June 2015
Most of us have a preferred scale and gauge we like working in but how many of us actually have multiple scales and/or gauges that we like? Most know I have 1.5” ride-on in the backyard but my main scale is HO with HOn3 mixed in. For some of my AP requirements I’ve worked in On30 too. Did you know that for AP you don’t have to do it all in one scale or gauge? What if you need one more car or structure but that doesn’t quite fit into your plan? How about trying something different? You can donate it to a friend’s layout or just keep as a display.
I really like the look of narrow gauge especially when viewed right next to standard gauge. What’s the difference? The scale is the same – meaning people and buildings would all be the same size. It’s just that the gauge, or width between the rails is different, usually narrower than the standard 4’ 8.5”.
I was testing my narrow gauge locomotive with some cars and took a quick video:
https://youtu.be/DC-G8V-WKSQ
You can see some of the standard gauge train and the narrow gauge train has similar equipment. One reason for narrow gauge is being able to use smaller/shorter cars that can wind their way around mountains. Whatever the case is, it’s cool to see similar cars next to each other and compare them.
Why not try your hand at something in a different scale or gauge? When we meet monthly for our Division Events, almost always the clinic is non-scale specific even though among us we model different scales and gauges. Give it a try and share what you’ve done and that way we can enjoy the journey together!