Ok, can someone please clarify what the difference is between these?
HOn3
HOn30
HOe
The width of the track. The scale of the trains, structures, and figures is all the same, HO, 1:87. HOn3, the rails are 3 scale feet in gauge. HOn30, the rails are a scale 30" in gauge. HOe, the rails are a scale 1 meter gauge.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinkerHOe, the rails are a scale 1 meter gauge.
That´s not quite correct.
HOe represents 750/760/762mm gauge on 9mm track, quite like HOn30, which is the north American denomination.
HOm, using 12mm track, represents metre gauge.
Certainly a little bit confusing, isn´t it?
More info here.
A marvelous corollary to the above link is this one about "real" track gauges:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_track_gauges
Ed
Sir Maddog confusing is right! There's also HOn2 1/2? Do all these run correctly on N guage track?
Santa Fe all the way! Sir Maddog confusing is right! There's also HOn2 1/2? Do all these run correctly on N guage track?
Yes, HOn2 1/2, more commonly called HOn30, represents 30" gauge track, and runs on 9mm (N gauge track). In Europe and the Wikipedia article it is called HOe. There were very few 30" gauge prototypes in North America; most narrow gauge was 3ft, with some 2ft. Since there is no commercial support for proper HOn2 (7mm gauge), the 2ft gauge modelers have generally used HOn30 so that they could take advantage of N mechanisms.
Before Roundhouse and then Blackstone provided non-brass HOn3 locomotives, HOn30 was actually easier to model than HOn3 for those with non-brass budgets. The irony is that a combination of Blackstone production and aging out of narrow gauge modelers have brought used HOn3 brass prices down significantly.
hope this helps
Fred W
Modeling foggy coastal Oregon, where it's always 1900 - in HO and HOn3
Santa Fe all the way!There's also HOn2 1/2? Do all these run correctly on N guage track?
Cheers, the easily confused Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Some other narrow gauge modeling scales:
N scale narrow gauge Nn3 - Z gauge track is very close to 3 ft gauge when used for N scale.
Sn3-1/2 Representing 42"gauge - S scale in Australia using HO track
On18 O scale 18" gauge using N scale track.
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To add to the confusion
There are many narrow gauges possible using the different combinstions of scale and track gauge without having to modify mechanisms and hand lay track. Some are fairly common and others hardly used if at all.
British O is 1/43.5 7mm = 1 ft, American O 1/48 14" = 1 ft
American and European HO 1/87.1 is 3.5mm = 1 ft, British HO/OO is 1/76 4mm =1 ft running on HO track which is too narrow. There is also true OO on correct track.
For N scale:
American and European N 1/160, British N 1/148 2mm = 1ft, Japanese N 1/150 on N gauge track represents Japanese most common gauge of 42"
Each of the different N scales running on Z gauge track would represent a different narrow gauge.
Z 1/220 Some Z scale modelers have modeled narrow gauge using T gauge 1/450 scale track.
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.
To summarize...
HOn30/HOe = 9mm gauge (same as N scale standard gauge) representing 30" and several very close metric gauge equivalents
HOn3 = 10.5 mm gauge representing 3' gauge
HOm = 12 mm gauge representing meter gauge
In practical terms, those are what you'll find commercially available track and other components to use.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Well, now I know what happened to 'The Gauge Sage.' - swallowed up and converted to a branching tree by Wikipedia. (I still have my seven-page printout from twelve years ago.)
As a general rule, HO(whatever) is HO scale, 3.5mm/1 foot. You could build models of Der Fuhrer's 3-meter dreamland in HO scale to run on (O-gauge 1.25") and call it HOw7. Why anyone would want to...
If there are three or four digits after the N (or W) the designation is the prototype in millimeters. HOe represents a number of prototype gauges (roughly 750-800 mm) operating on 9mm N-scale standard gauge - hopefully, not on unmodified N scale track products. I personally model two 762mm gauge Japanese prototypes in HOe, using N scale mechanisms - much easier and less costly than HOjn762 on 10.5mm gauge track. (My Kiso baldwin 0-4-2T has been retired to a display shelf,)
An interesting oddity I saw in Tetsudo Mokei Shumi - TT scale (1/120) on N scale track, a 1067mm gauge JNR prototype on track that is only 1/2" out of gauge. My own main modeling is a poorer match, HOj (1/80 scale on 16.5mm gauge - 10 inch discrepancy) that happened when Japanese model railroaders started building local 1067mm gauge prototypes over HO mechanisms - rather like the HO/OO compromise in common use in the UK.
I once thought about trying to build a sample length of full-scale track laid to a variety of gauges from 15" (Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch) to 63" (Irish and Russian) in my front yard. It would have been a tripping hazard for the local kids, so I abandoned the project, My yard already has a good crushed rock base.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - in HOj and HOe)
Perhaps some visuals from the Boothbay Railway Village collection will help. First track, top to bottom: HO scale standard gauge, HOn30 narrow gauge, and N scale standard gauge. The last 2 have the same track width, but different tie spacings
Next some rolling stock. Yellow MEC standard gauge 40' boxcar, white Tracks Ahead N scale standard gauge 40' boxcar, and undecorated HOn30 28' boxcar
HO scale standard gauge Mikado locomotive with an HOn30 brass steam loco. The proportion in size is prototypically correct, note the cab size on the brass, a real full size human crew has to fit inside to run it. Same for the critter in the next paragraph.
An HOn30 critter shell I kitbashed from an HO scale Athern Hustler with an N scale Bachmann 44 tonner mechanism thet powers it in the background. Remember that HOn30 (2 ft gauge emulated) stuff is small compared to standard gauge, but it all is 1/87 scale. People, buildings, scenery and everything else stays the same size
Just to add to the confusion, a G scale (1:22.5), 2 ft gauge SRRL 28' boxcar with the same car in HOn30 beside it
And last, a standard gauge HO caboose and train passing an Hn30 mixed train
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
DSchmittSome other narrow gauge modeling scales: N scale narrow gauge Nn3 - Z gauge track is very close to 3 ft gauge when used for N scale. Sn3-1/2 Representing 42"gauge - S scale in Australia using HO track On18 O scale 18" gauge using N scale track.
And Sn2 using HOn3 track.
Paul
Thank you everyone, very informative and interesting!!
With respect, let's get the first part straight - 'gauge', not 'gage'.
I model partly in HOn30. I always thought that HOe was the same thing but maybe I'm wrong.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
hon30critter With respect, let's get the first part straight - 'gauge', not 'gage'. I model partly in HOn30. I always thought that HOe was the same thing but maybe I'm wrong. Dave
In Railway Track and Maintenance by E E Russell Tratman published in 1926 it is "gage".
Dave, you are right - they are all the same! HOe, HOn30, HOn 2 1/2 - whatever the name of your poison is, it comes from the same still.
HOe started in the early 1960´s, when Egger introduced their range of minute HO locos and cars running on 9mm track. In order to distinguish them from the standard gauge HO stuff, the "e" was added, meaning "eng", German for narrow. The name stuck on, but only in continental Europe. At about the same time, the East German manufacturer Zeuke introduced a range of narrow gauge locos and cars running on TT scale track, representing meter gauge trains and named HOm.