Model Trains

Scale and gauge for your model trains

When you are trying to find out what kind of  model railroad you want, the matter of scale comes up and  is a major decision. Should you get HO,  N,  O or S scale?  Scale is the fractional size of the model train compared to the full size train.  Gauge is the distance between the rails.

HO is 1/8 inch scale or roughly 1:86 . O scale is double that size approximately.  There have been some  changes made to  HO scale and it is now 3.5 mm and 1:87.  N scale  is 1:160. Looking at size, O is the larger of the traditional scales.  Z scale is small, at 1:220. There are some other scales available but these are the most popular.

Both HO and N scales are much used and quality products are available with S scale gaining rapidly in popularity.  The larger the scale you select, the more room it will take for themodel railroad layout. Gauge is the distance between the tracks. S scale narrow gauge modelling is gaining in popularity since you can build a narrow gauge layout in a space not that much bigger than an HO layout. 

Then finally we have 027 gauge models. These run on a track which is offscale from the real thing compared to the size of the model. The locomotives and cars are frequently shorter than scale size. These layouts are fairly popular but are not true scale models as HO and N scale are.

The size of model trains and engines is dependent on the scale they are built to. An HO engine is about 50 mm (1.97 in) high, with length 100 to 300 mm (3.95 to 11.80 in).  The most popular scales are: HO gauge (oo gauge in the UK), Gauge 1,Gauge 3, G scale, O scale, S scale, TT scale, and N scale ( N scale is 1:160 in the USA and 1:144 in the UK). The miniature Z scale and even smaller T Gauge model trains are gaining in use. HO and OO remain the most popular however. Ther are also narrow-gauge scales including Sn3,  HOn3 Scale and Nn3, these are the same scale as S,  HO and N but  have narrower spaced tracks.

G scale (Garden or 1:24 scale) is mostly used for backyard model railroads. Gauge 1 and Gauge 3 are also popular scales that are used for outdoor model trains in gardens. One of the most popular model trains is the Lionel trains in O scale (1:48 scale). S scale is 1:64.Scale refers to the model's size proportionate to the full size original train. Gauge refers to the distance between rails in the track.

Scale Of ModelTrains
The size of model trains and engines is dependent on the scale they are built to,  and can vary from 700 mm (27.6 in) tall for the largest ridable live steam scales such as 1:8, down to matchbox size for the smallest in Z-scale (1:220). However, there is another scale that was introduced in 2007 that is also commercially available, called T Gauge, it is 3 mm (0.118 in) gauge track and is a scale of 1:450, basically half the size of Z scale. 

A typical HO (1:87) engine is 50 mm (1.97 in) tall, and 100 to 300 mm (3.94 to 11.81 in) long. The most popular scales are: G gauge, Gauge 1, O gauge, S scale, HO gauge (in Britain, the similar OO), TT scale, and N scale (1:160 in the United States, but 1:144 in the UK). There is growing interest in Z scale and T Gauge. HO and OO are the most popular. Popular narrow-gauge scales include Sn3, HOn3 Scale and Nn3, which are the same in scale as S, HO and N except with a narrower spacing between the tracks (in these examples, a scale 3 ft  (914 mm) instead of the 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge).

The largest common scale is 1:8, with 1:4 sometimes used for park rides. G scale (Garden, 1:24 scale) is most popular for backyard modelling. It is easier to fit a G scale model into a garden and keep scenery proportional to the trains. Gauge 1 and Gauge 3 are also popular for gardens. O, S, HO, and N gauge are more often used indoors. Lionel trains in O scale (1:48 scale) are popular toys. S refers to 1:64 scale.

The words scale and gauge might seem at first to be more or less  interchangeable, but their meanings are different actually. Scale is the model's measurement as a proportion to the original, while gauge is simply the measurement between the rails.

Early model trains were were not made to any particular scale. Standards to allow interchangeability became necessary as the hobby grew in popularity. Gauge became standardised, but the actual model trains were still only  roughly proportional to the original train. Standard official scales for the various gauges were introduced but were not well followed at first, and were not always correctly proportioned to the gauge. 

O gauge trains in the USA were made to 1:48 scale but in fact have track which is too widely spaced for that proportion. In the UK O gauge is 1:43.5 scale or 7 mm/1 foot and the gauge is correct. Again however UK OO scale models have tracks which are too narrowly spaced. This was due to the fact that British locomotives and train cars are smaller than elsewhere. This resulted in an increase in scale so that HO scale materials could be used. Most scales have wheel flanges that are deeper than scale, wheel treads that are wider than scale, and rail tracks which are larger than scale.
These inaccuracies and overscale dimensions of the commercial mass produced trains are made in order to provide reliable operation, and also for lower cost manufacture.

Model railroading is a very rewarding hobby and can go on for a lifetime for some modellers. Very extensive layouts are possible and can be put together over a period of years with ever increasing detail.

Where can you get the best buy on model trains.? We search continually for the best deals and discounts available. Take a look at what we found through this link to Amazon: Model Trains