H0n2, H0n3 & H0n30? - Model Railroader Magazine

Hi Gerard,

HOn2 represents 2 ft. gauge - like the narrow gauge lines in Maine. In HO scale, the gauge is about 7mm, but you could get by with Z scale track, which has a gauge of 6.5mm.

HOn3 represents 3ft. gauge - like the lines ín Colorado and New Mexico. 3 ft. gauge seems to be the "standard" narrow gauge in the US. In HO scale, the gauge is 10.5mm

HOn30 or HOn2 1/2 represents 2 1/2 ft. gauge, which is rather uncommon in North America, but widely popular in Europe.

There is no commercially made HOn2 stock I know of, so this is truly a scratch builders gauge. HOn3 is a different story. Blackstone Models has a nice selection of D&RGW and RGS engines and rolling stock, but the beautifully detailed models come at a price. There is also plenty of brass around.

HOn30 locos and rolling stock following US prototype practice are available from Minitrains, but are either rather generic or based on the cartoon series "Fiddletown & Copperopolis". Of course, if you like European railways, there is plenty of stuff available, all the way from affordable to requires robbing a bank.

So, if you really want to build a narrow gauge layout, I´d recommend to go down the HOn3 route.

RD-Hobby in Germany stocks Blackstone products.

Back in 1974, I bought my one and only HOn3 engine - a Westside Model Co. (brass) D&RGW T-12 Tenwheeler, which I painted, (incorrectly) lettered and weathered. I still have it, but i never made it to seeing it run a layout, only on a short piece of test track.

Edit: Years ago, I made a plan for a small shel-type layout in our spare bedroom (part of it), but for whatever reason, I never got started on it.

Narrow gauge layouts can be held quite simple, as the prototype were usually short on cash and tried to economize wherever possible.