Gorre & Daphetid in Sn42
Sometimes I think it's good to get back to basics. I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a good model railroad track plan for a 4 x 8 Sn42 layout. I want kind of a western theme with some mountains (or at least hills), a tunnel or trestle (or both), and good operation and scenery potential. It turns out the right layout was in front of me all the time - John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid. The Gorre & Daphetid is a compact model railroad that fits into my space and has all the visual and operational elements that I want. There were actually 2 versions of the original track plan published - the "original" original had an engine terminal inside the loop of track, while the "as built" original moved the engine terminal outside the loop and replaced it with an industrial siding. This modification makes the Gorre & Daphetid take up more than 4 feet in width, so I'm still working on trying to decide whether to put the engine terminal inside the loop or just leave it off all together.
The Gorre & Daphetid is considered a small model railroad by HO scale standards, so how will it work when building to 1:64 scale? I think it will work out fine. I'm modeling in Sn42, not S standard guage. My Sn42 locomotives are built on small HO scale mechanisms that can easily go around a 15 inch radius curve. All my cars are the equivelent of HO scale 40 footers or shorter. The original Gorre & Daphetid fit onto a table that was only 3'7" wide by 6'8" long. My table is 4 x 8 so I can use the extra space to stretch things out a bit. I'll use the extra 5" of width to add my main line across the front of the layout. In this scheme, the G&D will be a mining branch off of the main line, served by one of my Sn42 "critters." The main line (for now at least) will be a place for me to display some of my larger Sn42 projects like a Roundhouse 2-8-0 I just got. The extra length will be used to spread things out a little so the 1:64 scenery and buildings don't look so jammed together. I've got 11 days off over Christmas break so hopefully I can get a train table built and start laying track.
My railroad won't be called the Gorre & Daphetid, of course. I'm naming it the Owens River Valley Railroad. That was the name of a real narrow guage railroad that was to be built between Bishop and Laws, CA to interchange with Southern Pacific's Slim Princess narrow guage railroad.
[...] and I don’t want to mess up an expensive kit. When I was looking for buildings for my Gorre & Daphetid in Sn42 I found a really cool freight house kit from Banta Modelworks. The best part about this kit is the [...]
[...] was able to pick up a WSLCo water tank kit and a Strong Depot. The water tank will be perfect on my Sn42 Gorre & Daphetid layout and the Strong Depot will be perfect as Bishop Creek Station when I extend the line to Bishop [...]
Great to read of your Sn42 project.My home state, Queensland, has the whole State rail system built to 3ft 6in. gauge and is probably the leading rail system in Australia. Tasmania’s system is also a 3ft. 6in. system.(Where I now live.) Modelling these systems is quite popular. Here it is designated Sn.3 and a half or Sn 3.5. There are many kits for locos and rolling stock available. Other states ie. West Australia and South Australia have significant mileage of 3ft. 6in. gauge trackage, all of which are heavy haulaage systems. In all Sn42 has quite a large following and there is a magazine avilable called Australian Sn Modeller, catering for Sn2, Sn3, and sn42. Best wishes for your venture,
Noel.
[...] cheaper alternative (than ‘true’ Sn3) to modeling 3 foot gauge lines in S Scale. It was recently pointed out to me that there were actually quite a few 1:1 rail lines that used 42″ gauge track. Well, of [...]
Thanks for your work on Sn42. I am presently torn between On30 and Sn42, as there are more 42″ narrow gauge railways in Canada then anything else, and On30 is a bit too big, and is much too narrow, comparing the width of the tracks to the size and width of the locos and cars. Any advice? Thanks
Hi Tate,
I would go with Sn42. IMO the only advantage On30 has is lots of RTR equipment. As you said though it just looks too narrow. The only reason I’d ever consider running On30 would be if I were actually modeling a 30″ gauge prototype. Sn42 looks much closer to 3 foot gauge and if you’re prototype is 42″ gauge then all the better. The MDC Old Timer locomotives can be converted into reasonable Sn42 locomotives, possibly some of the Old Time rolling stock kits as well. The P-B-L Sn3 kits could be converted by just adding HO scale trucks.
Cheers,
Ken