Converting 009 to OO

[b308]

Hope the OP doesn't mind the thread drift!

Yes I think you are right about the Ffestinog when it started taking paying passengers, I've a feeling the Tallylyn was the same...

The Light Railways Act (1896) did indeed open up the way for many new narrow gauge lines and even more standard gauge ones, Col Stephens had many of his lines running "under" the Act. The 25mph speed limit also came from this act, as mentioned in the Titfield Thinderbolt and widely seen on most current preserved lines in the UK...

Prior to the 1896 Act many lines had been opened using the Tramways Act of 1870, though it was found that it was not "broad" enough hence the LRA of 1896. If you look at Irish railways, in particular the 3ft gauge lines you will see a lot of them were opened using similar Irish Acts and there are other examples worldwide in places once ruled by Britain such as India.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramways_Act_1870

[End2end]

Hope the OP doesn't mind the thread drift!

Not at all. I and hopefully other members found it quite an interesting read. Most common railway history is about the main lines and operators so looking into these narrow gauge and the like really opens up both the knowledge and perhaps the modelling potential.
I was thinking there was another gauge that ran on OO. Perhap's an O scale narrow gauge?
Thanks
End2end

[Bigmet]

Yes, commercially there's O16.5, 7mm/ft bodies on 16.5mm gauge track. Same gauge as HO and OO, good approximation for 600 - 800mm/ 2' - 2'6" gauged NG lines. I don't doubt there will be someone out there using 10mm/ft on 16.5mm gauge track for 18" gauge, may even be commercial products by now?

Modellers doing the 3'6" gauge widely used in Africa have been known to use 5mm/ft on 16.5mm gauge track. That way they can select from the large choice in HO and OO mechanisms and running gear, to go under scratchbuilt model bodies. The resulting near two feet long models of the largest Garratts are 'rather impressive'.

[Mountain]

Hope the OP doesn't mind the thread drift!

Not at all. I and hopefully other members found it quite an interesting read. Most common railway history is about the main lines and operators so looking into these narrow gauge and the like really opens up both the knowledge and perhaps the modelling potential.
I was thinking there was another gauge that ran on OO. Perhap's an O scale narrow gauge?
Thanks
End2end

There is and I'm having great fun with it! 7mm narrow gauge is known in the UK as 0-16.5 as is 0 scale with 16.5mm gauge track (Same as 00 in width between the rails). In the rest of Europe the scale/gauge is known as 0e, and in USA is known as 0n30.
While I have 00 gauge, I have grown to really love 7mm narrow gauge, as it is a real fun scratch builders gauge as whatever one builds, however crude one can usually find a prototype for it! As far as I know, the only real entries into RTR in this gauge is Fleishmann in German outline and Bachmann in USA outline.
The great thing is, one can use cheap 00 gauge chassis and even bodies to convert to this scale, and if one keeps to 0/4/0 locos or short 0/6/0, one can turn sharp corners and it looks right. I'm building a layout slowly that will consist of an oval on two boards of just 2ft x 7ft.
One of the main reasons I've adopted this scale is to keep modelling on a very tight budget. I'm making waggons for £2 or less each. I make my own centre buffer type couplings to save cost from drawing pins etc. This means the wheels are my main cost of building.
I also use easy to make resin kits from a company called Smallbrook Studio. They are listed as 0e on their website.
I've had so much fun in this scale and gauge that I've almost forgotten I have 00 gauge trains... (Well. Not quite!)