What's the difference?

A

autodctr

Active member

• May 14, 2021

• #1

This is probably a really dumb question, but since I have not been able to find an explanation.....

When I am going to build a new layout, I am presented (as one of the steps) whether I want to do Real Gauge, HO gauge, etc. What's the difference?

 

C

clam1952

Welsh Narrow Gauge nut.

• May 14, 2021

• #2

In reality nothing, the assets are all still the same size unless specifically made for Model railway layouts. Just means your measurements will be scaled to OO, O etc.

 

A

autodctr

Active member

• May 14, 2021

• #3

Thank you! I tried playing with different scales and saw nothing different. Then I tried to look it up and could find nothing.

 

L

llebrez

Active member

• May 14, 2021

• #4

That needs a little more explanation. "Your measurements..." Distances are measured the same way, miles are miles and KM's are Km's. Size of object are the same as made by creators and so on. So, what measurements are you talking about?

 

C

clam1952

Welsh Narrow Gauge nut.

• May 14, 2021

• #5

The ruler will show in the measurements used if creating a model railway oin the real world so the 720m x 720m grid would be 31ft by 31ft in OO in imperial Scale when measured with the ruler in surveyor or 9.4 metres x 9.4 metres metric

Basically you will only notice a difference in the ruler.

 

F

Forester1

Well-known member

• May 15, 2021

• #6

The difference really shows if you are in fact creating a model railroad layout, then the rooms and furnishings need to be to scale, since things like tables, chairs and bookcases will be much larger than the locomotives, rolling stock, and buildings on the model. And depending on whether you are using OO, HO, N, or whatever, you want those room furnishings to be proportionate to reality in relation to the scale being used.

 

M

martinvk

since 10 Aug 2002

• May 15, 2021

• #7

One way to think of it is that the route objects like tracks, rolling stock, etc don't change size but the world they in habit gets proportionally bigger. Sort of the opposite when building a scale model RR. then the world stays the same size but the route objects change size according to the selected scale.