009 Narrow Gauge

[Paul B]

Narrow gauge N can use Z gauge track. I might be imagining this, but I think that Peco actually produced some kits or stock for this many years ago? 

I thought about giving this a go years ago, and have a Peco tank loco body tucked away somewhere, which is designed to fit on to a Marklin Z Gauge 0-6-0 chassis. Trouble is, when I started looking at the price of Z gauge stuff to turn in to narrow gauge models, I stopped... 

[Mr Sprue]

Forgot to mention Mr S, I used all my surplus track, just had buy an extra 'point'. I just ballasted over the sleepers, so no expensive track to buy. Getting the urge to just check that 'layout' . Cheers john.
http://www.ngrail.co.uk/.

Cheers for that...Just book marked your link to my Narrow gauge folder! 

[Oldman]

Narrow gauge N can use Z gauge track. I might be imagining this, but I think that Peco actually produced some kits or stock for this many years ago? 

I thought about giving this a go years ago, and have a Peco tank loco body tucked away somewhere, which is designed to fit on to a Marklin Z Gauge 0-6-0 chassis. Trouble is, when I started looking at the price of Z gauge stuff to turn in to narrow gauge models, I stopped... 

That is why I decided to go back to Z. It was almost making me cry to dismember perfectly running locos plus the smaller ones are hard to find without breaking the bank.

[Mr Sprue]

I recently come across this blog on how to build a steam tram, all the parts needed are very reasonable to buy seems a good little easy project to do!

http://mdmodelworks.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/converting-atlas-slm-tram-to-009.html

[Bealman]

Good, isn't it. As you say, the great thing about 009 is you can run all sorts of quirky stuff. 

[Komata]

Concerning ''Narrrow Gauge' N:

A slightly different approach (in that it uses N-scale track) is NZ120  (aka TTn 31/2).

This uses TT scale (1:120) bodies on standard N-scale mechanisms to replicate 3 ft 6 in Narrow Gauge railways.  the result runs on N-gauge track.

NZ120 was developed in New Zealand where the 'national track gage' is 3ft.6 in and has a small but growing following, to the extent that it is now accepted a being one of the three scales (the others being 9mm: 1ft, and  Sn 31/2) that is used to replicate the local railway system.

If anyone is interested in what can be accomplished with this scale, typing in 'NZ120' in Google images will bring up pics giving some visual indication as to what is being done.

As I said, a slightly different approach, but certainly 'Narrow Gauge N'.

Trusting that some will find this of interest.

[ohlavache]

I fell also in love with 009 stuff.
That's all Minitrains fault!
One day, I'll have a small layout. 

[zwilnik]

Here's my Nn3 Peco kit "Lynne" on the narrow gauge line that's part of my Ivebridge layout (pre-move destruction, although the narrow gauge line is staying)





The crane and flatbed truck are just Marklin Z Gauge ones but they don't look out of place

[Bealman]

If you don't mind me saying so, that is great! Brilliant, actually. It's a shame Peco aren't doing those kits anymore. Yours really looks the part.

Your water looks great, too. 

[zwilnik]

It stems from the shop layout that inspired me as a kid. I don't remember the name of it but there was a big toy shop in Wallingford where I got a lot of my Meccano bits and they had a really nice display layout which was a classic mountain railway one that combined both OO and N Gauge trains together with the N Gauge mountain railway in the top part. So technically the scale mix wasn't right, but to a kid it looked great and the N gauge stuff was justified as a forced perspective thing

So having a small bit of Nn3 on the layout was a great excuse for me to mix in some Z Gauge

[jonclox]

  00-9 stock can be fun if your running N gauge stock and suddenly start chasing it with a 00-9 loco to amuse the grandkids 
[edit] Beware low bridges, buildings etc tho

[painbrook]

is this what you mean?.http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Loco_Body_Kits__White_Metal_.html
john.

[Oldman]

If you are interested the GVT tram loco will fit the Kato 103 chassis with a little fettling but if you can build the body kit it is quite easy.

[Mr Sprue]

is this what you mean?.http://www.parksidedundas.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Loco_Body_Kits__White_Metal_.html
john.

Nice loco kits I've not seen them before especially the saddle tank, that one is definitely on my shopping list.

[Komata]

Mr Sprue

Agreed, they ARE very nice kits and do make up well.  The (big) problem is that they were originally issued in the 1960's (at which time they were revolutionary) and intended to run on CONTEMPORARY N-scale chassis, with Arnold (he 'commercial' originator of 'N' scale as we now know it) especially, being the favoured manufacturer. 

Arnold subsequently went out of existence (at least under its own name), its dies were dispersed,  and the 'running gear' is no longer available.

Due to tooling costs, it has apparently not proven practical / economic for Peco to modify these kits to enable them to be used on the N-scale chassis available in the Twenty-first Century, so effectively they are 'orphans'.

Certainly determined modelers DO 'cut to fit' these kits, frequently placing them on either Kato or Atlas chassis, but many indulge in what has become known as The 'Great Chassis Hunt' and  try to find the original chassis for which these kits were intended. Sadly, while doing-so they discover that (a) Fleabay is horrifyingly expensive and (b) the age of the chassis  when finally found means that they are both 'museum pieces' and very unreliable.  Many give up as a result. The 'Great Chassis Hunt' is an unfortunate side-effect of these kits.

They are lovely little kits, it's just that 'the bits wot move' are so very, very elusive.

BTW: If you DO decide to follow this through, might I suggest you consider looking at the Narrow Gauge Modelling Online forum (Google it) as it can be very useful and helpful.

Hoping this is of use.