If you’re a newcomer to the world of model trains, it might be a little intimidating to hear words like “scales,” and “gauges.” If you want to build your own scenery and model trains, you might think you’re in over your head. However, if you love the world of trains, you will eventually learn to use and understand the terminology, and everything in the model train world.
Think about this for a minute. What’s your perfect landscape, and what does the train running through it look like? Perhaps your first consideration in answering this question is the size of the train. Model trains and tracks are made by a lot of different people, and they’re used for a lot of different things. Because you have so many choices, you can find the right one for your situation.
To make sure that any brand of train is going to fit on any track, those who make trains talk about scale and gauge, so that when hobbyists talk about train scales, they’re talking about the size of the train and track. What does “scale” mean? It means “scaled down,” replication of the life-size or prototype train in exact proportion. Different letters assigned to the ratio and scales reflect what the differences in ratio are.
So when we talk about an N scale train, we’re talking about a smaller train versus other scale models. Among the four most popular scales, N is in fact the smallest, with a ratio of 1:160. That is, an N scale train is one 160th the size of a real train, or about half the size of an HO train. An HO scale train is one 87th the size of a real train.
If you like expansive scenery or you don’t have a lot of room; an N scale train might just be for you. These trains take up less space than a lot of model layouts, but can get into greater detail than some smaller sizes because of their size. In addition, if you use supplies and rail cars that are smaller, you’ll be able to maintain and add on to it later much more easily. N scale trains are also advantageous because they use smaller rail cars and tracks, which mean you can make the scenery more elaborate and beautiful.
HO scale trains, O scale trains, and standard scale trains have been around for a full century, but N scale trains only gained prominence in the 1960s. N scale means “9 mm” because its gauge is 9 mm between the rails. “Gauge” is the size of the track a model train operates on. It measures the distance between the train tracks’ rails. On the other hand, the “code” designates the rail’s height.
N scale trains are one among many choices when it comes to building trains and the scenery that will surround them. You as the train builder should use whatever size is best for you. No matter what size of train you use, the thrill of train building and play is what matters.
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