[Allan W. Miller]

This topic came up as a question on another forum, and since I'm lousy at math, I figured I might just as well pose the question here.

Assume that you had a Large Scale indoor layout or diorama and wanted to represent--relatively closely--a small garden railroad in the back yard of one of the close-to-scale houses on your layout.


Now, despite the fact that there are various scales involved in Large Scale ranging from 1:20.3 to 1:32, what scale of model train would look best or "fit" best with a typical Large Scale layout--let's say 1:24 or 1:29 just to keep things relatively simple--to represent a miniature garden railroad within that scene? I figure it would have to be Z scale or N scale (if any), but which of the two would actually come closest to providing a fairly accurate representation?

 

[Engineercub]

T-scale might look like a Garden Railroad. Having seen Z next to G, it looks like 7 inch Gauge. T-scale is very new though and it started in Japan so not sure what choices you would have with locomotives or rolling stock.

 

[East Broad Top]

To figure out the scale of a model when measured in another scale (i.e., how big is an HO train in 1:29), you divide the smaller scale (the "87" of 1:87) by the larger scale (the "29" in 1:29). 87 ÷ 29 = 3. So, an HO scale train in a 1:29 scale world would be a 1:3 scale model. Z scale (1:220) in a 1:22 world would be 1:10--still quite a bit larger than large scale scales. Note that the larger the number, the smaller the scale.

To figure out how small a model would be in a model world, you multiply the scales. For instance, if you're modeling in 1:20, and want to put a model of a 1:20 train in the back yard, the train would have to be scaled to 1:400 (20 x 20).

Later,

K

 

[SlateCreek]

If I remember, N scale is about 1:8 in 1:20.3 scale.... so you could do a "ride on" club in N with your 1:20.3 stuff.

Of course, 1:8 scale on 7.5 inch gauge track actually represents 60 inch gauge instead of 56.5 inch.... uh oh, here we go again.

Matthew (OV)

 

[Allan W. Miller]

Thanks, Kevin! I posted your response on the forum where the question was asked (with proper credit, of course).

 

[Richard Weatherby]

Here is "Z" with "G"
The backyard had an engine facility and roundhouse.

 

[Trains West]

T scale is about right ...... I have been thinking about this also but I would guess that a train this small will be fussy .......


T is 1 to 450

http://www.mokei.de/t-gauge/beispiel2.jpg
image converted to link - exceeds 640 max. width


http://www.mokei.de/t-gauge/indexenglisch.html

 

[stanman]

I have both Z and G as well. Here's what similar locos look like side-by-side. These locos are 1:22.5 and 1:220; almost exactly ten-to-one.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Holy cow, that T gauge stuff is nuts!! Truly amazing. What's next, nano-scale? 

 

[Semper Vaporo]

How about putting one of these on your layout to represent a garden railroad in the backyard of a house in your garden railroad.

Hallmark "Millennium Express" QLX7364, Issue year 2000

It is lighted and animated, and has sounds. Two trains go in circles; the Zephyr on the lower level on the left, and the 2-4-0 on the upper level on the right, and a mine car moves in and out of the mine adit at the top middle. The train on the lower level on the right does not move. It is designed to plug into one light socket on a 100 lamp Christmas tree light string, replacing that one light. It has a knob on the front that rotates CW for "FWD" and CCW for "REV" (I don't know if it varies the speed or is just On/Off in each direction). A button on the left is labeled "Whistle" and one on the right is labeled "Horn". (I don't have Christmas tree lights, so I have never seen or heard it operate.)

The door on the Church building on the upper left is 0.19-inch tall and 0.09-inch wide, so I figure that scale is about 1:470.

The 2-4-0 on the right is 0.375-inch from the rail to the top of the stack and 0.332-inch to the peak of the roof. I don't know what scale that might represent.

The seat of the bench at the side of the Depot building is 0.061-inches high.
Googling "Bench Seat Height" I find values from 17 to 20 inches, so that scale is: from 1:278 to 1:328 depending on what height it was supposed to be modeling.

The rail gauge of the 2-4-0 on the lower right is 0.126-inch so it is a scale of 1:13.89 of "G" gauge track (at 1.75-inch), It also equates to: 1:448 of Standard gauge, 1:312 of Meter gauge, 1:285 of 3-ft Narrow gauge.

The rail gauge of the track in the mine adit is 0.105-inches, which would be 47-inch gauge if the other track is considered to be Standard gauge, or 30-inch gauge if the other track is considered to be 3-ft Narrow gauge.

I went looking on the web for this ornament to see if I could find what voltage it is supposed to run on and all I found was the recommended 100 lamp Christmas Tree light string. I found prices that ranged from $54.00 to $125.00 with some places indicating it was "In Stock" MIB (Mint, In-Box) or SDB (Slightly Damaged Box), and others showing it was "Out of Stock". Price was not a definite indicator as to whether it was In or Out of Stock.

I think Hallmark has made other similar ornaments in other years. But I don't think it is in any way even "weather resistant", I am sure rain and sun would destroy it.