Is there a standard size for model trains?
Sine I was a child I wanted to collect model trains. Recently my gf bought me a model train for my bday. I have seen different sizes in the hobby shops and I was wondering if there is a "popular" size. I do not care for the large ones (no offense to those who do) and I do not want "tiny" trains... Is "NH" a common size? My intention is to build one of the monumentous train "towns" you see in exhibits. I do not want to spend years collecting sizes that may difficult to keep up with. Thank you to all of you for answerting. This has reeeeeealllly been helpful. YES, it is worth 10
Public Comments
- The standard scale for model trains is H.O. scale
- Z scale: Trains built to a ratio of 1:220. A 75-foot-long locomotive measures 4 inches long. The rails of the track are 6.5 mm apart. N scale: Trains built to a ratio of 1:160. A 75-foot-long locomotive is 5 1/2 inches long. The rails of the track are spaced 9 mm apart. HO scale: Trains built to a ratio of 1:87. A 75-foot-long locomotive is 10 1/2 inches long. The rails of the track are 16.5 mm apart. S scale: Trains built to a ratio of 1:64. A 75-foot-long locomotive is 14 inches long. The rails of S gauge track are 7/8 inches apart. O scale: Trains built to a ratio of 1:48. A 75-foot-long locomotive is 18 3/4 inches long. The rails of O gauge track are 1 1/4 inches apart. G scale: These trains are built to a ratio of 1:22.5. A 75-foot-long locomotive is 40 inches long. G and other large scale trains run on gauge 1 track with rails 45 mm apart.
- See bmxcollections for the 'generally' available scales. HO is very common. N - has become more popular over the last 10 years and is my preference for size. Those two are possibly the most common these days. In all you're prob better off sticking to HO or N for "small but not tiny", commonly available scale.
- HO is the most popular size with about two thirds of hobbyists specializing in that scale. A typical train car is about 6-8" long in this scale N scale is the next most popular with about 20% of hobbyists choosing that size. A typical train car is about 3 - 4" long in this scale. The other scales are not as popular.
