I think TAC needs to move to Oregon, Ontario, or British Columbia. The British weather and the price of petrol is getting to him. 
Randy, that āgotā to him long ago ha!
Hey Mark,
Check out Gregās site above and Georgeās: http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips.html for some great tips.
The forum and members here is great as well.
Alan
Alan- I have been looking through both or their sites (fantastic by the way!) as well as MANY others. There is way too much to take in.
Thank you all for the warm āwelcomes!ā
Iām still getting past the whole scale vs. gauge concept. I have more reading to do so I wonāt go crazy with the questions but I do have one. If the spacing between the rails is 45mm, and the spacing between actual rails is 56.5" then the true āscaleā is 1:32. Me question is this: is what I just wrote correct? If not could somebody please refer me to where I can find the answer! This is driving me nuts.
Mark?? Personally, I donāt worry about the scale,guage stuffā¦ I know what I like to run, and I pick the appropriate product/scale for me to enjoy the railroadingā¦ everyone makes a big deal out of itā¦ Iām here to enjoy the hobby and operate a āāmodelāā railroadā¦ Everyone one is different and everyone has different ideasā¦ Thatās the way it should beā¦
I say, decide on what type of railroad you want to model, and pick the appropriate equipment to do thatā¦
Doesnāt matter if you run 1:20.3, 1:22.5, 1:24, 1:29, or 1:32ā¦ If they make the equipment you want in 1:32 scale, then buy thatā¦ If they make the equipment you want to run in 1:20.3, then buy thatā¦
Itās your railraodā¦ Do with it what you want to do, and enjoy itā¦
just my 2 cents worthā¦
Mark Hall said:
Alan- I have been looking through both or their sites (fantastic by the way!) as well as MANY others. There is way too much to take in.
Thank you all for the warm āwelcomes!ā
Iām still getting past the whole scale vs. gauge concept. I have more reading to do so I wonāt go crazy with the questions but I do have one. If the spacing between the rails is 45mm, and the spacing between actual rails is 56.5" then the true āscaleā is 1:32. Me question is this: is what I just wrote correct? If not could somebody please refer me to where I can find the answer! This is driving me nuts.
Mark, the 1:32 is the accepted ācorrectā scale for standard gauge when the track is 45 mm. Unfortunately, it is only close, actually, the 45mm track gauge is a bit wide for scale. And, at 1:29, the track is a bit narrow for scale standard gauge.
The problem is that most of the rolling stock in manufactured in 1:29 scale, not 1:32. Granted, there are a few high priced firms that make 1:32, but the largest manufacturer of 1:32 stuff (MTH) is getting out of the business of large scale, having bet wrong.
Personally, I run 1:29, and donāt worry about the track, much. I also run 1:22.5, 1:24 and some 1:20.3. Sometimes I run them at the same time, depending on what my grandkids want.
If standard gauge is what you want to run, I suggest that you choose either 1:29 or 1:32, and stick with it. Neither are correct scale for gauge, though 1:32 is closer.
I tend to stick with 1:29, accepting the scale problem, because 1:32 looks too much like 0 scale for my taste.
As Andy said, it is your railroad. Do what pleases you the most, and donāt worry about what the other guy says.
Andy Clarke said:
Mark?? Personally, I donāt worry about the scale,guage stuffā¦ I know what I like to run, and I pick the appropriate product/scale for me to enjoy the railroadingā¦ everyone makes a big deal out of itā¦ Iām here to enjoy the hobby and operate a āāmodelāā railroadā¦ Everyone one is different and everyone has different ideasā¦ Thatās the way it should beā¦
I say, decide on what type of railroad you want to model, and pick the appropriate equipment to do thatā¦
Doesnāt matter if you run 1:20.3, 1:22.5, 1:24, 1:29, or 1:32ā¦ If they make the equipment you want in 1:32 scale, then buy thatā¦ If they make the equipment you want to run in 1:20.3, then buy thatā¦
Itās your railraodā¦ Do with it what you want to do, and enjoy itā¦
just my 2 cents worthā¦
Thank you. Also, Mark?? had an air of familiarity to it. Do we know each other? Not sarcastic, just curious.
Thank you guys.
well, Mark depending on what makes your clock tick, there are better or worse scales.
do you like to put a lot of buildings? cars? people?
people for instance are easier to get for 1:32 or 1:25 (some in 1:22.5 as well)
cars are best in 1:25, i think.
buildings/building - in 1:25 you can get lots of dollhouse parts. (but alas! not many roling stock!)
another 2 centsā¦
Run what makes you happyā¦If I want to put my B-Mann 10 wheeler in a cosist with my RS-3, then I will and the cars behind could be most anythingā¦Its your rail road ā¦your the C.E.O. and C.O.O. ā¦have fun with it
Later Allā¦Gerry
I think Korm might be off by a digit. Most of the Dollhouse and die cast car stuff Iāve seen is 1:24. At one time a lot of rolling stock was being made in 1:24, but never many locos.
Mark Hall said:
Thank you. Also, Mark?? had an air of familiarity to it. Do we know each other? Not sarcastic, just curious.
Nope, not that I know of, we donāt know each otherā¦
Mark Hall said:
Iām still getting past the whole scale vs. gauge concept. I have more reading to do so I wonāt go crazy with the questions but I do have one. If the spacing between the rails is 45mm, and the spacing between actual rails is 56.5" then the true āscaleā is 1:32. Me question is this: is what I just wrote correct? If not could somebody please refer me to where I can find the answer! This is driving me nuts.
If I were to answer your question I would say Yes.
Mark, your math and your conclusion are both correct. But you wonāt get much traction on Large Scale Boards bringing this up. (Donāt ask me how I know this.) Many Large Scalers model 3 ft narrow gauge on 45 mm track which is about the largest commercial scale in No 1. gauge. I know about 7/8 scale, but am ignoring it by saying commercial.
If you like meter gauge, then 45 mm is one meter ā a common European narrow gauge.
And so it goes.
Thereās a refreshing lack of ārivet countingā in Large Scale, which is fine. I mix 1:32, 1:29, and I even have a few 1:22.5 pieces of rolling stock. Canāt be too restricted, as some equipment (hold on to your hat) is one scale in one direction and a different scale in the other.
Enjoy Large Scale!
Dick,
Are you inferring that some manufacturers use a ārubber rulerā when they make the molds??
NEVERā¦
Bob C.