(Not an April Fool's post!)
I started staring at an object on my dining room table that happened to have the shape of a long E8 diesel loco, but only about six inches long. Halfway between HO and N. My imagination thought it to be a nice size--bigger than N so you could see more details, yet smaller than HO so you could fit more on a layout. I don't foresee the industry tooling up to a whole new scale, but what if? It seems like a nice compromise. Thoughts?
TT Scale
"TT retains a comparatively small niche in the United States and in the United Kingdom, but it is the second most popular scale in Central Europe and Russia."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TT_scale
What happened to TT Scale?
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/230947.aspx
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
It's kinda like the question that come up here once in a while about pre-WW1 models....
Why are there so few pre-WW1 models available?
Because there aren't many people modelling that era.
Why aren't there many people modelling that era?
Because there's so few pre-WW1 models available.
TT scale (1/120) was a true scratchbuilders's dream: 1/10" equals 1 foot. That is a super-easy conversion scale.
I have a lot of TT scale equipment. I use it for 15mm (1/100 scale) wargaming. It also helps that it is easy to find European prototypes appropriate for World War 2.
It almost has the same gauge as HOn3, so I use HOn3 trackage for the wargaming terrain and TT scale models.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I remember TT scale - some hobby shops would have a token supply of TT stuff and those of us in the larger scales could marvel at the smallness of it all. This was sort of at the tail end of TT's era, the early 1960s. In just a couple of years N scale burst forth and for a brief while there almost seemed to be a mini revival in TT but it was a last gasp -- new owners of existing tooling tried to make a go of it. Maybe I have my chronology wrong on this but it seemed like the last sources of TT track disappeared before the last sources of rolling stock. There never were all that many structure kits. I do recall when it was thought to be real step forward when TT scale got its own version of the X2F "horn hook" coupler!
Maybe the thing the did TT in more than any other single factor - this being just one man's opinion of course, but I think Keith Willis made the same or similar point in his column on model railroad history -- is that the smallness of TT seemed to encourage the tool and die makers and other developers of TT scale material to leave off the detail. There was a 4-6-6-4 Challenger and even an 0-4-0T Dockside but both were very spartan in detail. They did not photograph well.
N scale almost started that way - I remember a very early F unit where the "Blomberg" trucks were just flat sheet metal -- but pretty early in commercial N scale there was astounding detail, or at least we were astounded in that era. People shook their heads in wonder when Con-Cor imported the Sekisui N scale steam locomotive and coach, both of Japanese prototype. Maybe someone in O, S or HO could easily dismiss TT out of hand because it meant going backwards in the detail department, but except for things like handrails and wheel flanges, even the fairly early N had good detail, and in some cases better detail that larger scale models that were still using old tooling. Indeed I think it caused HO scalers to demand the finer and closer to scale grab irons, sill (stirrup) steps and such that we enjoy now.
Some of the European TT had and presumably still has very nice detail. I recall the Rokall brand, but it was all European. And if memory serves, European TT is not compatible with American/NMRA TT track and wheel standards.
Dave Nelson
Thanks for all that TT info guys, I totally forgot it existed!
Seems like an ideal scale though if one's eyes are not completely fuzzed over. -Rob
Mister MikadoSeems like an ideal scale though if one's eyes are not completely fuzzed over.
I would think if a new scale was introduced, 1/72 would be ideal.
Can you imagine what could be done from the beginning if a whole new scale was available. We could skip the whole "toy train" phase and go right into scale model railroading.
Isn't S scale close to that, Kevin? (1:64)
Mister MikadoIsn't S scale close to that, Kevin? (1:64)
Yes, but I was thinking of a whole new scale, with good standards for wheel treads, flange profiles, couplers, trackage, and control system right from the get-go.
There is already tons of modelling material available in 1:72 scale, so you can already get vehicles and building components, Also, 1:72 is a commonly given scale equivilant for 20mm wargaming. That adds a whole treasure chest of items already available.
Just thinking.
I remember at one show I participated in there was a vendor trying to sell TT stuff.
The big problem I saw them having was that they were trying to get people with established home layours to convert. Very few people will tear down a moderate size layout to try out a different scale. If you are starting out with nothing, and have a chance to see operating TT it might very impressive and practical.
One of the member's of our division (Illinois Terminal Division) passed away and left us some of his models, including a small selection of TT. He was mostly a narrowgauge sort of modeler, but TT seemed to be standard gauge for him.
Here's a caboose.
A hopper labeled for his Loon Lake Line.
A gon
A boxcar
A flat
The underside of the flat
The couplers look huge and aren't 714s.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
HOn3 grabbed a lot of TT's thunder as it had the best of both worlds. N scale is what got me into the hobby but the detail was not there when I started nor the varity.
I remember when I got my first HO layout as a boy, HO was the small scale, having previously had Lionel and American Flyer trainsets. Even though N has earned a sizeable following, I still think of HO as a small scale. If money and availability were not issues, I would opt for S scale. To me, that is the ideal size, but HO is where I'm at and where I will stay. I couldn't imagine working with anything smaller.
Was temped to go On30.
1/72 is close to OO scale, which is 1/76
SeeYou190 Mister Mikado Isn't S scale close to that, Kevin? (1:64) Yes, but I was thinking of a whole new scale, with good standards for wheel treads, flange profiles, couplers, trackage, and control system right from the get-go. There is already tons of modelling material available in 1:72 scale, so you can already get vehicles and building components, Also, 1:72 is a commonly given scale equivilant for 20mm wargaming. That adds a whole treasure chest of items already available. Just thinking. -Kevin
Mister Mikado Isn't S scale close to that, Kevin? (1:64)
Actually, the scale side of S has some pretty good standards.
1/72 is too close to HO as is 1:76 (OO). I don't think there are any American OO companies anymore - HO won out.
S scale at about halfway between HO and O has had trouble developing a following. Personally, I think it surives mainly because of American Flyer (just as O scale survives because of 3 rail O gauge by Lionel, MTH, and now Atlas).
I think if Hal Joyce had been able to get TT off the ground a little quicker it might have beat out HO, but he didn't and it didn't.
Enjoy
Paul