Help! How to find out what scale this is?

Is it possible to figure out makers of these after assembly, too?

"> I have a large collection of trains that were given to me by a friend that "> changed subjects of interest. So anyway, it looks like the majority are HO "> scale. The only reason for me to know this is the boxes and online research. "> I do have one box that the cars seem very large for HO. The box cars are "> about 2" longer than the HO 45' trailers. Since all 12 are assembled and in "> a box together, how can determine the scale? "> "> I am not educated in trains and have no idea the larger ir smaller of O? N? "> HO? etc... Any help will be appreciated!

The *easy* way is to get a piece of H0 track and see if the wheels on these cars 'fit'. Yes, I know, they could be Sn3 or something like that. Does any of the 'collection' include any track? Even if it doesn't, you can still compare the wheels -- measure how far apart the wheel treads are on a 'known' H0 car and measure the spacing on the 'unknown' ones -- if the spacing (width) is the same they are the same scale, or at least the same guage track.

Note that while older vintage cars are likely to be 40' or 50' long (common sizes of box cars up though the '60s or so), more 'modern' box cars are longer, like 60 or *more* feet long -- so called 'High Cube' cars. A 40' H0 box car will be 5-1/2" long and a 60' 'High Cube' H0 box car will be 8-1/4" long.

It is easy enough to tell 0 from H0 from N: 0 is about 2x the size of H0 and H0 is about 2x the size of N. Other (not as common) scales include S and TT: S is between H0 and 0 and TT is between H0 and N. The most common incarnation of 0 scale is Lionel three rail 'tinplate' -- this is fairly easy to spot.

"> "> Regards, "> Denise "> "> ">

\/ Robert Heller ||InterNet: snipped-for-privacy@cs.umass.edu

Length could vary quite a bit according to what is being modeled -- obviously modern 60ft. cars are 50% longer than old-time 40ft. ;-). I've seen modern auto-racks that were so huge I had to look twice to realize they were only N-scale ;-).

Try measuring the width across the wheels (ie. how wide the track they run on would be). Standard HO scale is 16.5mm (but so is British OO).

-- Kizhe

Thank you both very much for your input. I think I have a better idea now. I actually just found a Con-Cor HO 60' Boxcar kit in one of the boxes. It is the same length/size/width as the other box of built.

I have so many of these and know that I will never do anything with them. I have kept a few out that I really liked. I sell historical & military books and air/armor models on eBay and thought I might as well unload these, too. Not only do I need the income, but the space, too. My house is tiny and there are four in the family.

If any> > I have a large collection of trains that were given to me by a friend that

eBay is a good way to sell them. I have a collection of books that might be worth a trade if you can identify what you have. (Manufacturer, type car, railroad, appx age) engines are most valuable, then passenger cars, then freight cars. There are exceptions.

Jim Stewart

Hello

I could help as well. Just thinking do you have a website or something you could psot some pictures of things on other than ebay.

The idea was so others could help identify things for you which you could then place on ebay.

Just a thought :-)

My Website:

If the cars are stock with no modifications, etc. plan on only about $2-5 a car or so.

-- Why isn't there an Ozone Hole at the NORTH Pole?

Thank you for all your help. I spent yesterday in the hospital so am late getting back with a reply. I will take some pictures over the next few days and get them posted up with my host so all can have a look.

Just curious Jim Stewart....might I ask what books you have?