Anyone interested in either South Africa (SAR) or Indonesia (PJKA) 3ft 6ins gauge?

[jhb171achil]

My title above says it all; I am planning a small terminus "micro-layout" for shunting amusement, based on "end-of-steam" 1980s in Java, or possibly South Africa at some time 1950-90, both of which had 3'6" gauge and some common diesel types, although my interests are steam.

 

Beyond gauge, there's no connection between the two whatsoever, bar my interest in both. Thus, if there was a vibrant community devoted to one but not the other, it would probably sway me. Indonesia is one thing, not so well known, but I'm surprised at the lack of online material about the recent historical side of SAR.

 

Any thoughts, ideas, or information very welcome.

[readingtype]

I've seen several layouts based on African and Asian 3'6" gauge prototypes in Continental Modeller over the last couple of years, so there is interest if not a vibrant community. Micro-layout suggests small locos to me -- southern Africa not so much :-)

 

Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Ben

[jhb171achil]

Hi Ben

 

By "micro", I'm looking at a fictitious small rural terminus with the older types of locos, e.g. 6th and 7th classes. you can get a kit of a 6J, I am told by a (South African) friend. Terminus and fiddle yard, 12mm gauge track representing 3'6" gauge on H0 scale. Nothing more - a bit of a space-filler. Might develop into something more in time, but who knows.......

[jhb171achil]

On ‎24‎/‎03‎/‎2021 at 08:19, readingtype said:

I've seen several layouts based on African and Asian 3'6" gauge prototypes in Continental Modeller over the last couple of years, so there is interest if not a vibrant community. Micro-layout suggests small locos to me -- southern Africa not so much :-)

 

Look forward to seeing what you come up with.

 

Ben

Just an update

 

Did a bit of poking about and while pricey, there's stuff that can be got.

 

Many South African branches were steam to the end in the 1980s and 1990s; a case of paradise for steam lovers, and "diesel enthusiasts need not apply"!

 

There are several loco kits - the early 6J class 4.6.0, and some later ones, most notably the widely travelled and widely used 19D, which can be got with both types of tenders used/

 

SARM Models do rolling stock and coaches, with the locos above being DJH / Precision kits.

 

Frascheti of Brazil do several diesels of the 1960-90s period.

 

All of the above are H0 SCALE and run on H0 GAUGE track. However, for models built to H0 SCALE, the correct track gauge for a representation of 3'6" gauge is H0m (12mm gauge) track. I am told that all models, including loco kits, can be built to this gauge. I'll be getting 12mm gauge, H0 scale stuff.

 

For a small layout or shunting "plank" layout, a SAR branch is ideal, as almost all trains were mixed, consisting of a single coach (at the rear, the opposite of European practice, as coal was dirty and all goods stock from quite early times was vac braked or piped), and wagons. Services were often just one train a day in and out, with no loco being based at a terminus; thus you'd get away with no loco shed if space was REALLY tight.

 

Good inspiration available from the website "Soul of a Railway", put together by several very prolific enthusiast photographers from the 1940s to date.

 

To start, I'm going for a brake van, passenger coach and about eight or ten wagons to see how I get on. I'll post pics by degrees as and when.

[Railtunes]

As one aspect of my AsiaNRail modelling, I am planning to do some Indonesian steam era models.

 

My interest in Indonesia stems from my Master's degree study in world music and participation in Indonesian gamelan and dance, culminating in a study tour I had to Jogjakarta, Java back in 1973. While there, I did some railfanning as well and took some photos of steam locos - still running then during the transition to Diesel - at the shed in Jogja.

I model in N scale use the Asian 1:150 scale (as Japan and Taiwan modellers do) for my 3'6" gauge Asian models.

 

For starters, I'll be converting a Minitrix German BR41 2-8-2 to an Indonesian D52 Class. This is mostly a detailing exercise, as the PNKA Class D52 is pretty much a slightly scaled down version of the German BR41. Compare the D52 and Minitrix BR41 photos below.

 

My second model will be more a challenge: the PNKA CC50 2-6-6-0 that I hope to kitbash from a Bachmann American 2-6-6-2. I've got both the models in my project box now and am working out the build process, but these may take a while to complete!

 

 - Paul Ingraham, Coordinator, AsiaNRail modular modelling group

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by Railtunes
correcting Autocorrect mistakes!

[HSB]

On 01/04/2021 at 02:09, jhb171achil said:

Just an update

 

Did a bit of poking about and while pricey, there's stuff that can be got.

 

Many South African branches were steam to the end in the 1980s and 1990s; a case of paradise for steam lovers, and "diesel enthusiasts need not apply"!

 

There are several loco kits - the early 6J class 4.6.0, and some later ones, most notably the widely travelled and widely used 19D, which can be got with both types of tenders used/

 

SARM Models do rolling stock and coaches, with the locos above being DJH / Precision kits.

 

Frascheti of Brazil do several diesels of the 1960-90s period.

 

All of the above are H0 SCALE and run on H0 GAUGE track. However, for models built to H0 SCALE, the correct track gauge for a representation of 3'6" gauge is H0m (12mm gauge) track. I am told that all models, including loco kits, can be built to this gauge. I'll be getting 12mm gauge, H0 scale stuff.

 

For a small layout or shunting "plank" layout, a SAR branch is ideal, as almost all trains were mixed, consisting of a single coach (at the rear, the opposite of European practice, as coal was dirty and all goods stock from quite early times was vac braked or piped), and wagons. Services were often just one train a day in and out, with no loco being based at a terminus; thus you'd get away with no loco shed if space was REALLY tight.

 

Good inspiration available from the website "Soul of a Railway", put together by several very prolific enthusiast photographers from the 1940s to date.

 

To start, I'm going for a brake van, passenger coach and about eight or ten wagons to see how I get on. I'll post pics by degrees as and when.

The Brazillian stuff you mention is, I believe, based on metre gauge prototypes but has been increased in size to match US H0 standard gauge models. Somebody in New Zealand did hack a couple of the locos around a few years ago to turn them into more accurate H0n3 1/2 models. 

There is also a growing range of Australian models available in H0n3 1/2 some of which might be adaptable.