S scale (1/64) is the scale to use if you want to incorporate Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning, or Matchbox cars into your layout as they tend to be 1/64 scale as well.
You can create the illusion of distance in mountain scenes by placing the z scale to the back of a layout looking across a forest maybe up on a ridge and have a z scale shay set up on a bump switch pulling lumber or coal back and forth off in the distance of a HO scale model layout.
Over the years I've had HO, N and Z scales. When I was in the Canadian Military in Germany in the late 70s and early 80s Z was the way to go. HO was good, but hard to pack up and move, and the movers always destroyed at least one box trains, so N scale was the best for someone who moved every 4 years or so.
I started with Lionel when my grandson was younger. The new stuff is so expensive. So I stick with used post war. I wanted something that could hold up to my grandson. I have always believed if he breaks something so be it. He has only dropped 1 item since he was 4 now 9. If I knew he was going to be so careful I would have started with HO. Our first layout was on the garage floor. I over built it with cabinet grade plywood and 2x4s. We built the layout together. Teaching him how to use screws and paint. He would take his shoes off and walk on it. He loved moving houses, buildings and people around. He still has a lot of hot wheel and matchbox cars and legos on our larger layout now. Its a place for him and I to play together. Please remember if you have kids please let them touch and maybe even break an item or to. They are still toys. Have fun everyone.
Way back around 1961/62 my brother and I were given a Lionel model 1611 O gauge train set (the set created in 1959 to celebrate Alaska Statehood ). Mother re-married in 1965 and we immediately set about to taking command of step-fathers ping-pong table to accommodate our Lionel. Great Fun !!! p.s. I still have that train but sadly lost my brother to cancer in 1996. I intend to post a video to my YT channel in the near future of set-up & running that train 👍
Z: ero room for installing a DCC decoder N: othing exciting ever comes out. HO: ly crap, these models are so fragile. O: h my god, they are expensive and made in China. G: reat god, I have no room to run these.
HO is not fragile N is fragile who in the world gave you that idea since i had those trains while growing up. Still like my N-scale train fun little trains
I love my N scale. My dad put a 4x8 sheet of plywood on the pool table. It had a 3 foot tall mountain with tunnels a town with train station in the middle and foothills with a river on the other end. You could do quite a bit in that area. I always found my friends HO scale too big. I do agree though, it was hard finding new stuff. Less of a problem now with internet sellers, but in the 90’s I was limited to the few shops or the once a year model train show. Back then, there was a toy called “micro machines” which was like hot wheels, but the cars were like an inch long. Pretty close in scale to N it seemed to me.
This is why im considering N scale, space is on a premium for me, with a 4x8 being what looks like will be the goldilocks zone of table space i can reasonably accommodate.
I would add a little caveat to the O Scale bit, in that you can get a layout into a space as small as 3 feet wide if you use 0-27 profile track. It's still O gauge, but the rails are shorter in height and the curves are as tight as you can make them in O, taking 27 inches in diameter to make a full circle. The downside is that longer locomotives and rolling stock with long wheelbases (six axle bogies instead of four) have trouble taking curves that tight and going through the short switches. That being said, most 3-rail O scale items tend to work just fine with it, and I like it as it lets you have bigger trains while still keeping things in a small space. It's a bit obscure nowadays, but O-27 was really popular back in the day for use in O Scale train sets as it was cheaper to produce. All Marx train sets were 027, and Lionel used it in most of its starter sets and as a way to compete with American Flyer S-Scale trains, only phasing it out when their FastTrack system was introduced.
Another scale popular in Europe for static display is 1/25th. The models are quite reasonably priced as they are sold as unfinished kits by various publishers. Yes publishers. The models are built from printed card stock re-enforced where needed by chipboard. Chipboard is the same paper based product used for cereal boxes, the backs of paper tablets etc. Depending on the skill of the modeler these kits can be quite impressive as a finished model. The two kits with the highest part count l can think of are any of the three SD-14 ship model kits. Three seperate kits to build one model. And a 1/96th scale model of the NASA crawler for the Saturn V. That kit comes in at 11 or 14k parts.
N scale started in 1967. I prefer N scale since I live in an apartment and space is limited. I have Kato track, a Kato N scale Amtrak Superliner set that I call the Coast Daylight, 3 Amtrak P42 locomotives, I also have the Southern Pacific Morning Daylight set which is pulled by the Daylight steam locomotive GS-4 number 4449 which is my excursion train. I’m adding freight cars, my diesel locomotives will be Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, BNSF, Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, Western Pacific. My n scale model railroad is the Pacific West Coast. My ultimate goal is to model he entire West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver,BC,Canada.
I started with the European version of HO, then, back in the states had American Flyer S, then HO, then, for many years, and later with my son, back to AF S guage.
I model N gauge because I have a passion for Japanese trains and I can run all my limited express and bullet trains with the correct number of carriages on a 2 metre layout! Nothing worse than seeing a high speed train consist with not enough carriages!
I run vintage Lionel Standard Gauge "Tin plate" I'm a fan of the toy aspect of vintage pre and post war Lionel equipment. My late dad loved and worked in HO. Standard gauge is close to "G" in size. "S" started out as Gilbert's American Flyer. Lionel bought out Flyer and produces "S". Lionel has gone through several producers through the years. Williams, Fundimentions [General Mills] and MTH have produced some very fine reproductions of original Lionel "O" stock.
Greetings from New Zealand, just watched your video above for the first time, very informative. I run HO and OO together very successfully - both have plenty of rolling stock and locos available - Hornby is the OO brand in the UK, while HO is available from Athearn, Bachmann etc here in NZ, from the USA - essentially just the couplers are different, but can changed to suit. I find the rolling stock in HO is more modern in style, and more detailed than the British OO...thats the great thing about model railways, you can run anything you want - as long as you are happy with the end product! Keep up the informative sessions!
The best (in my personal opinion only!) and one of the most underrated (that's a fact) scales of model railroading -- when you're living in a flat with limited space -- is still TT-scale 1/120. It's small enough to still build considerable networks to have fun playing with and it doesn't look as bad as the smaller scales. Also I have a lot of fun modifying models with my limited skills of manipulating small mechanics. If space weren't the issue I'd be building a I scale model railroad. Has the same gauge as the so called "G scale" but it doesn't look so narrow gauge. And the first thing that comes into my mind when thinking of G scale is these overly expensive and childish looking toy trains by LGB.
@@IndustrialParrot2816 "its the only scale larger then G" You'd be pleasantly surprised that that's not the case. There are scales as large as 1:4 on 12in gauge track (the most common of these being 1:8 and 1:5 on 7.25in and 7.5in track, interchangeably), and some of these are even rideable. However, the model railroading hobby tends to ignore these since they're technically classified as "miniature" railroading scales instead. At these massive scales, the focus is less on layout detail and more on modeling a single locomotive and a few pieces of rolling stock, and on both recreational and realistic operations on shared layouts.
In the old house in New York my dad had a Lionel train layout that stretch the whole length of the basement he would run five locomotives and 100 cars. He tried to get me interested in Lionel but I was a dyed-in-the-wool ho guy. My brother bought a few remnants of what he had to me and it included a steam locomotive I ran off the train table and broke the pilot off and for 40 years I never own up to it. The train guy mistakenly whooped it up and got it running and it runs great I might put a coupler on the damaged front end so I could double head to steam locomotives. In the 60s you could buy an HO scale freight car for $2 an N scale car was the same or more but a Lionel car with four times the price of an h o car. With everything being made in China nowadays I take pride and running my American trains on American track with American buildings and American people. I love how on every piece of Marx trains even a simple telephone pole on the bottom it has the symbol of the company with made in America as a train. Wouldn't you love to go to work for a train company I would that would be the kind of job you could not wait to go back to work on Monday with two shifts running Lionel could produce 1600 train sets a day imagine that
For me, HO is about as small as I can see comfortably, and with a pair of tweezers, the smallest screwdrivers I own, a magnifying glass, and a good flashlight, the absolute smallest I can work on and repair. If S scale were more popular, or if O scale were cheaper (and if I had a mansion or just a larger space) I'd probably gravitate towards those more.
Funny thing about the Japanese trains... Japan runs narrow gauge (with the exception of the Shinkansen), but the models run on the same track. Normal N is 1/160. Japanese trains are technically 1/150 ish. Kato and Tomix's Shinkansen sets are standard 1/160, however. Something you'll notice on a Japanese layout is that the Shinkansens seems slightly smaller.
If you look at Japanese model trains closely you will see that they are all standard gauge bodies running on standard gauge bogies. In reality normal trains are standard gauge bodies on narrow gauge bogies and shinkansen are wide gauge bodies on standard gauge bogies. The only Japanese model trains that are entirely accurate are the mini shinkansen such as the E3 and E6 which are standard gauge bodies on standard gauge bogies for both the models and real life!
I live in Lima, Ohio. Although now a bean town it was once a train Town. The Shay was built here. ANYWAY.......I totally freaked out the other day when I was traveling under the newly reconstructed train underpass. Nothing looked real about it. I felt like I was in a electric train landscape. Although the pine trees looked real....just to perfect. The underpass itself....made from red brick and poured white cement.
My late father, always had Lionel Post War trains around the Christmas tree. He loved model trains especially Lionel " O Gauge and O-27". I collect and run Lionel Post War. I had HO and G scale. But I sold them and got back into collecting and running Lionel Post War Trains. Go for what you like. It all comes down to size and how big of a room you have. What gauge would be perfect for you to run. Consider your budget as well. Happy Railroading!
I've recently seen T (1:450) and TY "Tiny" (1:900) as well. The TY scale does not work the same as larger scales do, but more like "horizontal cog" railways. The motor is outside the train, and is built into the trackage.
I think that S scale would be nice if it was more popular but I’m still pretty happy with HO setups, the bachmann DCC sound value ones are amazing deals, and I’m looking at getting the thunder chief instead of just buying a DCC diesel loco for my existing layout since the track and loco alone cost nearly the same
S would honestly be amazing for layouts with a lot of road/rail right-of-way interaction and/or layouts that service automotive manufacturing facilities since there's such a huge 1/64th scale die-cast car scene. Buy a bunch of Hot Wheels/Matchbox/etc. and you'd easily be able to fill up highways, major arterials and storage lots and make tons of high-detail car carrier loads.
We inherited the gauge from 19th century Germany; the gauge pre-dated the use of 1/4" scale. The correct scale would be 1:45 (17/64" scale). 1/4" scale is an inaccurate adaptation to the gauge. To fix this, you either keep the gauge and "scale up" to 1:45, or you keep 1/4" scale and "gauge down" to 1-3/16" (P48)
The original scale of G is 22.5. Ernst Lehman was the man who started G scale back in the 60 ties. The Company was L G B witch stands for Leman gross bahn. Now owned by Marklin
The thing with G-scale is that the equipment is scaled proportionate to the track. The original 1:22.5 scale on 45mm gauge track is accurate to the meter-gauge equipment LGB produces models of. 1:20.3 on 45mm gauge is more in line with US 3ft gauge equipment. You'll also find 1:19 scale on 45mm used for UK 2ft gauge equipment, and 1:29 on 45mm for standard-gauge equipment meant to run alongside G-scale narrow-gauge equipment.
O 27 and O are different as well. O 27 will run on any O layout but many O gauge rolling stock or engines won't run on the tighter curves of O 27. O 27 is 1:64 scale and many of the post war Lionel are that scale. It frustrates my Dad because he does O 27 and it seems like Lionel has completely abandoned that scale.
I just stumbled onto this video looking for a good break down of the scale sizes. Now I know why there are Ertl toy tractors in 1/87 scale. Pairs up with HO scale nicely. I am looking to possibly get back into model railroading. I had an N scale set years ago and kinda getting the bug again.
A year or so ago I seen F scale on ebay went to check n they're not there now.... I'm a N scaler.. been one since 8th grade [maybe '71].... Seen it in a department store fell in love $29, put it in lay-away (saved own money) { engine, 2 freight cars, caboose, small oval of track n power pack } mini-trix... all I have left is engine chassis, and it quit working long ago
hi Eric...that magazine is awesome,, i did take a pic of that because like you i might build a repair shop... anyhow may other hobby is model rail roading i model i "N" sale(1/160) ..most common "G" scale =1/32... i like all those kits you have... great update... thx 4 sharing.. vinny
In the 1960s that got the name N-Scale because the track is 9 mm. I remember Aurora made postage stamp train as they called them back then. There used to be TT scale which was made by HP products good quality engines and cars but very expensive and when the guy died scale ended they were called TT for tabletop train. A lot of it became used for Narrow Gauge ho trains because it was very close to that.
Believe or not, at one time had four scales under one roof.-- Z, N, HO, Marklin 1 (G), LGB (G). Have a daughter, son, and two grandsons that all enjoyed playing with them. Little by little had to give away or sell due to various complications. Just recently started to get started on LEGO and LEPIN due to the variety and ease of power setup.
Your website is great and is exactly what I had been hoping to find. I've been away from Modeling for 50+ years so need a lot of info. Look forward to all your videos. Lots of fun as well.
When you look at an N scale layout from a standing position it looks like the view from flying in a helicopter or a plane. I know a guy with an N scale layout he was at table level looking at the train and he sneezed and he blew the train right off the track. Imagine that on the wheel report.
One topic you could cover is basic wiring. What's needed on a basic oval, if more is needed for turnouts, helixes and spiral (up a conical mountain minimum radius for a spiral) What sort of wiring is needed for street lights, buildings and crossing gates and such. Are special controllers needed to operate lights and such? I'm just getting started and have little knowledge of wiring . Thank you!
The tightest O stuff O-27/31/36 will do a 180 turn on a 4ft wide section given it takes under 36in but it really doesn't feel right, O-48 is the smallest I'd really invest in
Class is in session/ The way you two play off of one another is a comfort/ Hence, Just keep doing what you're doing the way y'all are doing it... This channel is very informative / will be compiling questions.
Lionel O27 does tight curves and will fit in fairly small places. 4 feet wide will comfortably work for a basic oval. But you're limited to shorter car length.
I just ran across your video and got interested in your descriptions of the different scales. I think one important point was overlooked (and thus might lead newbies down the wrong path). "G" scale is short for "Garden" scale - for the reasons you mentioned. BUT! . . . G scale is not 1/32 scale exclusively, although 1/32 is one of a few other "G scale " scales. For instance, the most prolific of these is 1:22.5 scale (all Bachmann large scale products are 1:22.5), another one is 1:29. Lewis Polk told me about 25 years ago that they decided on 1:29 as a buffer between the popular European No.1 gauge (1/32) and LGB's 1:22.5, so his products could be run with the others and not be too noticeably different. and then there's USA trains 1:24 scale. And then, and then, etc.
So if I understand HO is the undisclosed popular standard. The other sizes are for niche reasons, for example N scale is great for building a small model railroad in smaller spaces.
Originally the major source of S scale was American Flyer (and I think some Marx but don't quote me on that) and was very much like early Lionel O27 quality wise. Haven't seen it in years but there was a magazine called "S Gaugen" (sp?) that covered S scale exclusively. One of my coworkers modeled in S and was a regular contributor to the magazine (even then a lot percentage had to be scratchbuilt). While my primary scale was HO, I got into N because as a Pennsy fan Aurora/Minitrix offered a prototype Pennsy 060 A6 and a K4 Pacific at prices I could afford (in the 20-25 dollar range for the K4 as opposed to a PFM HO brass K4 in the $150.00 range (there was NO plastic Pennsy prototype steam available in 1969-73 that I knew of and I was working retail hobbies at the time)). At that point in time there were basically only 3 companies selling N scale motive power and rolling stock in the U.S. (Arnold Rapido, Atlas and Aurora/Minitrix, though more came on shortly thereafter) and the best selection and quality of rail was Pico.
I'm just viewing your videos for the first time. I agree with what you say. When I was 12, I got my first train set. I came home from having my tonsils taken out, to see a double layout my father had made. He started in HO scale. I really liked it. I remember going to the train store, and for one dollar, you could get a fully assembled freight car, with actual springs in the trucks. And they ran really good. The layout was on a board, with a larger track with a smaller track inside of that larger one. I still have that and all the engines and rolling stock. But I do not model with that. I left the hobby for many years, and a friend of mine got me started in N scale. The really cheap stuff. It didn't take much time, till I found about Kato engines and Micro-Trains for the cars. I bought most if not all the cars in kit form, which was very easy to assemble. Then most if not all came fully assembled. I also bought the Micro-Trains trucks with the Kadee couplers already attached so I could take the Atlas trucks of their rolling stock, and install the Micro-Trains instead. I like the plastic wheels, as they run smoother and quieter, than the metal wheels. When I first started in the N scale in the late 80's, Kadee was what you bought, then they split up the scales and Micro-Trains was for N and Z scale. Like I said, I am not in the hobby now, but do still have some of my trains. Thank you for your videos...
I have a rare O gauge NASCAR train set and the diesel engine is a SD 40-2 and it has no front coupler and front hand bar is bent inward a little but the engine still works
Idk why this seems to only be an American thing. G scale is 1:22.5 pioneered by LGB. True 1:32 is Gauge 1 and is completely different. It also known as the King/Royal Scale. The only thing they have in common is they share the same track width but not height.
The issue I had with N up until the '90s was finding accessories "in scale." Ex: A diecast Model A that was shorter than a child figure. Kind of an encouragement to get serious about scratch building...lol.
other things about G scale (also sometimes large scale) is that normal model railroad rules don't apply since you are often working with real dirt and plants and VERY large trains so a lot of people included myself put batteries in our trains so we don't have to clean track its also nice because then you can use aluminum track
Plus G-scale equipment generally has sealed gearboxes. That being said, you can run batteries and RC control in equipment as small as HO scale practically, and N-scale main-line equipment theoretically. It's just not done because there's not much of a reason for it and most modern motive power comes with preinstalled DCC anyway.
Once upon a time I ran and repaired an amusement park miniature railroad that was about 1/3 scale. At the same time I also had a really large O scale Lionel set up. The former was what I did to earn my keep. The latter was real escape. Lost both to a family breakup caused by alcoholism and a tendency for my step father to slap people around.
New to the hobby and your 101 series is a playlist saved on my RUclips thank you for the info and not talking down to beginners that is appreciated thank you guys for your time and information
just built my very first lay-out. N scale, it's 11 inches wide by 27 inches long. it lives inside my piano bench. hoping to compress the next one even more.
I just discovered this video and your channel 5 years late. This was a great primer on popular railroad scales but it should be mentioned that S (1:64 scale) is popular with farm and diecast car and truck modelers.
Yes...I started in N scale when it started in 1967. My Dad got me a set and I can remember it had to speeds...stop and go like hell. But as I get older it's getting harder to see, but I will keep it and the stuff coming out now a days is great. Great new show Guy's. Bob
Great video - This was the very first video I watched on the hobby. But upon further research I think S Scale might be best for me as I have an extensive collection of hot wheels which I would like to include in my setup... Thanks for the info... I will continue to follow you guys!.
Pre war Lionel made OO scale 1/76 models but to a near spot in gauge of 19mm. I have only seen the fir cast Hudson they made on RUclips. Abandoned during the war. Some other US kit suppliers too.
In Japan because the apartments are so small and scale is the preferred scale for modeling as well as for the club that people belong to. I tell people the worst my eyes get the bigger my trains get hahaha
S scale at 1:64 means 16.5 mm gauge track as used in HO scale is correct for modelling narrow gauge 3’6”. You can’t fully explain scales without touching on gauges
TSG Multimedia ... The reason S scale looks odd to American eyes might be because metre and 3’6” narrow gauge as used extensively in Brazil, India, Africa, Australia and elsewhere is operated with a similar loading gauge to standard gauge railways. Often it’s the same locomotives with bogies swapped out as required. In contrast, in America 3’ narrow gauge typically operates on a more constricted loading gauge, so it follows the models look smaller. Loading gauge is also very relevant in model railways: get it wrong and your locos will hit buildings on curves!
1/32 is supposedly "One Gauge" anything larger like 1/30th or 1/29 up to 1/22.5 in the US is G scale. 1/20th in the US is considered F scale. in the UK i believe its still considered G scale all the way up to 1/16th
OO is interesting in that it uses 16.5 mm track the exact same as HO ..I do HO and one time I accidentally got sent some OO flatcars by mistake ..Also same thing with a fuel tanker truck as a road vehicle ..The flatcars were usable but the tanker just looked wrong so I gave it away to a friend who does do OO ..Another scale of course is HO N3..Great vid..very cool..
O scale is great cuz it’s not G but it’s not HO, but it has the 3 rails so the wiring is easier. I’ve had O scale for over over 10-12yrs, & I have cars/rolling stock that are still in good shape after 10-12yrs. I’ve had some G & all I can say is that because it’s for the garden it’s pretty expensive, and it’s really easy for them to come off the tracks unlike O scale where it’s a little harder. I sold all my G stuff cuz of how expensive, & how much space it needs. The O scale older stuff retains its value, once you open the box for the G you just lost 1/2 the value.
My workplace has an O scale train that runs around its Christmas tree. I also recall an O scale train that ran on a shelf around a local ice cream shop.
Excellent video…if you revise/update this video in the future, please include another scale omitted in this video…S scale (1:64 scale), which enjoys a loyal following. S scale combines excellent detailing and fine performance in a 4 feet by 8 feet space. Many new products from American Models, Lionel, and others are regularly offered, as well as American Flyer trains and accessories at train shows. It’s an excellent scale that, hopefully, will be included in a future video. 🚂 17:37
I decided to duplicate the train set I had as a kid in England,, over there its a scale called OO, similar to HO. Can find virtually no Hornby-Dublo rolling stock in the US so shipping from the UK is costing me more than the item lol. But am getting there.
I just discovered your channel, and I just posted already a lengthy comment to your video about advice for beginners and the types of track available. I complained in that comment about the lack of mentioning other viable scales, like "S" scale. S scale has some very dedicated modelers, and lots of wonderful possibilities, and a considerable amount of equipment and supplies available, though many of us also love to scratch built.. In this video, however, I do appreciate at least your mentioning of "S" scale, though in a context of something being "wrong" about it, or the track looking "too big" as your sidekick declared near the end of this video, it doesn't give people I feel an honest consideration of S, and serves to move them away from any serious consideration of "S". Grrrr. There is nothing "wrong" about gazing on s scale ("Scale S," that is) track and equipment. The size relation between equipment and track is spot on, with zero error in track gauge (and rail height for that matter) for the current NASG/NMRA track and wheel standards. A scale of 1:64 is a very natural scale, or 3/16" = 1 foot, or 1'16" = 4", etc., and easy to convert real dimensions into scale dimensions, versus where a scale of 3.5mm = 1 foot (huh?!?) or 1:87.0857142857143 (or 3048/35) is a very contrived and unnatural scale, and very difficult to convert dimensions without a calculator. (TT is also a very "natural" scale, with 1/10" = 1 foot', and easy to work with) Also, you could for considerably less money obtain an example of an S scale 40' boxcar for your interesting display of 40' boxcars in the various scales, than the money you spent on that G scale boxcar. I was so disappointed that S wasn't represented in that display. PLEASE don't use popularity as a standard that you communicate to your viewers about the value of a scale. That didn't used to be the case in model railroading, an excellent example of which fact I offered to you in my other comment back from the 1950s. Yes, you can buy some very inexpensive stuff in HO, true. However, generally the quality is wanting. For your typical S scale equipment, however, you will pay about the same as you would for HO equipment for the same quality. Ditto for brass. It is wearisome to continue seeing what I consider to be one of the BEST scales continually shunned as if it didn't exist, or else treated as if something was intrinsically wrong with it. I wish I could post photos here.
Great video! Thanks for sharing! Taking into consideration the number of people living in a cramped apartment who still love the hobby but don't have the room for a big layout may prefer to go with an HO scale or N scale so they can maybe set up a smaller set in a spare room or in a corner of their apartment. I haven't been in the hobby for over 20 years, but I do have a spare bedroom in my apartment that I'm thinking of using. I have past experience with HO so maybe I could do a relatively small layout with some trees and buildings and such. It would be hard to switch from HO to N. I'd feel like something was missing. Now what to do with the bed and dresser is another story. :)
S scale (1/64) is the scale to use if you want to incorporate Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightning, or Matchbox cars into your layout as they tend to be 1/64 scale as well.
... or HO slot cars, lot of those are also ~1:64 even though they are called HO
@@1DwtEaUn
I remember Aurora used to have slot car track sections that had HO scale crossings.
You can create the illusion of distance in mountain scenes by placing the z scale to the back of a layout looking across a forest maybe up on a ridge and have a z scale shay set up on a bump switch pulling lumber or coal back and forth off in the distance of a HO scale model layout.
Warren Buffet prefers 1:1 scale.
AKA P SCALE. P for Prototype
Over the years I've had HO, N and Z scales. When I was in the Canadian Military in Germany in the late 70s and early 80s Z was the way to go. HO was good, but hard to pack up and move, and the movers always destroyed at least one box trains, so N scale was the best for someone who moved every 4 years or so.
I started with Lionel when my grandson was younger. The new stuff is so expensive. So I stick with used post war. I wanted something that could hold up to my grandson. I have always believed if he breaks something so be it. He has only dropped 1 item since he was 4 now 9. If I knew he was going to be so careful I would have started with HO. Our first layout was on the garage floor. I over built it with cabinet grade plywood and 2x4s. We built the layout together. Teaching him how to use screws and paint. He would take his shoes off and walk on it. He loved moving houses, buildings and people around. He still has a lot of hot wheel and matchbox cars and legos on our larger layout now. Its a place for him and I to play together. Please remember if you have kids please let them touch and maybe even break an item or to. They are still toys. Have fun everyone.
Hi Joe. I am doing the exact same thing with my twin grandsons age 10.
....and then there are the Live Steamers with more money than they know what to do with, so they ride on their trains! 😅😂🤣
There's 7 inch, 12 and 15 inch guage. The "riding model guages".
I'd love to ride my model trains lol
Way back around 1961/62 my brother and I were given a Lionel model 1611 O gauge train set (the set created in 1959 to celebrate Alaska
Statehood ).
Mother re-married in 1965 and we immediately set about to taking command of step-fathers ping-pong table to accommodate our Lionel.
Great Fun !!!
p.s. I still have that train but sadly lost my brother to cancer in 1996. I intend to post a video to my YT channel in the near future of set-up & running that train 👍
Z: ero room for installing a DCC decoder
N: othing exciting ever comes out.
HO: ly crap, these models are so fragile.
O: h my god, they are expensive and made in China.
G: reat god, I have no room to run these.
What about T scale? (1/450)
Terable price
T: oo fucking small
S: hit, who even has these?
HO is not fragile N is fragile who in the world gave you that idea since i had those trains while growing up. Still like my N-scale train fun little trains
YodinMack dunno, my HO stuff was way more fragile than my N scale stuff, but that was back i screwed with model trains the most i was like 9
Here are the timestamps if you want a specific gauge.
Z 3:20
N 5:15
HO 6:55
O 8:30
G 11:00
lol thanks
I love my N scale. My dad put a 4x8 sheet of plywood on the pool table. It had a 3 foot tall mountain with tunnels a town with train station in the middle and foothills with a river on the other end. You could do quite a bit in that area. I always found my friends HO scale too big. I do agree though, it was hard finding new stuff. Less of a problem now with internet sellers, but in the 90’s I was limited to the few shops or the once a year model train show.
Back then, there was a toy called “micro machines” which was like hot wheels, but the cars were like an inch long. Pretty close in scale to N it seemed to me.
A 4x8 sheet allows you to run the largest N scale radii easily which is great for high speed trains and full length limited express trains!
This is why im considering N scale, space is on a premium for me, with a 4x8 being what looks like will be the goldilocks zone of table space i can reasonably accommodate.
I would add a little caveat to the O Scale bit, in that you can get a layout into a space as small as 3 feet wide if you use 0-27 profile track. It's still O gauge, but the rails are shorter in height and the curves are as tight as you can make them in O, taking 27 inches in diameter to make a full circle. The downside is that longer locomotives and rolling stock with long wheelbases (six axle bogies instead of four) have trouble taking curves that tight and going through the short switches. That being said, most 3-rail O scale items tend to work just fine with it, and I like it as it lets you have bigger trains while still keeping things in a small space.
It's a bit obscure nowadays, but O-27 was really popular back in the day for use in O Scale train sets as it was cheaper to produce. All Marx train sets were 027, and Lionel used it in most of its starter sets and as a way to compete with American Flyer S-Scale trains, only phasing it out when their FastTrack system was introduced.
Another scale popular in Europe for static display is 1/25th. The models are quite reasonably priced as they are sold as unfinished kits by various publishers. Yes publishers. The models are built from printed card stock re-enforced where needed by chipboard. Chipboard is the same paper based product used for cereal boxes, the backs of paper tablets etc. Depending on the skill of the modeler these kits can be quite impressive as a finished model. The two kits with the highest part count l can think of are any of the three SD-14 ship model kits. Three seperate kits to build one model. And a 1/96th scale model of the NASA crawler for the Saturn V. That kit comes in at 11 or 14k parts.
N scale started in 1967. I prefer N scale since I live in an apartment and space is limited. I have Kato track, a Kato N scale Amtrak Superliner set that I call the Coast Daylight, 3 Amtrak P42 locomotives, I also have the Southern Pacific Morning Daylight set which is pulled by the Daylight steam locomotive GS-4 number 4449 which is my excursion train. I’m adding freight cars, my diesel locomotives will be Southern Pacific, Santa Fe, BNSF, Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, Western Pacific. My n scale model railroad is the Pacific West Coast. My ultimate goal is to model he entire West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver,BC,Canada.
I started with the European version of HO, then, back in the states had American Flyer S, then HO, then, for many years, and later with my son, back to AF S guage.
I model N gauge because I have a passion for Japanese trains and I can run all my limited express and bullet trains with the correct number of carriages on a 2 metre layout! Nothing worse than seeing a high speed train consist with not enough carriages!
I model"N"scale and there's always new stuff coming out in this scale.
Me too, it’s rapidly getting new rolling stock and locomotives
Too bad they don't usually make large steam locomotives in N scale.
I would love to run the big boy on my layout
Kato is releasing a big boy in n scale next year
@@theminer3746 theres an n scale big boy at my local hobby shop
Just discovered your 101 series...new to the hobby, and your videos is what i was looking for! Keep up the good work..!!
Excellent. Glad you're here!
I run vintage Lionel Standard Gauge "Tin plate" I'm a fan of the toy aspect of vintage pre and post war Lionel equipment. My late dad loved and worked in HO. Standard gauge is close to "G" in size. "S" started out as Gilbert's American Flyer. Lionel bought out Flyer and produces "S". Lionel has gone through several producers through the years. Williams, Fundimentions [General Mills] and MTH have produced some very fine reproductions of original Lionel "O" stock.
Greetings from New Zealand, just watched your video above for the first time, very informative. I run HO and OO together very successfully - both have plenty of rolling stock and locos available - Hornby is the OO brand in the UK, while HO is available from Athearn, Bachmann etc here in NZ, from the USA - essentially just the couplers are different, but can changed to suit. I find the rolling stock in HO is more modern in style, and more detailed than the British OO...thats the great thing about model railways, you can run anything you want - as long as you are happy with the end product! Keep up the informative sessions!
N scale is so popular in Japan because Japanese people live in matchboxes
what?
@@turtledog1533 Japanese houses tend to be pretty small
@@charleshax ok i get it now
N should be popular in New York ... have you seen how small apts are?
@@scottmonfort With as much as what's charged for rent/mortgage, how many would have the disposable income to indulge? :)
The best (in my personal opinion only!) and one of the most underrated (that's a fact) scales of model railroading -- when you're living in a flat with limited space -- is still TT-scale 1/120. It's small enough to still build considerable networks to have fun playing with and it doesn't look as bad as the smaller scales. Also I have a lot of fun modifying models with my limited skills of manipulating small mechanics. If space weren't the issue I'd be building a I scale model railroad. Has the same gauge as the so called "G scale" but it doesn't look so narrow gauge. And the first thing that comes into my mind when thinking of G scale is these overly expensive and childish looking toy trains by LGB.
why do you think F scale exists its the only scale larger then G
@@IndustrialParrot2816
"its the only scale larger then G"
You'd be pleasantly surprised that that's not the case. There are scales as large as 1:4 on 12in gauge track (the most common of these being 1:8 and 1:5 on 7.25in and 7.5in track, interchangeably), and some of these are even rideable. However, the model railroading hobby tends to ignore these since they're technically classified as "miniature" railroading scales instead. At these massive scales, the focus is less on layout detail and more on modeling a single locomotive and a few pieces of rolling stock, and on both recreational and realistic operations on shared layouts.
In the old house in New York my dad had a Lionel train layout that stretch the whole length of the basement he would run five locomotives and 100 cars. He tried to get me interested in Lionel but I was a dyed-in-the-wool ho guy. My brother bought a few remnants of what he had to me and it included a steam locomotive I ran off the train table and broke the pilot off and for 40 years I never own up to it. The train guy mistakenly whooped it up and got it running and it runs great I might put a coupler on the damaged front end so I could double head to steam locomotives. In the 60s you could buy an HO scale freight car for $2 an N scale car was the same or more but a Lionel car with four times the price of an h o car. With everything being made in China nowadays I take pride and running my American trains on American track with American buildings and American people. I love how on every piece of Marx trains even a simple telephone pole on the bottom it has the symbol of the company with made in America as a train. Wouldn't you love to go to work for a train company I would that would be the kind of job you could not wait to go back to work on Monday with two shifts running Lionel could produce 1600 train sets a day imagine that
I modeled in "F" scale, 1:22.3. Narrow gauge is 3 scale feet. Then there's HOn3, HOn30, On30, etc. :-)
For me, HO is about as small as I can see comfortably, and with a pair of tweezers, the smallest screwdrivers I own, a magnifying glass, and a good flashlight, the absolute smallest I can work on and repair.
If S scale were more popular, or if O scale were cheaper (and if I had a mansion or just a larger space) I'd probably gravitate towards those more.
Funny thing about the Japanese trains...
Japan runs narrow gauge (with the exception of the Shinkansen), but the models run on the same track. Normal N is 1/160. Japanese trains are technically 1/150 ish. Kato and Tomix's Shinkansen sets are standard 1/160, however. Something you'll notice on a Japanese layout is that the Shinkansens seems slightly smaller.
If you look at Japanese model trains closely you will see that they are all standard gauge bodies running on standard gauge bogies. In reality normal trains are standard gauge bodies on narrow gauge bogies and shinkansen are wide gauge bodies on standard gauge bogies. The only Japanese model trains that are entirely accurate are the mini shinkansen such as the E3 and E6 which are standard gauge bodies on standard gauge bogies for both the models and real life!
I really like the HO scale, cause they size up nicely to the Hot Wheels cars.
I live in Lima, Ohio. Although now a bean town it was once a train Town. The Shay was built here. ANYWAY.......I totally freaked out the other day when I was traveling under the newly reconstructed train underpass. Nothing looked real about it. I felt like I was in a electric train landscape. Although the pine trees looked real....just to perfect. The underpass itself....made from red brick and poured white cement.
My late father, always had Lionel Post War trains around the Christmas tree. He loved model trains especially Lionel " O Gauge and O-27". I collect and run Lionel Post War. I had HO and G scale. But I sold them and got back into collecting and running Lionel Post War Trains. Go for what you like. It all comes down to size and how big of a room you have. What gauge would be perfect for you to run. Consider your budget as well. Happy Railroading!
I hope you'd talk a bit about On30 and its relationship to HO.
I've recently seen T (1:450) and TY "Tiny" (1:900) as well. The TY scale does not work the same as larger scales do, but more like "horizontal cog" railways. The motor is outside the train, and is built into the trackage.
TT = TableTop, very popular in central europe, germany.
And now also new smallest scale, T 1/450, mostly japan and UK train sets.
I think that S scale would be nice if it was more popular but I’m still pretty happy with HO setups, the bachmann DCC sound value ones are amazing deals, and I’m looking at getting the thunder chief instead of just buying a DCC diesel loco for my existing layout since the track and loco alone cost nearly the same
S would honestly be amazing for layouts with a lot of road/rail right-of-way interaction and/or layouts that service automotive manufacturing facilities since there's such a huge 1/64th scale die-cast car scene. Buy a bunch of Hot Wheels/Matchbox/etc. and you'd easily be able to fill up highways, major arterials and storage lots and make tons of high-detail car carrier loads.
I loved my O Scale trains when I was younger. Fun fact about O Gauge. The distance between the rails when scaled up is too wide.
We inherited the gauge from 19th century Germany; the gauge pre-dated the use of 1/4" scale. The correct scale would be 1:45 (17/64" scale). 1/4" scale is an inaccurate adaptation to the gauge. To fix this, you either keep the gauge and "scale up" to 1:45, or you keep 1/4" scale and "gauge down" to 1-3/16" (P48)
The original scale of G is 22.5. Ernst Lehman was the man who started G scale back in the 60 ties. The Company was L G B witch stands for Leman gross bahn. Now owned by Marklin
the only model train I ever owned
The thing with G-scale is that the equipment is scaled proportionate to the track. The original 1:22.5 scale on 45mm gauge track is accurate to the meter-gauge equipment LGB produces models of. 1:20.3 on 45mm gauge is more in line with US 3ft gauge equipment. You'll also find 1:19 scale on 45mm used for UK 2ft gauge equipment, and 1:29 on 45mm for standard-gauge equipment meant to run alongside G-scale narrow-gauge equipment.
I guess S gauge or American Flyer isn’t important...
O 27 and O are different as well. O 27 will run on any O layout but many O gauge rolling stock or engines won't run on the tighter curves of O 27. O 27 is 1:64 scale and many of the post war Lionel are that scale. It frustrates my Dad because he does O 27 and it seems like Lionel has completely abandoned that scale.
Thank you for THIS vid.....it REALLY helps folks figure out size/scale to how and what their spaces can accommodate !
I had a HO train set when I was a kid. I really enjoy watching trains. I am thinking of getting back into it again.
Go for it!
I'm glad I found this. Been wanting to get into model railroading, but its pretty intimidating.
I just stumbled onto this video looking for a good break down of the scale sizes. Now I know why there are Ertl toy tractors in 1/87 scale. Pairs up with HO scale nicely. I am looking to possibly get back into model railroading. I had an N scale set years ago and kinda getting the bug again.
A year or so ago I seen F scale on ebay went to check n they're not there now.... I'm a N scaler.. been one since 8th grade [maybe '71].... Seen it in a department store fell in love $29, put it in lay-away (saved own money) { engine, 2 freight cars, caboose, small oval of track n power pack } mini-trix... all I have left is engine chassis, and it quit working long ago
hi Eric...that magazine is awesome,, i did take a pic of that because like you i might build a repair shop... anyhow may other hobby is model rail roading i model i "N" sale(1/160) ..most common "G" scale =1/32... i like all those kits you have... great update... thx 4 sharing.. vinny
In the 1960s that got the name N-Scale because the track is 9 mm. I remember Aurora made postage stamp train as they called them back then. There used to be TT scale which was made by HP products good quality engines and cars but very expensive and when the guy died scale ended they were called TT for tabletop train. A lot of it became used for Narrow Gauge ho trains because it was very close to that.
This answered my question. S scale (1/64) would match 1/64 die-cast cars.
Well, a lot of diecast cars sold as 1:64 scale are not actually 1:64 scale.
@@silaskuemmerle2505 commonly toy company's who want to open there cheap products to model markets they dont even belong in
@Samuel Haase Yeah so it hot wheels too I think
Imo HO scale would match it better
I love S scale but is crazy expensive for its size
Ya left out S scale. Well, ya did mention it. HO means Half of O scale, thus HO.
I only know of one manufacturer that mad S scale...American Flyer. I liked them as they had 2 rails instead of 3 rails like my Lionel 0 scale trains.
@@teecar9868 bullshit AMS, S helper service ( now MtH ) and a large variety of small companies like PBL
@@teecar9868 There is a lot more than American Flyer, including a lot that models true scale wheels and rail sizes.
Super hard to find rolling stock or trains of S scale.
@@Literallykimiko I dunno about that, I have more become available than I'm able to purchase. And then what I can't find, I build it myself.
I’m getting ready to run a shelf around two joint rooms about 14 inches from ceiling for a train. Just gotta decide between HO scale and O Scale.
Believe or not, at one time had four scales under one roof.-- Z, N, HO, Marklin 1 (G), LGB (G). Have a daughter, son, and two grandsons that all enjoyed playing with them. Little by little had to give away or sell due to various complications. Just recently started to get started on LEGO and LEPIN due to the variety and ease of power setup.
Your website is great and is exactly what I had been hoping to find. I've been away from Modeling for 50+ years so need a lot of info. Look forward to all your videos. Lots of fun as well.
Thanks for watching! If you know anyone else who might enjoy it, please share it among your contacts!
New Model Railroader here - really appreciate this video series!
Thanks for finding the channel! Please share it with your friends if you think they would also like it!
When you look at an N scale layout from a standing position it looks like the view from flying in a helicopter or a plane. I know a guy with an N scale layout he was at table level looking at the train and he sneezed and he blew the train right off the track. Imagine that on the wheel report.
One topic you could cover is basic wiring. What's needed on a basic oval, if more is needed for turnouts, helixes and spiral (up a conical mountain minimum radius for a spiral) What sort of wiring is needed for street lights, buildings and crossing gates and such. Are special controllers needed to operate lights and such? I'm just getting started and have little knowledge of wiring .
Thank you!
The tightest O stuff O-27/31/36 will do a 180 turn on a 4ft wide section given it takes under 36in but it really doesn't feel right, O-48 is the smallest I'd really invest in
Class is in session/ The way you two play off of one another is a comfort/ Hence, Just keep doing what you're doing the way y'all are doing it... This channel is very informative / will be compiling questions.
Lionel O27 does tight curves and will fit in fairly small places. 4 feet wide will comfortably work for a basic oval. But you're limited to shorter car length.
I just ran across your video and got interested in your descriptions of the different scales. I think one important point was overlooked (and thus might lead newbies down the wrong path). "G" scale is short for "Garden" scale - for the reasons you mentioned. BUT! . . . G scale is not 1/32 scale exclusively, although 1/32 is one of a few other "G scale " scales. For instance, the most prolific of these is 1:22.5 scale (all Bachmann large scale products are 1:22.5), another one is 1:29. Lewis Polk told me about 25 years ago that they decided on 1:29 as a buffer between the popular European No.1 gauge (1/32) and LGB's 1:22.5, so his products could be run with the others and not be too noticeably different. and then there's USA trains 1:24 scale. And then, and then, etc.
Good points!
I have 2 old LGB steam locomotives and many cars and tracks sadly the company is not as big as it was 15 years ago but I still enjoy it some time :)
Wonderful series for those of us who are thinking of entering the hobby. Thank you.
Thank you for commenting, and for watching!
So if I understand HO is the undisclosed popular standard. The other sizes are for niche reasons, for example N scale is great for building a small model railroad in smaller spaces.
I guess that's one way of looking at it!
Originally the major source of S scale was American Flyer (and I think some Marx but don't quote me on that) and was very much like early Lionel O27 quality wise. Haven't seen it in years but there was a magazine called "S Gaugen" (sp?) that covered S scale exclusively. One of my coworkers modeled in S and was a regular contributor to the magazine (even then a lot percentage had to be scratchbuilt).
While my primary scale was HO, I got into N because as a Pennsy fan Aurora/Minitrix offered a prototype Pennsy 060 A6 and a K4 Pacific at prices I could afford (in the 20-25 dollar range for the K4 as opposed to a PFM HO brass K4 in the $150.00 range (there was NO plastic Pennsy prototype steam available in 1969-73 that I knew of and I was working retail hobbies at the time)).
At that point in time there were basically only 3 companies selling N scale motive power and rolling stock in the U.S. (Arnold Rapido, Atlas and Aurora/Minitrix, though more came on shortly thereafter) and the best selection and quality of rail was Pico.
Scales are the life of track, without scales, model railroading wouldn’t be a thing.
This was very informative. I will now begin binge watching this whole series.
I'm just viewing your videos for the first time. I agree with what you say. When I was 12, I got my first train set. I came home from having my tonsils taken out, to see a double layout my father had made. He started in HO scale. I really liked it. I remember going to the train store, and for one dollar, you could get a fully assembled freight car, with actual springs in the trucks. And they ran really good. The layout was on a board, with a larger track with a smaller track inside of that larger one. I still have that and all the engines and rolling stock. But I do not model with that. I left the hobby for many years, and a friend of mine got me started in N scale. The really cheap stuff. It didn't take much time, till I found about Kato engines and Micro-Trains for the cars. I bought most if not all the cars in kit form, which was very easy to assemble. Then most if not all came fully assembled. I also bought the Micro-Trains trucks with the Kadee couplers already attached so I could take the Atlas trucks of their rolling stock, and install the Micro-Trains instead. I like the plastic wheels, as they run smoother and quieter, than the metal wheels. When I first started in the N scale in the late 80's, Kadee was what you bought, then they split up the scales and Micro-Trains was for N and Z scale. Like I said, I am not in the hobby now, but do still have some of my trains. Thank you for your videos...
Thanks and glad you found the channel. If you know anyone else with similar interests, please share the content with them!
I have a rare O gauge NASCAR train set and the diesel engine is a SD 40-2 and it has no front coupler and front hand bar is bent inward a little but the engine still works
Great - thanks for watching!
I have the same set
Idk why this seems to only be an American thing. G scale is 1:22.5 pioneered by LGB.
True 1:32 is Gauge 1 and is completely different. It also known as the King/Royal Scale. The only thing they have in common is they share the same track width but not height.
The issue I had with N up until the '90s was finding accessories "in scale." Ex: A diecast Model A that was shorter than a child figure. Kind of an encouragement to get serious about scratch building...lol.
other things about G scale (also sometimes large scale) is that normal model railroad rules don't apply since you are often working with real dirt and plants and VERY large trains so a lot of people included myself put batteries in our trains so we don't have to clean track its also nice because then you can use aluminum track
Plus G-scale equipment generally has sealed gearboxes.
That being said, you can run batteries and RC control in equipment as small as HO scale practically, and N-scale main-line equipment theoretically. It's just not done because there's not much of a reason for it and most modern motive power comes with preinstalled DCC anyway.
As an H0 Scale user, this video is great and informative!!
Glad it was helpful!
Once upon a time I ran and repaired an amusement park miniature railroad that was about 1/3 scale. At the same time I also had a really large O scale Lionel set up. The former was what I did to earn my keep. The latter was real escape. Lost both to a family breakup caused by alcoholism and a tendency for my step father to slap people around.
I have ho and n scales, also a Chassie fan in ho. Roll On!
New to the hobby and your 101 series is a playlist saved on my RUclips thank you for the info and not talking down to beginners that is appreciated thank you guys for your time and information
just built my very first lay-out. N scale, it's 11 inches wide by 27 inches long. it lives inside my piano bench. hoping to compress the next one even more.
I just discovered this video and your channel 5 years late. This was a great primer on popular railroad scales but it should be mentioned that S (1:64 scale) is popular with farm and diecast car and truck modelers.
Yes...I started in N scale when it started in 1967. My Dad got me a set and I can remember it had to speeds...stop and go like hell. But as I get older it's getting harder to see, but I will keep it and the stuff coming out now a days is great. Great new show Guy's. Bob
Great stuff. Was looking into train sets and needed to see these differences in the scales to make my mind up.. Looks like ho is the winner!
Great video - This was the very first video I watched on the hobby. But upon further research I think S Scale might be best for me as I have an extensive collection of hot wheels which I would like to include in my setup... Thanks for the info... I will continue to follow you guys!.
I love n scale k my own opinion because its small but not too small like z and can fit almost anywhere
Pre war Lionel made OO scale 1/76 models but to a near spot in gauge of 19mm.
I have only seen the fir cast Hudson they made on RUclips.
Abandoned during the war. Some other US kit suppliers too.
For O gauge 2 or 3 rail the cupplers are different too. Not just the wheels.
Thank you fir very thorough and fun videos. I think your videos are the best for explaining the hobby. Good job!
In Japan because the apartments are so small and scale is the preferred scale for modeling as well as for the club that people belong to. I tell people the worst my eyes get the bigger my trains get hahaha
S scale at 1:64 means 16.5 mm gauge track as used in HO scale is correct for modelling narrow gauge 3’6”. You can’t fully explain scales without touching on gauges
Please see the subsequent video about gauge. :)
TSG Multimedia ... The reason S scale looks odd to American eyes might be because metre and 3’6” narrow gauge as used extensively in Brazil, India, Africa, Australia and elsewhere is operated with a similar loading gauge to standard gauge railways. Often it’s the same locomotives with bogies swapped out as required. In contrast, in America 3’ narrow gauge typically operates on a more constricted loading gauge, so it follows the models look smaller. Loading gauge is also very relevant in model railways: get it wrong and your locos will hit buildings on curves!
Im glad this video series exists. I have so many questions about model railroading and This series is all the answers
Have you ever thought about doing a followup to this going over the more "niche" scales, like T, TT, S, OO, 1 and the "Miniature Railroading" scales?
This wasn't about all the different scales per se, but about what scale means.
1/32 is supposedly "One Gauge" anything larger like 1/30th or 1/29 up to 1/22.5 in the US is G scale. 1/20th in the US is considered F scale. in the UK i believe its still considered G scale all the way up to 1/16th
OO is interesting in that it uses 16.5 mm track the exact same as HO ..I do HO and one time I accidentally got sent some OO flatcars by mistake ..Also same thing with a fuel tanker truck as a road vehicle ..The flatcars were usable but the tanker just looked wrong so I gave it away to a friend who does do OO ..Another scale of course is HO N3..Great vid..very cool..
HO is called that because it is roughly (H)alf (O) in comparison to O gauge.
Finally I found what I was after. A guy I met today has a bunch of S scale stuff for sale.
HO is my favorite, N scale. Thanks for sharing.
O scale is great cuz it’s not G but it’s not HO, but it has the 3 rails so the wiring is easier. I’ve had O scale for over over 10-12yrs, & I have cars/rolling stock that are still in good shape after 10-12yrs.
I’ve had some G & all I can say is that because it’s for the garden it’s pretty expensive, and it’s really easy for them to come off the tracks unlike O scale where it’s a little harder. I sold all my G stuff cuz of how expensive, & how much space it needs.
The O scale older stuff retains its value, once you open the box for the G you just lost 1/2 the value.
You can put two loops on a 4 x 8 table in O scale
My workplace has an O scale train that runs around its Christmas tree.
I also recall an O scale train that ran on a shelf around a local ice cream shop.
Excellent video…if you revise/update this video in the future, please include another scale omitted in this video…S scale (1:64 scale), which enjoys a loyal following. S scale combines excellent detailing and fine performance in a 4 feet by 8 feet space. Many new products from American Models, Lionel, and others are regularly offered, as well as American Flyer trains and accessories at train shows. It’s an excellent scale that, hopefully, will be included in a future video. 🚂 17:37
Learnt the basics. I am in before the starter’s Knowledge. This helped me. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I decided to duplicate the train set I had as a kid in England,, over there its a scale called OO, similar to HO. Can find virtually no Hornby-Dublo rolling stock in the US so shipping from the UK is costing me more than the item lol. But am getting there.
Goes “ off track”
Anyways…. Haha
Thanks for the education, just started and will view all the starter videos!
I just discovered your channel, and I just posted already a lengthy comment to your video about advice for beginners and the types of track available. I complained in that comment about the lack of mentioning other viable scales, like "S" scale. S scale has some very dedicated modelers, and lots of wonderful possibilities, and a considerable amount of equipment and supplies available, though many of us also love to scratch built.. In this video, however, I do appreciate at least your mentioning of "S" scale, though in a context of something being "wrong" about it, or the track looking "too big" as your sidekick declared near the end of this video, it doesn't give people I feel an honest consideration of S, and serves to move them away from any serious consideration of "S". Grrrr. There is nothing "wrong" about gazing on s scale ("Scale S," that is) track and equipment. The size relation between equipment and track is spot on, with zero error in track gauge (and rail height for that matter) for the current NASG/NMRA track and wheel standards.
A scale of 1:64 is a very natural scale, or 3/16" = 1 foot, or 1'16" = 4", etc., and easy to convert real dimensions into scale dimensions, versus where a scale of 3.5mm = 1 foot (huh?!?) or 1:87.0857142857143 (or 3048/35) is a very contrived and unnatural scale, and very difficult to convert dimensions without a calculator. (TT is also a very "natural" scale, with 1/10" = 1 foot', and easy to work with)
Also, you could for considerably less money obtain an example of an S scale 40' boxcar for your interesting display of 40' boxcars in the various scales, than the money you spent on that G scale boxcar. I was so disappointed that S wasn't represented in that display. PLEASE don't use popularity as a standard that you communicate to your viewers about the value of a scale. That didn't used to be the case in model railroading, an excellent example of which fact I offered to you in my other comment back from the 1950s.
Yes, you can buy some very inexpensive stuff in HO, true. However, generally the quality is wanting. For your typical S scale equipment, however, you will pay about the same as you would for HO equipment for the same quality. Ditto for brass.
It is wearisome to continue seeing what I consider to be one of the BEST scales continually shunned as if it didn't exist, or else treated as if something was intrinsically wrong with it. I wish I could post photos here.
My dad and nieghbors always had 4 x 8 sheets of plywood to fit their O scale layouts
Certainly a long video but help a lot cheers fellas
Great video! Thanks for sharing! Taking into consideration the number of people living in a cramped apartment who still love the hobby but don't have the room for a big layout may prefer to go with an HO scale or N scale so they can maybe set up a smaller set in a spare room or in a corner of their apartment. I haven't been in the hobby for over 20 years, but I do have a spare bedroom in my apartment that I'm thinking of using. I have past experience with HO so maybe I could do a relatively small layout with some trees and buildings and such. It would be hard to switch from HO to N. I'd feel like something was missing. Now what to do with the bed and dresser is another story. :)
Thanks for the comment and feedback. We are glad you found us.
I don't have trains but this was helpful to know which was which. I think I'll go with N scale based on space.
Very helpful. I learned some new things though I’m not a beginner. Thanks!
I have HO and N in my collection, but would love it if the more obscure S and TT scales became more mainstream, as I don't have the room for O.