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For would-be Gullivers, N scale model trains from Athearn, Atlas, Bachmann, Kato, and others are a terrific way to go. Just as HO scale model trains are half the size of O scale trains, N scale model trains are half the size of HO, measuring between 1/148 and 1/160 the size of their real-life counterparts (the exact proportion depends on the country you live in or the manufacturer who made the model train). One thing is standard, though, and that is the gauge of the track, which is always 9mm wide.
N scale trains are most popular in Japan, no doubt owing to the premium put on real estate in that island nation. Most Japanese N scale trains are 1/150 the size of the real trains running on the real 3-foot, 6-inch narrow-gauge train tracks there. Models of Shinkansen (bullet trains), however, are 1/160 scale...
In England, a ratio of 1:148 is typical, although some N scale trains are 1:152. These latter models are understandably confused with the vintage Lone Star OOO scale trains that had the same scale.
Space alone is not the reason to choose N scale over HO scale. Many collectors have plenty of room to house their passions, so collecting at N scale simply allows those lucky folks to amass twice as many examples in N scale as they could in HO.
Unlike O scale, standard scale, and HO scale, some of which have been around for a full century, N scale only came into prominence in the 1960s. While the relative youth of the collectible limits the vintage value of N scale trains, it does mean that N scale collectors can generally mix and match components—standards were agreed upon early by manufacturers, making the interchangeability of many parts viable. Just having standard gauge tracks is an enormous help.
The downside of this rush to standardization was that one manufacturer, Arnold, was given the right to produce the N scale’s standard coupling, the Rapido. Not surprisingly, competitors were loathe to steer their customers to Arnold’s coupler, so they developed couplers of their own, even though Arnold owned the patent.
As it turned out, the Rapido did not work very well for automatic uncoupling and it was a bit bulky relative to the N scale’s diminutive size. Today, most serious N scale collectors prefer the magnetic knuckle couplers produced by Micro Trains.
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We’ve been operating Dan’s Train Depot, which is the parent company of BrassTrains.com, for about 11 years now. We … [more]
The NMRA library’s original purpose was to focus on model railroading, but over time we’ve also received donations … [more]
Dave McCarthy's Airfix Model Railway treasure trove is an in-depth archive of the company's plastic railway kits fr… [read review or visit site]
This great reference site for model railroaders, from the Gateway (St. Louis) division of the NMRA (National Model … [read review or visit site]
This site is a treasure trove of HO scale model railroad manufacturer catalogs and other reference information, inv… [read review or visit site]
Bernie Schulz’s Lionel Trains Library focuses exclusively on postwar Lionel trains and accessories. The site cont… [read review or visit site]
Eric Siegel's site displays his collection of O-gauge/O-scale trains, tracks, turntables, and other accessories. A … [read review or visit site]
MIT's model railroad club, as one might expect, has one of the best websites for learning about how people play wit… [read review or visit site]
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Most of the model train layouts will be in the school's cafeteria. These include N scale (Pensacola Model Railroad Club); HO scale (Mobile Society of Model...Read more
The miniature N-scale is also rapidly gaining in popularity because of the intricate layouts that can be built in small spaces...Read more
Permanent exhibits include five working model railroads, including HO-scale, N-scale, and Lionel and O-gauge trains; 11 am to 4 pm Tuesdays-Fridays and 11...Read more
Puckett's standard trains are N scale, and built into short track modules so that a variety of towns, countryside and construction sites can exist on a...Read more
"There are four or five clubs coming to the event with trains from itty-bitty N scale to huge G scales," Atkinson said. "There will be model trains set up...Read more
The museum features three large operating model railroads: “N” scale; “HO” scale, (including narrow gauge); “O” scale, (including trolley cars)...Read more
San Diego Model Railroad Museum ---- Permanent exhibits include five working model railroads, including HO-scale, N-scale, and Lionel and O-gauge trains;...Read more
San Diego Model Railroad Museum ---- Permanent exhibits include five working model railroads, including HO-scale, N-scale, and Lionel and O-gauge trains;...Read more
