What would be the best scale for an amusement park train ride, N scale or Z scale? Thanks.
For an Amusement Park, you’d need to placate the liability and you’ll need enclosed riders, looking at my small collection, HOn3 cars might be wide enough for a 120.3 butt.
Live Steamers can be those scales you mentioned.
John
HO considering that most amusement park train rides tend to be 12"-15" gauge, cut openings in the tops of the cars and set the riders inside.
I’d go with HO like Vic said. For a couple reasons. One being that a little ways from here in Sedalia is a park train of about 15 to 18 inch gauge. I don’t have the pictures from a couple years back in this several months old computer and didn’t put them online. They have an E8-ish looking diesel with cars based on smooth side streamline cars, which I recall being narrower and a bit lower than the UP in Vic’s photo, and a live steam 4-4-0 of chunky foreshortenend proportion with a 19-0h-something builders plate.
Setup even has what might be called a “scale” water tower. I’m not sure if it is operational or static display. There might even be a “scale” signal or two, maybe?
Be careful of the rabbit hole, Gn15 is a whole hobby in and of itself (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
HO gauge track comes out around 15 to 18 inch gauge depending on what flavor of G scale is used.
Which means there are some appropriate parts available, on Shapeways is one place I know of; parts for both prototypical farm, estate, and industrial trams, and more fanciful freelance creations.
these images from 1905 might be at least of entertainment value.
"New York circa 1905. “The miniature railway, Coney Island.” 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. "
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8016
http://www.shorpy.com/node/8367
http://www.shorpy.com/node/13260
Here’s a unique 4-4-0 cab to model http://www.legeros.com/ralwake/photos/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=349 and http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5105293/
Gotta love this 4-4-0s one truck tender
https://www.realtown.com/ArianaZariah/blog/easteregghunt2009
And a realyl mongrelized real life kitbash of a park train locomotive, http://www.montgomeryparks.org/enterprise/park_facilities/trains/miniature_trains.shtm
A centercab internal combustion loco which could be a fun kitbash of an HO something.
http://www.therecordherald.com/article/20130817/NEWS/130819904
some handsome steamers & a B&W work tran from who knows when. Hose reel is worth modeling
http://www.redwoodvalleyrailway.com/5173.html
http://www.eastbayloop.com/tilden-park-steam-trains/
Great, to me, image of loco with engineer and cylinders blowing
Halfway down this page is good enlargable image of filling tender water, and backhead details
https://hammondcast.wordpress.com/2012/07/17/jon-hammond-journal-for-day-july-16-2012-report/
For more Ideas, a bewildering array of ideas, Google park train, starting with images.
Park trains, too are a hobby in and of themselves.
I could see HO but an argument could be made for N. 1/8th scale seems like it would be close to N. But for a true amusement park attraction probably HO so passengers are “in” cars and not “on” cars.great Northern and Cascade Railway
I did some On30 stuff on HO track for a mine and felt it turned out good. I also put some 1:20.3 characters on a riding car, made from a bulkhead flat behind HO engines. Had it all at the ECLSTS one year. There may be a couple pictures out there somewhere. Experiment, looking at comparison pictures.
Ric brings up a good point. Another consideration is what are you modeling in large scale. What would look right in 1:32 or 1:29 might look very small in 1:20.3.
oh now this is opening a very large genie out of a bottle, which may never be shoved back inside. I remember one RR I toured here a few years ago had I think it was a Z scale “g scale garden RR” on a raised platform behind one of the houses. MUST NOT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT, stay on the main track, avoid the rabbit hole.
Pete Lassen said:
oh now this is opening a very large genie out of a bottle, which may never be shoved back inside. I remember one RR I toured here a few years ago had I think it was a Z scale “g scale garden RR” on a raised platform behind one of the houses. MUST NOT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT, stay on the main track, avoid the rabbit hole.
The Mason-Dixon model railroaders have a modular layout, and one module has the z-scale garden railroad you mention. I had a photo once.
Isn’t HO a little large? Seems like N would be more to the correct size.
Nope, HO is just right for a 15 to 18 inch gauge ride-on/in park train.
IMG_5171 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr
IMG_5172 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr
IMG_5175 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr
IMG_5173 by Forrest Wood, on Flickr
Here’s a park train creation of mine, which someday, maybe, will get finished? Still need to do cars for it.
Is on mechanism of HO scale 4-wheel Plymouth DDT by Model Power. Guy is 1/24 scale by Fujimi, I think, is from a kit of car drivers and mechanics.
Pete Lassen said:
oh now this is opening a very large genie out of a bottle, which may never be shoved back inside. I remember one RR I toured here a few years ago had I think it was a Z scale “g scale garden RR” on a raised platform behind one of the houses. MUST NOT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT, stay on the main track, avoid the rabbit hole.
Check out TT. Would make a very nice garden railroad. Z is big. TT comes out almost perfect for g scale in g scale.
Forrest’s pictures make the argument that HO would be more ideal for an amusement park train. They are going to be more ride “in” than ride “on”. N would definitely be better for the smaller ride “on” train like the one I mentioned above. So choose your poison.
Thing to keep in mind, if one isn’t already, is that ‘park train’ is a term with a defined meaning. Also used is ‘miniature railway’.
“Park trains are small gauge trains running in amusement parks, city parks and other public areas. Park trains usually have gauges larger than 7-1/2” but smaller than 3 feet. 12", 15", 18" and 30" gauges are common. "
http://www.railroaddata.com/rrlinks/Park_Trains/
This is an interesting conversation;
"My question is this: If this 2’ gauge railroad had “real” locomotives, for example, Baldwins or Alcos, and ran doubleheaders hauling beets or sugar cane during harvest season, people would come from everywhere to take photos.
But for some reason, because the engines were built to haul people in an amusement park, they’re not “real” and nobody cares. Can anyone explain that to me?
I also run standard gauge steam, and it’s funny, aside from the size, there’s not much difference. They all work about the same, and produce power in roughly the same way, even those oddball geared engines, though they do it in a round-about manner.
Why is it that park trains are the Rodney Dangerfield of steam? Yes, I understand the disdain for CP Huntingtons and the like, and it’s hard to look macho at the controls of a G-16. But why do the steamers get lumped into that group as well?"
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=32198
This from last page of thread,
"JR May wrote:
BTW a number of our engineers have gone on to work for “the real” railroads over the years.
In some ways, you might say that park railroading (I suspect that is a new term) is perhaps something like AAA baseball. A lot of young guys, and gals, got their start running at places like Pine Creek or Cedar Point and moved on up tonnage wise to some full sized railroading.
J.R.I would think not only park railroading, but some heritage railroads would produce excellent railroaders. Think of how challenging some heritage roads can be, particularly Cumbres & Toltec with its 4% grades, and Cass Scenic which averages 5% and hits 8% and even 11%.
I would think if you could railroad on either of those roads, you could railroad anywhere."
HO seems a little large to my eye as well. If your wanting a true live steamers look I believe N scale will work the best.
The general consensus up here is TT for G within a G gauge layout
N for a ride-on within a G gauge layout.
Every yr. at our show over the two days, the subject is ‘revisited’ at some point in conversation btwn attendees and exhibitors 
doug c
Did you mean what you said? Z is bigger than TT? I think you meant to say “T” scale, not “TT” which is closer to HO.
TT is 1:120
Z is 1:220
T is 1:450
Greg
Devon Sinsley said:
Pete Lassen said:
oh now this is opening a very large genie out of a bottle, which may never be shoved back inside. I remember one RR I toured here a few years ago had I think it was a Z scale “g scale garden RR” on a raised platform behind one of the houses. MUST NOT LOOK INTO THE LIGHT, stay on the main track, avoid the rabbit hole.
Check out TT. Would make a very nice garden railroad. Z is big. TT comes out almost perfect for g scale in g scale.
Such a fun problem you guys have been discussing. Greg, didn’t you have a Z layout on a G flatcar?
Anyway, I’ve tried to hold back from posting this, but now in a moment of weakness I am doing so.
True, N would better represent the ride on 7 1/4 inch gauge stuff, but many park trains are around 1 foot gauge or so. So HO would better represent them. Its all in being clear what you are trying to represent.