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A new narrow gauge layout; what scale?
The choice of scale to model your narrow
gauge railway is one of the most confusing subjects around. Indeed, it
can be so confusing that some railway modellers never quite get round to making that
decision and land up with a collection of rolling stock of all different
sizes!
For starters, the historic prototypes have an
amazing profusion of gauges. Some, one has to say seem logical, while
others are frankly, barking mad!
A broad narrow gauge line was the Padarn
Railway in Wales which ran from the Dinorwic slate quarries to a harbour in the
Menai Straits. This was four foot gauge. Why the gauge was chosen is
probably hidden in the mists of time. Since 00 scale is very much
undergauge for 4' 81/2", it would be really easy to source
material for this project.
Padarn Railway
At the other end of the scale was the
public carrier Surrey Border and Camberley at a gauge of 101/4".
This was strictly speaking a
miniature railway that tried to be a 'proper' one!
On top of everything else, thanks to
Napoleon, there is a complete gauge range in Metric too!
Most enthusiasts already have a particular
interest in a railway. It could be a three foot steam line hanging on to
the mountains of Colorado, a modern electric Swiss rack railway or, more
commonly in the UK, a Welsh line. Whatever is your choice, you will be
starting the project knowing the correct gauge.
Your next decision will be whether you are
going to model indoors or out. Some climates favour outdoors much more
than perhaps the UK. The photo below is of an extensive 1:24 scale super
detailed layout which lives outdoors in the American desert.
Garden railways in northern Europe pose a
lot more problems due to the weather and short summer season. It
is true that there are many photos of neat track surrounded by trimmed
lawns and miniature trees. More often than not, garden lines revert back
to nature rather quickly. Dank leaf covered track runs by the compost
heap before disappearing into an overgrown bush! Any line side buildings
become quickly covered in green slime; need I say more? If you love
gardening and are prepared to invest your time, this might be your
solution, nevertheless. Unless you build the lot on a higher level, you
will also be doing a lot of bending down! Most outdoor railways have
track running into a shed where the rolling stock can be housed.
The most common scale for outdoor narrow
gauge is 16mm/1ft. This is around the size of LGB but at least a couple
of gauges exist. Rolling stock prices will make your eyes water as many
locos are actually live steam and can be radio controlled. At the time
of writing the cost
ranges from around £500 to well over £2000 depending upon complexity.
Most of us modellers choose to build our
railway empires indoors. Sadly, unlike the USA, Europe is not generally
known for large houses. The size of the layout will depend upon the
space available. Some manage to build in an attic or basement and have
on occasion even managed to steal the largest room in a house rather
than being relegated to a garage or shed. Many have little
space and as a result, their efforts are very restricted unless they are
lucky enough to live close to a sympathetic model railway club.
You can build a model in larger scale with
exquisite detail but very limited in subject or you may prefer to build
a railway in a landscape using a much smaller scale. The Lynton and
Barnstaple railway is supported in three scales.
I would have to say that '0' (7mm/ft) scale
is vastly more satisfactory than 009 (4mm/ft). Rolling stock can be just
about perfect and feel 'substantial' while 009 is always a bit of a
compromise as it is so small. It is also much easier to obtain reliable
running in 0 scale and the locos are large enough to easily fit smoke
units and sound. They are also very much more robust.
'0' scale model of
'Taw' - Tony Spencer
'Yeo' in 009 - John de
Frayssinet
County Gate uses the scale of 009
nevertheless as I chose to have a large scenic layout and like most
modellers have only limited space. Of course I would have preferred a larger
scale if I had a barn twice the size!
Most railway modellers are not model
engineers and only a select few are capable of scratch building
everything. As a consequence, most choose a scale that supports the
prototype chosen. Track gauge is also often chosen for the selection of
proprietary equipment available.
Don't think that if you model in a larger
scale, it is less 'fiddly'. The larger your scale, the more detail you
have so there is probably very little in it.
Below is a chart listing most scales
used. The scales marked in red are those most commonly found in the UK.
|
Code
|
Scale
|
Gauge
|
Prototype
|
Type
|
Comment
|
|
Nn3 |
2mm/ft |
6.5mm |
3' |
|
|
|
008 |
4mm/ft |
8mm |
2ft |
fine scale 009! |
|
|
009 |
4mm/ft |
9mm |
2ft 3" |
|
compatible with H0e
and H0n30 |
|
H0e |
3.5mm/ft |
9mm |
2'6 |
|
e stands for etroite, French for Narrow |
|
HOm |
H0 = 1:87 |
12mm |
1m |
|
|
|
OOn3 |
4mm/ft |
12mm |
3 foot gauge |
|
|
|
NZ120 |
TT scale |
9mm |
represent 3' 6" |
|
|
|
O9 |
UK 0 = 1:43 |
9mm |
15" |
Industrial and minimum |
|
|
5.5mm scale |
1/55 |
12mm, 16.5mm |
2 foot, 3 foot. |
|
Developed by Gem in 1963 just prior to
the growth of 009. Now enjoying a quiet resurgence! |
|
014 |
UK 0 = 1:43 |
14mm |
2' |
|
|
|
0n16.5 |
UK 0 = 1:43 |
16.5mm |
2'4 |
|
|
|
0e |
EU 0 = 1:45 |
16.5mm |
600mm |
|
|
|
0n30 |
US 0 = 1:48 |
16.5mm |
30" or 2'6" |
|
Used for all gauges from 2' to 3' |
|
Sn3 |
S = 1:64 |
16.5mm |
3' |
|
Little trade support |
|
Sn3½ |
1:64 |
16.5 |
|
|
The standard |
|
1:25 scale
|
approx 12mm/ft |
16.5mm |
18inch narrow gauge |
|
|
|
1:34 scale |
approx 9mm/ft |
16.5mm |
two ft/60cm narrow gauge |
|
|
|
1:24 scale |
1/2" to the foot |
1.3/4" |
Colonial gauge of 3ft 6ins |
|
|
|
On2 |
1:48 |
1/2 inch |
2 foot |
American |
A true 'Imperial' scale |
|
On3 |
1:48 |
3/4 inch |
3 feet |
American NG |
Another true 'Imperial' scale |
|
Sn3 |
3/16ins |
9/16ins |
3 feet |
Mainly USA |
|
|
3/8th |
1:32 |
3/4 inch |
2 foot |
Industrial & Common carrier |
Nice scale for small prototypes |
|
9mm (aka
9mill) |
1:33.86 |
31.5 (or 32) |
New Zealand 1067 gauge |
|
The standard NZ scale for O-gaugish
modelling |
|
Gn15 |
G = 1:22.5 |
16.5mm |
15 |
Industrial & Minimum |
|
The choice is yours but don't forget, the
larger the scale, the more expensive it gets!
009
Crumley & Little Wickhill: a railway in a landscape: Hull Miniature
Railway Society
0n16.5
Bridport Town by David Taylor
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