2FS Narrow Gauge options?

[BetweenTheTunnels]

Hi all,

I borrowed some 2FS magazines off a friend who is a member over Christmas and while looking through last year's 'Yearbook' there is a reference in the 2mm FineScale track standards section to "the development of similar standards for several narrow gauges is being formulated and will be included in a future issue".  The creation of a fictional 3ft-gauge railway has been at the back of my mind for a long time, and while it would probably be beneficial to look at 4mm to the foot scale, giving a track gauge of 12mm, I did wonder if the aforementioned standards had come about and what they were?  Can anyone offer any thoughts?

 

It does occur to me that 4mm using 2FS standards and track to a gauge of 12mm would probably not be too far away from reality?

 

EDIT: Mind you, thinking this through since I posted, I suspect wheels could be a problem as well as the 2mm Association axles would not be long enough, so the idea is probably a none starter - still I would be interested to see what the Association did actually come up with?

 

Richie

Edited January 12, 2021 by Rochdale Road

[Lacathedrale]

I imagine, though cannot be certain - that the narrow gauges would still be in 1/152 - and thus 3' narrow gauge would be 6mm between the rails.

[Nigelcliffe]

11 hours ago, Rochdale Road said:

Hi all,

I borrowed some 2FS magazines off a friend who is a member over Christmas and while looking through last year's 'Yearbook' there is a reference in the 2mm FineScale track standards section to "the development of similar standards for several narrow gauges is being formulated and will be included in a future issue".  The creation of a fictional 3ft-gauge railway has been at the back of my mind for a long time, and while it would probably be beneficial to look at 4mm to the foot scale, giving a track gauge of 12mm, I did wonder if the aforementioned standards had come about and what they were?  Can anyone offer any thoughts?

 

It does occur to me that 4mm using 2FS standards and track to a gauge of 12mm would probably not be too far away from reality?

 

EDIT: Mind you, thinking this through since I posted, I suspect wheels could be a problem as well as the 2mm Association axles would not be long enough, so the idea is probably a none starter - still I would be interested to see what the Association did actually come up with?

 

Richie

 

The standards discussed would be 1:152 scale (2mm:1ft), so 6mm, 5mm, 4mm gauges.   A handful of people have built models to those gauges over the years, with a slightly larger number working at 6.5mm (Z gauge) where commercial mechanisms can form the basis of models.   The stated aspiration dates back some decades when there was a narrow gauge group with a small newsletter. 

 

4mm scales are a whole different matter, and there you're a bit "on your own", its not a 2mm Scale Association matter.   A few people have done 4mm scale 2ft prototypes at 8mm track gauge, by basically narrowing the 2FS standard gauge geometry to 8mm - I know someone working in that scale locally to me.   

12mm gauge has axles for wagons: a 15.2mm axle (longest shop standard size for commercial N models) is 3mm longer than a 12.25 axle (standard length for Association wagon kits).  So, if etching your own wagon chassis to 12mm gauge, there is a source of axles.  Locos axles might be more of an issue.    That said, a lot of 12mm gauge modellers will use commercial TT track and mechanisms, there being a couple of significant European TT manufacturers.  

 

There is the other approach - pick an existing track geometry, and adjust your scale accordingly.  Numerous modellers and commercial companies have done this over the years, often with superb results.  At the slightly tongue-in-cheek level, there is 3.14mm:1ft scale used by David Eveleigh for models (available as etches) of the 3ft Southwold line, which happens to scale out nicely at 9.42mm gauge, which is the 2FS standard with readily available components, etc..

 

 

 

 

[Jim T]

I think if I'd been David I'd have been tempted to compromise (!) and go for 1/8" (3.175mm) to the foot scale (1:96) - if nothing else it would make working out the dims easier and there might also be some commercial people and vehicles available. On the other hand the modelled track gauge would be out by nearly half a prototype inch! The art of compromise eh?

Edited January 13, 2021 by Jim T

[bill-lobb]

At least part of the reason David went for 3.14mm to the foot is that it is an approximation to the value of pi. He calls it P pi scale. He teaches maths after all.

[DuncanFogg]

Here in New Zealand, where the mainline gauge is 3'6", the two local railway scales are 1/64 and 1/120, which come out to 16.6mm and 8.9mm, allowing the use of  00 or N.