The difference between gauges in model trains?

Question

The difference between gauges in model trains?

Answer 1

In railroads, gauge refers to the distance between the tracks, and is usually narrow gauge, or standard gauge.  Standard gauge trains do most of the bulk transportation, while narrow gauge is reserved to very winding roads, and is mostly for public transportation, historical societies, and some mines.

In model railroads, there are very few narrow gauge trains made at all, and this is a real specialty to the hobby.

however, as the distance between the tracks depends on the scale of the vehicles, gauge has been used to describe the scales as well.

HO (pronounced H-O, not ho) scale is the most common.  It has a good selection of trains and accessories, magazines, and books. It is pretty easy to get into.  I don't remember the exact dimensions, but the tracks cars are generally about the length from my palm to the tip of my fingers.

O scale is about twice as big as HO scale, and was popular in Britain for a while, but nowadays, most of the O scale trains are toys made by Lyonell, or Thomas the Train.  The larger size makes it possible to get better detail, but you need a lot of space for a layout, and a lot of dedication.  You'll also need some undestanding, as your well meaning friends who try to buy you new trains will generally get some crappy toys instead of real models.

G scale is even bigger.  sometimes people ride on them in amusement parks.  They have one advantage, and that is the ability to keep them outside.

N scale is smaller than HO scale.  Each train car is about the size of a matchbox toy car.  Until very recently, the quality was nothing, but new improvements in construction are making it possible to produce trains with smaller details, and since N scale is smaller, you can build more track in a smaller area.  This scale is currently increasing in popularity rather quickly.  Scenery has tended to be popular in this scale, because of the layout potentials, but now, better quality trains are adding realism.

For those of you who like a different gauge, HNO3 is a common narrow gauge model, which uses HO scales, but has such a narrow gauge that it can run on N scale track.  Thus, finding stuff to use with it is easy.  The main drawback is that there were hardly any real life tracks that ran on such a small gauge.

There are other scales, and gauges that I don't know a lot about.  My dad's the real enthusiast.

Answer 2

"gauge" refers to the distance between the two rails of any railroad..both real railroads and model railroads.

In the USA, "Standard Gauge" is 4 feet, 8 and 1/2 inches.

There of dozens of different gauges in use all over the world.

"Narrow Gauge" is anything "narrower" than standard gauge.

3-foot gauge is the most common narrow gauge.

3-foot railroads operated in the US Rockies, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Alaska, and other places.

and 2-foot gauge railroads operated in Maine.

Today, 30-inch gauge (two and 1/2 feet) is becoming very popular with "On30 scale"..Bachmann makes a lot of On30 trains.

If you want to get REALLY into the nitty-gritty of scale vs. gauge, you can read this long rambling essay I recently wrote on the Bachmann model train forum! ;)

I will just copy and paste it below.

oh..and HO is pronounced "H-oh"..not "H-zero"

yes, technically it *means* "H-zero", because if you go WAY back in model train history, its "half of zero gauge"..

but thats irrelevant to the pronouncian..because you will find no one in the world who says "H-zero"...everyone calls it "H-oh"

and you cant ride of G-scale trains..they are big, but not big enough to ride on..the "ride-on" trains are much bigger yet than G-scale trains..

Scot

--------------------------------------...

scale refers to EVERYTHING on model railroad..

track, locos, cars, buildings, figures, trees, outhouses, dogs, cats, everything on a model railroad is one scale.

Gauge refers to *only* the distance between the rails,

nothing else.

for both prototypes and models.

Quote:

My question is, isn't the track spacing the same proportion as the scale?? So, theoretically, gauge and scale should be interchangeable?

unquote

No, because one scale can have multiple gauges.

"O scale" is 1/48.

but many different gauges can be modeled in O scale.

Standard gauge.

3-foot gauge - On3

30 inch gauge - On30

2-foot gauge - On2

18 inch gauge - On18

Same with HO scale, N scale, and any scale.

Generally if you have no suffix, such as "n3", it refers to standard gauge only,

so if you say you model in "HO scale" its implied you model standard gauge trains in HO scale.

If you happen to model 3-foot gauge prototypes, to a scale of 1/87, you can say you model in HOn3 scale.

Technically, the terms "O gauge" "HO gauge" "N gauge" are incorrect and should never be used..because "HO" is not a gauge..its a scale.

If you wanted to say "HO standard gauge" that would make more sense,

but that isnt widely used.

Its also possible to model two different gauges on the same layout,

such as standard gauge and 3-foot gauge at the same time..

since prototype standard gauge and 3-foot gauge railroads really did interchange with each other..even having dual-gauge prototype track.

Lets pick HO scale...in that case, *everything* on the layout is still HO scale!

all the trains, people, buildings, etc..all HO scale.

but now you have two different gauges..HO scale and HOn3 scale.

All the model railroad scales are a combination of a scale WITH a specific gauge.

HO scale - 1/87 standard gauge

HOn3 scale - 1/87 3-foot gauge

HOn2 scale - 1/87 2-foot gauge.

O scale - 1/48 standard gauge

On3 scale - 1/48 3-foot gauge

On30 scale - 1/48 30-inch gauge

On2 scale - 1/48 2-foot gauge

same with N, S, Z scale..etc.

How about 29n2 scale?

its a scale (1/29) with a gauge (2-foot gauge)

http://gold.mylargescale.com/Scottychaos...

The term "On30" is a scale, that indicates a specific gauge.

the suffix "n" only applies to rolling stock and locomotives.

(the "n" stands for "narrow"..narrow gauge)

there IS such a thing as an On30 scale locomotive,

because its a locomotive in O-scale, modeled to a gauge of 30 inches.

but there is *not* any such thing as an "On30 building"..

because the "n30" refers to gauge..distance between the rails..

buildings dont have gauges..buildings dont have rails.

therefore ALL buildings on an On30 scale layout will actually be O scale,

not On30..

So..gauge and scale are *not* the same thing..never have been , never will be.

and should not be used interchangeably.

Scot

Answer 3

The H0 (H-zero) gauge of 16,5 mm is the equivalent of standard gauge (1435 mm).  That is the most common, and there are models of broad and metre gauge made at 16,5 mm, all to standarize and that all people can use the models with the comercially produced tracks.  There are gauges called H0-N (H-zero narrow), H0-M (H-zero metric) and H0 with broad gauge track to do the correct reproduction of the real trains, but most of the rolling stock must be modified or built to run on the "non standard" tracks.