SLIM RAILS - Nn3 FAQ - 02-15-02
SLIM RAILS nn3
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SLIM RAILS

Nn3 refers to N scale three foot narrow gauge model railroad equipment and track.

This is the Nn3 Frequently Asked Questions file. Most of it is a compilation of information that I have rooted out from various sources. There is an Nn3 email list, hosted by Garth Hamilton, and a lot of the information here has come from others on the list. With their permission, I have included the information here.

I hope you find what you need here, and if there are other questions that are not covered, let me know.

Cheers,
Rick Blanchard


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Nn3 FAQ

General

Starting out
For general information on model railroading, N scale railroading, layout design, and other general information, check the FAQ files that already exist on the web:

Model Railroad FAQ

N Scale FAQ

Layout Design Special Interest Group Primer

Here are some other sites with goodies and information on Nn3:

Mark Fielder's British Nn3 Site

Garth Hamilton's Nn3 Site

Roy Steven's RGS, featuring dual gauge and Nn3

Gauge, Sizes, and Clearances
Nn3 equipment operates on either hand laid rails or Z scale flex or sectional track. The track gauge is 0.250 inches (6.35mm) for three foot and 0.15 inches (3.8mm) for two footers (hand laid only).

Since the prototype cars and locomotives were physically smaller, the N scale equipment is smaller than standard gauge N scale. Locomotives are 4 to 5 inches long, boxcars are 2 to 2 1/2 inches long, and a caboose may only be 1 1/2 inches! Widths are around 1/2 inch and heights are around 3/4 inch.

In 1981, Tom Knapp, Bob Sloan, Keith Koch and Mark Wilson proposed the following standards (and others) to the NMRA:

Minimum gauge between rails: 0.250in. (6.35mm)
Maximum gauge between rails: 0.260in. (6.6mm)
Flangeway width, maximum:    0.025in. (0.64mm)
Flangeway depth, minimum:    0.025in. (0.64mm)
Flange height, maximum:      0.020in. (0.51mm)
Wheel width, minimum:        0.053in. (1.35mm)

Boyd Stere adds the following: 

A few weeks ago, some email in the nn3 group got me started
on investigating wheels.  Listed below is a little chart
that I did as a result.  If anyone has further information
that they would like to add, or corrections, that would be
great.
                        Tire     Flange  Tread     Flange
                        Width    Depth   Diameter  Diameter

NMRA Standard Gauge
   S-4 Standard         .071     .022
   RP25 Standard        .072     .020

NMRA Nn3 Gauge (40")
   S-4 Standard         .053     .020
   RP25 Standard        .054     .016

MicroTrains (plastic)   .055(m)  .033(c)  .163(m)  .196(m)

Marklin #700810         .060(m)  .050(c)  .170(m)  .220(m)

NWSL 7415-4 (28" dia)   .072(s)  .020(s)  .175(s)  .195(c)

Bachmann 4-4-0 tender   .100(m)  .059(c)  .125(m)  .184(m)

Notes: (m) = measured with calipers
       (s) = manufacturer's specification
       (c) = calculated dimension

the Proto Nn3 Group
The Proto Nn3 Group is an ad-hoc group with an interest in continuing efforts to model in Nn3 and open to sharing any information they know of or discover. The Proto designation just infers that prototype railroads are emphasized. The reality is that there are a rare few that choose to model in this scale and all news, information, tips, techniques and info on new releases is welcome. The list information is on the Nn3 List page.

Narrow Gauge Prototypes
The narrow gauge trains that wound through mountainous terrain and hauled out all sorts of timber, ore, and other products were often the only contact with the outside world for many folks on the edges of civilization. The equipment was diminutive and had a sort of folk charm about it that gave each railroad a unique personality.

There were hundreds of narrow gauge railroads (664 in the US in 1890, 23 more in Canada), from the Maine two foot gauge trains of the Sandy River and Rangely Lakes to the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina and East Broad Top in the south and northeast, to the very well known Denver and Rio Grande and Rio Grand Southern in Colorado to the Southern Pacific - Carson & Colorado in the west; and all the way up in Alaska you'd find the White Pass and Yukon Route.

For more information on many of the narrow gauge railroads, there is quite a lot of information here on the web. See my Links page for a comprehensive list of sites that I have found here so far.

Equipment

The majority of this info is from Tobias Giles. I have made additions, and Manfred Curbach (mcurbach@Rcs1.urz.tu-dresden.de) has contributed as well.

Locomotives

Rolling Stock

Track/Turnouts

Miscellaneous Equipment

Nn3 Photographs

Here are some photos of Nn3 equipment that has been sent to me. If you have photos of your work send me some scans and I will add them to the photo pages.

Resources

I have some links to various resources on the net of interest to Nn3 modelers, including some vendors and suppliers.

Magazine articles

Most magazines that cover narrow gauge railroads, such as the "Short Line and Narrow Gauge Gazette", have published a lot of information that is as useful for the modeler in Nn3 as any other scale. Here is a list of what has been published in the Gazette.

Books & Manuals

Eventually it would be nice to compile a list of articles and books on NG subjects. The ATSF list did this last year and now has a full list of everything published. Any volunteers?

For real, hands-on, starter books to Nn3, as opposed to the many narrow gauge history books, try the following:

Nn3 Manual 5th Edition by Robert Sloan and Ted Brandon/ NTRAK Publishing

A good how-to book on building Nn3 locomotives, turn-outs, rolling stock, buildings, bridges, and modules with numerous pictures, drawings, & diagrams. The new manual (4/99) brings everything up-to-date from the previous issue and adds many new articles. Also includes further resources for parts. 82 pages, $12.00 ppd checks (no credit cards).

Narrow Gauge Data Book by Robert Sloan / NTRAK Publishing

An A thru Z listing of US narrow gauge lines, each with articles and ample drawings of the rolling stock, locos, and passenger cars. More bridges and (numerous) building drawings in scale. Definitely a book to start brainstorming and selecting your railroad line from. 68 pages, $8.00ppd

NTRAK Publishing, 1150 Wine Country Place, Templeton, CA 93465.

Indices

Try a search on Kalmbach's Magazine Database with keywords like "narrowgauge".

Clubs

Our club (SDSoNS)has a narrow gauge section, as does Belmont Shores.

Organizations and Historical Societies

Another good list to compile here. I know there are many out there, but need another volunteer to search them out and compile them.

Construction Tips

Good stuff we get off the nn3-list!

Tobias Giles starts us out with a description of converting Roundhouse Overton 34' passenger cars to narrow gauge.

Garth Hamilton has some instructions for creating the White Pass and Yukon DL535E diesels. There is additional info and some photos in Sloan's Nn3 Manual.

I have started a page to collect information on narrowing the Bachmann 4-4-0 locomotives. So far, Ted Brandon, Garth Hamilton and Roy Plummer have provided some tips for converting 4-4-0 locomotives to narrow gauge.

Anyone else have some stuff to share?

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