Sharing railroad history and model railroading knowhow since 2000
Model scale comparison
There is a plethora of different model building scales out there, and if you like scratchbuilding, you're not limited to those that have kits available. Here's a quick roundup of the most popular scales in model railroading and how they compare to other model building hobbies.
The basic scales
| Scale | Ratio | Track gauge (inches) |
Common curve radii (inches) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z | 1:220 | 0.257 | 5¾ 7 11/16 8 11/16 |
the smallest commonly available scale (although there is now also T scale that is about half the size, it is still not, as of 2014, commonly available) |
| N | 1:160 | 0.353 | 9¾ 11 19 |
currently the second-most popular scale in the US |
| 1:144 | some toys (like the old Micro Machines) and airplane models are built to this scale; models can be used near the foreground of N scale layouts for forced perspective | |||
| TT | 1:120 | 0.47 | developed in Germany as a "table top" scale, now making a bit of a resurgence | |
| HO | 1:87.1 | 0.649 | 18 24 |
currently the most popular scale in the US |
| OO | 1:76.2 | varies from 0.649 to 0.75 | currently the most popular scale in the UK, most commonly using the same track gauge as HO scale | |
| S | 1:64 | 0.883 | scale modeling often seen in the form of Sn3 narrow gauge railroads; 3/16 inch = 1 foot | |
| O | 1:48 | 1.25 | used to be known as "the king of scales"; ¼ inch = 1 foot | |
| 1:24 | most common automobile modeling scale in the US | |||
| G | varies from 1:20.3 to 1:32 | 1.772 | commonly used in garden railway applications |
The modifiers
So what do all those "n3", "n2½", "e" and "m" (and many more) appendages on scale names mean? Generally, it means that the models are to the scale shown but the trains run on tracks that are modeled at something other than standard gauge (which measures at 4 ft 8½ inches for prototype railroads). The "n" designates "narrow gauge" and the number after it indicates the prototype track gauge (in feet) being modeled. For example, HOn3 is HO scale with 3-foot narrow gauge track; the former Denver & Rio Grande Western operated on 3-foot track, so many DRGW narrow gauge modelers build HOn3 models. The special cases are the "e" and "m" appendages. HOe modelers are building HO scale models that run on standard gauge N scale track; it works out close to HOn2½, or 2½-foot gauge track. The "m" is an abbreviation for metre gauge, so Nm is N scale operating on 1-metre gauge track (a little smaller than Nn3 track).
For further reading
There are quite a few more scales than I've listed, these are just the most common. For more information, see:
Syndicate
