When I first started trying to do On30, I used Micro Engineering HO track with about 20% of the ties removed and the rest spread out. Since the narrow gauge track I had seen was California logging railroads the ties were mostly buried in the dirt or roadbed so it looked fine to me. I was using Athearn HO trucks, which were pretty well hidden under the cars. I never got to the engine but had planned to use the techniques I had read about in the Railroad Model Craftsmen in the early 1970's. HO mechanisms with O scale cabs and so on. For turnouts, I was using Atlas #4's with some of the ties trimmed to give the wider tie spacing.
That was well before Peco and ME offered their On30 track.
Greg