Please excuse me cross posting to three groups - apologies to those
who receive this more than once...
I have built myself a (very) small number of narrow gauge goods wagons
in 1/4" scale - 2' gauge prototypes modelled in On30. However I
remain uncommitted to 1/4" scale, and am contemplating moving to 7mm
scale and 14mm gauge to better represent the appearance of the 2'
gauge.
Whilst at first glance making models to 7mm scale instead of 1/4"
sounds easy, I have begun to realise I don't know whether I can source
equivalent materials in the larger scale.
My wagons have scale sized lumber - about 8 different sizes in the
open wagon. For example, the sides and ends have a length each of 8x2
and 6x2 timber, while the decking has 24 planks of the 8x2 dimension
(for the 16' total length). This is easy in 1/4" scale, as there are
(at least) two manufacturers of scale sized lumber in 1/4" scale. If
I need a piece of 8x2, I go to the little pack labeled 8x2 and there
it is. Does anybody make scale size lumber in 7mm scale? What do
people do when faced with the need for 24 pieces of 7mm scale 8x2?
Wheels are another issue. My prototype uses 21" wheels, which are
within 1% of HO 36" wheels, and readily available. In 7mm that wheel
diameter becomes 12.3mm - any suggestions for 21" wheels in 7mm scale?
The passenger car for which I am finalizing drawings now in 1/4" scale
is easier. The prototype had 3" wide boards, 90 of them. I can do
this in 1/4" by using .060" scribed styrene and am about 3% narrow.
That doesn't worry me too much - more important to get the number of
boards between each pair of windows correct, I think. Fortunately I
can buy "Freight Car Siding" with a groove spacing of 0.067" (1.69mm)
which is just as close to the scale dimension of 0.069" (1.75mm).
So, the big issue for me seems to be the use of scale sized lumber and
21" wheels. What do the 7mm modellers do for this?
John
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John Dennis jdennis@...
Melbourne,Australia Home of the HOn30 Dutton Bay Tramway
and the Australian Narrow Gauge Web-Exhibition Gallery
Dutton Bay URL:
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