Scales and Gauges

Like any hobby or occupation, Toy and Model Railways has it's own jargon, which can be very confusing to outsiders.  It is impossible to talk about Toy Trains without using the terms 'Scale' and 'Gauge'.  Sometimes they're used interchangably, but they're actually quite different.

Gauge is simply the distance between the insides of the two rails that the train runs on.

For example, many real trains are said to be Standard Gauge, which is 4 ' 8 1/2'' gauge.  The most popular Toy Train gauge is 0 gauge, which is either 1 1/4" or 32mm between the rails, depending on which country you are in.

And then there is 'scale'.  This is simply the ratio between the size of the real thing and the model.  It can be expressed in several different ways, somewhat adding to the confusion, ie as a ratio 1:87 for HO scale, or as 3.5mm/foot, which is also HO scale.  For example a model of an F-7 diesel locomotive in HO scale will be 1/87th of the length, width and height of the real locomotive.  If you had 87  HO models and lined them up in front of each other, they would equal the length of the real loco.

Model trains are usually built to a certain scale, ie HO, or N.  Toy trains however, are usually built to run on a certain gauge of track, often with little regard to being the right size relative to that track gauge.  Lionel, for example, had several different price ranges for it's trains, which all ran on the same gauge track.  The more expensive the train was, the bigger (and more detailed) it was.  So those who are interested in model railways talk of O scale, whereas toy train enthusiasts would say O gauge.  Confusing, isn't it!!

To help guests to Whistlestop better understand scales and gauges I decided to set up an interesting display  showing all the different common model railway scales.  I am collecting the same locomotive in the same colour scheme in every common scale, and placing it on a short section of track.  It was hard to find a loco that is common enough around the world that it was or is made in every different scale.  The only one that I am aware of, and the one I have chosen, is an F-7a diesel lcomotive in the beautiful Santa Fe Warbonnet livery.  So far I have this loco in Z, N, TT, HO and G scale, missing examples in S, O and 1 scale, which are all available, I just haven't been able to get one yet.

Here is a picture of the first three (Z, N and HO) to show you the idea.

I have since been able to obtain one of these in TT scale, which is perhaps the least known and hardest to find.  This scale was and is most common in Germany, and a German company- Rokal- made a Santa Fe set in the 60's, or thereabouts.  I was very fortunate to obtain the complete set of carriages with the loco, too.

The assumption with this display is that a certain scale goes with a certain gauge of track.  For example, the HO scale loco built to 1:87 proportions runs on track with a gauge of 16.5mm, and N scale- 1:160- runs on 9mm gauge track.  Scale modellers have almost infinite variations of scales and gauges and you could literally write a book about the subject!!

The biggest 'model' train gauge is considered to be G scale- 'G' indicating their normal use in the Garden.  I was recently able to obtain a Santa Fe F-7 built in this scale by LGB.

Also part of the display will be a backdrop poster of one of these F-7's pulling the famous Santa Fe Super Chief train somewhere in the back blocks of the U.S.

That's a very brief explanation of scales and gauges, but if you are now more confused than ever then you will just have to visit Whistlestop when it opens to view this display in person!!