Disclaimer: this post is in no way intended to offend any group of model railroaders. Especially the ones that have added an extra rail between the two that I have. Just in case, if you are overly sensitive about your excessive amount of rails please click back on your browser.
[soapbox]OK, now that they are gone, are there any other O scale 2 rail guys or gals out there that are irritated that every time you are asked what scale you are in you must respond with “O scale” and then clarify with “2 Rail”. If I don’t people assume things I don’t want them to assume. (such as I need a third rail because I don’t know how to wire a reverse loop)
I’ve never noticed it before I got on to this forum but I am constantly having to do that. If I was in HO I would respond “HO” or likewise for “N”. “O scale 2 Rail” has 14 times the amount of characters that an N scale guy must type (including spaces). When I was a kid it seemed that O scale meant 2 rail. The 3 rail stuff was always refered to as O gauge, Lionel or tin plate. Even Ebay has one category for all O scale. “O” is supposedly the King of all scales, or so they say. I have never heard of a King losing his identity. Does this bother anyone else?
Similar, situation exists in S. Mostly, I just say I’m in S scale and move on. I’ll add additional clarification if it seems warranted. Since the scale side of S and O are the minority, you just have to live with it.
Taking a larger view, mentioning to some one that your hobby is model trains, you get the response “Yeah, I had a Lionel set when I was a kid.” It makes no difference to them as to what scale you are modeling. As Ironrooster mentioned, I just move on.
Interesting. I have to use “3 rail O” to avoid being confused with somebody who has room to swing 36"+ radius curves.
While I recognize “O scale” and “O gauge”, I agree that the masses do not. And really, “O gauge” is a confusing term. Both 2 rail and 3 rail are O gauge. And with the proliferation of 3 rail track systems and the likely someday demise of the Lionel O tubular track line, “O gauge” further loses its ability to discriminate between 2 and 3 railers. The proliferation of 3 rail manufacturers makes the term “Lionel” seem very wrong, and “tinplate” is hardly recognized anymore. Which leaves us with “2 rail O” and “3 rail O” as the most recognizable terms to differentiate between the 2 camps. I guess both of us have to keep typing the extra characters to&nb
All this O scale talk. I didn’t know anyone else was still out there. I’m in O scale ( 2 rail and trolley ). Years ago the difference was Hi-Rail identified the tinplaters. I’m in a retirement community and word is out that I play with trains. Some of my neighbors confess quietly that they used to have LGB or Lionel. I remain hidden in my upper room performing secret deeds like hanging trolley wire or building La Belle kits. Neighbors comment- I saw your upstairs lights were on late last night-we wonder what was going on. I tell them that I forgot to turn out the light again. I may show my Railroad someday and maybe not. One short comming is that I can’t discuss the recent TV episodes because I don’t watch it ! I’m not an old grouch, just an old model railroader doing my thing.
Ah, yes! Back in the pre-electronic era, there were Tinplate (Lionel or Marx toy trains on sectional track with three ‘crossties’ per section,) Hi-Rail (Toy trains on GarGraves flex track) and O Scale (Proper scale models, either two rail or outside third rail.)
Since, unlike the Lone Ranger, we can’t return to those thrilling days of yesteryear, maybe the people who model in 1:48 should start identifying themselves as, “Quarter-inch scale modelers.” Sever the O-(fill in the blank) toy train umbilical and stand tall and proud.
As for me, I’ll keep on running my HOj tinplate freight cars, mixed in with my 1:80 scale locomotives, passenger equipment and MU sets, to a timetable directly adapted from the prototype. Anyone who wants to come ‘play’ with my trains will find themselves with an NMRA track gauge in one hand and a soldering gun in the other. (If they’re good, they might graduate to spiking pliers…[(-D])
I’d rather have a tunahalf than Owen Thirty. Eating Owen might cause trouble, but half a tuna will provide enough maguro-sashimi for a whole bunch of sushi…[dinner]
For that matter, has anyone ever seen a reference to HOe or HOjn762 in MR?
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - chopsticks in hand)