Late 19thC Afghanistan Narrow Guage Railway

[Michi]

Mark

From the Wikipedia link in the first post

So basically, the world is your oyster 

No idea as yet on which track size to use..... but......

600mm at 1/56 is 10.7mm [versus the 16.5mm gauge of Hornby track (or 1/36) and the 9mm of British N gauge (or 1/66)]

..... my inclination is towards the larger Hornby, as the minis will be based and the track/engine/stock wont. 

There is 12mm TT gauge (1/120 scale) or H0m narrow gauge (1/87 scale) too:
https://www.tillig.com/Gleise.html
http://www.bemo-modellbahn.de/produkte/schweizer-bahnen-h0m.html?tx_userbemocatalogue_rubriclist%5Bvehicle%5D=22&tx_userbemocatalogue_rubriclist%5Baction%5D=show&tx_userbemocatalogue_rubriclist%5Bcontroller%5D=Vehicle&cHash=eb5867a2da1cfdd30ec39157df6b0b7

I would prefer Roco H0e 9mm Feldbahn tracks (1/87th scale narrow gauge) for the look of it:
https://www.roco.cc/de/productsearch/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-005/products.html

[Silent Invader]

There is 12mm TT gauge (1/120 scale) or H0m narrow gauge (1/87 scale) too:
https://www.tillig.com/Gleise.html
http://www.bemo-modellbahn.de/produkte/schweizer-bahnen-h0m.html?tx_userbemocatalogue_rubriclist%5Bvehicle%5D=22&tx_userbemocatalogue_rubriclist%5Baction%5D=show&tx_userbemocatalogue_rubriclist%5Bcontroller%5D=Vehicle&cHash=eb5867a2da1cfdd30ec39157df6b0b7

I would prefer Roco H0e 9mm Feldbahn tracks (1/87th scale narrow gauge) for the look of it:
https://www.roco.cc/de/productsearch/0-0-0-0-0-0-0-005/products.html

I'm guided by you Michi, you're the expert. Thanks. 

[Michi]

How long was this type of engine used for(as id have to use it for multiple periods to Justify the effort)

This type of engine and the entire 600mm Feldbahn system was used from the 1870s until the second half of the 20th century by Germany, Russia and Great Britain as well as by a lot of other states and companies around the globe for industrial use as well. The German navy had a 25km railroad network in Laboe in use until 1993 if I´m correct, although then served by a fleet of around ten diesel engines. Queensland has a wide network of sugar cane railroads of that gauge even today.

[tin shed gamer]

Thank you gents you've saved me PM's.
The reason I asked is my original game plan was to strip the rails off HO track id put a side for ww1 and re bed them into the right width.I normally work on 5mm to a ft when sculpting,so I had a lazy thought that N gauge would be quick fix.But worried that the rails might look to thin.

(SI) your right its an interesting topic.I've a fondness for narrow gauges having spent a summer when I was younger driving a WW1 diesel munitions engine for Beverley Military Transport Museum.
If you do decide to have a go at building one on the back of an elephant.Let me know as I did whole range elephants for 1st corps.Simon is due at mine on Friday to collect some work so ill twist his arm then.
( its how I intended to do the elephant's anyway!)

Since Michi's posted while I'm one finger typing.Im now of the mind to twist Simons arm into letting make one that can be cast.
Mark

[Silent Invader]

For what it's worth

From the Illustrated London News of 20th August 1885, the old and new ways of moving supplies through the Bolan Pass



Presumably this is a broader gauge and, seeing as it crosses the river bed, was the first of the permanent (though it was subsequently washed away) tracks through the pass.

I do wish I could find more on the Decauville track that was being apparently built in 1880 and was suspended with the loss at Maiwand.

[Silent Invader]

I printed Michi's image and rescaled it to 1/50 (if I use 12mm TT to represent 600mm then that's 1/50, which also gives me a bit of extra room for a base on a 1/56 mini).

Here's the rescale with a Perry Mafeking in the cab:



It's certainly sizes up as a cute little engine for the skirmish table.

[OSHIROmodels]

Jolly good, now get on a build it 

cheers

James

[tin shed gamer]

Useful? Definitely!
It's scale compression with out the hassle of actually compressing anything.
I'd originally planned on making a 28mm engine,however once I'd built the Shay engine land train,and carriages it dawned on me that it filled all my gaming needs (for pulp and bob)so no need to waist time on a new engine.
Now this means I can still have a railed train.I wonder if you could use something like an alpine train carriage to do a more'conventional looking' train?
Only issue I can see for a scratch build,is it's likely to need a counter weight as it might end up pulling wheelies every time the table gets knocked if you add a metal crew.

[Silent Invader]

No idea about carriages (other than the flatbed shown in the article). Sorry.

On a more positive note I've taken the plunge and ordered about 1.5m of Tillig TT flexitrack with 'steel' sleepers and 12 sets of 12mm gauge by 8.3mm dia wheels (they have 22.5mm axles).

[Silent Invader]

An interesting article that explores another way of getting round the problem that was the mountains: a broad gauge funicular railway for piggy-backing the trains

http://www.funimag.com/photoblog/index.php/articles/pk-pakistan-khojak-rope-inclines/

Also has some additional info on the 1879/1880 plans for a track to Kandahar