| When planning a model railroad layout, model | | | | of garden centers which make available plants and |
| railroaders have to choose what scale they are going | | | | shrubs sized just right for the G scale Garden |
| to be modeling. The ratio between real life size and | | | | Railroads. |
| model size is known as the scale. On an HO scale | | | | The term scale and gauge do not have the same |
| layout, or 1:87 scale, the scenery, rolling stock and | | | | meaning. Scale refers to the size of objects in |
| buildings will be 1/87 of the real life, or prototype size. | | | | proportion to their prototype. Gauge refers to the |
| By far modeler's favorite scale to model is HO scale | | | | distance between the rails. Most scales model |
| (1:87). Where you don't have a lot of space available | | | | standard gauge track. Standard gauge railroads are |
| for setting up a model railroad layout, the smaller | | | | those whose rails are 4 feet 8 and one half inches |
| scales, N scale (1:160) and Z scale (1:220) would be | | | | apart. |
| more suitable. On Z Scale layouts, scaled objects | | | | Those modelers that model 3' gauge, or narrow |
| would be 1/220 the size of real life objects, whereas | | | | gauge railroads use a combination of scales and |
| on N scale layouts, scaled objects are 1/160 the size | | | | gauges. For instance, you can model narrow gauge |
| of full size objects. If you are considering modeling | | | | using HO scale. It is called HOn3. The HO refers to |
| the smaller scales, keep in mind that good eyesight | | | | the scale and the "n" refers to narrow gauge and the |
| and hand eye coordination will be needed. | | | | "3" refers to 3' between the rails. The only thing that |
| S Scale (1:64), O scale (1:48) and G scale (1:24) make | | | | sets HOn3 apart from HO is that the 10.5mm gauge |
| up the larger model railroad scales. O scale became | | | | track it uses is not as wide. |
| very popular back in the 50's and 60's when Lionel | | | | Narrow gauge can also be modeled in S scale, N scale |
| was the household name for model railroading. It is | | | | and O scale, and these are called Sn3, Nn3 and On3. |
| still a very popular scale. G or Garden scale is very | | | | What differentiates these scales from their parent |
| popular for outdoor model railroad layouts. G scale | | | | scales is the use of narrow gauge track. Rolling stock, |
| works well on outdoor layouts as it is fairly simple to | | | | buildings and scenery remain unchanged. Modelers can |
| keep the existing scenery in proportion to the rolling | | | | even model 30" gauge track and 2 foot gauge track. |
| stock. | | | | Some examples of this are On30 and On2. |
| Garden Railroad Clubs are very popular and have | | | | Park rides and live steam layouts use large scales and |
| sprouted up across the country in large numbers. | | | | gauges such as 1:12, 1:8 and even 1:4. A popular |
| Garden railroads are ideal for a husband and wife to | | | | gauge for live steam and miniature railroads is 7.5 inch |
| share the same hobby. One can tend to the plants | | | | gauge. |
| and the other the railroad. There is also a new breed | | | | |