Check my math... a scale squestion

[Anonymous]

Hello, I'm currently in search for tiny cars for my train yard inglenook switcher and found a "bobber" caboose in HO scale.

CAN YOU CHECK MY MATH?

the caboose from coupler to coupler is 3.5 inches, so I devide 3.5 by 12 (foot) then times that result (.2916) by 87 (ho scale) so the caboose is actually just over 25 feet.

Is this process correct?

[preceng]

That's what I get too.

[willy6]

i concour

[Anonymous]

Yup, that is about right., although I tend to do the multiplication first:

3.5 inches * 87 = 304.5 inches
304.5 / 12 = 25.375 feet in real life.

If you are looking for some really short cars, here is an interesting item on EBay posted by my local train shop.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=484&item=3153363454

It is a "piker" passenger car - rides on one 6 wheel truck. Looks like it would be just over 20 scale feet long.

Andrew

[FJ and G]

"Check my math..."

=======================

No, you can check your own math:

http://www.nhsouth.com/crafts/workbench/ss.htm

[:)]

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. I wasn't sure if I had done the process correctly to convert it into a part of a foot then up into scale right. I actually had to do this at a local model shop after asking a clueless kid at the register for a scale ruler or information on how long the caboose was. Once I got the calculator and ruler out and did it, I was a little shocked how short cars can be then wondered if I had done something wrong in the conversion process.

[Anonymous]

Some of those bobber cabooses are really short, as is much of the narrow gauge logging stuff. Quite a bit of it was designed to be perched on a single 4 wheel truck.

See: http://www.the-gauge.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6952 for an example. There's a tank, and sand box, and a small flat all on one truck only. Look for any of the posts by "Casey Feedwater" for other pics.

Andrew

[bluepuma]

I multiply the measurement by the scale factor 87 or 160 first, then do inches or mm.

9mm x 160 = 1440 then divide by 25.4 for inches, then by 12, subtract 4 ft, get about
4 ft, 8 1/2 inches. :)