Apart from Shinkansen, the railways of Japan were built to the 3ft 6ins gauge.
So how does this work for Kato's Japanese ranges are their models (HO/N) built to a larger scale to represent accurately the narrower gauge and does this make them incompatible with European models?
Yes.
No.
Depends on your attitude to modelling! Mixing models of Japanese 3'6" stock and European Std. gauge stock on the same tracks will never be 'accurate' so what difference will a slightly different scale make?
Keith
Railway modelling scales in Japan differ a bit from what is common in the rest of the world. A short list with some characteristics.
N-scale is by far the most popular railway modelling scale in Japan. The products available vary from cute toys top quality models, both mass-produced and handmade brass models. Usual scale ratio is 1/150th scale instead of 1/160th as common in the US or Europe. 1/160thscale is used in Japan for models of Shinkansen high-speed trains, which have a larger loading gauge than ordinary japanese trains. Prototype japanese trains run on a track gauge of 1067 mm (3ft6in) or 1435 mm (4ft 8½in), narrower gauges used are 762 mm (2ft6in) and 600 mm (2ft). The Japanese have chosen to use normal 9 mm track for all prototype gauges between 1067 and 1435 mm. Narrow-gauge lines are not often modelled in N-scale, so it's no surprise that there's not a lot available 'of the shelf'. You could have a go with European Z-gauge mechanisms and trackwork.
HO comes next and this is where life becomes a little more complicated. In Japan there are 3 different HO standards. Most common HO standard is 1:80 scale on 16.5 mm gauge track, also known as #16 scale, but some more advanced modellers found this unacceptable as the track gauge is too wide for the 1:80 ratio. So they started a different standard, 1:80 scale on 13 mm track, which is to be handlaid as there is no ready-made track available. This scale/gauge is called #13 scale. Other modellers adopted the international 1:87 scale ratio and use a 12 mm track gauge, as per the European narrow-gauge standards This gauge is known as #12 scale. HO-scale has only a very small share of the Japanese model market, as homes are very small by European or US standards, and it is hard to find some room, even for an N-scale layout. In some towns model train clubs, pubs, restaurants or hotels offer rental layouts on which you can run your own trains at a charge. There are also N-scale rental layouts available in some locations.
Other Japanese modelling scales are 1:50 on 20.5 mm track gauge (static models only) and O-scale tinplate. A few handmade models are available in
1:120 scale, running on 9 mm track. This scale is also used in New Zealand as it fits the New Zealand trains (small loading gauge, 1067mm, 3ft 6in, track gauge) very well. more here :
Joe
I agree in the general case. However, I have a MicroAce model of the 2-4-0T which was the first Japanese steam loco, and its scale is closer to 1:120 than 1:150. Given the narrower gauge, its actually quite accurate, though looks big alongside circa 1:150 items.
Thanks for your seal of approval Nigel.
As if
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