Attention 4-3/4" gauge enthusiasts

[mattmason]

For those not in the know, here are the dates for the next few Small Scales Meets:

-- July 24&25 this year in Los Angeles at LALS
-- July 7-11, 2016, in Minneapolis at St Croix Railroad
-- Mid-June 2017 a 1" California Ramble that will include the American River Navigation and Railway Nevada County track near Sacramento (~2500' of 4.75"), SVLS in Sacramento (~1800' of 4.75"), GGLS near San Francisco(~1800 of ground level 4.75" and 1100' raised 4.75"/3.5"/2.5"), ending at LALS for (4.75"/3.5"), and a few surprises in other scales along the way.

The whole point of these meets are for small scalers to get together without the interference of 7.5"ers. There is nothing wrong with that size (I have two locos and the accompany of cars to go with them so I'm definitely not a scale snob), but many of those guys tend to take over at meets and have no interest in sizes other than themselves. We wanted something that focuses on us. We have done the Saturday small scale only with Sunday being for all at GGLS and it worked out fine, but Saturday was for us. That is why Jim is wanting days just for small scales, its part of the SSM tradition and one that I of course am pushing as well. There are hundreds of meets for 7.5" only, this is the one that is us.

As for small scale narrow gaugers, they have always been welcome. Dave came to my meets and we talked many times at them. The largest requirement is that the equipment run on 4.75", 3.5", or 2.5" gauge, so 1.5" SCALE running on 4.75" TRACK is OK, running 1.5" scale or larger on 7.5" track is not. The other requirement is that it is open to those interested in these gauges allowed to attend with or without equipment to reach out to them to get exposure to our scales.

[jeffsmith]

Glad to hear about the Small Scale Meets. I will definitely be at the St Croix meet in 2016. The 2017 California Ramble sounds interesting also.
My name is Jeff Smith and am the owner of Branchline Products. For the past 32 years I have been trying to promote 1.5" scale running on 4-3/4" track.
We had a small but very enthusiastic group modeling mainly D&RGW narrow gauge. Most of my customers are 1.5" standard gaugers using my detail parts on there early era equipment. I never really promoted this scale so maybe that's why it never really took off. The fact that 4-3/4" tracks were disappearing didn't help either.
I contacted Train Mountain recently to ask this question (again) and they said if there was enough response they would consider it. At least this management answered me this time. From the response here there doesn't seem to be a lot of enthusiasm. I will carry on.
Jeff

[Harlock]

A-ha, THAT Jeff Smith! I used your excellent 3000 series boxcar plans and doubled them to create my 3" scale boxcar. Very fine drawings sir.

I think 1 1/2" on 4 3/4 is a great way to go for NG that is more portable and easy to manage. Me I'm doing twice that size on 7.5" and it's a major operation to move things around.

-M

[sabin]

A-ha, THAT Jeff Smith! I used your excellent 3000 series boxcar plans and doubled them to create my 3" scale boxcar. Very fine drawings sir.

I think 1 1/2" on 4 3/4 is a great way to go for NG that is more portable and easy to manage. Me I'm doing twice that size on 7.5" and it's a major operation to move things around.

-M

Here are some pictures taken a few years ago by my friend Jack of my home 1 1/2 on 4 3/4 home RR. It is a great way to explore narrow gauge live steam. It's amazing how much fun you can have going around in circles playing with fire and water.
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... =christmas
Jim

[aopagary]

any additional support for 4¾" gauge on the west coast would be welcome.

[jeffsmith]

I think the biggest obstacle is the need for a few interested 4-3/4" gauge enthusiasts that live close to TM willing to keep up with maintenance and to keep an eye on things. If that was in place everything else would be possible.

Jeff

[DJSteamer3017]

A-ha, THAT Jeff Smith! I used your excellent 3000 series boxcar plans and doubled them to create my 3" scale boxcar. Very fine drawings sir.

I think 1 1/2" on 4 3/4 is a great way to go for NG that is more portable and easy to manage. Me I'm doing twice that size on 7.5" and it's a major operation to move things around.

-M

Here are some pictures taken a few years ago by my friend Jack of my home 1 1/2 on 4 3/4 home RR. It is a great way to explore narrow gauge live steam. It's amazing how much fun you can have going around in circles playing with fire and water.
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... =christmas
Jim

Jim,
Bring your stuff down for LALS Small Scale meet in July!!
Thanks and Keep on Steamin' My Friend!!

David

[sabin]

A-ha, THAT Jeff Smith! I used your excellent 3000 series boxcar plans and doubled them to create my 3" scale boxcar. Very fine drawings sir.

I think 1 1/2" on 4 3/4 is a great way to go for NG that is more portable and easy to manage. Me I'm doing twice that size on 7.5" and it's a major operation to move things around.

-M

Here are some pictures taken a few years ago by my friend Jack of my home 1 1/2 on 4 3/4 home RR. It is a great way to explore narrow gauge live steam. It's amazing how much fun you can have going around in circles playing with fire and water.
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/vie ... =christmas
Jim

Jim,
Bring your stuff down for LALS Small Scale meet in July!!
Thanks and Keep on Steamin' My Friend!!

David

Thanks for the invitation David. Never had this stuff off it's home rails. It would be fun to "exercise" the loco!

Jim

[mattmason]

any additional support for 4¾" gauge on the west coast would be welcome.

How about a whole new 4 3/4" railroad? (About 300' will be dual gauge for testing purposes of my Chloe.)

Halfway through a 90' cut all dug by hand and up to three feet deep through rocks and roots. This is the first significant grading on the American River Railway's Nevada County Division. It will (read: must) be done in two years for the ramble. Total track length about 2500' with a total run of about 4500' long.

[mattmason]

Thanks for the invitation David. Never had this stuff off it's home rails. It would be fun to "exercise" the loco!

Jim

Jim, Please come down. It's a hoot and we are very unpretentious.

[jeffsmith]

Good to see a new 4-3/4" track being built. I'll haft to make it out to the Ramble in 2017. I have a 1000'plus track at my place and we run for the public on the major holidays. The Photo shows me on the left with my C-25, on the right is Mark Parsons with his Maine two footer # 16 a 2-6-0. The young man in the middle is Nick Alexenko who has been coming to all our meets for many years. My track is open to any 4-3/4" enthusiasts who would like to run trains.
Sincerely

Jeff

[sabin]

Alright you guys. I've been spending so much time on my "big" stuff that my 4 3/4" stuff has been kind of idle, but your getting me fired up again [pun intended]. I'll do my best to be at the Small Scales Meet at LALS.
Jeff, I have always admired you stuff. I see you are building a C-25 in 2 1/2" scale. Can't wait to see it completed.
Thank's for the truck drawings. I scaled up the journal box lid for my 3" scale C&S bobber. Most helpful.
Jim