On30 Sand House with tower

On30 Sand House with Tower

This kit takes it design cues from the sand houses and sand tower at Durango and Chama - compressed to a convenient size for smaller On30 layouts

Dry fine sand was (as still is) a vital component for locomotive use, traditionally carried in sand domes and gravity fed in pipes to the driving wheels to reduce wheel slip, particularly on wet rails. In the NG world, "wet sand" was commonly shovelled into the sand bin from an adjacent gondola, where it was then dried in the sand house, and then either man-handled up to the loco sand domes in buckets, or pumped by air compressor up to a hopper in the sand tower, ready for convenient gravity feed to an arriving locomotive.

2 layout options

2.5" x 8.5" footprint, traditional "in line" arrangement with sand tower and longer sand bin. The bin can be easily shortened if required.

3"x 5" footprint, with shorter but "fatter" sand bin option, with the sand tower placed in front of the drying house, for cramped spaces (like mine!).

The sand tower is sized for all currently available On30 locos.

Layout arrangement is flexible and can be left or right-handed.

Model features:

Sand bin: laser cut basswood panels and posts, with piano-wire stays

Sand house: laser-cut premium micro-ply structure with tabs for easy assembly. Peel and stick window assemblies and trim. Sand bin access door and hatch detail. Stack for sand drier, smaller stack for air compressor vent.

Sand tower: built on an obechiwood and microply frame (tabbed assembly - not a bag of sticks!), 2 mircoply standing platforms, 3Dprinted hopper, brass pipe work, flexible sand feed pipe, sand release handle, and "grab iron" ladder up one side.

Sand is not included - I use fine silver sand, found at your local DIY store used for block paving.

Instructions are in pdf form only and emailed at time of shipment - no printed ones in the kit. This way I can add very many photos into the instructions!. Ink is an evil price, paper is heavy for shipping, but electrons are free :)