The only reason I'm doing 0n30 is because I have so much stuff in 1/4 inch scale and all that blinkin' Peco trackage. There are other possibile options I could consider. The two scales here are ones I did before so a few images are included as examples of what can be done.

 

55th Scale - 3 foot guage - More...

This is actually something like 54.50.... scale, but I could live with 55th (5.5mm = 1'). The gauge is HO (16.5mm) at 3 feet between the rails instead of 4' 8 1/2". It was ideal for Colorado narrow gauge and I had a number of items that were D & RGW, Colorado & Southern and freelanced stuff.

 

 

The above were opposites ends of a switching
layout. The loco is a freelanced 2-6-0 on an MDC chassis.

 

The ten spot is based on 2 locos. C&S #20
and a Tweetsie loco. It was originally a Mantua 4-6-0.

 

A second layout was built, again a shelf switching one.
The loco is based on a Denver, Leadville & Gunnison, Cooke loco.
It too used an MDC 0-6-0 chassis with scratchbuilt structure.

 

The 2-8-0 is based on a Lawndale loco.
It's pulling a C&S combination car (#20).

 

A better shot of the Mogul.

 

The thing about this scale is it's size. At nearly half-way between Sn3 and 0n3, I could use details from HO, Sn3 and On3. Track was all hand laid including the switches with Code 70 rail. My current sized plan of 9' by 15" would see more "on board" than 0n30. However, there are no figures in this scale. Lledo in England made 55th scale trucks (similar to the Matchbox ones) so I had plenty of vehicles. Plus I could go any of the Colorado 3 foot lines.

 

32nd Scale - about 21 inch gauge

A larger scale, that can use some 35th scale bits and you hardly notice it. I'd get a lot less real estate at 3/8's to the inch, but a bunch more detail. This I am considering as I have a few boxes of bits that need using up. I just may do a Micro layout in 32nd. Micro layouts have to be under 4 square feet to qualify as genuine micro. A maintenance facility comes to mind.

 

The vertical boiler loco below was powered by a Grandt Line 59:1 micro motor and handled very sharp curves. Originally I had a complete workshop with sheds, trackage and a few handbuilt switches.

 

 

I suppose I could do the 32nd for exhibitions and the 0n30 for messing around at home on. The chassis from the Mogul has been chopped about a bit and I'm planning to use it as a 4 wheeler - but I don't know exactly what yet.

 

The object is that my layout has to be feasible, even though it will be a semi-caricature concept. I've plans for a 2-4-0 that I had drawn some years ago and will probably use a Grandt line 18 ton Porter chassis as a base. Though part of me wants to get weird and wonderful, so being totally freelance. Quite a number of narrow gauge lines were just that - Ephriam Shay's fantastic, homebuilt, geared engine probably made him more money than logging did and became the de-facto standard logging locomotive around the world.