I was looking at the cover of my KATO AC4400 box (HO) and the illustration of the engine on the cover of the box was about 3/4 the size of the actual HO engine. I thought, “Wow, now that’s the size engine I would like to have.” It would still have the detail I like in HO but you could get by with smaller radii curves, etc.
I do model in HO but I find that HO is a bit on the big size and N is a bit small. Something in the middle would be just right.
I have no space and a cheap budget. I returned to the hobby with my old N scales that I used to really only play with. I had O as a kid too. I always always always wanted an HO layout. So in the midst of adding to my N scale, I find myself collecting HO if its inexpensive. I am working on small portable layouts for both.[;)]
The real best scale, I think I’d really like to have…is 1:1!!! to have a small steam loco and a few cars to run around a few acreas worth of garden…oh my![#dots]
TT (1:120 scale) was started, IIRC, in the late 40’s, mainly the work of a single enthusiast. Since I was exploring various scales at the time, I purchased a couple of sets of trucks (one made of crude brass stampings, the other fairly well detailed white metal castings.) They have been gathering dust in my junk box for almost 60 years.
IMHO, A serious problem for the success of TT was the Varney HO 0-4-0T Dockside (B&O prototype.) It was a nice little locomotive that couldn’t, quite, turn on a dime - but could be gotten around a circle of track made with one rail and a silver dollar! The best available TT equipment couldn’t match what could be done in HO with a Dockside, some ore cars and a bobber caboose.
Of course, the final land mine on TT’s road to popularity was the introduction on N scale a few years later. Once N scale took off, TT was doomed to its present status as an obscure scale for dedicated scratchbuilders.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan on September, 1964 - in 1:80 scale)
TT scale is a niche model railroading scale, whose name stands for Table Top. Its 1:120 scale (from a common engineering scale where one inch equals ten feet) and 12 mm gauge sizes it almost halfway between HO scale (1:87) and N scale (1:160). Its original purpose, like the name suggests, was to make a train small enough to be able to assemble and operate it on a tabletop. In wargaming the TT scale equals the 15 mm scale where the height of “standard” 180 cm soldier height is 15 mm.
TT scale was invented in the United States by Hal Joyce, a former automotive designer. He founded a company in 1945, and his first advertisement appeared in 1946. By the early 1950s it had a following, offering less detail than HO - considered by some to be an advantage at the time - and a lower price than most other scales. Numerous other companies began offering TT scale trains, track, and accessories as well, and TT scale became popular in Europe in addition to the United States.
By the early 1960s, TT had been eclipsed in popularity by N scale, which was smaller and yet more detailed. TT scale manufacturers were Rokal and Zeuke, which later became Berliner TT Bahn.
TT retains a comparatively small but growing popularity in the former DDR, Eastern Europe and in the United Kingdom. British TT is 3 mm scale; that is, 1:101. Adherents to TT maintain it is the smallest practical scale, especially for those who like to build models from scratch. 3 mm Society
Currently Tillig is the only larger company to make TT rolling stock and tracks. Roco attempted to get in the business, but has largely given up. All its TT scale models are now sold through Tillig. Fleischmann and Arnold both created single TT products, but have not continued to develop new products. The newest larger company to enter the TT market is Piko. There is a larger variety in the accessories market, where some companies have a long-time involvement with the scale and oth
Thanks for the TT scale info. I personally don’t think TT would have been good enough for me even if it did take off. It still would have required probably a 22" minimum radius ro run trains decently.
No matter how many scales become available, there is always going to be somebody who thinks the ideal scale would be something in between. There is no way manufacturers can adjust to everyone’s ideal scale so it is up to the modeler to choose from what is available on a wide scale. Every scale has tradeoffs. Each modeler has to decide which scale is the best compromise for his situation. There are plenty of good choices available now. Pick one.
I remember the last one of these threads where someone was asking for a scale between HO and O. Basically they were proposing S-scale.
Does anyone know what ever happened to the “M” scale proposed in the early 1980s? M stood for Magnus. I saw one in my LHS. The only things I remember is that it was BIG and expensive.