Gauges and Scales
by Ivan W. Baugh
Gauge is the distance between the inside of the outermost rail heads. The gauge for most of the railroads in the world is 4' 8.5" between the inside of the outermost rail heads.
Scale refers to the ratio between the actual size (prototype-a railroad you would see at a highway crossing) and the modeled size. Scale compares inches or millimeters with feet of the prototype.
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Scale
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Examples of Manufacturers
includes links to web sites where available |
| Live Steam | 1:8 | |
| II | Number two gauge - 1:22.5 | |
| G | 1:24 (LGB is 1:22.5) | Model Die Castings, LGB |
| I | Number one gauge - 1:32 | Aristo-Craft, Electoy, Ives |
| O27 | 1:43.5 | Lionel, K-Line, M.T.H. |
| O | 1:48 | Atlas, Lionel |
| S | 1:64 | American Flyer, American Models |
| HO | 1:87 | Athearn, Atlas, Bachmann, Life-Like, Rivarossi |
| TT | 1:120 | Arnold, TT Scale, Berliner, Busch (found mostly in Europe) |
| N | 1:160 | Athearn, Atlas, Micro-Trains Line, MiniTrix, Rivarossi |
| Z | 1:220 | Marklin, Micro-Trains Line |
Please get a ruler, a pen or pencil, and a blank sheet of paper. Then click on the link that follows, enter the information carefully. Scroll down to see your height in the various scales.
Scale Converter (may require Microsoft Office)
Using the information from the Scale Converter web page, on the paper draw a line showing your height in each scale. Label each scale. Write your name on the sheet.
America OnLine Users: If you have difficulty accessing the Scale Converter web page, try the following steps.