# F scale, multigauge projects



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Les is getting ready to model in F scale in multiple gauges. Scratch building, kit bashing, and creativity ahead.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

It's alwaus fun trying to get standard gauge stuff. (Don Niday is the man.)

Just to wet your appetite, here's Clem's standard gauge interchange on his portable demonstration layout:


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Web.

Well, you done 'er up brown. Guess now I'll have to get the old camera out and take a pic of the power station that's been hanging fire since last year when the house & business flooded.

Just for those who live on the rich side of town, this F scale is on 45mm gauge track. I think Web's going to be doing the standard gauge stuff. And I haven't built a model not work-related for 50 years.

Basically, I'm going to try to build in a prototypical 'logical' way: what would a new, but poor, backwoods SL 3' ga need right after a line of tracks? A power station made from an engine boiler, running an overhead lineshaft for the engine house, machine shop and whatnot. A few boxcars off their trucks for labor housing. Stuff.

Just need to finish wiring the model shop (1/3) of the laundry room.









Les


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Pete,

What gauges are we looking at, there?

Les


----------



## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Les on 10/25/2008 8:18 PM
Pete,

What gauges are we looking at, there?

Les




F and Fn3..

thats a great layout!

will it be at Syracuse again this year?

Scot


----------



## Tom Bowdler (Jan 3, 2008)

My understanding (and the hall layout schematic) is that Clem will be at Syracuse this coming weekend. My live steam (32 & 45 mm gauges) portable layout will also be there. Come one, come all. 
Tom


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

What gauges are we looking at, there

As Scott says, 45mm and 70mm - F-scale stg gauge and Fn3. 

Since I took that pic, Clem has extended the standard gauge to the left in my pic along the road with an "escape" (search the archives for drawings) and has a GE 44 tonner (B'mann) converted to std gauge sitting on it with the big boxcar.


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Okay,

Thanks guys. (I'm still learnin', here).

Les


----------



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Thanks for the F and Fn3 track module pic. That solves a question I asked a while back on the Gmod list elsewhere. (It's interesting to see how the rails and ties are handled.)

Anymore details or pics available?


----------



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi Les
I hope I wasn't rushin things. I just took your cue and set up a thread. Everyone's welcome to pitch in. (Hope they do.) I think Les' concept for using various recognized scale tracks for various F gauges in different situations (mines, etc.) is clever. By the way, Les is headed indoors and I'm headed outdoors with my layout. *So, there's plenty of room for others to share sources, links, pics, and ideas. 

Web



* Although, I'm seriously tempted to build up with modules first and then go outside. It'll give me a chance to do this in stages, and show off in public settings before my layout is planted in one location.


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Webber on 10/26/2008 7:15 PM
Thanks for the F and Fn3 track module pic. That solves a question I asked a while back on the Gmod list elsewhere. (It's interesting to see how the rails and ties are handled.)

Anymore details or pics available? 



Lots of details and pics available. Try this archive thread:
*Drawings of Dual Gauge Escapes, Turnouts*.

The reference to 'Frank's turnout' can be found here, in the infamous 16-page *First attempt at turnout building* thread!

Finally, if you are thinking F-scale, Standard gauge, then you might like *Don Niday's Iron Creek Shops* and *Dave Queener's Cumberland Model Engineering*.

And let's not forget Doug Hemmeter's *F-scale Standard Gauge 4-8-4 Northern*.


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Posted By Webber on 10/26/2008 7:18 PM
Hi Les
I hope I wasn't rushin things. I just took your cue and set up a thread. Everyone's welcome to pitch in. (Hope they do.) I think Les' concept for using various recognized scale tracks for various F gauges in different situations (mines, etc.) is clever. By the way, Les is headed indoors and I'm headed outdoors with my layout. *So, there's plenty of room for others to share sources, links, pics, and ideas. 

Web



* Although, I'm seriously tempted to build up with modules first and then go outside. It'll give me a chance to do this in stages, and show off in public settings before my layout is planted in one location. 




Web,

I don't know what your modelling/mechanical/electrical skills are, but an indoor module for at least the first one, since you're unfamiliar with these gauges if I understand correctly, might be a good idea. I had to go inside for health reasons, and it turned out to be an excellent decision, for me.

As for posting pixes here, I'm still pretty far from that, until I get more repairs done to the house/wife's business. I'll try, I need to get going, anyway.

Les


----------



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Thanks for the great links.


----------



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi Guys 
Got anymore multi-gauge pics?
-Web


----------



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Hi Les
Thanks for the encouragement. Yeh, I think I'll go modular at first as I build various sections. I don't have much room indoors so I'll have to be creative. I can move it out and show it before I mine it for parts and go outdoors. I have some skills like fine woodworking,scratch-built scenery, electrical, track laying, and design. I'm looking forward to scratch-building some rolling stock and switches. I've been reading up on some of the master classes elsewhere and links up above in this thread. Years ago I built the 30 by 70 foot G-scale layout for the Franklin Institute Museum in Philadelphia. At about the same time I was making originals for a manufacturer to mold off S scale plastic rolling stock and details. More recently I've been doing NTRAK modules. I can't claim I have anywhere near your expertise in metals and may shout out for help along the way. Life interupted for a while but now I'm into my next project. Anyway, I'm headed toward multigauge F-scale and hope to have fun along the way.
-Web


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Webber on 11/02/2008 7:22 PM
Hi Guys 
Got anymore multi-gauge pics?
-Web




I knew I had one or two more. Here's Dave Queener's old testbed:










East Broad Top prototype:










My original layout: (32mm, 45mm and 64mm = gauges 0,1& 3.)


----------



## Les (Feb 11, 2008)

Web,

Sounds like you've got about most of what you need to be successful. I've yet to run a G gauge train! All my model experience was with a great big Lionel setup about 35 years ago--my bride liked trains too! So, having no kids, we build a boadacious one in the basement. Then kids. After awhile, something had to give.

I've wanted another RR for years, but knew it wouldn't be Lionel nor would it be HO. (Too small). I didn't even know G gauge existed until I saw a set in a store window. "There," I thought, "Is what I want: something big enough to see and possible to build from scratch."

A flood got to us a year or so ago, damaging my wife's business and our house. I've been working at is as energy and $$ are available. Just a bit more to go and I'll be able to actually start messing with trains, again.

And, wife's eager to do the landscaping and painting--the stuff she did before. Our grown son wants to build trackside structures. What I want to do is fiddle with the innards and work the mechanical stuff.

Les


----------



## Webber (Sep 4, 2008)

Pete
Thanks for the great pics. How'd your three gauge work out in actual practice? (looks complicated, but could be fun)

- Web


----------



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Webber on 11/04/2008 9:32 AM
Pete
Thanks for the great pics. How'd your three gauge work out in actual practice? (looks complicated, but could be fun)

- Web




Well, it was fun making it, from a 'challenging project' perspective.  The gauge-0 was intended to be a 2' gaug mining feeder, as I had a Mamod loco and some Fleischmann mining trucks, but the mamod got converted to g-1 and Fleischmann gave up the ghost.  The g-3 was going to be standard gauge (all this was happening in the mid-'90s) and I started a few pieces of rolling stock.  Then 1:20.3 came along (F scale) so I abandoned the g-3 (1:22.5.)


Now it is all just a pleasant memory...


----------

