Amper Sand On18

This was my first micro layout. It depicts a fictitious run-down sand loading facility somewhere south of Sydney. Track is Peco 009 Crazy track with widely spaced sleepers. The loading facility is a very heavily bashed HO scale swap meet find. Figures are mostly Tamiya 1/48 soldiers with varying levels of surgery.

Attached files

 

Yes Chris,even the garbage bin in the corner that I neglected to move is absolutely real, much to my chagrin!

 

Here is an overview of the same layout. It runs very nicely with a Railway Recollections On18 Brookville (on a Bachmann 'N'' MDT chassis, and I have a couple of Backwoods Miniatures O9/On18 locos running on Kato tram chassis. These have a lot of character.

Attached files

 

And another... Please excuse me for posting photos 1 at a time, as I don't know how to do them all in one reply.

Attached files

 

View of the Malcolm Moore-ish loco running on an MDT Bachmann chassis

Attached files

 

Thank you all for the warm welcome and kind words. cheers!http://www.click

 

Hello Kim,I built the little On18 red freight cars out of evergreen styrene or similar shapes and a deck around Langley 009 Lynton & Barnstaple passenger car bogies. The "axle ends"are simply Grandt Line NBW castings glued on for effect. A styrene deck was added. Other N scale passenger car bogies can be used, you would just have to sand down the detail.
The couplers shown in the photos are a standard Bemo style 009 coupler on one end of a car (with the big hook and loop) and on the other end of the car I simply cut a staple in half to make a hook. A hole was drilled in the end beam to take the 1/2 staple. The Bemo coupling with the big loop simply sits over the staple hook. It is not designed or recommended if you want to shunt. Essentially the only way to undo the coupling is by using the big hand from the sky!
While the early cars depicted still use this method, later On18 cars and locos all use Microtrains 1015/1025 N scale couplers. I can recommend these highly, as they are much less obtrusive than those early couplers.
To retrofit the first On18 cars I built to the microtrains couplers would be tricky. I have had a look but life is too short.
If you are interested in On18/O9, there is a Facebook group Ön18 and O9 modelers.On the supply side,Railway Recollections in the US make some nice loco kits and cars. I recommend the Brookville, and the freight cars are nice http://www.railway-recollections.com/Backwoods Miniatures also has some wonderful locos and wagonshttp://sales7046.wix.com/backwoods-on18
If you have N scale bibs and bobs, you can probably cobble together your own freelance locos and wagons together quite easilyMost of all, have fun!Hoping this helpscheersGeoff

 

Steve,
thank you very much. While I model for my own enjoyment, the appreciation offellow modellers is the icing on the cake of a great hobby.
I have another On18 layout under construction. I will progress it a bit more before posting photos.It is called "Deer Valley Vegetables"and is constructed in an APA box which is being made to look a little like a vegetable crate.The layout in its early (and undeveloped since then I'm afraid to admit) form can be seen in this video made by Miles Hale last year at Bowral Narrow Gauge Conventionhttp://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/mrht/miles-hale-australia-2015#comment-195297
At 7.59 is my Hoyt-Clagwell On30 layout. Deer Valley is at 13.03, Amper Sand On18 is at 15:42.
Have a look at the rest of the video if you can, there is some great modelling at the Convention,http://www.click
Geoff