| HO scale train sets are the worlds' most popular sized | | | | HO gauge - the more bangs for your bucks interface. |
| model railways for a number of reasons: cost, space | | | | The main reason for the popularity of HO amongst |
| requirements, and ease of component availability | | | | modelers is the perception of what you can achieve |
| figure highly amongst these. In a perfect world, I'd be | | | | in this scale in a given space. Look through the pages |
| modeling in On30, but the reality of my own situation | | | | of any of the well-known magazines devoted to the |
| - present and likely future is that HO - that is, a 1 | | | | hobby and you'll see vast basement railroad empires |
| 87th scale representation of the real world - is the | | | | with a staggering amounts of nano-scenic detail, |
| track I'll follow for pretty much those three reasons I | | | | beautifully rendered and weathered locomotives and |
| listed above. Bachmann, the world's biggest maker of | | | | rolling stock. The overall impression can be |
| model trains has an extensive range of American | | | | breathtaking and a close-up and personal scrutiny - |
| prototype locomotive and rolling stock for the train | | | | often known as "rivet-counting"- shows just how |
| fan. For the newcomer, Bachmann's HO train sets, | | | | much miniature detail can be incorporated even at |
| ready to run out of the box, offer the perfect | | | | this degree of shrinkage. Inspiring indeed, but there |
| starting point. | | | | are plenty of us who don't have and are never likely |
| Big... and not so big. | | | | to have basements. HO model-railroading is flexible |
| Size - a good place to start. | | | | and adaptable enough to cater for the |
| By far the most popular of the big train sizes is O | | | | space-deprived modeler, who has to make do with |
| gauge - that's trains built to a scale of 1/48th the size | | | | maybe just 8-10 feet of wall space, maybe 12" wide |
| of the real thing, running on rails spaced 1.25" apart. | | | | - just enough to represent the end of the line of |
| Historically, O gauge has some impressive claims to | | | | some long-forgotten spur of the Hooterville Central |
| be the parent of all current model railroad scales and | | | | RR in its glory days. These railroaders often outdo us |
| gauges. The first model trains, produced in Germany | | | | all when it comes to atmosphere, rivets, warts and |
| around the beginning of the 20th century were close | | | | all. |
| to 1/48th scale and ran on 1.25" wide tracks. When | | | | The industry, has of course, responded to the |
| model train manufacturing got under way here in the | | | | market. For the HO gauge modeler, there is a huge |
| USA, those iconic brands Lionel and American Flyer | | | | array of off-the-shelf train sets, locomotives, cars, |
| built their trains to run on those very same 1.25" | | | | buildings and track. As you progress through the |
| spaced tracks. | | | | hobby, more specialized manufacturers supply |
| The little trains began to appear in numbers after | | | | everything to cater for scratch-building or kit-bashing |
| World War Two and by the 1960s, commercial | | | | needs. If you want it, you can source and buy |
| production of small-sized, HO gauge trains far | | | | everything from a more authentic brake-wheel for |
| outstripped production of O gauge. Initially, it was the | | | | your favorite caboose right up to a gorgeous, and |
| British who came up with the idea of this smaller size | | | | seriously expensive, hand-built, brass locomotive. |
| - trains that could run on tracks spaced just 0.65" | | | | Perhaps the final reason for choosing HO ahead of |
| apart. German manufacturer Marklin launched its | | | | the larger alternatives is the cost. Yes, there are |
| range of small trains running on 0.65" (or 16.5mm) | | | | some surprisingly cheap O gauge items out there - |
| spaced tracks in 1935, but unlike British and German | | | | Bachmann's lovely On30 2-8-0 Consolidation is a |
| rival train-makers, Marklin chose to make its trains to | | | | give-away at around $137.00 - but the fact remains |
| scale of 1/87th the size of the real thing. Since | | | | that model-railroading in HO, part for part and piece |
| Marklin's O gauge trains were built to a scale of 1 | | | | for piece, is going to be a lot cheaper than opting for |
| 43rd, this new, smaller size was very conveniently | | | | any of the bigger scales. Next time you look at an |
| half the size of the big 'uns - hence Half O gauge, or | | | | HO gauge layout that really gets your heart pounding, |
| HO as it is universally known today. Approximately | | | | just remember that to do the same thing in O gauge |
| 66% of all model train lovers rate HO as their | | | | is going to take twice the space and the cost of all |
| favorite scale. | | | | the components will be considerably higher as well. |