# 1:32 3ft Narrow Gauge



## steamermeister (Feb 20, 2013)

Has anyone attempted to build a 3ft narrow gauge loco in 1:32 to run on o-gauge track? I've searched all over and haven't found anything. I've just picked up a Basset Lowke LMS mogul from eBay to try it out. The running gear scales well. I figure it just needs everything else rebuilt (boiler, cab, tender, ditch the euro-look, etc). I think it'd be pretty cool to recreate this shot of standard and narrow gauge side by side.


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

Posted By Dick Friedman on 20 Feb 2013 02:13 PM 
Not a locomotive, live steam or electric. But I've built a couple of three foot narrow gauge cars and a short section of dual gauge track. Over on Large Scale Central some of the members had a "Build Challenge" with a kit made by a member for a ng flat car/gondola in 1:20.3. I decided to make it 1:32. There's a picture of it in the current contest photos.


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## steamermeister (Feb 20, 2013)

Here's what I'm thinking...


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

3-foot narrow gauge in 1/32 scale doesn't really fit O-scale track.. 
3-foot gauge in 1/32 scale is 28.5mm. 
That isnt close to any existing model railroad track gauge.. 

Of course it could be done! it works out to about 40" gauge actually.. 
some might feel that is "close enough" for 3-foot gauge.. 
but its not being done in any sort of regular way.. 
maybe a few people, but not many.. 

32mm track is often used to represent 2-foot gauge in 1/19 scale however.. 
That is fairly common in live steam..actual production models exist in that scale and gauge. 

Scot


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## steamermeister (Feb 20, 2013)

Yup, I'm aware of all that. I say close enough. Perfect scaling sure hasn't stopped all the 1:29 guys. I'm just surprised that practically nobody has tried to do this. Its not even that uncommon in other scales. HO and HOn3 for instance (pic below). The N gauge track for HOn3 scales to 31 inches but they do it anyway. I'd sell off all my 20.3 stuff in a heartbeat if 32mm gauge 1:32 stuff was commercially available. I'm thinking of doing a live steam shay or heisler too if I can manage to get a set of Lionel trucks. It's just too cool a concept for me to pass by


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Posted By steamermeister on 20 Feb 2013 04:41 PM
Yup, I'm aware of all that. I say close enough. Perfect scaling sure hasn't stopped all the 1:29 guys. I'm just surprised that practically nobody has tried to do this. Its not even that uncommon in other scales. HO and HOn3 for instance (pic below). The N gauge track for HOn3 scales to 31 inches but they do it anyway. I'd sell off all my 20.3 stuff in a heartbeat if 32mm gauge 1:32 stuff was commercially available. I'm thinking of doing a live steam shay or heisler too if I can manage to get a set of Lionel trucks. It's just too cool a concept for me to pass by


Are you sure that's N gauge track? Normally Hon3 using 10.54mm, where N gauge is 9.02mm. N gauge is used in HO, but it is normally used to represent 2 foot gauge, HOn30, but this scales out to be around 2.5 foot gauge. I also believe HOe uses N gauge to represent 1000mm gauge.

Alan


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah, HOn3 doesn't use N-gauge track..they dont have to, 
because HOn3 is well enough established that they can use..HOn3 track!  

HOn30 uses N scale track..its almost a perfect match. 
(N-scale track is 9mm, 30" gauge in HO scale is 8.75mm..Thats one fourth of a millimeter off!  
pretty much spot-on when you get to a difference of 25% of one millimeter..) 
So its HOn30 that would use N-scale track.. 

I dont think HOn2 exists in any organized form.. 
im sure there are few guys doing it, but its very very uncommon.. 
HOn2 track would be 7mm gauge. 
Z scale is 6.5mm..that could work. 

Scot


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## K27_463 (Jan 2, 2008)

In 2006 Accucraft produced a one off pilot model of their 1:20.3 narrow gauge Plymouth diesel switcher- but in 1n3. In other words, gauge 1, n3 or 3'narrow gauge. The idea was a good one, and would have helped establish 1/32 as the standard gauge of choice and the 1n3 trains were still large and hefty enough to make great models, plus Accucraft already had drawings and plans for all the DRGW narrow gauge locos and cars. I held that Plymouth in my hands, it was pretty cool in every way. 
However, the idea of producing that rolling stock, locos , along with track and turnouts, for what was essentially a new track system put the entire project on hold, and now , six years down stream, that hold appears to be indefinite. 

Jonathan/EMW 
www.rctrains.com


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

LOL, why not just produce standard gauge in 1:20 scale. Some models have already been produced by individuals. 1:32n3 is just too small for pratical live steam. Yes they do '0' gauge live steam, but all it does is run around in a circle at warp speed.


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

*Here is my O Gauge live steamer. Hardly "warp speed"...*


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Why not? I'd be tempted to push it to 1:29, not necessarily because it matches the "3' gauge" better, but because Bachmann's so-called "1:20" 20' freight cars (the really small ones) actually scale out fairly well for "modern" narrow gauge equipment in 1:29, so all you'd need to do would be to narrow/replace the trucks and you'd have a string of rolling stock to pull behind your loco. I've got a friend who did that with an old O scale electric loco, and the entire train looked pretty darned nice! 

Later, 

K


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I still plan to do more with 29n2..
havent done anything with it lately, but I havent given it up! 

29n2 scale Forney compared with 1/29 scale (USA Trains) Alco PA:




















1stclass.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/29n2 

In retrospect, perhaps there isnt any real need to use the gauge of S-scale track afterall!
since I would never be using any production S-scale track anyway..
if track will always be hand-laid, why not use the exact correct gauge then?
only potential benefit is the use of S-scale wheelsets..
I dont know..I will have to think of it some more when I eventually get around
to building more 29n2 models!

Scot


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

I LIKE this idea Scot! I couldn't access the 29n2 site. Said "page not found".


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Gary Armitstead on 21 Feb 2013 11:09 AM 
I LIKE this idea Scot! I couldn't access the 29n2 site. Said "page not found". 



Thanks Gary!

I tried about 5 times to fix the link..the MLS forum software keeps adding in stuff I dont want and messing up the link..
I cant get it to work..you will just have to copy and paste:

1stclass.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/29n2

sorry about that..

Scot


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## kleinbahn (Sep 21, 2010)

Posted By steam5 on 20 Feb 2013 06:14 PM 
I also believe HOe uses N gauge to represent 1000mm gauge. 
Alan


No, 1000mm in H0 is 12mm gauge, H0m (meterspur), which is TT gauge. 
H0e is N, which is for all the "30 Zoll" lines in the world, bacically anything from 750mm-785mm gauge depending on the local standard of the "Zoll" (inch). 

http://www.sizes.com/units/zoll.htm


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Scot,

Your website was a great read! If I wasn't so deep into 1/20.3 NG now, I would definitely give this scale a try!


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Gary! glad you enjoyed it.. 
I havent made anything new in 29n2 since 2005, but when I eventually get my garden railroad 
up and running (which will be all 1/29 scale) im planning to build at least a "display track" for 29n2.. 
Scot


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking forward to seeing it!


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## steamermeister (Feb 20, 2013)

You mean the Lil Big Haulers? (@East Broad Top)


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## steamermeister (Feb 20, 2013)

Posted By K27_463 on 20 Feb 2013 07:58 PM 
In 2006 Accucraft produced a one off pilot model of their 1:20.3 narrow gauge Plymouth diesel switcher- but in 1n3. In other words, gauge 1, n3 or 3'narrow gauge. The idea was a good one, and would have helped establish 1/32 as the standard gauge of choice and the 1n3 trains were still large and hefty enough to make great models, plus Accucraft already had drawings and plans for all the DRGW narrow gauge locos and cars. I held that Plymouth in my hands, it was pretty cool in every way. 
However, the idea of producing that rolling stock, locos , along with track and turnouts, for what was essentially a new track system put the entire project on hold, and now , six years down stream, that hold appears to be indefinite. 

Jonathan/EMW 
http://www.rctrains.com/


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## steamermeister (Feb 20, 2013)

Wow that's too bad. Especially with "O" and dual gauge track being as accessable as it is you'd think it'd be worth it to fudge it a little. And yeah, the HOn3 stuff is established now but it's worth starting out somewhere. Hence HOn30 



The 1:32 stuff I have is already pretty massive so for me standard gauge in 1:20.3 would be way too big (and expensive). I'm still waiting on the Basset Lowke loco to show up so more to come. Thanks for all the feedback. Definitely gives me more to run with.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

I tried about 5 times to fix the link..the MLS forum software keeps adding in stuff I dont want and messing up the link..I cant get it to work..you will just have to copy and paste: 1stclass.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/29n2 
Scot, 
I found that if you paste it into a Quick Reply an never edit the post it will stay as a clickble link. Let's see 
http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/Scottychaos/29n2/


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, it worked, but I can't edit the typo!! 

Scot - loved your 29n2 stuff. I had some of the Fleishmann (?) Feldbahn stuff, which was 1:22.5 scale on O gauge track. Almost SM32 (1:19th scale.) I did a 2' gauge dock spur on my first large scale layout and added a std gauge (gauge-3, 2.5") rail resulting in triple gauge track in places! In 1:22.5, Gauge 3 std gauge isn't prohibitively expensive (unlike 1:20.3 std gauge) as there is a fair bit of inerest in the UK.


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