The Company Layout: Idaho Springs

This On30 exhibition layout is the masterful work of Norm Downes. He named it Idaho Springs. Gembrook Model Trains bought it earlier this year from him.

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This is Peter Grace's converted Sierra Mallet 2-6-6-2. Seen here passing the loco shed and loading bank on Idaho Springs. The rake of wagons are simply HO gondolas with new brake wheels, they have yet to be fully converted to On30 wagons. This loco looks incredible

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These two monsters are Peter Grace's Garratts, on left his 2-6-2+2-6-2 while on the right is his K1 styled 0-4-0+0-4-0. These two garratts took the second and third prizes repectively in the Steam Locomotives category at the Australian Narrow Gauge Convention in 2003. The big Garratt has a pair of Bachmann 0-6-0 chassis whilst the red one has a pair of Hornby/Dapol Pug chassis.

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This is my Mighty Midget and Open Wagon. The Midget is a modified Boulder Valley Models kit. The Open wagon has a Roundhouse Shorty Flat Car chassis and deck, with scratchbuilt sides and ends. It was just a quicky conversion. The open wagon is too narrow compared to most On30 rollingstock, but it suits the Midget well. I replaced the bogies with whitemetal ones from Gembrook Model Trains (formerly Model-Details from the Ruff-n-Ready range) the brake wheel is an etched curly spoke one custom made for in-house projects.

The Midget is the most reliable, and smoothest loco on the layout! Those Bachmann 44 tonner trucks are incredible. I only have 3 more to play with :-)

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Mark Kendrick 29/08/04