So I decided to build an "O Gauge" train when I got into the hobby a few months ago, and quickly learned the difference between "Traditional O" and "Standard O" after all of my cars were different sizes. I thought I finally had it figured out until I started putting together a stack train and now some cars I find online are "Modern O"??? It's getting so frustrating and I am starting to just give up buying anything online because I don't trust all of these different classifications. Anyway - just venting I guess. And a lot of cars online sometimes just say "O". Well then how am I supposed to know if that is traditional or standard or "modern"?
"Modern O"... somebody just made that up. But if you're making up s a "stack train", chances are the gear is going to be "Standard O" or its equivalent. While the Lionel double-stack container well-cars may not be perfect scale in some respects, they are certainly not "Traditional" in size.
Sounds like you're at the stage where you really need a local hobby shop to hold and compare items in your own hands!
Jon
Confusing it is and it gets worse when looking at other brands besides Lionel. Also, it doesn't help when online vendors don't provide what I would consider to be complete descriptions of the individual pieces' length and height. This is one reason I stick to postwar Lionel. I would like to branch out into Atlas and Williams but it just isn't worth all the research I have to go into to buy and use new rolling stock. In other words, no fun there! Track is a whole other issue but I would say that at least there is some clarity there if one wants to use 027. Just make sure that all the 027 track one buys is at least 42" curves or larger. That way the standard O motive power and rolling stock can be accommodated except for the very large locomotives that require 72" curves. if the industry wants to expand the hobby it needs to do a lot of clarifying. Hard for newbies to understand? Yes!
Gillart, along with Jon's advice to visit a hobby shop, getting familiar with as many catalogs as you can will also help.
Up to the mid-1970's, the product selections were mostly semi-scale with a few rolling stock items and a few locos being close to scale proportion, but with suggested detailing in the molds.
Today there's so many more options, which is great for those who do like the true-scale more accurately detailed trains. But this also makes for confusion. Even within a single company's product line, there is confusion. Lionel has always sizes, especially in train sets. While the SP cabooses in many train sets are obviously under scale, the 10-inch tank cars are pretty close to scale proportion for an older prototype tank car.
At one time, the MTH Railking line was all semi-scale. Now some of the older scale proportion dies are being used for the "Scale Railking." But then you have Railking train sets that include Rugged Rails line locos and rolling stock. The new PRR Railking F-3 set has a Rugged Rails box car in the set, yet a Railking box car adverstised as a set add-on. The Railking box cars are flat and straight on the bottom edge of the car. The Rugged Rails have a bottom profile similar to the Lionel 6464 type of box car.
It would be nice if the train companies that have diverse sizes in their product lines had a numbering system to indicate as such. But again, with MTH the 30- suffix for Railking doesn't always mean scale or semi-scale.
Atlas 0 is full scale, Trainnman is their budget full scale line and Industrial Rail is the semi-scale line. Weaver is all full scale.
The original K-Line had probably the most consistant size numbering system. For rolling stock, 5000 numbers for 027 products. 6000 for traditional semi-scale and 7000 for the newer scale offerings. Later when K-Line went to 7-digit numbers, 6xx-xxxx numbers were still semi-scale and 7xx-xxxx were the scale offerings.
It just takes time to become familiar with what you like and what is being offered. Unless you are into the traditional sized and 027 sized trains that dominated the hobby for over 75 years, I'd be thankful there is so much variety being offered today, as frustrating as it can sometimes be.
And before mail ordering anything, I'd get the number and cross reference it within eBay or other auction sites, and also with the company websites to be sure as much as possible that you are getting something you'll be happy with.
brianel, Agent 027
"Praise the Lord. I may not have everything I desire, but the Lord has come through for what I need."
gillart,
Don't feel bad.
There are a lot of us that are still somewhat confused, but we stumble along and learn with time.
Hang in there,
Ralph
I am a newbe also. I started by recreating a childhood set of postwar Lionel. I am expanding it into a moderate layout but have chosen to stay with postwar Lionel of the 1948 - 1958 period only. No K-line, No Weaver, No Atlas, and No MTH. I only want what was produced during the time when my brother and I played with trains in the late 50s and early 60s. That makes it pretty simple. Everyone has to chose what turns them on or to mix and match as they see fit. So far I'm having a ball working on my railroad. Do hang in there. One thing I recommend is reading all the Classic Toy Train magazines you can get your hands on. I have been buying them in lots from ebay sellers. Some times I can get an entire year for 7 or 8 dollars. There is a lot of great product reviews that will help clear up the mysteies.
Terry Thomann Fredericksburg, Virginia That is me on the left. My brother got the train TCA 09-64381
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