which would look smaller - oo or ho?

May 14, 2006 34 Replies

Given two models of the same prototype engine, which would actually look smaller? Sorry if this sounds pretty basic, but I suspect a model I bought on ebay may actually be HO if that is actually the smaller scale - I know they are both the same gauge.



TIA



ZD


"Zipadee Doodar" wrote

HO would be the smaller; it is approximately 7/8ths the scale of OO.

John.

An HO model would be smaller. What is it a model of?

Del

John is correct, but I guess whether it matters or not, comes down to which model you bought

Steve

The HO scale engine on 16.5mm track would also look _correct_

HTH David

odd thought - is there any track gauge in use for which 4mm scale on 16.5mm track is an accurate representation?

Not in use, but I've read that there was in industrial line in Wigan at something around 4' 1.5" gauge.

The Padarn Railway in North Wales was 4ft.

Ditto the Redruth and Chasewater in Cornwall: a very appealing modelling project, that one (so's the Padarn, of course, with the transporter wagons for 2' gauge wagons).

R&C:

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And the Lea Moor tramway in Cornwall. This one had a ground level crossover with the GWR mqin line.

and, now I come to think of it, the Saundersfoot railway in South-West Wales was 4' gauge, too - or more exactly, 4' 3/4":

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There are a fair few lines which used gauges between 3'9" and 4'2", any of which would be just about "right" for OO. Some of 'em are plateways, though, so you#ve have to make up your own track and wheels...

In message , Christopher A. Lee writes

Not possible, unless the axles had some automatic mechanism for changing gauge as the train passed over the said crossover.

Crossover: two points arranged to allow a train to move from one of a pair of parallel tracks to another.

Diamond crossing if you wantto be pedantic. But I'd got the gauge wrong - it was 4'6". The crossing was famous, over the GWR main line.

... and didn't the Lee Moor technically have right of way, it being there before the GWR line was?

PhilD

ITHM a flat crossing. The Redruth and Chasewater had one of these, too, with the Hayle Railway.

Yes.

And the Glasgow Subway :-)

Jim.

Now there's a thought: model it in its original, cable-haul condition and use DCC to control the application and release of the Grips..

There's a challenge for someone.

.

I thought the latter was spelt "Chacewater", to avoid confusion with the one in Staffs (which *does* have the 's' in it)? I'm pretty sure - as a flip-side to the question about 4mm scale/gauge combos - that in 3.5mm scale, the EM gauge track used by 4mm modellers is a good approximation for the Irish 5'3" gauge.

David Belcher

The village does, but the railway (opened in 1825 or so) used the "S" spelling - presumably the spelling for the village name hadn't finally settled then.

ISTR reading an article recently by someone who was modelling in that scale/gauge combination.

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