N scale is a popular
model railway
Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale.
The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, streetcars, t ...
scale.
Depending upon the manufacturer (or country), the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160. In all cases, the ''gauge'' (the distance between the rails) is . The term N ''gauge'' refers to the track dimensions, but in the United Kingdom in particular
British N gauge
British N gauge is a model railway scale and gauge, rolling stock is to a scale of 1:148,
''teladesign.com'' track i ...
refers to a 1:148 scale with 1:160 () track gauge modelling. The terms N scale and N gauge are often inaccurately used interchangeably, as scale is defined as ratio or proportion of the model, and gauge only as a distance between rails. The scale 1:148 defines the rail-to-rail gauge equal to 9 mm exactly (at the cost of scale exactness), so when calculating the rail or track use 1:160 and for engines and car wheel base use 1:148.
All rails are spaced 9 mm apart but the height can differ. Rail height (in thousandths of an inch) is expressed as a "code": thus, Code 55 rails are high while Code 80 rails have a height of .
Common real railroad rails are at least tall and can be taller on some roads, so at true scale the rails would be about high.
Many older N-scale models may not run well on Code 55 track as their flanges are often unrealistically large, causing the wheels to bounce along the ties instead of ride along the railhead. Wheelsets with these large flanges are colloquially known as 'pizza cutters' due to a resemblance to the kitchen utensil.
An advantage of N scale is that it allows
hobby
A hobby is considered to be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one's leisure time. Hobbies include collecting themed items and objects, engaging in creative and artistic pursuits, playing Sport, sports, or pursu ...
ists to build layouts that take up less space than
HO scale
HO or H0 is a rail transport modelling scale using a 1:87 scale (3.5 mm to 1 foot). It is the most popular scale of model railway in the world. The rails are spaced apart for modelling standard gauge tracks and trains in HO.NMRA"M ...
, or put longer track runs into the same amount of space, because the models are smaller (by nearly a half) than they are in HO scale (1:87). While N scale is quite small, it is not the smallest commercially available scale, as
Z scale
Z scale is one of the smallest commercially available model railway scales (1:220), with a track gauge of . Introduced by Märklin in 1972, Z scale trains operate on 0–10 volts DC and offer the same operating characteristics as all other ...
is smaller yet at 1:220 and
T scale
T gauge (1:450 or 1:480) is a model railway scale with a track gauge of , referred from "Three-millimeter gauge" or "Third of N scale". It was introduced at the Tokyo Toy Show in 2006 by KK Eishindo of Japan, and went on sale in 2007. It is t ...
is 1:450 or 1:480. N scale is considered generally compatible with
1:144 scale for
miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
.
History
Although trains and accessories of similar gauge or scale existed as early as 1927, modern commercially produced N-scale models were first launched by the
Arnold company of
Nuremberg
Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...
in 1962.
Unlike other scales and gauges, which were ''de facto'' standards at best, within two years N-scale manufacturers defined the gauge and voltage, as well as the height and type of couplers. For example, Arnold developed the now ubiquitous "Rapido" coupler to provide a simple and robust releasable coupler design.
Although the original Arnold coupler has been joined by more functional and aesthetically pleasing designs, Arnold allowed use of the Rapido design by other manufacturers, so established a common standard to couple together rolling stock from different sources.
N scale has a large worldwide following. Models are made of very many standard gauge
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
s from every continent. N scale's popularity is second only to that of HO.
In Japan, where space in homes is more limited, N scale is the most popular scale, and HO scale is considered large. Not all modellers select N because they have small spaces; some use N scale to build more complex or more visually expansive models.
N scale in Australia has become more popular over the years. Modellers use mainly US, British, and European prototypes because for a long time, the Australian market had no N-scale models of local prototype. The creation of local prototypes is now a flourishing "cottage" industry, making Australia N-scale modelling more popular each year.
N-gauge track and components are also used with larger scales, in particular
H0e (or "HOe") and
00-9 scale for modelling narrow gauge railways. N-scale models on
Z-scale track are used to model metre gauge (
Nn3). A small amount of 2-foot (Nn2
) industrial narrow-gauge modelling in N scale using custom track is done, but suppliers of parts are few. Nn18 layouts use
T-scale
T gauge (1:450 or 1:480) is a Rail transport modelling, model railway scale with a track gauge of , referred from "Three-millimeter gauge" or "Third of N scale". It was introduced at the Tokyo Toy Show in 2006 by KK Eishindo of Japan, and went o ...
track and mechanisms to represent
minimum gauge railway
Minimum-gauge railways have a gauge of most commonly , , , , , or . The notion of minimum-gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and the French company of Decauville for light railways, trench railways, mining, and farming ...
s. N-scale trains and structures are often used on HO or larger layouts to create forced perspective, or the illusion that an object is further away than it actually is.
Standards
Standards useful to both manufacturers and modellers are maintained by
MOROP
MOROP is a European association that federates national associations of railroad and model railroad enthusiasts.
MOROP was founded in Genoa, Italy by Italo Briano in 1954, and now has its headquarters in Bern, Switzerland. In 2006, MOROP federated ...
in Europe and the
NMRA
The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) is a non-profit organization for those involved in the hobby or business of model railroading. It was founded in the United States in 1935, and is also active in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom ...
in North America. These standards are generally the same for such elements as track gauge, scale ratio, couplings, and electrical power, and differ for clearances and other factors that are specific to the prototype being modelled. The wheel and track standards are, however, slightly incompatible and most vendors follow neither standard in part because of this.
N scale locomotives are powered by
DC motors which accept a maximum of 12 V DC. In traditional DC control, the speed of the train is determined by the amount of voltage supplied to the rails. The direction of the train is determined by the polarity of the power to the rails. Since the end of the 20th century, an increasing number of enthusiasts have started using digital train control systems to determine the speed and direction of their trains. This has in part been made possible by
surface mount
Surface-mount technology (SMT), originally called planar mounting, is a method in which the electrical components are mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). An electrical component mounted in this manner is referred ...
technology and new motors that draw very little current (typically 0.2 amps). The most popular digital control systems used in N scale model railways are
NMRA-DCC and
Selectrix.
The initial agreed-to standard coupling was known as a 'Rapido' coupler from the manufacturer (
Arnold);
this coupler had been produced under a license from TT-manufacturer Rokal. Most companies developed their own variants of this coupler to avoid Arnold patents on the spring system.
Graham Farish
{{Use dmy dates, date=April 2022
Graham Farish is a company that produces large quantities of British outline model railway equipment in N gauge.
History
The Poole, Dorset based manufacturer of radio parts and kits entered the model railway busin ...
initially adopted a plastic flexible U rather than a spring, Peco used a compatible weighted coupler system (Elsie), and Fleischmann cunningly sidestepped the problem by using a sprung plate. All were compatible, though.
The Rapido coupler system works well, but is difficult to use for automatic uncoupling and also relatively large. In the US, Canada, and Australia, it has been largely superseded by a more realistic-looking magnetic knuckle coupler, originally made by
Micro-Trains Kadee Quality Products Co. is a model railroad manufacturer. They are best known for their couplers, but also produce rolling stock and accessories. The coupler line covers HO and larger scales, but not N scale.
Kadee Quality Products was establ ...
and branded Magne-Matic. The MT couplers (as they are known) are more delicate and closer to scale North American appearance than Rapido couplers. Also, they can be opened by a magnet placed under the track. Other manufacturers, such as Atlas, McHenry and Kato, are now making couplers that mate with Micro Trains couplers.
European modellers have the option to convert the couplings on their rolling stock to the
Fleischmann Fleischman or Fleischmann may refer to:
* Fleischmann (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Fleischmann (model railroads), a German company that produces model railroad models and equipment
* Fleischmann (band), was a band from Ge ...
Profi-Coupler system for more reliable operation should they wish to do so, but most N scale rolling stock continues to be manufactured with Rapido couplers - a design which is fairly robust and easy to mold. Modern N scale stock uses a standard NEM socket for couplers which allows different coupling designs to be used by simply pulling out the old coupler and fitting a new one of a different design. In the UK, vendors are increasingly shipping both NEM sockets for couplers and buckeye (knuckle) couplers. It is also very easy to use for coupling and uncoupling.
Variants
In the United States and Europe, models of
standard gauge
A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), International gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge and European gauge in Europe, and SGR in Ea ...
[] trains are built to 1:160 scale and made so that they run on N gauge track, but in some other countries changes are made. Finescale modellers also use variants of normal N scale.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, a scale of 1:148 is used for commercially produced models. In Japan, a scale of 1:150 is used for the models of and in gauge trains, while a scale of 1:160 is used for models of standard gauge
Shinkansen
The , colloquially known in English as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan. Initially, it was built to connect distant Japanese regions with Tokyo, the capital, to aid economic growth and development. Beyond l ...
(Bullet Train, excluding
Mini-shinkansen) models. In the U.S. and Europe, a scale of 1:160 is used for models of trains, irrespective of the gauge of the real trains from which they are scaled. All of these scales run on the same track gauge (N gauge). This means the track is a little too narrow for 1:148/1:150 but the difference is usually considered too small to matter. Strict 2 mm fine scale modellers use slightly wider and usually hand-built track.
In Britain, some N scale models are built to "2 mm scale" for "2 mm to the foot" which calculates to a 1:152 proportion. Early N scale was also known as "OOO" or "Treble-O" in reference to
O and
OO and was also 1:152, though for an entirely different reason.
2 mm to the foot scale
A number of modellers in the United Kingdom use
2 mm scale, a closer-to-scale standard than N scale. 2 mm scale is scaled at 2 mm to the foot (1:152) with a track gauge. Nearer to scale appearance is achieved by finer rail, flange, and crossing dimensions than commercial N gauge () components.
A variation of the 2 mm standards is used by the FiNe group for 1:160 scale. It uses the same rail, flange, and crossing dimensions as 2 mm (1:152) standards, but with a track gauge of , and corresponding reduction in back-to-back. FiNe is dominated by European modellers.
OOO models
In 1961,
Lone Star introduced some of the very first (1:160) N scale models branded as
Treble-0-Lectric (OOO) into the United Kingdom.
[As an aside on the perennial question of whether British '00' gauges use letters or numbers, Lone Star named their product the 'Treble-0-Lectric' (with a zero) yet described this as gauge 'OOO', with three letters.] The original die-cast metal models were push along and gauged to run on a die-cast trackwork having a gauge that was closer to . Coupling was by a simple loop and pin arrangement. The novelty of the "Lone Star Locos" line was such that they even found their way to the United States and were sold in the toys area of major department stores like J.J. Newberry.
Electrified models followed soon after. The track gauge was widened to a nominal and rails were isolated with nonconductive ties (sleepers) for
DC operation. Gearing between the motor and the axles at such a small scale was done by rubber bands, rather than the usual worm gear. A different coupling based on a shrunken OO scale coupling was fitted. The OOO couplings and specifications have long since been replaced by commercial N scale manufacturers.
Australian N scale
Australian railways use several gauges across the states, although in most cases 9 mm gauge track is used. Some modellers have used Z gauge track for Nn3 models of Queensland Railways. N scale modelling in Australia has been a cottage-industry affair, with typically small runs of resin-based models being produced. Some etch-brass kits have also been released. In most cases, the kits have been bodies designed to run on mechanisms or bogies available from overseas. Some very fine models are starting to emerge from various Australian manufacturers with many kits now available.
Manufacturers have started to engage Chinese manufacturers to produce very high quality wagons and locomotives. The Victorian producer Aust-N-Rail pioneered this approach, while in 2011, BadgerBits released Australia's first ready-to-run N gauge locomotive, a 48 class retailing for around A$240. A new manufacturer has arrived on the scene (November 2011) with Australia-N Railways using both Australian locally manufactured detail accessories and top end Chinese factories to produce their new locomotives and rolling stock. Other kits continue to be released using the more usual method of resin-based castings and it is now possible obtain models of railways running in most states, although the coverage is highly variable.
Japanese N scale
Since the former Japanese National Railway and other major private railways adopted a track gauge of , major Japanese N-scale models adopted 1:150 with 9 mm gauge. But, in the case of Shinkansen, which adopted a track gauge, models are scaled down to 1:160. A small number of modelers adopted a model scale of 1:120 using 9 mm gauge tracks to represent the
narrow gauge railway
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structur ...
gauge lines common in Japan. This is a different prototype gauge and scale to standard N scale with the narrower prototype gauge and called
TT-gauge.
Notable layouts
*In Germany, Wolfgang Frey started to build an N-scale layout of the
Stuttgart main railway station in 1978. Thirty years later, the project grew to more than . Frey's "Stuttgart Hbf" layout is an exact replica of the Stuttgart main railway station with its related railyards in the 1970s. The layout is based on extensive background research of the prototype. The layout is computer controlled by 27
PCs running software developed by the owner of the layout and features very detailed and prototypical signalling systems. The layout was kept private until his untimely death in October 2012, but in 2017 should be opened as a public exhibition.
* One of the largest N-scale layouts in the world is located at the
San Diego Model Railroad Museum
The San Diego Model Railroad Museum is a model railroad exhibit in San Diego, California. At 27,000 sq. ft., it is the largest such indoor exhibit in North America, and one of the largest in the world. The museum is located on the lower level of th ...
in California, United States. Pacific Desert Lines is a layout featuring hand-laid code 40 rail. Each piece of rail is high and is manually affixed to the roadbed by solder to copper-clad ties placed every 5th tie. About (scale miles, actually ) of mainline track are on this massive layout, as well as over 500 hand-made turnouts. Many models of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
structures can be identified on the layout, including an intricate scale model of
San Diego's Santa Fe Depot, the Western Metal Supply Building, the Carrizo Gorge's
Goat Canyon Trestle
Goat Canyon Trestle is a wooden trestle in San Diego County, California. At a length of , it is the world's largest all-wood trestle. Goat Canyon Trestle was built in 1933 as part of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway, after one of the m ...
,
Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is an astronomical research observatory in San Diego County, California, United States, in the Palomar Mountain Range. It is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Research time at the observat ...
, the American Agar building, and the Carlsbad flower fields and power plant. The model of the Santa Fe depot was constructed using the actual building's blueprints and was featured on the cover of ''
Model Railroader
''Model Railroader'' (''MR'') is an American magazine about the hobby of model railroading. Founded in 1934 by Al C. Kalmbach, it is published monthly by Kalmbach Media of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Commonly found on newsstands and in libraries, it pr ...
'' magazine. The
Spanish Revival
The Spanish Colonial Revival Style ( es, Arquitectura neocolonial española) is an architectural stylistic movement arising in the early 20th century based on the Spanish Colonial architecture of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
In the ...
architecture is reproduced using epoxy castings of scale model adobe roof tiles. The Western Metal Supply Building (now part of the left field foul line in the San Diego Padres'
Petco Park
Petco Park is a baseball stadium in Downtown San Diego, California. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres, and has also been used as a venue for concerts, soccer, golf, and rugby.
The ballpark is located between Se ...
) was constructed using historic photographs and contains brick castings, brass-etched fire escapes, and computer-generated window panes. The detail on the Goat Canyon Trestle includes the prototype's railings, catwalks, and fire suppression system. The power plant contains fibre-optic strobe lights in its chimney. Many buildings have detailed interiors, right down to the
napkin dispenser and placemats on the tables at the corner café. Some surfers appear in the water off the coast. The layout can be operated by manual or computer control. Trains can run completely unattended or a single operator can control the layout with the click of a mouse.
*In the United States, a landmark N scale project layout, the Clinchfield, was built in 1978 by Gordon Odegard and featured in a series of articles for ''Model Railroader'' magazine. The article series was also reprinted in the book ''Modelling the Clinchfield in N Scale'' by
Kalmbach Publishing
Kalmbach Media (formerly Kalmbach Publishing Co.) is an American publisher of books and magazines, many of them railroad-related, located in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
History
The company's first publication was ''The Model Railroader'', which be ...
. The Clinchfield layout measured and was noteworthy for a number of reasons: 1) it was highly portable because of its modular construction, 2) it showed the potential of high scenery to track ratios possible in 1:160, 3) it used a unique aluminum frame and (at the time revolutionary)
styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademarked brand of closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam (XPS), commonly called "Blue Board", manufactured as foam continuous building insulation board used in walls, roofs, and foundations as thermal insulation and water barrie ...
construction to cut down on weight and 4) it was highly prototypical for the era. The Clinchfield layout is one of the most famous American N-scale layouts ever constructed and was awarded as the grand prize in a 1984 sweepstakes. The layout was also displayed at a number of train shows and has traded ownership several times by private collectors. The prototype
Clinchfield Railroad
The Clinchfield Railroad was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway . The line ran from the coalfields of Virginia and Elkhorn City, Kentucky, to the textile mills of South Carolina. The 35-mile segment ...
was an operating and holding company for the Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio Railway. The layout has been refurbished, outfitted for DCC, and was shown at the 2008 N Scale Collectors National Convention in
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
.
*Also in the United States, a massive N scale semipublic layout, named East Valley Lines, is in Los Angeles, California. It is maintained by a semipublic special club and is part of
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the Ameri ...
.
See also
*
Rail transport modelling scales
Rail transport modelling uses a variety of scales (ratio between the real world and the model) to ensure scale models look correct when placed next to each other. Model railway scales are standardized worldwide by many organizations and hobbyist ...
*
NTrak
*
oNeTrak
*
Model railway scales
Rail transport modelling uses a variety of scales (ratio between the real world and the model) to ensure scale models look correct when placed next to each other. Model railway scales are standardized worldwide by many organizations and hobbyist ...
Notes
References
External links
Free-MoNN Scale Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:N Scale
Miniature wargames
Model railroad scales
Scale model scales