Help for ho

Welcome to New Railway Modellers Forum. Read the Introduction and Terms and conditions of New Railway Modellers model railway forum. Introduce yourself to the members in this section.
Post Reply
Makepeace
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:26 pm

Help for ho

Post by Makepeace »

Building my first layout this year, outdoors about 25 yards, single track, dogbone loop. After seriously looking at costs I abandoned the larger gauges and settled on oo. I know this will be difficult, hence single track to begin with whilst I work on outdoor problems. Long term I hope to add another loop and keep going around the garden, which has the potential for 75 yards continuous loop.
However, somebody suggested ho and being curious have tried to investigate. There does appear to be some interesting locos out there but I can only find dribs and drabs. Looking for some help finding good online suppliers so I can compare prices, or uk "west anglia" suppliers. I refuse to use evilbay on principle.
Being a rebel I could run oo and ho together without breaking into palpitations. My thoughts are that ho may be too small, but may be able to run it on good weather days. Anyone out there done this?
b308
Posts: 5106
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 5:48 pm
Location: North Worcs

Re: Help for ho

Post by b308 »

People have used 16.5mm gauge outdoors but it's quite rare simply because it's not as robust as the more usual 32mm and 45mm. From what I have seen if you keep to a simple oval you should be ok...

I'd suggest that you Google "garden railways" and go from there...

Using HO or OO stuff is purely about what sort of stock you like, OO is British, HO is the Rest of the World... Try Toyfairs for HO stock.
User avatar
Bufferstop
Posts: 13788
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:06 pm
Location: Bottom end of N. Warks line

Re: Help for ho

Post by Bufferstop »

There was a flurry of outdoor 00 in the sixties, but there was then one big difference. They pretty much all used Triang stock with the original Triang wheels and the code 124 flexi-track of the time. That had the advantage that they were running with a passable representation of O gauge wheels on O gauge track with the rails shoved together by 15mm. You can get a rail of that size today, it's for O gauge but not 16.5mm wide track that uses it. You would have to scratch build at least all of the chassis you would need, using O Gauge coarse standard wheels. Have you seen the price of O gauge wheels. Sounds hard work and expensive to me.
Growing old, can't avoid it. Growing up, forget it!
My Layout, My Workbench Blog and My Opinions
User avatar
Emettman
Posts: 2253
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 4:43 pm
Location: Cornwall UK
Contact:

Re: Help for ho

Post by Emettman »

Hello and welcome Makepeace.

I have had three garden railways, and the first was with 16.5 mm gauge track (with larger narrow gauge bodies)
I had no impossible difficulties with it, even with pointwork.
Keeping the track clean and leaf(and grit) free was an issue. 24 ft of track was enough, for me.

There are relatively inexpensive ways to work in the larger scales, which would be perhaps more naturally at home in the garden, but they do require rather more in the way of a "bodging" mentality, rather than a "run out of the box one.

I can show some examples if this might be of interest.
Just one:

A small G scale track I built for a day-care centre, using Playmobil r/c trains

Image

Image

Chris
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
Makepeace
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:26 pm

Re: Help for ho

Post by Makepeace »

Thanks for taking the trouble to post pictures and reply. Never modelled trains before because I couldn't see the enjoyment of a train "chasing its tail". When the garden railway series was first aired I could then see an attraction. The idea was filed away in my head as something I might do one day.
Had 6 weeks off work recently so started doing some research. Loads online (quite a lot of rubbish, but some good stuff). Visited some model shops, quite helpful, but could do better. Had to dismiss g scale and O gauge due to cost. Track was feasible, but the locos were far out of my reach.
Saw that some people were doing oo outdoors and decided to go for it. Track will be on posts 3 feet high, Nce powercab controller, boards, felt, droppers on every piece of track + 1 train £400
I am aware that it will be a steep learning curve, keeping the track clean seems to be a big issue to some, but a 10-15 minute task to others. Nothing ventured.....
Was then thrown a curveball when someone suggested ho. Had a brief look and there are some very interesting looking trains, but struggled to find some easy to buy ho trains in the uk. Hence the plea for help. Had some suggestions but have yet to find something very easy to browse. Probably me + obviously ho is niche in the uk, so therefore a little more spread out. Quite like a couple of bachmann locos but there listed stockists in my area don't list ho on their websites and one certainly doesn't stock it. Not sure about the other 2 either.
So, still asking for help/ recommendations
Admin4
Posts: 1901
Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2012 4:39 pm

Re: Help for ho

Post by Admin4 »

You can run H0 trains on 00 track and 00 trains on H0 track!

this means that you don't have to limit yourself to just one, it should mean finding interesting things to run is a little easier
Makepeace
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2017 8:26 pm

Re: Help for ho

Post by Makepeace »

Yep, already got that and intend to run the two together. Just looking for some pointers towards sites/ shops to browse ho locos.
User avatar
Emettman
Posts: 2253
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 4:43 pm
Location: Cornwall UK
Contact:

Re: Help for ho

Post by Emettman »

Makepeace wrote:Had to dismiss g scale and O gauge due to cost. Track was feasible, but the locos were far out of my reach.
This is where my madness, miserliness and willingness to play Dr Frankenstein came in.
All my O and G locos are in the £25 - £50 category.
The Playmobil layout above was £85, track & two trains.
Track will be on posts 3 feet high, Nce powercab controller, boards, felt, droppers on every piece of track + 1 train £400
I am aware that it will be a steep learning curve, keeping the track clean seems to be a big issue to some, but a 10-15 minute task to others. Nothing ventured.....
On baseboard structure, if you look at the first of the Playmobil layout pictures, you will see what I have used three times now:
twinwall polycarbonate sheeting, and square section drainpipe.
Yes, being unconventional again.
But it is effectively totally weather-resistant.

What I've not done, but had in mind if I ever built a raised garden railway, was to plant hedging underneath it, so that it in time its top could be made a level green "landscape" for the trains.
But I am generally considered mad, remember.

Chris
"It's his madness that keeps him sane."
ChrisWV10
Posts: 590
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 3:36 pm
Location: Wolverhampton

Re: Help for ho

Post by ChrisWV10 »

When you say HO are you looking for US, Continental or British? British HO is rare but US and Continental is widely available.

Gaugemaster stock most of the manufacturers have a look at kato, Athearn, Atlas, Roco, Piko, Trix, walthers, Fleischmann. Also A&H Models in Brackley.

For an OO garden railway search metadyneman on youtube.

C. :)
Post Reply