O scale
Encyclopedia
O scale is a scale commonly used for toy train
s and model railroading. Originally introduced by German
toy manufacturer Märklin
around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail
alternating current
O gauge was the most common model railroad scale in the United States
and remained so until the early 1960s. In Europe, its popularity declined before World War II
due to the introduction of smaller scales.
O gauge had its heyday when model railroads were considered toys, with more emphasis placed on cost, durability, and the ability to be easily handled and operated by pre-adult hands. Detail and realism were secondary concerns, at best. It remains a popular choice for hobbyists who enjoy running trains more than they enjoy other aspects of modelling, and collecting vintage O gauge trains is also popular - there is a market for reproduction and vintage style models also. A number of changes in recent years have addressed the concerns of scale model railroaders, making O scale more popular.
Conversely, in the United Kingdom
O gauge is popular among fine-scale modellers generally with an emphasis on detail rather than operation. OO gauge
, because of its low price and high availability, tends to be the most popular choice for those who wish to run their models. The size of O and OO layouts is also an important factor in decision making.
In the United States
, manufacturers such as the Ives Manufacturing Company
, American Flyer
, and Lionel Corporation used O gauge for their budget line, marketing either Gauge 1 or Wide gauge
(also known as standard gauge
) as their premium trains. One of the Lionel Corporation's most popular trains, the 203 Armoured Locomotive, was O gauge and ran on tracks with rails spaced 1 inches apart. The Great Depression
wiped out demand for the expensive larger trains, and by 1932, O gauge was the standard, almost by default.
Because of the emphasis on play value, the scale of pre-World War II O gauge trains varied. The Märklin specifications called for 1:43.5 scale. However, many designs were 1:48 scale or 1:64 scale. Early Marx Trains and entry-level trains, usually made of lithographed tin plate, were not scaled at all, made to whimsical proportions about the same length of an HO scale
("half O") piece, but about the same width and height of an O scale piece. Yet all of these designs ran on the same track, and, depending on the manufacturer(s) of the cars, could sometimes be coupled together and run as part of the same train.
After World War II
, manufacturers started paying more attention to scale, and post-war locomotives and rolling stock tend to be larger and more realistic than their earlier counterparts. This has been reflected in the change from O gauge to O scale: gauge describes merely the distance between the rails, while scale describes the size ratio of a model as it relates to its real-world prototype
.
Since the early 1990s, O scale manufacturers have begun placing more emphasis on realism, and the scale has experienced a resurgence in popularity, although it remains less popular than HO
or N scale
. However, newer manufacturers including MTH Electric Trains
, Lionel, LLC
, Atlas O, and Weaver are making very exact, 1:48 scale
models of trains.
standard allowing spacings between 31.75mm and 32.64mm.
refers to the size of the model relative to the actual full-sized object being represented, while gauge
is the width of the model track. Most commercially produced model track is a compromise between appearance and a trouble-free running surface.
and the MOROP
maintain detailed standards for a variety of scales to help model makers create interoperable models.
exist around the world. Standard gauge
is .
Regional model manufacturers design their O-scale rolling stock with minor regional scale differences —— manufacturers support their rolling stock with track made to the same regional scales, so there is no universal width for O-gauge model track. Models could represent the real-world standard gauge track spacing of by choosing various spacings such as (at 1:48 scale), (at 1:45.2 scale), (at 1:44.8 scale), (at 7mm:1 ft scale), or (at 1:43.5 scale). Model makers choose their scale based on many consideration including the existing marketplace, aesthetic concerns and compatibility with existing models.
) or narrow gauge
railroads. There is no standard for wide or narrow gauge model track, and modelers wishing to portray such railway track either build their own, or more commonly accept the shortcomings of appropriately wider or narrower gauge model track. , and , are the more popular track widths used by indoor enthusiasts modeling narrow gauge. Differences in regional scales give different prototype gauges to these different model track widths.
For example, using specially manufactured gauge track, scaled at 7 mm to the foot [with appropriately spaced, larger sleepers
, etc.] under:
Models that are either built to 1:43 scale
, 7 mm:1 foot (1:43.5), 1:45 scale, or the most common 1:48 scale
. They can run on realistic looking two-rail track using direct current
(Commonly known as 2-Rail O), or on a center third power rail
or a center stud supply system. If modeling such a system, an external third rail or overhead supply may be employed. The height and spacing of the rails
is not true to scale. While two-rail O has traditionally been more popular in Europe, and alternating current
powered three-rail more popular in the US, two-rail O is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the US, due to increased availability of ready-to-run models from several manufacturers.
"O gauge" refers to tracks that are apart. When used as a narrow gauge
track, O gauge allows scales of 1:32 representing gauge track. 1:20 representing narrow gauge railways.
's American Flyer
, but Ives Manufacturing Company
used O-27 track in its entry-level sets at least a decade before Gilbert bought Flyer.
The modern standard for O-27, however, was formalized after 1938 by Gilbert, who scaled the locomotives and rolling stock to 1:64 scale
. After World War II
, this practice was continued by Louis Marx and Company
, who used it throughout its product line,and Lionel
, who used it for its entry-level trains. O-27 track is spaced at the same width as regular O gauge track, but is slightly shorter in height and has thinner rails than traditional O gauge track. A shim underneath the O-27 track enables the use of O and O-27 track together.
The O-27 name comes from the size of the track's curves. A circle made of eight pieces of standard 45-degree curved O gauge track will have a 31 inches (787.4 mm) diameter. A circle made of 8 pieces of 45-degree curved O-27 track is smaller, with a 27 inches (685.8 mm) diameter. Full-sized O cars sometimes have difficulty negotiating the tighter curves of an O-27 layout. Although the smaller, tin lithographed cars by American Flyer, Marx, and others predate the formal O-27 standard, they are also often called O-27 because they also operate flawlessly on O-27 track.
The Lionel Corporation is one of the most famous producers of O-27 track & trains. Its tubular rail is a symbol of the tinplate era.
, 1:48 scale
and 1:50 scale
. Manufacturers include Conrad
, NZG, Corgi, TWH Collectibles and many others. These are popular with collectors and easy to find.
Corgi's Bassett Lowke O-gauge scale trains are planned for a re-launch in 2007 and a new range of detailed locos, goods wagons and accessories will soon be announced via the Corgi website.
track and wheel
standards.
The track gauge normally used for 0 – 32 mm or the near-approximation 1¼ in — is correct for British O but not American.
Possibly because of the large size of American railroad systems, accurate scale modeling in standard gauge
O gauge is rare in the United States, though narrow gauge modeling is much more common.
Four common narrow gauge standards exist, and the differences among On3, On2, On30, and On18 are frequent sources of confusion. On3 is exact-scale 1:48 modeling of 3 feet (914.4 mm) gauge prototypes, while On30
is 1:48 modeling of 30 inches (762 mm) gauge prototypes, On2 is 1:48 modeling of 2 feet (609.6 mm) gauge prototypes, and On18 is 1:48 modeling of 18 inches (457.2 mm) gauge prototypes. On30 is also sometimes called On2½.
Because On30's gauge closely matches that of HO track, On30 equipment typically runs on standard HO scale track. While many On30 modelers scratchbuild
their equipment, commercial offerings in On30 are fairly common and sometimes very inexpensive, with Bachmann Industries
being the most commonly found manufacturer.
Hobbyists who choose to model in any of these O gauge standards nevertheless end up building most, if not all, of their equipment either from kits or from scratch.
A situation similar to that in Britain exists in continental Europe, although the market revolves less around kits and more around expensive hand-built metal models for the deep-pocketed collector. Additionally, Czech Republic
-based Electric Train Systems started manufacturing and selling lithographed tin 1:45 scale trains in 1991, citing O gauge's advantages over smaller sizes for non-permanent floor layouts and outdoor layouts. The Spanish
company Paya produces a smaller line of tinplate trains, based on designs dating back to 1906.
In Germany a narrow gauge train set is produced by Fleischmann
, running on 16.5 mm track, this scale is called "0e" (750 mm prototype). The trains are marketed as children's toy trains (Magic Train), but are accurately built after Austrian prototypes and increased the interest in building narrow gauge layouts in Germany and Austria significantly. Since 2006 there are again some reasonably priced O-scale plastic models available, manufactured by DCC developer Lenz .
. Utilizing the same track and voltage
as their U.S. counterparts, the colorful locomotives and cars resembled pre-World War II
designs from U.S. manufacturers Lionel and American Flyer and the couplers were nearly identical to those of pre-war American Flyer. Some differences in U.S. and Soviet railroading were evident from comparing the Soviet sets with U.S. sets, particularly in the design of the boxcar, which looked like an American Flyer boxcar with windows added, reflecting the Soviets' use of box cars to haul livestock, as well as merchandise.
Much like their American counterparts, Soviet O gauge trains were toys, rather than precision-scaled models.
Specifications
Although toy trains were historically produced to this scale, O gauge's popularity across the whole of Europe reduced after World War II, and the standard is rarer than in the United States. Modelling in O gauge in fact almost died out in Britain but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s as modellers developed a new appreciation for the level of accurate detailing possible in this scale. Few ready to run models are produced in this scale; most are available only as kits for assembly by the modeller or a professional model-builder. O gauge is considered an expensive scale to model in, although the necessarily smaller scope of a larger-scaled layout mitigates this to some extent. The two dominant British manufacturers, Bassett-Lowke
and Hornby
, ceased production of O gauge trains in 1965 and 1969, respectively. However, Ace Trains and a revived Bassett-Lowke are once again producing tinplate O gauge sets, many of them reproductions of classic Hornby and Bassett-Lowke designs, and Heljan
has also recently joined the market producing O gauge diesel locomotives.
A true-to-prototype version of British 7mm O gauge exists, called ScaleSeven
(S7) which uses 33 mm gauge to represent British standard gauge
in a scale of 1:43.5.
The British 1:43.5 rail scale gave birth to series of die cast cars and model commercial vehicle
s of the same scale which gradually grew in popularity and spread to France, the rest of Europe and North America at the same time that the rail models were becoming less popular.
7mm scale is also popular for modelling narrow gauge railways, a section of the hobby supported by the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association
.
scale, giving more options for buildings, figures, and accessories. Many O gauge layouts are also accessorized with 1:43.5 scale model car
s.
While 1:48 is a very convenient scale for modeling using the Imperial system (a quarter-inch equals one scale foot), the discrepancy between O gauge in the United States and O gauge in Europe is attributed to Lionel misreading the original Märklin specifications.
Although Lionel is the most enduring brand of O gauge trains, a variety of manufacturers made trains in this scale. Prior to World War I
, the majority of toy trains sold in the United States were German
imports made by Märklin, Bing
, Fandor
, and other companies. World War I brought a halt to these German imports, and protective tariff
s after the war made it difficult for them to compete.
In between the two world wars, shorter-lived companies such as Dorfan
, Hafner
, Ives, and Joy Line competed with Lionel, Louis Marx and Company
, American Flyer and Hornby
. Many of these pre-war trains operated by clockwork or battery power and were made of lithographed tin. The sizes of the cars varied widely, as the standard for O gauge was largely ignored. Dorfan went out of business in 1934, while Ives was bought by Lionel, and Hafner and Joy Line were bought by Marx. Hornby withdrew from the U.S. market in 1930 after selling its U.S. factory to the A. C. Gilbert Company
.
As early as 1938, the survivors Lionel, Marx, and American Flyer faced competition from Sakai, a Tokyo
-based Japan
ese toy company who sold trains priced at the low end of the market. The product designs most closely resembled Lionel, but with Märklin-like couplers and detail parts that appeared to be copied from Ives. "Seki", another Japanese company, was an entirely different and independent company.
Between 1946 and 1976, the primary U.S. manufacturers of O gauge trains were Lionel and Marx, with American Flyer switching to the more-realistic S scale
and the rest of the companies out of business.
Toy maker Unique Art
produced a line of inexpensive O gauge trains from 1949 to 1951, but found itself unable to compete with Marx. Marx continued to make clockwork and battery-powered trains and lithographed cars into the 1970s, along with more realistic offerings that were sometimes difficult to distinguish from Lionel.
Sakai re-entered the U.S. market after World War II, selling trains that were often nearly identical to Marx designs and sometimes undercutting Marx's prices, from 1946 to 1969.
A company called American Model Toys brought out a line of realistic, detailed cars beginning in 1948. In 1953 it released a budget line. It ran into financial difficulty, reorganized under the name Auburn Model Trains, and ended up selling its line to Nashville, Tennessee
-based Kusan, a plastics company who continued its production until 1961. The tooling was then sold to a small company run by Andrew (Andy) Kriswalus in Endicott, New York
, who operated as Kris Model Trains, or KMT. Andy Kriswalus only produced the box, stock, and refrigerator cars from the Kusan dies, and on some of these cars he mounted die-cast trucks from the Kusan tooling. After Kriswalus' death, the tooling was sold to K-Line
and Williams Electric Trains
, who continued to use it to produce parts of their budget lines.
From O gauge's beginnings up until the mid-1970s, the various manufacturers' trackside accessories would interoperate with one another, but the train cars themselves used couplers of differing designs, often making it difficult or impossible to use different manufacturers' cars together. The post-War consolidation did little to improve matters: Marx used three different standards, depending on the product line, and Lionel used two, so frequently the companies' own entry-level products were incompatible with their high-end products, let alone with the competition. Hobbyists who wanted differing standards to interoperate had to resort to replacing couplers.
After Marx went out of business in 1978, K-Line
bought much of Marx's tooling and entered the marketplace. K-Line's early offerings changed little from the old Marx designs, other than a new brand name and a Lionel-compatible coupler, making K-Line's offerings completely interoperable with Lionel.
As O gauge regained popularity in the 1990s it also started to regain manufacturers, and as of late 2003, no fewer than six companies market O gauge locomotives and/or cars, all theoretically interoperable with one another.
Lionel equipment retains a large collector following. Equipment from shorter-lived manufacturers prior to World War II is also highly sought after, while American Flyer and Marx are less so. Post-War Marx is gaining in popularity after years of being derided by serious collectors. There is little collector interest in Sakai today, possibly because of difficulty identifying the equipment and because the brand is much less widely known than its U.S. counterparts.
In the recent years there has been a movement called 3-Rail Scale. It is three-rail trains on high-rail track, but with scale couplers and other more prototypical details, like fixed pilots and scale wheels. Most 3-Rail scale modelers use Kadee brand scale couplers.
The biggest makers of American O scale trains today are Lionel, LLC
, MTH Electric Trains
, Atlas O, and Weaver Models.
Toy train
A toy train is a toy that represents a train. It is distinguished from a model train by an emphasis on low cost and durability, rather than scale modeling. A toy train can be as simple as a pull toy that does not even run on track, or it might be operated by clockwork or a battery...
s and model railroading. Originally introduced by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
toy manufacturer Märklin
Märklin
Gebr. Märklin & Cie. GmbH or Märklin is a German toy company. The company was founded in 1859 and is based at Göppingen in Baden-Wurttemberg. Although it originally specialised in doll house accessories, today it is best known for model railways and technical toys...
around 1900, by the 1930s three-rail
Third rail (model railroading)
The use of a third rail in model railroading is a technique that is sometimes applied in order to facilitate easier wiring.-Two-rail versus three-rail system:Early toy trains used two metal rail tracks like most real trains...
alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
O gauge was the most common model railroad scale in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and remained so until the early 1960s. In Europe, its popularity declined before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
due to the introduction of smaller scales.
O gauge had its heyday when model railroads were considered toys, with more emphasis placed on cost, durability, and the ability to be easily handled and operated by pre-adult hands. Detail and realism were secondary concerns, at best. It remains a popular choice for hobbyists who enjoy running trains more than they enjoy other aspects of modelling, and collecting vintage O gauge trains is also popular - there is a market for reproduction and vintage style models also. A number of changes in recent years have addressed the concerns of scale model railroaders, making O scale more popular.
Conversely, in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
O gauge is popular among fine-scale modellers generally with an emphasis on detail rather than operation. OO gauge
OO gauge
OO gauge or OO scale model railways are the most popular standard-gauge model railway tracks in the U.K. This track gauge is one of several 4mm-scale standards used, but it is the only one to be served by the major manufacturers...
, because of its low price and high availability, tends to be the most popular choice for those who wish to run their models. The size of O and OO layouts is also an important factor in decision making.
History
The name for O gauge and O scale is derived from "0 [zero] gauge" or "Gauge 0", because it was smaller than Gauge 1 and the other existing standards. It was created in part because manufacturers realized their best selling trains were the smaller scales.In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, manufacturers such as the Ives Manufacturing Company
Ives Manufacturing Company
The Ives Manufacturing Company, an American toy manufacturer from 1868 to 1932, was the largest manufacturer of toy trains in the United States from 1910 until 1924, when Lionel Corporation overtook it in sales.-Early history:...
, American Flyer
American Flyer
American Flyer was a popular brand of toy train and model railroad in the United States in the middle part of the 20th century.- The Chicago era, 1907–1938 :...
, and Lionel Corporation used O gauge for their budget line, marketing either Gauge 1 or Wide gauge
Wide Gauge
Standard Gauge, also known as Wide Gauge, was an early model railway and toy train rail gauge, introduced in the United States in 1906 by Lionel Corporation. As it was a toy standard, rather than a scale modeling standard, the actual scale of Standard Gauge locomotives and rolling stock varied...
(also known as standard gauge
Standard Gauge (toy trains)
Standard Gauge, also known as Wide Gauge, was an early model railway and toy train rail gauge, introduced in the United States in 1906 by Lionel Corporation. As it was a toy standard, rather than a scale modeling standard, the actual scale of Standard Gauge locomotives and rolling stock varied...
) as their premium trains. One of the Lionel Corporation's most popular trains, the 203 Armoured Locomotive, was O gauge and ran on tracks with rails spaced 1 inches apart. The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
wiped out demand for the expensive larger trains, and by 1932, O gauge was the standard, almost by default.
Because of the emphasis on play value, the scale of pre-World War II O gauge trains varied. The Märklin specifications called for 1:43.5 scale. However, many designs were 1:48 scale or 1:64 scale. Early Marx Trains and entry-level trains, usually made of lithographed tin plate, were not scaled at all, made to whimsical proportions about the same length of an HO scale
HO scale
HO or H0 is the most popular scale of model railway in the world.According to the NMRA standard S-1.2 predominantly used in North America, in HO scale, represents 1 real foot ; this ratio works out to about 1:87.1. According to the MOROP standard NEM 010 predominantly used in Europe, the scale is...
("half O") piece, but about the same width and height of an O scale piece. Yet all of these designs ran on the same track, and, depending on the manufacturer(s) of the cars, could sometimes be coupled together and run as part of the same train.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, manufacturers started paying more attention to scale, and post-war locomotives and rolling stock tend to be larger and more realistic than their earlier counterparts. This has been reflected in the change from O gauge to O scale: gauge describes merely the distance between the rails, while scale describes the size ratio of a model as it relates to its real-world prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
.
Since the early 1990s, O scale manufacturers have begun placing more emphasis on realism, and the scale has experienced a resurgence in popularity, although it remains less popular than HO
HO scale
HO or H0 is the most popular scale of model railway in the world.According to the NMRA standard S-1.2 predominantly used in North America, in HO scale, represents 1 real foot ; this ratio works out to about 1:87.1. According to the MOROP standard NEM 010 predominantly used in Europe, the scale is...
or N scale
N scale
N scale is a popular model railway scale/track gauge. Depending upon the manufacturer , the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. In all cases, the gauge is . The term N gauge refers to the track dimensions, but in the UK in particular N gauge refers to a 1:148 scale with track gauge modelling...
. However, newer manufacturers including MTH Electric Trains
MTH Electric Trains
MTH Electric Trains, formerly Mike's Train House, is an American toy train and model railroad designer, importer, and manufacturer, based in Columbia, Maryland...
, Lionel, LLC
Lionel, LLC
Lionel, LLC is a designer and importer of toy trains and model railroads, based in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line by cereal conglomerate General Mills....
, Atlas O, and Weaver are making very exact, 1:48 scale
1:48 scale
1:48 scale is popular among modelers both as diecast models, plastic models made from kits, and construction toys. It is especially popular with manufacturers of model airplanes and model trains...
models of trains.
Standards
The differences in the various O gauge and O scale standards can be confusing. O gauge model railroad tracks typically have their rails spaced 1 " or 32mm apart with the National Model Railroad Association (NMRA)National Model Railroad Association
The National Model Railroad Association is a non-profit organization for those involved in the hobby or business of model railroading. It was founded in the United States in 1935, and is now active in Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands...
standard allowing spacings between 31.75mm and 32.64mm.
Scale and Gauge
ScaleScale (ratio)
The scale ratio of some sort of model which represents an original proportionally is the ratio of a linear dimension of the model to the same dimension of the original. Examples include a 3-dimensional scale model of a building or the scale drawings of the elevations or plans of a building. In such...
refers to the size of the model relative to the actual full-sized object being represented, while gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
is the width of the model track. Most commercially produced model track is a compromise between appearance and a trouble-free running surface.
Scale
Scale is the ratio of a model dimension to the real life dimension. O Scale in the UK is commonly 1:43.5 or 7mm to the foot, in continental Europe it is commonly 1:45 though 1:43.5 is also used particularly in France, and in the USA 1:48. Each region tends to design models to its own scale. The NMRANational Model Railroad Association
The National Model Railroad Association is a non-profit organization for those involved in the hobby or business of model railroading. It was founded in the United States in 1935, and is now active in Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and the Netherlands...
and the MOROP
MOROP
MOROP is a European association that federates national associations of railroad and model railroad enthusiasts. MOROP was founded in Genoa in 1954 and now has its headquarters in Bern . In 2006, MOROP federated 22 national associations from 17 European countries, with a total of more than 30,000...
maintain detailed standards for a variety of scales to help model makers create interoperable models.
Gauge
Gauge refers to the distance between the inside edges of the load-bearing rails. Various sizes of rail gaugeRail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
exist around the world. Standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
is .
Regional model manufacturers design their O-scale rolling stock with minor regional scale differences —— manufacturers support their rolling stock with track made to the same regional scales, so there is no universal width for O-gauge model track. Models could represent the real-world standard gauge track spacing of by choosing various spacings such as (at 1:48 scale), (at 1:45.2 scale), (at 1:44.8 scale), (at 7mm:1 ft scale), or (at 1:43.5 scale). Model makers choose their scale based on many consideration including the existing marketplace, aesthetic concerns and compatibility with existing models.
Wide or narrow gauge track
Some O-scale modelers chose to model wide gauge (also known as broad gaugeBroad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
) or narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
railroads. There is no standard for wide or narrow gauge model track, and modelers wishing to portray such railway track either build their own, or more commonly accept the shortcomings of appropriately wider or narrower gauge model track. , and , are the more popular track widths used by indoor enthusiasts modeling narrow gauge. Differences in regional scales give different prototype gauges to these different model track widths.
For example, using specially manufactured gauge track, scaled at 7 mm to the foot [with appropriately spaced, larger sleepers
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
, etc.] under:
- UK O scale rolling stock (1:43.5), it becomes a narrow gauge track of , and is referred to as 'On 16.5' [modelers portray gauges between and ].
- European O scale rolling stock (1:45), it becomes a narrow gauge track of , and is referred to as 'Oe' portraying a prototype.
- US O scale rolling stock (1:48), it becomes a narrow gauge track of , and is referred to as On2 [or On30 as in 30"].
Models that are either built to 1:43 scale
1:43 scale
1:43 scale is an extremely popular size of die-cast model for adult collectors in Europe, Asia and the US. There are many manufacturers in this scale producing everything from customized and accurate race cars to emergency vehicles to family sedans and SUVs, including several making the...
, 7 mm:1 foot (1:43.5), 1:45 scale, or the most common 1:48 scale
1:48 scale
1:48 scale is popular among modelers both as diecast models, plastic models made from kits, and construction toys. It is especially popular with manufacturers of model airplanes and model trains...
. They can run on realistic looking two-rail track using direct current
Direct current
Direct current is the unidirectional flow of electric charge. Direct current is produced by such sources as batteries, thermocouples, solar cells, and commutator-type electric machines of the dynamo type. Direct current may flow in a conductor such as a wire, but can also flow through...
(Commonly known as 2-Rail O), or on a center third power rail
Third rail (model railroading)
The use of a third rail in model railroading is a technique that is sometimes applied in order to facilitate easier wiring.-Two-rail versus three-rail system:Early toy trains used two metal rail tracks like most real trains...
or a center stud supply system. If modeling such a system, an external third rail or overhead supply may be employed. The height and spacing of the rails
Rail tracks
The track on a railway or railroad, also known as the permanent way, is the structure consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers and ballast , plus the underlying subgrade...
is not true to scale. While two-rail O has traditionally been more popular in Europe, and alternating current
Alternating current
In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....
powered three-rail more popular in the US, two-rail O is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity in the US, due to increased availability of ready-to-run models from several manufacturers.
"O gauge" refers to tracks that are apart. When used as a narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
track, O gauge allows scales of 1:32 representing gauge track. 1:20 representing narrow gauge railways.
O-27 gauge
O-27 gauge is a variant whose origins are slightly unclear. Some historians attribute its creation to A. C. Gilbert CompanyA. C. Gilbert Company
The A. C. Gilbert Company was an American toy company, once one of the largest toy companies in the world. It is best known for introducing the Erector Set to the marketplace....
's American Flyer
American Flyer
American Flyer was a popular brand of toy train and model railroad in the United States in the middle part of the 20th century.- The Chicago era, 1907–1938 :...
, but Ives Manufacturing Company
Ives Manufacturing Company
The Ives Manufacturing Company, an American toy manufacturer from 1868 to 1932, was the largest manufacturer of toy trains in the United States from 1910 until 1924, when Lionel Corporation overtook it in sales.-Early history:...
used O-27 track in its entry-level sets at least a decade before Gilbert bought Flyer.
The modern standard for O-27, however, was formalized after 1938 by Gilbert, who scaled the locomotives and rolling stock to 1:64 scale
1:64 scale
1:64 scale is a traditional scale for models and miniatures, in which one unit on the model represents 64 units on the actual object. It is also known as "three-sixteenths scale", since 3/16-inch represents a foot. A man is approximately 1-1/8 inches tall in 1:64 scale...
. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, this practice was continued by Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer from 1919 to 1978. Its boxes were often imprinted with the slogan, "One of the many Marx toys, have you all of them?"-Logo and Offerings:...
, who used it throughout its product line,and Lionel
Lionel, LLC
Lionel, LLC is a designer and importer of toy trains and model railroads, based in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line by cereal conglomerate General Mills....
, who used it for its entry-level trains. O-27 track is spaced at the same width as regular O gauge track, but is slightly shorter in height and has thinner rails than traditional O gauge track. A shim underneath the O-27 track enables the use of O and O-27 track together.
The O-27 name comes from the size of the track's curves. A circle made of eight pieces of standard 45-degree curved O gauge track will have a 31 inches (787.4 mm) diameter. A circle made of 8 pieces of 45-degree curved O-27 track is smaller, with a 27 inches (685.8 mm) diameter. Full-sized O cars sometimes have difficulty negotiating the tighter curves of an O-27 layout. Although the smaller, tin lithographed cars by American Flyer, Marx, and others predate the formal O-27 standard, they are also often called O-27 because they also operate flawlessly on O-27 track.
The Lionel Corporation is one of the most famous producers of O-27 track & trains. Its tubular rail is a symbol of the tinplate era.
Die-cast metal models compatible with O scale
Many manufacturers produce die-cast models of trucks, cars, buses, construction equipment and other vehicles in scales compatible with or similar to O scale model trains. These are available in 1:43 scale1:43 scale
1:43 scale is an extremely popular size of die-cast model for adult collectors in Europe, Asia and the US. There are many manufacturers in this scale producing everything from customized and accurate race cars to emergency vehicles to family sedans and SUVs, including several making the...
, 1:48 scale
1:48 scale
1:48 scale is popular among modelers both as diecast models, plastic models made from kits, and construction toys. It is especially popular with manufacturers of model airplanes and model trains...
and 1:50 scale
1:50 scale
1:50 scale is a popular size for diecast models from European manufacturers such as Conrad, Tekno, NZG, WSI and LionToys. Typically they produce scale models of construction vehicles, tower cranes, trucks and buses. These are often the official models distributed by the manufacturers of the real...
. Manufacturers include Conrad
Conrad (company)
Conrad GmbH is a German manufacturer of diecast scale models primarily in 1:50 scale for use both as toys and promotional models by heavy equipment manufacturers...
, NZG, Corgi, TWH Collectibles and many others. These are popular with collectors and easy to find.
Corgi's Bassett Lowke O-gauge scale trains are planned for a re-launch in 2007 and a new range of detailed locos, goods wagons and accessories will soon be announced via the Corgi website.
Exact scale standards
Dissatisfaction with these standards led to a more accurate standard for wheels and track, called Proto:48. This duplicates to exact scale the AARAssociation of American Railroads
The Association of American Railroads is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America . Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members...
track and wheel
Wheel
A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...
standards.
The track gauge normally used for 0 – 32 mm or the near-approximation 1¼ in — is correct for British O but not American.
Possibly because of the large size of American railroad systems, accurate scale modeling in standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
O gauge is rare in the United States, though narrow gauge modeling is much more common.
Four common narrow gauge standards exist, and the differences among On3, On2, On30, and On18 are frequent sources of confusion. On3 is exact-scale 1:48 modeling of 3 feet (914.4 mm) gauge prototypes, while On30
On30
On30 is the most common term used to describe the modelling of narrow gauge railways in O scale on HO gauge track. Other terms used include O16.5, Oe, and On2½. It is part of the hobby of rail transport modelling.- Definitions :...
is 1:48 modeling of 30 inches (762 mm) gauge prototypes, On2 is 1:48 modeling of 2 feet (609.6 mm) gauge prototypes, and On18 is 1:48 modeling of 18 inches (457.2 mm) gauge prototypes. On30 is also sometimes called On2½.
Because On30's gauge closely matches that of HO track, On30 equipment typically runs on standard HO scale track. While many On30 modelers scratchbuild
Scratch building
Scratch building is the process of building a scale model "from scratch", ie. from raw materials, rather than building it from a commercial kit, kitbashing or buying it pre-assembled....
their equipment, commercial offerings in On30 are fairly common and sometimes very inexpensive, with Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries
Bachmann Industries is a Bermuda registered Chinese owned company, globally head quartered in Hong Kong; specializing in model railroading....
being the most commonly found manufacturer.
Hobbyists who choose to model in any of these O gauge standards nevertheless end up building most, if not all, of their equipment either from kits or from scratch.
European (other than UK and former USSR)
0 scale is one of the scales defined by the NEM as 1:45 scale. However, for historical reasons they use the number 'zero' rather than the letter as the name for the scale.A situation similar to that in Britain exists in continental Europe, although the market revolves less around kits and more around expensive hand-built metal models for the deep-pocketed collector. Additionally, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
-based Electric Train Systems started manufacturing and selling lithographed tin 1:45 scale trains in 1991, citing O gauge's advantages over smaller sizes for non-permanent floor layouts and outdoor layouts. The Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
company Paya produces a smaller line of tinplate trains, based on designs dating back to 1906.
In Germany a narrow gauge train set is produced by Fleischmann
Fleischmann (model railroads)
Fleischmann is a German manufacturer of model railway products.Fleischmann was founded in Nuremberg in 1887 by Jean Fleischmann, as a toy company. Their first model train, in O scale, was produced in 1938...
, running on 16.5 mm track, this scale is called "0e" (750 mm prototype). The trains are marketed as children's toy trains (Magic Train), but are accurately built after Austrian prototypes and increased the interest in building narrow gauge layouts in Germany and Austria significantly. Since 2006 there are again some reasonably priced O-scale plastic models available, manufactured by DCC developer Lenz .
Former Soviet Union
Between 1951 and 1969, a limited number of O gauge train sets were manufactured in the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Utilizing the same track and voltage
Voltage
Voltage, otherwise known as electrical potential difference or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points — or the difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points...
as their U.S. counterparts, the colorful locomotives and cars resembled pre-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
designs from U.S. manufacturers Lionel and American Flyer and the couplers were nearly identical to those of pre-war American Flyer. Some differences in U.S. and Soviet railroading were evident from comparing the Soviet sets with U.S. sets, particularly in the design of the boxcar, which looked like an American Flyer boxcar with windows added, reflecting the Soviets' use of box cars to haul livestock, as well as merchandise.
Much like their American counterparts, Soviet O gauge trains were toys, rather than precision-scaled models.
Specifications
- scale ratio: 1:48
- gauge: 32mm
- prototype gauge:
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, O gauge equipment is produced at a scale of 1:43.5, which is 7 mm to the foot (using the common British practice of modelling in metric prototypes originally produced using Imperial measurements). It's often called 7 mm scale for this reason.Although toy trains were historically produced to this scale, O gauge's popularity across the whole of Europe reduced after World War II, and the standard is rarer than in the United States. Modelling in O gauge in fact almost died out in Britain but enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s as modellers developed a new appreciation for the level of accurate detailing possible in this scale. Few ready to run models are produced in this scale; most are available only as kits for assembly by the modeller or a professional model-builder. O gauge is considered an expensive scale to model in, although the necessarily smaller scope of a larger-scaled layout mitigates this to some extent. The two dominant British manufacturers, Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke
Bassett-Lowke was a toy company in Northampton, England, founded by Wenman Joseph Bassett-Lowke in 1898 or 1899, that specialized in model railways, boats and ships, and construction sets...
and Hornby
Hornby Railways
Hornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train...
, ceased production of O gauge trains in 1965 and 1969, respectively. However, Ace Trains and a revived Bassett-Lowke are once again producing tinplate O gauge sets, many of them reproductions of classic Hornby and Bassett-Lowke designs, and Heljan
Heljan
Heljan A/S is a Danish model railway company based in Søndersø. Originally specialising in decorations and accessories for model railways, it has now also developed a substantial range of rolling stock. It has diversified into modelling the British scene, and since 2002 have released several OO...
has also recently joined the market producing O gauge diesel locomotives.
A true-to-prototype version of British 7mm O gauge exists, called ScaleSeven
ScaleSeven
ScaleSeven is a set of finescale model railway standards for 1:43.5 using true-to-prototype track and wheel standards. It is principally used to model British standard gauge , Irish Broad Gauge , or Great Western broad gauge....
(S7) which uses 33 mm gauge to represent British standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in a scale of 1:43.5.
The British 1:43.5 rail scale gave birth to series of die cast cars and model commercial vehicle
Model commercial vehicle
A model commercial vehicle is a scale model or die-cast toy that represents a commercial vehicle: truck , bus, etc.-Overview:Like model cars, model commercial vehicles are sold both as kits for the enthusiast to construct and paint and as pre-built, pre-painted collectible models...
s of the same scale which gradually grew in popularity and spread to France, the rest of Europe and North America at the same time that the rail models were becoming less popular.
7mm scale is also popular for modelling narrow gauge railways, a section of the hobby supported by the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association
7mm Narrow Gauge Association
The 7mm Narrow Gauge Association is a United Kingdom based society for railway modellers interested in modelling narrow gauge railways in British O scale .-Scope of interest:...
.
United States
In the United States, O gauge is defined as 1:48 (0.25 inches to the foot, "quarter inch scale" 1/4 inch equals one foot). This is also a common dollhouseDollhouse
A dollhouse is a toy home, made in miniature. For the last century, dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. The term dollhouse is common in the United States and Canada...
scale, giving more options for buildings, figures, and accessories. Many O gauge layouts are also accessorized with 1:43.5 scale model car
Model car
A model car or toy car is a miniature representation of an automobile. Other miniature motor vehicles, such as trucks, buses, or even ATVs, etc. are often included in the general category of model cars...
s.
While 1:48 is a very convenient scale for modeling using the Imperial system (a quarter-inch equals one scale foot), the discrepancy between O gauge in the United States and O gauge in Europe is attributed to Lionel misreading the original Märklin specifications.
Although Lionel is the most enduring brand of O gauge trains, a variety of manufacturers made trains in this scale. Prior to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the majority of toy trains sold in the United States were German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
imports made by Märklin, Bing
Bing (company)
Bing or Gebrüder Bing was a German toy company founded in 1863 in Nuremberg, Germany by two brothers, Ignaz and Adolf Bing, originally producing metal kitchen utensils.-History:...
, Fandor
Fandor
Fandor was a German toy company that specialized in toy trains, particularly toys styled after American trains. It was founded by Joseph Kraus and his cousins, Milton and Julius Forcheimer, all from Nuremberg, Germany...
, and other companies. World War I brought a halt to these German imports, and protective tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s after the war made it difficult for them to compete.
In between the two world wars, shorter-lived companies such as Dorfan
Dorfan
Dorfan was an American toy company based in Newark, New Jersey, specializing in O gauge and Wide gauge toy trains. It was founded in 1924 by Milton and Julius Forcheimer, two immigrants from Nuremberg, Germany, whose family was involved in the production of Fandor trains. The company is named for...
, Hafner
Hafner Manufacturing Company
The Hafner Manufacturing Company was a maker of clockwork-powered O gauge toy trains, based in Chicago, Illinois, from 1914 to 1951. It was formed when its founder, William Frederick Hafner, left American Flyer to create his own company...
, Ives, and Joy Line competed with Lionel, Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company
Louis Marx and Company was an American toy manufacturer from 1919 to 1978. Its boxes were often imprinted with the slogan, "One of the many Marx toys, have you all of them?"-Logo and Offerings:...
, American Flyer and Hornby
Meccano
Meccano is a model construction system comprising re-usable metal strips, plates, angle girders, wheels, axles and gears, with nuts and bolts to connect the pieces. It enables the building of working models and mechanical devices....
. Many of these pre-war trains operated by clockwork or battery power and were made of lithographed tin. The sizes of the cars varied widely, as the standard for O gauge was largely ignored. Dorfan went out of business in 1934, while Ives was bought by Lionel, and Hafner and Joy Line were bought by Marx. Hornby withdrew from the U.S. market in 1930 after selling its U.S. factory to the A. C. Gilbert Company
A. C. Gilbert Company
The A. C. Gilbert Company was an American toy company, once one of the largest toy companies in the world. It is best known for introducing the Erector Set to the marketplace....
.
As early as 1938, the survivors Lionel, Marx, and American Flyer faced competition from Sakai, a Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
-based Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese toy company who sold trains priced at the low end of the market. The product designs most closely resembled Lionel, but with Märklin-like couplers and detail parts that appeared to be copied from Ives. "Seki", another Japanese company, was an entirely different and independent company.
Between 1946 and 1976, the primary U.S. manufacturers of O gauge trains were Lionel and Marx, with American Flyer switching to the more-realistic S scale
S scale
S Scale is a model railroad scale modeled at 1:64 scale, S scale track gauge is . S gauge trains are manufactured in both DC and AC powered varieties...
and the rest of the companies out of business.
Toy maker Unique Art
Unique Art
Unique Art Manufacturing Company was an American toy company, founded in 1916, based in Newark, New Jersey that made inexpensive toys, including wind-up mechanical toys, out of lithographed tin...
produced a line of inexpensive O gauge trains from 1949 to 1951, but found itself unable to compete with Marx. Marx continued to make clockwork and battery-powered trains and lithographed cars into the 1970s, along with more realistic offerings that were sometimes difficult to distinguish from Lionel.
Sakai re-entered the U.S. market after World War II, selling trains that were often nearly identical to Marx designs and sometimes undercutting Marx's prices, from 1946 to 1969.
A company called American Model Toys brought out a line of realistic, detailed cars beginning in 1948. In 1953 it released a budget line. It ran into financial difficulty, reorganized under the name Auburn Model Trains, and ended up selling its line to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
-based Kusan, a plastics company who continued its production until 1961. The tooling was then sold to a small company run by Andrew (Andy) Kriswalus in Endicott, New York
Endicott, New York
Endicott is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 13,038 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village is named after Henry B...
, who operated as Kris Model Trains, or KMT. Andy Kriswalus only produced the box, stock, and refrigerator cars from the Kusan dies, and on some of these cars he mounted die-cast trucks from the Kusan tooling. After Kriswalus' death, the tooling was sold to K-Line
K-Line
K-Line Electric Trains is a brand name of O gauge and S gauge model railway locomotives, rolling stock, and buildings. Formerly the brand name under which Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based MDK Inc. sold its products, K-Line was then acquired by Sanda Kan, a Chinese toy manufacturer that formerly...
and Williams Electric Trains
Williams Electric Trains
Williams Electric Trains is an American toy train and model railroad manufacturer, based in Columbia, Maryland. That was recently sold to Bachmann Industries in October 2007....
, who continued to use it to produce parts of their budget lines.
From O gauge's beginnings up until the mid-1970s, the various manufacturers' trackside accessories would interoperate with one another, but the train cars themselves used couplers of differing designs, often making it difficult or impossible to use different manufacturers' cars together. The post-War consolidation did little to improve matters: Marx used three different standards, depending on the product line, and Lionel used two, so frequently the companies' own entry-level products were incompatible with their high-end products, let alone with the competition. Hobbyists who wanted differing standards to interoperate had to resort to replacing couplers.
After Marx went out of business in 1978, K-Line
K-Line
K-Line Electric Trains is a brand name of O gauge and S gauge model railway locomotives, rolling stock, and buildings. Formerly the brand name under which Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based MDK Inc. sold its products, K-Line was then acquired by Sanda Kan, a Chinese toy manufacturer that formerly...
bought much of Marx's tooling and entered the marketplace. K-Line's early offerings changed little from the old Marx designs, other than a new brand name and a Lionel-compatible coupler, making K-Line's offerings completely interoperable with Lionel.
As O gauge regained popularity in the 1990s it also started to regain manufacturers, and as of late 2003, no fewer than six companies market O gauge locomotives and/or cars, all theoretically interoperable with one another.
Lionel equipment retains a large collector following. Equipment from shorter-lived manufacturers prior to World War II is also highly sought after, while American Flyer and Marx are less so. Post-War Marx is gaining in popularity after years of being derided by serious collectors. There is little collector interest in Sakai today, possibly because of difficulty identifying the equipment and because the brand is much less widely known than its U.S. counterparts.
In the recent years there has been a movement called 3-Rail Scale. It is three-rail trains on high-rail track, but with scale couplers and other more prototypical details, like fixed pilots and scale wheels. Most 3-Rail scale modelers use Kadee brand scale couplers.
The biggest makers of American O scale trains today are Lionel, LLC
Lionel, LLC
Lionel, LLC is a designer and importer of toy trains and model railroads, based in Chesterfield Township, Michigan. Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line by cereal conglomerate General Mills....
, MTH Electric Trains
MTH Electric Trains
MTH Electric Trains, formerly Mike's Train House, is an American toy train and model railroad designer, importer, and manufacturer, based in Columbia, Maryland...
, Atlas O, and Weaver Models.
See also
- On2On2 scaleOn2 scale is part of the hobby of rail transport modeling. The name is based on the common model railroad 'O' scale and refers to the gauge between the rails and the fact that it is narrow gauge, thus 'On2'....
- A scale representing narrow gauge - On3 - A scale representing narrow gauge
- On30On30On30 is the most common term used to describe the modelling of narrow gauge railways in O scale on HO gauge track. Other terms used include O16.5, Oe, and On2½. It is part of the hobby of rail transport modelling.- Definitions :...
- Narrow gauge modeling in O Scale using HO scale track - Model railway scales
- SE scaleSE scaleSE scale is a designation used by a growing number of modellers to describe miniature trains which run on either Gauge 1 track or O gauge track. In SE scale, 7/8ths of an inch equals one foot, which is a ratio of 1:13.7...
External links
- The Gauge 0 Guild, the main British society
- "About Gauge" guide from Lionel discussing O versus O27 gauge
- Weaver Model Trains
- Bachmann Industries, Inc. (makers of On30 narrow gauge trains)
- MTH Electric Trains
- O Scale Trains