scales

This section is for all of you who would like to 'show and tell' about your Trains / Locomotives - whatever the scale or gauge!
cloughie
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scales

Post by cloughie »

bigmig
can you put up a chart or something else that shows the different scale of model trains ,eg ho=1/72 ect.
also can you tell me what the model train manufactures scales are,eg hornby=ho ect. 
cheers
cloughie
BREL
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Re: scales

Post by BREL »

hi I have scanned these out of a book called The world of model trains that I got  for Christmas about thirty years ago
they show the difference in scales and gauges


the first picture shows the different ratios of scale and gauge for narrow gauge models and the second for the standard gauge of 4 foot 8 and 1 half inch
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Last edited by BREL on Sun Nov 23, 2008 6:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
BIGMIG
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Re: scales

Post by BIGMIG »

cloughie wrote: bigmig
can you put up a chart or something else that shows the different scale of model trains ,eg ho=1/72 ect.
also can you tell me what the model train manufactures scales are,eg hornby=ho ect. 
cheers
cloughie

Mabe I can do a little searching on the size of a real engine that I have the HO model of and give the measurement of it and we can come up with something to work with.I'll post on this later tonight.            BIGMIG  ;D ;D
cloughie
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Re: scales

Post by cloughie »

cheers for that you two
the reason I was asking is that I have been thinking of getting the loft done up and as a kid I always wanted a train set,my family used to have a boarding house in Blackpool that backed onto Blackpool central railway station,oh the memories of the steam trains going past before Beeching screwed it up.
can you tell me if there are any books for a novice(I make two short planks look like a computer) that explain what you need, to do a layout,or if you buy one of the box sets that you see,is every thing included to get you going and for a first timer is hornby the way to go.
cheers
cloughie
BIGMIG
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Re: scales

Post by BIGMIG »

cloughie wrote: cheers for that you two
the reason I was asking is that I have been thinking of getting the loft done up and as a kid I always wanted a train set,my family used to have a boarding house in Blackpool that backed onto Blackpool central railway station,oh the memories of the steam trains going past before Beeching screwed it up.
can you tell me if there are any books for a novice(I make two short planks look like a computer) that explain what you need, to do a layout,or if you buy one of the box sets that you see,is every thing included to get you going and for a first timer is hornby the way to go.
cheers
cloughie
Hello cloughie,
      Well I'll try to offer up some help for you.Being across the big pond from you will offer up a few chalenges for me.
The two most popular scales for trains here is ( HO ) and ( N ) scale.Now guys I know there are also other scales also so don't throw rocks at me,this is just a general statement. ;D                          The biggest advantage to these scales is the "room" required for setting up a layout.How big do you want to go and to what detail you plan on putting into your train layout.

Most ready made box sets are just the basic's to get one started===example==one or two engines,a few cars,a small basic track configureation,and a power pack to run the train.These will "get you started" and the good part is you can expand from there to suit your desire.The sky is the limit and is determined by room and how much you care to invest.

You will also have to decide if you like steam engines,diesel engines,or would like to run a combination of them.

One thing to keep in mind is the smaller the scale gets, the harder it is to work on some of this stuff.When I first talked to my local hobby shop asking about scale size,best size taking into account the cost of the same engine in different scales,and all the accessories taking into account the cost for the same item in the different scales.And a big factor he asked me was " How old are you"----And the reason being he stated that for example (N) scale is much harder to work with for older guys like myself who don't have the good eyesight like in the past.(I'm glad he pointed that out for me).My chioice was to go with the (HO) scale trains.

Here are a couple of examples of engines in (HO) and (N) scale.=====

                A real life size GM  EMD 2000 HP  GP-38-2  Length--59 feet 2 inches

This same engine in a Bachmann scale model===        HO  Scale    1:87

                                                                                length== 7 7/8 "  (199 mm)
                                                                                width=== 1 1/2 "  (36 mm )
                                                                                height==  2 1/8 "  (55 mm )

Another simular model---Atlas  scale model  GP-40        N  Scale    1:160
                                                                                  length==  4 1/4 "  (10.8 cm )
                                                                                  width===  3/4 "    (1.9 cm )
                                                                                  height==  1 1/4 "  (3.2 cm )


As you can see there is a big difference in the HO and the N gauge models.I think in general the HO is less costly over-all than the same stuff in the N gauge. (just my opinion).The lay-out I'm working on and posting here on the forum consists of mostly used stock I have been buying off ebay.Trains like all the other hobby's have a large variety of prices for what is on the market.What is ok for me might be junk to someone else.This is up to each individual to determine what they like and want.

Not knowing what brands are avaible and popular in your area I won't make any suggestion as to what you should buy.I use tower Hobby here in the US
as my measuring stick to compair prices from other dealers with when I buy train items.I like the Bachman engines because for being considered a bottom end engine by some they have the best warranty out there on the market.(lifetime limited warranty)They look the same to me as some of the higher end models from a distance. ;D  I would go to tower hobby just to look at some of the models and accessories that are avaible,and they carry a lot of train items for you to see and get a good idea of sizes and what is on the market place.Then shop around for the best place in your area for what you want and the best prices. ;D                  GOOD LUCK and I hope this may have helped you out.-------BIGMIG  ;D ;D ;D
 
Ex_Pat_Tanker
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Re: scales

Post by Ex_Pat_Tanker »

@cloughie
I'm nearly 20 years away from working on my fathers model railway (also in his converted loft), so some of what I'm telling you might be out of date:
The ready to run stuff available today is a world away from the stuff I had as a kid (which was as big a step up from what you might have had!) If you want a decent looking steam era layout then I would recomment buying the PECO OO Finescale track as its more accurate for that era. It ain't cheap tho - my Father used to buy 36" rails and tread them onto molded sleepers (I forget the company that made them - PM if you're interested and I'll ask) and make his own points (or switches (?) for our US veiwers) from plans and PCB board strips.
Do buy Nickel Silver track - it lasts a lot longer than the cheap steel stuff that Hornby etc offer (which rusts!).
In terms of what to buy, it depends on what you want - Hornby, Lima and Bachmann all offer very good models, from memory Hornby tend to focus on large Express or heavy goods engines, Lima are better at more modern Diesels and Bachmann offer excellent "branchline" steam engines. The bachmann models were the best about 15 years ago, to I've not taken any apart since then so the others may have caught them up.
Books:
Anything by CJ Freezer
The month Magazine used to be called the "Railway Modeller", tho I think the name changed a few years ago - again I can ask if you get stuck...
Ex_Pat_Tanker
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Re: scales

Post by Ex_Pat_Tanker »

The difference between Hornby (and the others) and the Continental/US models is scale: Historicaly the UK toy train manufacturers wanted to use continental toymakers track and mechanisms to save cost. Unfortunately UK trains are narrower than everybody elses so they couldn't fit a continental mechanism in a HO (1:87) scale UK body - so they compromised and invented OO, the trains are 1:76 (4mm to the foot), but the track is still HO (3.5mm to the foot?). I believe N guage (2mm to the foot) suffers the same problem, but its just not as noticeable.
The track that comes with the "toy train sets" is 100/1000 inch profile flat bottom rail, which looks really chunky and toy like. Take a look at the PECO finescale stuff (82/1000 inch, bullhead profile) and you'll notice the difference!
cloughie
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Re: scales

Post by cloughie »

Hi you two
I got two books by C.J. Freezer and magazines of hornby,model rail and railway modeller,damn there is some good modellers out there.

A mate of mine has been into N gauge for years and has offered to let me tag along to a model rail fare at Wigan in December, he said like you said, Bachmann for the locos and peco for the track and points and get dcc.
The thing that keeps coming up in the track department is code 100 track and code 75 track ???, I think one is this fine track you were on about, also one is on wood sleepers and the other is on concrete sleepers, I am hopping to get to a place in Liverpool called Hattons to have a good look round
http://www.ehattons.com/
now this place looks like it will take all day to look round :o,
cheers
cloughie
Ex_Pat_Tanker
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Re: scales

Post by Ex_Pat_Tanker »

Hi Cloughie,

The code number is the height of the rail in thousanths of an inch, code 100 = 100/1000", code 75 is smaller and closer to scale for OO (don't ask me where I got code 82 from, must have been having a senior moment or something...?!?).

dcc is supposed to work really well these days, but my only experience of that type of thing was the early 80's Hornby Zero-One system - it was kind of like those fancy digital dashboard displays in high end Austin Rovers of the time, very high tech and ahead of its day but sadly in order to make it affordable, they had to squeeze so much cost out of it that it seldom lasted for more than 3 months before it broke down! ;) ;D

Cheers,
Martin
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wibblywobbly
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Re: scales

Post by wibblywobbly »

I used to have a 10 x 5 HO layout, and running digital kit. I can only say that once you have tried it you will love it. Being able to have multiple trains running on the same layout and even sharing the same track and running in opposite directions really adds to the experience. I used to love starting one loco, leave it accelarating out of a multiple siding, then switch the points and pull another one out and so on. If you really want the full monty then buy loksound equipped loco's (these will also run on dc systems) and you get full and very realistic loco sounds as well. They are incredibly good, right down to the start sequence, accelaration sound, clanks and grinds, brake squeal etc. Much like Elmod tank systems are but crammed onto a tiny chip.

I used to run the whole lot off a single Hornby digital controller, but left the points manually controlled from a board for simplicity's sake (easier to keep track of what is happening on the layout too).

I have a couple of vids still on you tube from the pre-digital days if you want to take a look, though these were nothing compared to what I subsequently built. Sorry about the light!!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K81HjYJuPcc
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gE0A-ovBRTU
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=G-DgdJQtFUQ

and a few demo's (not mine) of DCC

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6ETunnVpJsY
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zHJe4w7Tn44
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb-z2fNVkZM

Get your cheque book out!  ;D

Rob G
Tiger 1 Late
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
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