Scale and gauge displayed on the site :                                      Français cliquez ici              Back
 

                                                                                                  



                                                                                                   

  

Note that it does not confuse the scale ("échelle" in French) which means the reduction ratio relative

the real hardware (which is expressed as 1 / x) and the trade name "gauge" (also "échelle" in French)

which designates a material suitable to roll on a track of a given spacing (HO, 0, N ......)

For example the G and 1 use the same track but with totally different scales. (1/22.5 for LGB and

1/32 to the actual 1)


There are two organizations that define the standards for rail model making:

MOROP (European Federation of National Model Railway Associations)is a European organization
that publishes NEM standards

The NMRA (National Model Railroad Association) widely used in North America.

To a certain extent, the NMRA and NEM standards are compatible.

Note that for scales H0 and 0, NEM uses the number zero or the letter "O", while NMRA uses the letter
"O" (HO instead of H0).

The term "narrow gauge" is used to designate a narrow track in its class

"m" denotes a metric track.

Note for the "O" and the "027" US :


CPJ38KV//

The following list is not exhaustive:


Naming

Gauge

Scale

Remark

IV 75 mm
 Bing before 1914
III 75 mm
 Marklin before 1914
IIa 67 mm
 Schoenner, Carette, Bing before 1914
II 54 mm
 Bing, Marklin avant 1914
   Standard 54 mm (2-7/8 inches)Unfixed size Created by Lionel (USA) in 1906 and used until 1940

1

48 mm (between the axis of rails)

Unfixed size

 Until about 1925 - Märklin, Jep, Bassett-Lowke and some German brands.
Since 1925 Marklin, Aster ...

1 (actuel)

45 mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

 1/32

 USA : Accucraft -  MTH

Marklin (D)  -  Aster Hobby (japan)
G 45 mm (between the inner faces of the rails)1/22.5

1/22.3		Called « Garden train » - LGB – Piko -  Playmobil
Used in USA (Bachmann ou Accucraft).

0

35mm (axes des rails)

Unfixed size

All brands until 1965

0 (actuel)

32 mm (between the inner faces of the railss)

1/43.5

France and Great Britain track 1,435 m.

0(actuel)

 32 mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

1/48

Germany – USA - Swiss
33 mm 33 mm
 Old FV (Faivre, France) or JP (Jouet de Paris)
28 mm 28 mm
 Catalog JEP before 1939
S 22.5 mm / 25 mm1/64 Especially American brands (3/16") and JEP 25 mm (1953-1961)

Om

22,2 mm

1/45 or 1/43,5

For tracks metric 0

18 mm 18 mm
Specific to JEP, "Mignon" series

Oe

16,5 ou 14,5 mm

1/43,5
On30 16,5 mm1/45Used in the USA (Bachmann among others) to roll on the HO, the twice as large equipment!

00

16,5mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

 1/72 (approximatly)

1938 - 1950 Märklin, Hornby….

Very popular in England where the tracks were narrower (1,371 or 1,375 m.).

HO

16,5mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

 1/87

Since 1950,  track 1,435 m.
HO Japanese 16,5mm (face interne rails)1/80 reproduces HO Japanese materials   on track 1.067 m.

Wesa

13 mm

Inaccurate size close to HO

 for Wesa materials (Swiss)

HOm

12 mm

1/87

for metric HO track

TT

12mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

1/120

A partir de 1950 - Triang, Berliner-Bahnen, Roskof, Zerba

N

9mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

1/160

Since 1964 -

N japonnais 9mm1/150Japanese tracks of 1.067 m for N
009 9mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

1/76,2

Mainly in England for tracks Décauville 0.700 m
Nm 6,5 mm1/160 Metric tracks for N

Z

6,5mm (between the inner faces of the rails)

1/220

Since 1972   

ZZ japonnais 4,5 mm1/350 Exclusiv Bandai
T japonnais 3 mm1/440For Japanese suburban rail on tracks of 1,067 m.