How many of you have heard of T-Gauge?
http://www.t-gauge.net/gallery.htm
I notice that the leading model railroad magazine hasn't mentioned it yet. Perhaps because there's no North American models available and by default that means North Americans won't be interested?
Cheers
Roger T.
Home of the late Great Eastern Railway see: - http://www.greateasternrailway.com
For more photos of the late GER see: - http://s94.photobucket.com/albums/l99/rogertra/Great_Eastern/
I've seen something the same or similar at train shows.
I believe your explanation for lack of coverage or interest is correct.
Ed
T gauge hasn't attracted much attention in Japan, either. I rather doubt that it has achieved a sufficient level of reliability to be considered anything but a novelty. The only commercially available rolling stock models are ex-JNR commuter EMUs - glorified subway cars.
OTOH, if you want to have a layout representing suburban Tokyo in a briefcase...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan - well away from Tokyo - in September, 1964)
T gauge exists so Z scalers can use the track and trucks/frames to model Maine 2 foot narrow gauge lines...
Yes, I know Z scale narrow gauge already exists...
It was reviewed not too long ago by one magazine - Model Railroad News IIRC.
The question is how small a size will catch on. At half the size of Z, I doubt that it will be more than a novelty. But then again Z seems to be gaining popularity. I guess you could use it for Zn2 as well.
Enjoy
Paul
All of a sudden my 4 miles becomes 20 miles. Now where is that scraper? Time to pry up that single line code 83, and double track in 'T scale' all the way up my spline roadbed. Those pink foam Rocky Mountains keep growing by the minute! Boy am I glad I used caulk. Finally some breathing room!
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
There are RDC shells available in T.I would get into T myself ,but I already have to much model railing projects going on in to many scales
I have heard that the newer T scale locos have a smaller slower running motor in them.I have also heard they are going to stop exporting T to North America which makes no sence to me as most og the interest in T is here.
I would not be too sure about T-gauge staying just a novelty. T-gauge is growing, slowly at the moment, but steadily. There are a number of cottage business already catering to accessories and even rolling stock now.
IMHO, it won´t take long for T-gauge being recognized as a "serious" scale.
rogertra How many of you have heard of T-Gauge? I notice that the leading model railroad magazine hasn't mentioned it yet. Perhaps because there's no North American models available and by default that means North Americans won't be interested?
I understand that it was supposed to be mentioned on Cody's Office, but that the fleas ran off with the train.
And I'm not quite sure that it hasn't been mentioned by the "leading model railroad magazine". Seems to me that there was a mention made in MR where they showed the engine running upside down. And no, it was not in an April issue.
How many new tiny gauges can we expect? Tweezers will no long be used to slide or position decals, but to put these nano-gauge trains back on the rails.
Richard
If I can't fix it, I can fix it so it can't be fixed
Wouldn't surprise me at all if T-Scale doesn't get an H-8 before N-Scale does.
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet
Sir Madog IMHO, it won´t take long for T-gauge being recognized as a "serious" scale.
What do you mean by "serious"? Can't see it as being popular. Very difficult to build something that's so hard to see.
Serious means, that folks build layouts, kitbash buildings or rolling stock, form clubs or interest groups - all this is already happening - maybe not in the US, but the rest of the world.
T-Gauge will most likely never be a popular scale, but so is Z scale or even N scale in the US, both scales are still treated as niches.
Sir MadogN scale in the US, both scales are still treated as niches
chutton01 Sir Madog: N scale in the US, both scales are still treated as niches N scale a niche scale? You must be joking. N scale is completely mainstream.From what I can tell, it's HO > N > O...then G/Garden scales, and then all the remaining rabble.
Sir Madog: N scale in the US, both scales are still treated as niches
N scale a niche scale? You must be joking. N scale is completely mainstream.From what I can tell, it's HO > N > O...then G/Garden scales, and then all the remaining rabble.
How big is the market share of HO scale? 70 %? That´s mainstream. Maybe not a niche, but when I look at the variety of available rolling stock and locos in N scale, it appears to be at least just a stepchild.
T scale locos will, I think, have big problems with electrical pickup. A recharging battery on board will solve that, i think. It takes up space, but if viewed as weight, that's not bad.
I saw a beautiful Z layout awhile ago. It was NOT designed as a switching layout. Just (pretty much) continuous running. But it was VERY presentable. There were great long scenery vistas that were beautiful--something that is pretty rare in my scale (HO).
I will, however, stick with HO.
So, even with magnetic wheels running on steel rail there are electrical conduction problems?
I suppose one could have views like this.
I'll stick to HO too.
Though I am holding up the flag for T-Gauge a little, I am sticking to N scale, which I have just rediscovered.
Sir Madog, for some reason I thought you were in Europe. However, I have been wrong before.
Anyway, I remember HO being about 68% in the US, N scale 24% or so, and the rest is the rest - of course, this are misremembered numbers from the ol' Model Railroader Beginner's articles they used to publish in the December issues (complete with side-by-side comparsions of scale - I think the last article used UP F-units, LGB by O by S by HO by N...and probably Z) - OK, let's say HO is big IN THE US, N scale is fairly popular, O scale is also popular, S scale is a figment of someone's imagination, and so on - of course, people can have multiple layouts in different scales (the artchtype of this is someone with an HO or N scale indoor layout, and a G scale outdoor layout).. Now, N scale is the most popular in Japan (no idea about other Asian countries), while OO is the most popular in the UK (and, to make matters worse, their concept of N scale is called N-gauge, 1:148 vs 1:160 normal N scale)Now, speaking of Niche, I'd like to link to this Wiki article about current Railroad Model Scales - you can find lots of niches in there, too many of them seem to be here's some random gauged track, lets scale our models to fit some preconcieved notion of what that scale should be - Garden scales seem to be the most guilty of this, using 45mm between railheads I see 1:13.7, 1:20, 1:22.5, 1:24, 1:32...and Wiki just throws it's hands in the air when it comes to G scale, saying it ranges from 1/19 to 1/29 - that's no help. HO scale, OTOH, remains at 1:87 (they forgot the .1 in that list - 1:87.1) thru-out, but has different gauges to represent narrow gauge railroads (HOn3, HOm, HOn2, HOe) and so on.
Ugh, N scale seems to suffer from 'scalylexia' too - besides British 1:148, wiki states that much Japanese narrow-gauge stock is 1:150 scale, while the standard gauge stock is 1:160 - great, two different scales on the same layout - talk about Niche. I wonder, looking at the Wiki for N scale, a German company Arnold introduced N scale in 1962. So, clearly they chose 9mm as the width of the dominate prototype gauge in Germany (and North America, and most of Western Europe outside of the Iberian Pennisular and Ireland). Why did the Japanese manufacturers not simply introduce a narrower (7mm?) track to represent their dominant gauge (3'6" 'narrow' gauge), and retain the 9mm for standard gauge? This could have been done even back in the mid-1960s
chutton01 ....OK, let's say HO is big IN THE US, N scale is fairly popular, O scale is also popular, S scale is a figment of someone's imagination, and so on - of course, people can have multiple layouts in different scales (the artchtype of this is someone with an HO or N scale indoor layout, and a G scale outdoor layout).. Now, N scale is the most popular in Japan (no idea about other Asian countries), while OO is the most popular in the UK (and, to make matters worse, their concept of N scale is called N-gauge, 1:148 vs 1:160 normal N scale) ....
....OK, let's say HO is big IN THE US, N scale is fairly popular, O scale is also popular, S scale is a figment of someone's imagination, and so on - of course, people can have multiple layouts in different scales (the artchtype of this is someone with an HO or N scale indoor layout, and a G scale outdoor layout).. Now, N scale is the most popular in Japan (no idea about other Asian countries), while OO is the most popular in the UK (and, to make matters worse, their concept of N scale is called N-gauge, 1:148 vs 1:160 normal N scale)
....
Well I wouldn't call S a figment - I have a 12 x 31 ft S layout under construction. There is more available in the scale than anyone can buy and certainly enough for a good size layout without scratch building anything. See this site http://www.trainweb.org/crocon/sscale.html for what's available.
While HO is the most popular, I think that O 3 rail is probably second followed by N, G, scale O, S hi rail, scale S, Z, #1, TT, and T at the end. I would call the first 4 main stream and the rest niche. All of them except for #1, TT, and T have more than adequate support to be a good choice to build a layout in. The last three are possible but you will probably be doing some scratch building and or bashing from other scales.
IRONROOSTERWell I wouldn't call S a figment
chutton01 ... I unpacked some printed road signs I had purchased years ago, clearly labeled 'HO' - I thought they looked oversized, measured them and compared them with standard dimensions in the MUTCD, yep, they were 1:64 scale. Weeeee! ...
... I unpacked some printed road signs I had purchased years ago, clearly labeled 'HO' - I thought they looked oversized, measured them and compared them with standard dimensions in the MUTCD, yep, they were 1:64 scale. Weeeee!
...
They do that so you'll be able to see them on the layout.
chutton01 Sir Madog, for some reason I thought you were in Europe. However, I have been wrong before.
You are on the right track - I am in Germany, model Japanese prototype in "Japanese" N scale, which is 1/150 on 9 mm tracks, and talk about it in an American forum.
A few things NOT found in WIKI.There is no such thing a G scale ,it is G gauge which is simply put garden gauge.
As for S scale AC Gilbert created S gauge and the scale varient is definately S scale.Both S Scale and S Gauge are built to a ratio of 1:64 th.
The reason or so I was told by an exec from Arnold is the the number 9 in written form almost always begins with the letter N no matter where you are from.Like every other scale except S,TT,T ,and Z comes in a multitude of actuall scales.The thing to remember is the track gauge is constant to scale while the bodies of car and locos are built to the preferred scle in thatcountry.
A scale I always thought didn't get the attention it deserves was "TT" scale (120:1)
I has always thought it to be an interesting size; especially for the operating crowd. I recall that, many years ago, there was an article on MR (Jul 67 I believe) by a one Don Moran, dealing with it. One of Moran's comments was in reference to "The merry-go-round of on-again, off-again products, so that a large amount of scratchbuildng was thrust upon the modeler" (paraphrased). Swede from Tomalco had done some entry into it partswise. I always wondered if there was any true enclave here in the USA.
CattA few things NOT found in WIKI.There is no such thing a G scale ,it is G gauge which is simply put garden gauge
The reason or so I was told by an exec from Arnold is the the number 9 in written form almost always begins with the letter N
Like every other scale except S,TT,T ,and Z comes in a multitude of actuall scales.
chutton01 - I was stunned myself, when I entered into modeling Japanese prototype in N scale. There is a simple reason behind - the Japanese want to run a Shinkansen next to a regular train on the same track. So the Shinkansens are modeled in 1:160 and the regular trains in 1:150, which actually should run on Z scale tracks...
Certainly a little bit odd....
Didn't someone bring out a line of equipment for the Main two-footers in this scale? I seem to recall that the manufacturer was having difficulty getting someone to draw Code10 rail.
At the risk of sounding ignorant, you have to be kidding, right? Code ten rail? try AWG#18 wire as a comparison in size. Code ten... Whew! My thought, RT, was that TT had always had a terrific eye appeal. If I am not mistaken, Ellis Atwood, the late original owner/designer/builder of the Edaville Railroad, had some very early "OOO", or N scale, as it later became, albiet very crude in design; as well as some TT scale. At ten years old, I thought that stuff was really neato; and thus, my entry into a lifelong love affair with this hobby!
Rich
ef3 yellowjacket At the risk of sounding ignorant, you have to be kidding, right? Code ten rail? try AWG#18 wire as a comparison in size. Code ten... Whew! My thought, RT, was that TT had always had a terrific eye appeal. If I am not mistaken, Ellis Atwood, the late original owner/designer/builder of the Edaville Railroad, had some very early "OOO", or N scale, as it later became, albiet very crude in design; as well as some TT scale. At ten years old, I thought that stuff was really neato; and thus, my entry into a lifelong love affair with this hobby! Rich
This topic, Dude, has nothing whatsoever to do with TT-Scale!!!!!