Okay. I now have another piece of the puzzle. (And I wrote it down[:P]) Let’s see if I have it right:
O gauge track is 1.25" or 32mm. There are different scales associated with that gauge, just like with G.
I laid a piece of O inside a piece of G (45mm) and lo, it looked pretty good. Tilted, because of the ties, but you get the drift. Just enough narrower to look nice.
I am going to do G ga @ 1.20.3 scale. Which will make it American NG. I also want to do the O ga NG line in the same scale. Call me a fan of ‘KISS’. (Not the band).
I do not like HO. Call it a mental defect. I like O, conversely. Thus, O ga is the choice for NG for my already NG RR. (My NG feeds a standard ga–not shown, but I think everyone probably gets that right away.) Note the levels of transfer being built in.
All track will be hand-made & laid, practically speaking.
Other than not achieving the tight radii available in HO, where am I going wrong, if I am?
You are doing nothing wrong! I am glad that you are finally beginning to start your railway -in exactly the manner that you want it. You will be delighted to know that in the UK your system of Gauge 1 and Gauge 0 is fairly common as is your choice of scale -which we would call 15mm scale.
This is normally used for building IRISH and MANX railways with their “3 feet Passengers” and “2 feet industrial” gauges.
You would be looking at 3 feet radius curves for Gauge 1 and 2 feet 6 inch radius curves for Gauge 0.
Most G scale runs on 45 mm track, which is the universal track in circulation today. There was another forum that I posted on in which we ran standard gauge in 1.20.3 scale. Standard gauge will run larger than 45 mm, you are looking at closer to 73 or possibly 74 mm instead. Hence the larger scale.
The problem in 1.20.3 standard gauge is the cost of producing a engine and then comes the track. I don’t know of any one company that will manufacture track designed to accept a engine of this size. Our track was handlaid using code 250 brass. Welcome to the wonderful world of handlaying [:-^]
Another thing I wanted to mention is the cost of producing a standard gauge engine in 1.20.3 scale. There was one member from my old club in Florida who commissioned&nbs
Well my approach to the narrow gauge / std gauge problem -was to ignore it! I model in 16mm scale and if I was to produce a std gauge system I would need to go to Gauge 4… I have cheated and gone to Gauge 3, which is nearly a commercial scale -but is still very much a modellers scale. The track can be bought commercially in self assembly form (ie slide the plastic sleepers onto the rails). However mine is all hand made from oak sleepers and white metal chairs -it uses code 200 rail.
Some people have complained that I should either be running a gauge of 57mm for Cape Gauge -but to be honest could they even tell!!!
I kinda ignore all the rules, myself. As I’ve said ALL along…if it looks good USE IT. I rarely ever get the ruler out unless I just want to make a building or structure a certain scale height. Like with my little scratch built critter, I just laid down the ruler and said “ok this is 20 scale feet by 8 scale feet…” It works for me. I’m even gonna use an Aristo Craft Lil Critter on my layout and the layout is supposedly narrow gauge. The Lil Critter is supposed to represent standard gauge…but what the hell?
Thanks for the words of encouragement. I see, upon re-reading my post, that I failed in writing clearly enough to explain what I meant.
First, I’m going with 1:20.3 in 45mm ga. This has been represented to me to be roughly equivalent to American Narrow Gauge and will comprise the ‘stem’ of my RR. Now, this line is serves as a feeder to a an American standard gauge RR, which I will not model, save for possibly a siding, or a pair of them. Doubtful, now that I’ve focussed on that issue in my own mind, because to do that I’d have to have a wider gauge, namely, 4’ 8-1/2". Or, model several cars/engines in … I think 1:22–isn’t that considered ‘standard size’ for a 45mm track? I’m foggy on that, and have no intention of doing it in any case.
Now, to look in the other direction on my RR: It will be 1:20.3, on 45mm track. It will serve a mine and a logging site for sure, plus whatever else I can cram into my limited space indoors**. These** two sites–the mine and the mill–will be in 32mm (0 gauge, modelled at 1:20.3 scale also). This will
Brian: you’ve hit it on the nose. Dual gauge trackage. Already I’m contemplating those dual stub switches, and how interesting it’ll be to build 'em. [:P]
Thanks for the list of scales vs gauges. This time I got it saved!
BTW, that pic of the F scale engine … that thing’s huge! But hopefully it’s a large engine. I really need to sit down and do some cardstock mockups; I’ve glued sheets of thick tag paper together to see how they’d work, as material. (Not impressed). Tried some of wife’s throw-away matboard. (Very impressed).
As a retired machinist, I’m actually most familiar with metal, its working properties, etc. Mocking up in brass seems an extravagant way to proceed…[xx(]
I think you have this all figured out! but let me add a bit more to the mix…
Based on what you said you want to do, you will model in only one scale, with 2 different gauges.
1/20.3 scale, F-scale, everything will be the same scale…1/20.3
45mm track will be 3-foot gauge, Fn3 scale track and rolling stock.
32mm track will be 2-foot gauge, Fn2 scale track and rolling stock. (Actually 25.6" gauge if you want to be really picky…but just call it 2-foot gauge…its easier)
figures, structures, automobiles, etc, will simply be “F-scale”…since they dont have a gauge.
thats it! simple really…
One scale, 2 gauges…3-foot and 2-foot gauge…no standard gauge.
I’m a bit hazy on terminology. If you read the reply I posted to Cabbage, it might make better sense. What I was trying to define without going into detail was the difference in physical size between American Narrow gauge and American Standard gauge, both using 45mm ga track. The scales change rather than the gauge, and that’s as far as I’m able to comment.
I recognize I should know what scale equals American NG, or at least, is accepted by the majority. I don’t. All I know is there’s a lot of scales out there covering up 45mm gauge track. Perhaps there is no ‘single’ narrow gauge scale.
I settled on 1:20.3 scale for one salient reason: at my age, I need big because big is the easiest to machine parts for, and I want to scratchbuild everything possible. Mostly to save money, put also, partly to keep my hand in, so to speak.
I just bought one of those Smilin’ Fong Cannon and Lathe Factory mini lathes, a 7 x10". It’s a little cutie. (Contrast that with the 8’ btc LeBlonde with 24" sob and you might smile, too. Took two men, or one and a chainfall, to mount a chuck on that baby.) Got the SF on closeout.
Yes. You’ve managed to convey exactly what I meant to. I lack the correct terminology. I’ve copied your post into my file of ‘RR stuff’.
And in far fewer words you’ve hit on why I did it that way (mostly–I harbor some mild aversion to HO scale) because it’s simpler. “2 gauges, 1 Scale.” Uh-huh.
Of course, if there’s a little room left over, an ‘estate Railway’ as the Brits say, or an industrial site, might find a home…[:P]
Thanks very much for the input.
Les W.
“Inside an old man’s body is a young man … wondering what the hell happened.”
The congratulations are not pre-mature!!! The actual statement: “This is what I am going to build”; is for me the pivotal part of it. I have yet to even pound my first “metpost” into the ground to hold my track, but after 18 months of surveying and garden work I am at the place where I can see what it might look like -in another 18 months!!
The IRISH and MANX railways have 3 feet gauges for Narrow gauge work and the IRISH gauge is 5 feet 3 inches for Mainline work. This makes the modellers of 15mm scale use 0, 1 and 4 Gauge track.
Then again if you get tired of narrow or standard gauge, you could always model in broad gauge. This was rail spaced at approximately 7 ft apart. (used in England until around 1892)
Hoofe, BTW - it looks like you deleted part of your post as when you previously mentioned doing standard gauge in 1.20 scale is missing or has been removed.