Modelling Industrial & Sugar Cane Railways
Ron Aubrey also builds O scale models of industrial railways with a track gauge of
18 inches (On18, see image above) and sugar cane railways with 24 inch gauge (On24),
thus requiring track components, wheelsets and mechanisms to be scratch-built.
Most Queensland cane railway modellers working in O scale use a scale
of 7 mm to the foot (1:43) and 16.5mm track... ie they use an oversize ~26 inch gauge.
Increasingly, modellers are working with On30 for sugar cane railways (1:48 using
16.5 mm gauge track). While this gauge is significantly oversize (~30 inches) many
HO components can be used, thus avoiding the need to scratch-build many components.
CaneSIG, a resource for cane railway modellers, has more
details plus a detailed article on choosing your scale
and gauge on it's web site.
Queensland Rail in On42
Ron Fox, Buddina, and Ron Aubrey, Yandina, are two well known Queensland model
makers developing 1/4 inch to the foot (1:48) scale models.
Ron Fox's new diorama, shown
here, will be exhibited at the Brisbane Model Train Show and similar events.
The diorama portrays a small Queensland station back in the Queensland Government
Railways' steam era and many items have been scratch- or custom-built.
On42 is the modelling designation for modelling Queensland Rail's 3 foot 6 inch
gauge (42 inches) in 'O' scale... with O scale being one-quarter inch to the foot
(1:48 scale).
Other common
scales
used by QR modellers include Sn42 (S scale, 3/16 inch to the
foot, 1:64) using 16.5 mm track (thus using HO gauge components) or HOn42 (HO scale,
3.5 mm to the foot, 1:87) using 12 mm gauge track.
The 1:48 Special Interest Group
provides support for 1/4 inch to the foot modellers.
qldrailheritage.com
site
developed and maintained for Queensland's rail heritage providers.
Contents provided for non-commercial use only and are copyright © A C Lynn Zelmer
or as indicated. Page last updated: 26/5/05 [lz].