Rail transport modelling scales

Information available at the toy and model railway uniform reduction scales are to make a sequence of industrialists efforts their products on customer request so that customers can use products from different manufacturers together on their model railroad layouts.

The resulting nominal sizes are now in the standards of European Model Railroads (NEM), in the standards of British Railway Modelling Standards Bureau ( BRMSB ) and the standards of the National Model Railroad Association ( NMRA ) normalized and establish a logical system of a nominal size to the next smaller or next larger nominal size.

Initially suffice for the description of the nominal values ​​, the Roman numerals (IV, III, II and I). With the advent of ever smaller nominal sizes first each suitably chosen alphabet (S, H0, TT, ... ) were the number 0 then do so.

The term nominal size so always means a defined reduction scale, it says nothing about the track width about using. The approximately colloquially as " H0 ", " H0m ", " track H0e " and so designated model gauges are all part of the same nominal size H0. The term " size" might confuse here and is therefore usually avoided.

• 2.1 Narrow-gauge railways in Europe
• 2.2 Narrow Gauge Railways in North America

• 3.1 Garden Railways
• 3.2 Park Railways

Nominal sizes, scales and gauges

Common nominal sizes, scales and gauges

The most important standardized in Europe nominal sizes with their scales and gauges:

Other common nominal sizes, scales and gauges

Most systems with standard gauge model track width using H0 tracks with a model track gauge of 16.5 mm. The track sets the tone EM/P4 the standard gauge in scale 1:76,2 implement correctly, but is not common. As a short-term precursor of P4, there was the beginning of the 1960s experiments with the EEM track.

Other nominal sizes, scales and gauges

Nomenclature of track widths of narrow gauge railways

After the request was created to mimic the narrow gauge railways not only in their model, but also simulate with respect to the model gauge scale, the respective nominal sizes were with their many metric model gauges only grouped, then summarized in a meaningful way in a few model gauges. These were then supplemented for better gratitude with lowercase letters and / or numbers. So, for example, the nominal size H0 divided today in the European space in which H0, H0m H0e, ... In the North American space, for example, divides the nominal size 0 in the track 0, 0n3, 0n30 ( 0n2 ½), since the narrow-gauge railways after the Anglo-Saxon system of units in feet and inches grouped and were summarized.

Narrow gauge railways in Europe

For European narrow gauge railways the following system, where X stands instead of the nominal size that is:

• Xm: meter gauge; is shown on tracks with the next smaller gauge compared to the standard gauge ( for example H0m with a model track gauge of 12 mm).
• Xe: Engspur with a model - track width of 750 mm, 760 mm and 800 mm; is shown on tracks with a two steps smaller gauge compared to the standard gauge ( for example H0e with a model track gauge of 9 mm).
• Xi: industrial railway; with a model track width between 400 mm and 600 mm; is shown on tracks with three levels smaller gauge compared to the standard gauge ( for example h0i with a model track gauge of 6.5 mm) .. In the German -speaking world, instead of the "i" for industrial railway and the "f " are used for light railway.
• Xp: park train with a model - track width of 15 inches ( 381 mm); is shown on tracks with four stages smaller gauge compared to the standard gauge ( for example 2p with a model track gauge of 16.5 mm).

As a basis, the following table shall apply mutatis mutandis. Narrow gauge railways with less than 4.5 mm Model gauge are not currently standardized.

Narrow Gauge Railways in North America

For North American narrow gauge railways in the following system: X is instead of the nominal size, n the abbreviation for narrow gauge and at the end of the model - gauge, depending on the case in feet or inches:

Examples:

• Xn2 ½: narrow-gauge nominal size X with 2 ½ foot - model gauge
• 0n30: narrow-gauge nominal size 0 with 30 inch model - gauge with 30 inch also correspond to 2 ½ feet. ( Model track gauge of 16.5 mm)

Note: Not all combinations are normalized. But in many cases applied mutatis mutandis. For example, it is at the track Gn15 a (North American ) narrow-gauge railway with 15-inch - gauge model in the nominal size II (G).

Nominal sizes of garden paths and parking railways

There are other nominal variables with the respective model gauges that are now commonly referred to as a garden path or park railway.

The transitions of the terms model train for garden railway and park railway can thereby be described as follows:

Garden Railways

→ Main article: garden railway

Widely used are garden paths, ie, model trains, which are so large that it can be driven around sitting in a garden on the vehicles. Accessible for example, the model track gauges from 3.5 inch ( 89 mm ), 5 inches ( 127 mm) and 7 ¼ inches ( 184 mm).

Park Railways

→ Main article: Parkeisenbahn

Less common are Park railways, ie, model trains, which are so large that can be mitgefahren like the prototype in the vehicle. They have model gauges, the (305 mm) are only in individual cases under 12 inches. Can be reached in individual cases, a size that correspond more to an industrial train or railway.

Historical nominal sizes of model trains

On the way to the now standard nominal sizes other nominal sizes, most of which are now largely disappeared again emerged. Typical examples are the nominal size Z0 ( 1:60 ), which had its heyday mid-20th century, and the model trains of the Swiss manufacturer WESA, the models produced at a scale of 1:100 before the advent of smaller nominal sizes.

Only very rarely encountered the historical nominal sizes III and IV They were made by the then toy and model railway manufacturers only on individual order.

Non-standard sizes

Several sold mainly in department stores and discounters toy train systems are not standardized: Although they have a wide distribution, they can not be fit into the scheme of the standard nominal sizes. Such toy trains for example, come from LEGO or Brio.

Also vehicle models for presentation purposes of rolling stock manufacturers of the model or models in museums and exhibitions are often not produced in the standardized scales. This was built as a rule of professional model makers, apprentices from large companies or training workshops and private models have, for example, standards such as 1:50 or even 1:10.