designed for F, it must be too big for 1:32... 

John


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## zubi (May 14, 2009)

Posted By Dwight Ennis on 18 Nov 2009 10:50 AM 
Still stirring the pot, eh Zubi? 
Sorry Dwight, I should have said 'non-standard scale and gauge combination'. Generally in model railroading standard model gauges are used for prototypical standard gauge. Therefore, standard is of course 1:22.5 for gauge 3 or 1:32 for gauge 1. I guess it may make some sense to some people to run on non-standard gauges. Why then not ask say Accucraft, or Roundhouse for that matter, to develop some 16mm standard gauge models to run on 75.5mm gauge? That would make equally much sense. Best, Zubi


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Why then not ask say Accucraft, or Roundhouse for that matter, to develop some 16mm standard gauge models to run on 75.5mm gauge? 
Er... how about 70.6 mm gauge? We're 15mm scale and 4ft 8 1/2 inches around here! 

The Bachmann 44 ton center cab diesel is the easy choice, as GE supplied it for many gauges. You lose the outside rods, but it's an easy conversion, I'm told. 

The problem with 'asking' (commissioning, more like - $$ up front,) is that there aren't many of us wanting one, we don't plan to make a large layout with it (it is a scenic accessory, I guess,) so I suspect we coudn't agree on a prototype. I vote for a Baldwin 0-6-0 like EBT #3 ! An expensive, beautifully detailed 'Minnetonka' would be wasted on my std gauge feeder siding. It's easier to take a Bahmann Big Hauler and extend the axles. I already finsihed the tender. . .


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