First Nn3 rolling stock post! All the way back to 1979...

[NDave]

Towards the end of my first foray into N-scale, circa 1979, I got "bit" by the narrow gauge bug. Being of unsound mind and body, I decided to try my hand at narrow gauge modeling in N scale... IOW, Nn3... using Z gauge trucks on hand-laid track and turnouts. That was a pretty crazy idea back then... As I recall, there was a "local" fellow who "pioneered" and talked up Nn3 around the local shops. I can't recall his name, but he lived out in Loma Linda, CA. I drove a couple hours out from Pasadena to meet him one Saturday, to hear his ideas and see what sort of parts/supplies he had available. I came home with a head full of ideas and a track gauge.

I hand-laid a bit of track using "home made" PC board ties (I bought some PC board from the electrical shop at my university, and had one of the guys in our shop shear it into strips) and code 40 rail. I made at least a couple turnouts, trying both standard and stub designs. I built/bashed one locomotive (posted in the motive power forum) and built this one baggage car as a beginning of my Nn3 branch line...

104405

...before "trading up" to HOn3. The trucks were modified from Marklin trucks, the couplers I think were regular Kadee (now MTL) N-scale couplers, and I can't recall who sold the etched brass brake wheels. Everything else was pretty much from scratch. To give an ide of scale, the whole car was about the size of my ring finger (and I have medium small hands).

I sold all of my N scale stuff when I moved to HOn3. I have often wondered if any of it was still floating around somewhere. I thought maybe the pic would be interesting to today's Nn3 modelers... but didn't expect to be the first poster in the sub-forum!

[The Ol' Curmudgeon]

Was it Tom Knapp? He was a pioneer in Nn3 as you were.

[mosslake]

That car looks like a C&S car. It certainly has the 'Colorado' feel to it. Great work!!



Was it Tom Knapp? He was a pioneer in Nn3 as you were.
And he's still going!! Tom now has a lot of 3D printed stuff (Shapeways), including a Mack rail bus I intend to get....

[Jugtown Modeler]

Nelson Gray, Robert Sloan, Ted Brandon, Garth Hamilton, Tom Knapp, Bob Sloan, Keith Koch and Mark Wilson were some of those early pioneers that we/I have much respect for.

I believe it was Nelson Gray that created some of the original nn3 rolling stock tooling that Micro Trains then acquired.

I had begged the Admins to add these Nn3 pages hoping to draw more interest and spark some effort on my part which has been painfully slow...

Thanks for sharing you photo of your early contributions!

[Jugtown Modeler]

Towards the end of my first foray into N-scale, circa 1979, I got "bit" by the narrow gauge bug.

Also, Many of the Nn3 pioneers are still around on the Nn3 forum, formerly Yahoo group but now here: https://groups.io/g/Nn3

[NDave]

Was it Tom Knapp? He was a pioneer in Nn3 as you were.
You know, I just can't remember. It was 40+ years ago... all I remember is driving forever out near Loma Linda, CA...

[NDave]

That car looks like a C&S car. It certainly has the 'Colorado' feel to it. Great work!!
I do believe it was a C&S car I patterned it after, taking liberties where size or availability of materials required. Seems to me there was an article or drawing I saw in NG&SL Gazette about that time?

I can't go back and look, because I sold 20 years of NG&SL Gazette on eBay a few years back, to help fund my other expensive hobby: Guild acoustic guitars...

[mosslake]

I do believe it was a C&S car I patterned it after, taking liberties where size or availability of materials required. Seems to me there was an article or drawing I saw in NG&SL Gazette about that time?

I built the same car in HOn3. It was a Gazette article, the baggage/mail car and I think an excursion car.
I lost my Gazettes in the move from east to west coast but I'm happy that the Gazette up to 2014 is now on a 2 CD set ($139.95 + postage) which I just ordered. So much easier than lugging those paper copies around.

[The Ol' Curmudgeon]

lost my Gazettes in the move from east to west coast but I'm happy that the Gazette up to 2014 is now on a 2 CD set ($139.95 + postage) which I just ordered. So much easier than lugging those paper copies around.

No kidding! Hmmm, that's tempting. I really loved the Gazette, especially in the 1980s. The cover artwork was worth the price on its own.

[mosslake]

No kidding! Hmmm, that's tempting. I really loved the Gazette, especially in the 1980s. The cover artwork was worth the price on its own.

The site that's selling the CDs
http://bobhayden.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=102

[Rodsup9000]

I'm happy that the Gazette up to 2014 is now on a 2 CD set ($139.95 + postage) which I just ordered. So much easier than lugging those paper copies around.


Wow, I'll be ordering it when I have more funds. I do have almost all the issues on the CD's in paper. It's one of my all time favorites rags.

[mosslake]

Wow, I'll be ordering it when I have more funds. I do have almost all the issues on the CD's in paper. It's one of my all time favorites rags

Same here! It's really a great mag with loads of plans. The CD idea is great and so convienient. The bonus is Bob Brown's predecessor mags included as well.
A recent buy that I'm very happy with is the MRH structure plan Vol. 1 & 2 download.
https://store.mrhmag.com/store/p85/SPECIAL%3A__Structure_plans_-_BOTH_vol_1_and_vol_2%3A_Wood_frame%2C_stone%2C_an d_masonry_structures_%28eBooks%29.html

[Rodsup9000]

A recent buy that I'm very happy with is the MRH structure plan Vol. 1 & 2 download.
https://store.mrhmag.com/store/p85/S...eBooks%29.html


Those are good books too. I have both in hard copies as Pat (Harriman) is local. I just realized I lent them to someone and they haven't came back yet and I forgot who has them. Now that going to be bothering me till I figure out who has them.

BTW I haven't forgot about the coal bin. Just too busy to work on it.

[mosslake]

BTW I haven't forgot about the coal bin. Just too busy to work on it.

That's ok, I'm still working on the layout board/table and other models