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If you have ever been to a yard sale, auction, or estate sale and found some toy train items that just did not seem to be the right size, perhaps the accompanying table may be of help. With a multitude of train sizes; O, OO, HO, N, S, Z, and others, toy/model train sizes can be confusing. So here is some help for the casual train collector or for anyone who would like to know a bit more about toy train sizes.
Toy train gauges determine the distance between the outer rails of the track for a particular gauge. Traditionally, distance between rails is measured from the inside of one outer rail to the inside of the other outer rail, or for two rail track, the distance from the inside of one rail to the inside of the other rail. (Fig. 1) Looking at a train car, one would simply measure from one wheel to the other wheel on the same axle, measuring from the outside of what I suppose would be called the flange on each wheel that would touch the inside face of each track. (Fig. 2) See the related sketches and photos.?
Believe it or not, over the years more than thirty toy train gauges have been identified. Many of these originated outside of the United States, and a complete description is beyond the scope to this article. Good sources of additional technical information are the Train Collectors Association, http://www.traincollectors.org, or Kalmbach Publications, http://www.kalmbach.com or http://www.greatesthobby.com
The Train Collectors Association, by the way, has a wonderful toy train museum in Strasburg, Pennsylvania with operating layouts and a wide variety of old and new trains in many different gauges.? Strasburg, near Lancaster, is a great place for any railroad enthusiast to spend a day, or more.
The last column, "Height of Adult Toy Person," is added just to make it a little easier to relate the different gauges. The numbers are not precise, but they should be close enough to get a feel for how the different size trains compare. For example, if you have an HO train set and you find a toy figure about 7/8 inches high, it should be a good match for your set.
Gauge |
Documented Dist. Between Rails |
Approx. Dist. In Inches |
Scale |
Number Of Rails |
Height of Adult Toy Person |
Z |
6.5 mm |
1/4 " |
1/220 |
2 |
3/8 " |
N |
9 mm |
11/32 " |
1/160 |
2 |
1/2 " |
HO |
16.5 mm |
21/32 " |
1/87 |
2 |
7/8 " |
OO |
19 mm |
3/4 " |
1/76 |
2 or 3 |
1 " |
S |
7/8 " |
7/8 " |
1/64 |
2 |
1-1/8 " |
Foreign OO |
25 to 29 mm |
1 "? to? 1-1/4 " |
Varies by Mfgr. |
? |
? |
O |
1-1/4 " |
1-1/4 " |
Approx. 1/48 |
2 or 3 |
1-1/2 " |
G or Gauge 1 |
45 mm |
1-3/4 " |
1/22.5 to 1/32 |
2 |
2-1/4 "? to? 3-1/4 " |
Standard |
2-1/8 " |
2-1/8 " |
1/27 |
3 |
2-3/4 " |
2-7/8 Inch |
2-7/8 " |
2-7/8 " |
N/A |
2 |
? |
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Updated 10/2/07: Foreign OO should read, "Size and scale varies by manufacturer."
Z Gauge trains, with just over 1/4 inch between rails, are the smallest mass produced electric trains that I am aware of. Based on a scale of 1/220 actual size, a small Z gauge layout would just about fit in a briefcase, so it appeals to people who have very limited space for their hobby, or people who are just intrigued by this degree of miniaturization.
N Gauge is the next common size based on a scale of 1/160 actual size. With a typical N-gauge freight car measuring a little over 3 inches long, it is possible to construct and display an interesting layout without filling a room, and a wide variety of trains and accessories are available in this size.
HO Gauge trains, based on a scale of 1/87 actual size, became quite popular after World War II. Both HO and N gauge trains and accessories are widely available with many different types, variations, and quality. For one reason or another, however, it has been my observation that, with a
few exceptions, both the eBay and local auction market for HO and smaller trains is rather weak. Does this represent a great opportunity to buy trains at bargain prices, or does it raise questions about quality and durability? I guess it depends on one's point of view.
OO Gauge (generally called "Double-O") trains were manufactured by Lionel between 1938 and 1942 after which they were discontinued. Based on a scale of 1/76 actual size, these trains should not be confused with foreign OO gauge, which is larger, nor should they be confused with HO gauge which is just a bit smaller. Lionel OO gauge included a No. 5342 scale Hudson locomotive (Lionel No. 003) and various die-cast freight cars. Sometimes found on eBay, these high quality trains are much more valuable than similar HO gauge trains. Recently an OO gauge Lionel No. 003 engine and tender, in near excellent condition, sold on eBay for $315.
S Gauge trains, based on a scale of 1/64 actual size, were distinctively American Flyer, but are now made by (or for) a number of different companies. The A. C. Gilbert Company began making S gauge trains in 1946. Production stopped around 1966. Lionel bought American Flyer and then resumed production of the S gauge trains in 1979. Prices vary widely, supported by a large group of enthusiastic S gauge and American Flyer collectors and hobbyists.
Foreign OO Gauge trains are manufactured by a number of different companies in different countries, and the distance between tracks is not standard. The best information I have is that most of these trains run on tracks that are between 1 inch and 1-1/4 inch apart. I included them in this list because they are different than the Lionel OO gauge, and also because they also show up sometimes on eBay.
O Gauge trains are widely believed to be based on a scale of 1/48 actual size, but experts at the Train Collectors Association point out that? O gauge track is built to a scale of 1/45 actual size. My own observation of many Lionel and other O gauge trains is that with the exception of track size, design of most O gauge trains is based more on artistic perception than to an accurate scale. While it is tempting to think of O gauge as a Lionel standard, actually these trains were made by many companies, including Ives, Marx, and even American Flyer, in some cases long before Lionel entered the market.?
Around 1936, Lionel decided to build some trains that could negotiate sharper turns so customers could build smaller layouts. These were called O-27 gauge, and the main difference is that O-27 gauge curved tracks form a circle with a diameter of about 27 inches, while the regular O gauge curved tracks form a circle with a diameter a little over 31 inches. The distance between the outer rails (1-1 /4 ") is the same for O and O-27 gauge, so O-27 trains can run on O gauge track, but the larger O gauge trains might have difficulty with the sharper turns found on O-27 layouts. Similarly, O-72 curved tracks form a circle with a diameter of about 72 inches. Just for the record, O-27 tracks have a lower profile, about 3/8? compared to about 5/8? for O gauge and O-72 tracks.
Super O track? was manufactured by Lionel in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an apparent attempt to make Lionel layouts more realistic looking. This 3-rail track was made with the same distance between rails as regular O gauge track, but it was designed with more realistic looking ties and rails, and with a center rail that was less visible. These tracks were discontinued after 1966. Over the years, O gauge track has been made by many different companies, using many different designs. Both 3-rail and 2-rail tracks are available, and some are very realistic looking. Meanwhile Lionel continues to successfully sell tracks that look almost the same as they did prior to World War II.
G Gauge (sometimes called Gauge 1) trains have been around for a long time, particularly in Great Briton, but they were popularized by the German company Lehmann Gross Bahn,?LGB, in the 1960s. Generally thought of as "garden railroads," these interesting trains are often run on outdoor trackbeds, and still seem to be gaining popularity. The scale of G gauge trains is a subject for debate. Most likely, early LGB trains were built to a scale of 1/22.5 based on narrow gauge railroads. These would be the size of trains typically used at amusement parks, but narrow gauge railroads were also used in Western United States to bring ore from mines to the mainline railroads. Gauge 1 and more recent G gauge trains are designed to look like conventional American trains, and may be built to a scale of 1/32 actual size, but this seems to vary from company to
company.
Standard Gauge trains were based on a scale of 1/27 actual size. They were made by a number of companies during the early part of the 20th Century, possibly in the 1800s, and were manufactured by Lionel from approximately 1906 to 1939. Prices of these trains and trolleys vary enormously, based on the model number, condition, and colors, ranging anywhere from fifty to several thousand dollars. Wonderful reproductions are also available today.
2-7/8 Inch Gauge:?Probably the first electric motor driven toys made by Lionel from 1901 to 1905 were some street car/trolleys. The cars had wheels about 3 inches apart, and there were roughly four types: trolleys, gondolas, some crude crane/derrick cars, and one model that looked a little like a caboose. Unlike later Lionel products, numbers that appeared on the outside of the cars were not the Lionel product numbers. Most of the cars were stamped "LIONEL MFG. CO. N.Y." on the floor. These cars are extremely valuable!
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