I currently have a home built routed on MDF 1/32 scale slot car track. I want to incorporate a railroad as part of the layout. These railroad scales are confusing. Can someone tell me what scale / guage is equal to 1/32 and where is the best place to get equipment (track,engines,cars,etc) and scenery.
Thanks …
None that I know of. O scale I believe is 1/48. I’m not sure about G scale but I think it is about twice as big. That puts your 1/32 in between those two. I’m not aware of any scale in between but I have discovered some odd scales that I was previously unaware of that are in use in foreign countries.
This should help a little.
Model railroad scales are (largest to smallest):
1:12 Large Scale
1:13.7 7/8 inch scale
1:20.3 G, Three-Foot Gauge on Gauge 1 Track
1:22.5 LGB and Bachman
1:24 Half scale
1:29 Aristo-Craft, USA Trains, standard gauge on #1 gauge
1:32 I scale
1:48 O scale
1:64 S scale
1:87.1 HO scale
1:120 TT scale
1:160 N scale
1:220 Z scale
It looks like “I” scale is for you. Perhaps someone here can direct you to some help in this scale.
Years ago, either Bachmann or Aurora made a piece of track for slot cars AND model railroads. Unfortunately, it was for HO cars and trains, which does you no good. You could sell the 1/32 slot car set and switch to HO. Only, if you go that route, I would make sure that you can find that piece of track somewhere.
1/32 is sort of a fine scale version of G scale. Few manufactures use this scale and the ones that do are usually high priced brass/limited run type stuff. Not worth it if slot cars are what you’re really into. Although MTH (Railking line) offers more affordable 1/32 scale trains (see the first link I posted).
http://www.railking1gauge.com/
http://www.accucraft.com/Sub-ACL-Gauge1.htm
http://www.accucraft.com/Sub-Limit-GaugeOne.htm
http://www.amstrains.com/AM32501.htm
http://www.amstrains.com/AM98114.htm
http://www.asterhobby.com/
If you can handle the slight difference in scale use 1/29 standard gauge on 45mm track Aristocraft offer diesel and steam locos and a range of track. USA trains also have a good range of modern and a few older protoypes.
Even if you can’t find that piece of track, the switch to HO will be a good one. You can always run inside or outside of the rr track. Double ovals of car track with the back side hidden by scenery will give you a two lane road running beside your railroad. If you can find the piece of track mentioned above (I think it is a road crossing the railroad), you could have some of the neatest crashes known to the mr world![}:)][:D][:p][B)][:0]
When Aurora marketed that grade crossing section, their advertising featured a train punting a car into the boondocks. That prompted several legislators in a number of jurisdictions to try to outlaw the model, on the grounds that it would lead to full-size idiotic behavior when the slot-car drivers graduated to street rods.
Imagine the uproar in today’s, “Outlaw everything even marginally unsafe,” political climate!
Chuck
I guess you can use an overpass for the cars. It would be easier than one for the trains.
Thanks for all the help. Ill post pictures when I get it done.
That is really funny about the HO train / car crash. I remember that track from when I was into HO a long time ago.
Thanks again…
All those kids who saw that ad are driving in Seattle today. Those legislators must be Ted Kennedys age by now. You may already know this but 1/32 scale is 3/8" to the foot. Still ough to find model railroad equipment in this scale.
I scale or 1/32 scale uses “G” gauge track to model standard gauge railroads. It is a specialty scale, and very expensive. I don’t think that anyone makes a grade crossing for 1/32 scale slot cars and G gauge track, though–could be an interesting project-within-a-project.
Consulting the large-scale/garden railroad forums might produce more useful answers.
Actually, I have that Aurora train crossing and the track that goes with it. I’ve always meant to include it in a layout but haven’t to date. The car track does take up quite a bit of room. I was thinking it would be possible to use the HO scale cars if they passed through one or maybe two small areas of a layout.
Gauge 1 is 1/32 scale. It is also called Marklin I scale, where the I is the same as 1.
The gauge of the LGB track, used by everybody in large scale, scales to 1/32 scale for standard gauge.
Sixty percent of the world’s railways use a gauge of 1435 mm (4 ft 8½ in), which is known as the standard or international gauge.
LGB track is also gauged for meter gauge (1000 mm) for the narrow gauge trains on the Swiss Alps. That would be the 1:22.5 scale.
1/29 scale is basically a standard gauge body on narrow gauge trucks and wheels.
Bring back TYCO! They made both and it was just soooo much easier. Yes, I’m joking. But they did make both.