009 and O-16.5 Measurements

[TStageman]

Hello folks,

 

A bit new to this forum but wanted to ask a quick question. I have a set of measurements for the basic shape for a prototype coach I am trying to build in both 009 and O-16.5mm scale. The real thing runs on 15in track but I want to try and work out how big it should be roughly in both the 009 and O-16.5. The length is approx 24ft, height is 5ft 3, and the width is 3ft 6.

 

I've tried to sit and work it out but not a lot of it is making any sense.

 

Many Thanks

 

Tom

[buffalo]

Hi Tom,

These scale and gauge terms can be a bit confusing. 009 is 9mm gauge (N gauge track) at the normal scale for 00, i.e. 4mm to one foot. 0-16.5 is 16.5mm gauge (00 gauge track) at the normal scale for 0, i.e. 7mm to one foot. So, your measurements for 009 are:

 

distance in feet x 4mm

 

length: 24 x 4 = 96mm

height: 5.25 x 4 = 21mm

width: 3.5 x 4 = 14mm

 

to get the measurements for 0-16.5, just multiply by seven instead of four.

 

Nick

[Mike Bellamy]

OO9 is at a scale of 4mm to 1 foot

 

O-16.5 is at a scale of 7mm to 1 foot

 

In 4mm your coach would be about 96mm long, 21mm high and 14mm wide

 

In 7mm your coach would be about 168mm long, 37mm high and 25mm wide

 

All figures rounded to nearest mm

 

If you want to run on prototypical 15 inch track, this would be 5mm in 4mm scale - the nearest you will get is Z gauge which is 6.5mm

 

In 7mm scale the track gauge would be 8.75mm and it would be best to use existing 9mm track for this - either N gauge or OO9

 

Hope that helps - and that my maths is correct !!

 

 

EDIT - Nick beat me to it - but at least we got the same answer !

Edited September 4, 2012 by Mike Bellamy

[Titan]

You may be having trouble because you are mixing scales and gauges - OO-9 is 4mm scale on 9mm track, which relates to an actual track gauge of 2'6" and not 15". If you want to use 4mm/ft scale, you will be looking for a track gauge of 5mm, Nearest available track I expect would be Z gauge at 6mm, which would make it OO-6, which may be a little difficult.

 

Or, if you want to use N gauge track, you would be looking at a scale of 7.2mm/ft, ie near as makes no difference O scale, which would be O-9, and probably your best bet. This would make your carriage 173mm x 38mm x 11mm.

 

On 16.5mm track you would need a scale of 13.2mm/foot, which is larger than gauge 1 in scale - and way larger than O!

[TStageman]

Thanks very much for the replies guys, thats much appreciated.

 

Good god is it confusing though, all these different gauges. I just about the get the relationships between 009 and it being OO scale models but running on N gauge track and then O-16.5 being O but on OO track, but it really is a bit of a confusing subject for me! I will have a go at one of those and see what it looks like. I will most probably make the larger model first I think, might be a little easier. I was looking to model some of the RH&DR Coaches but I can't help but think that 168mm long for it running on OO Gauge track seems a bit short...?

 

Thanks again,

 

Tom

[Titan]

168mm long running on N gauge track.

[TStageman]

Yes that sounds better, it must have been me that read it wrong then. And on OO Gauge track? Surely longer?

 

Tom

[BernardTPM]

If you're using 00/H0 track (16.5mm gauge) then you'd need to work to 1:23 scale, so a 24 foot coach would be just over a foot long.

[TStageman]

Ok, many thanks, I'll have a crack and see what I come up with. It wasn't something that had to be perfect to the nearest mm but something that loosely resembled what it was based on!

 

I have another query though chaps, where would I source suitable bogies for use under a NG coach, not anything specific, just some ideas of where to find them either in kit form or in ready to attach form.

 

Thanks

 

Tom

[Sturminster_Newton]

Or build at 1:35 and then OO track becomes the equivalent of 18" gauge.

 

To muddy the waters further Z gauge = 6.5mm gauge and about as close as the average muddler will get to 18" gauge when modelling at 4mm/ft, that is without building you own 6mm track.

 

It all depends on how much eyestrain/watchmaking you wish to do/have.

 

What some may not have mentioned is that a wider than design bogie, may not be able to swivel sufficiently when installed under a scale sized body.

 

To really mess with your mind most layout plans are drawn to a 12" (305mm) grid.

 

The operating scale will be shown in the layout plan's text normally 4mm:ft or OO.

 

The entertainment starts as you will need to work to 21" for 1:43

 

Or 30" for Gauge 1 at 1:32.

 

From this a 4' x 2' OO layout will need 10' x 5' in gauge 1 for a like for like construction.

 

Scale, gauge and their variety of ratios can be very confusing for those new into the hobby.

 

But if you work with the grid being Length Units.

 

Then layout space requirements can be arrived at for the baseboard dimensions.

 

To which you need to add 24-40" (610-1000mm) all round for access once you move outside the dining table dimension of 4'x4' or 1200 x 1200.

[PatB]

It may be best to look at the coach dimensions in proportion to the gauge. 24ft is  19.2 times a gauge of 15in, so a correctly scaled model to run o. 16.5 mm gauge track would need to be 16.5x19.2=316.8 mm long. 

[Jeremy Cumberland]

I imagine the OP worked out what size to build his coaches years ago. However just in case anyone else reading this wants to represent 15 inch gauge in miniature using commercially-available track, then 009 track works out at a scale of 1:42, which is very close to 7 mm/ft, and 0-16.5 track works out at 1:23, which is very close to G scale (1:22.5), a common garden railway scale used for European metre gauge on 45mm track.

 

Using a common gauge such as 9 mm or 16.5 mm means you can get track, track components, wheels and running gear reasonably easily, and there is probably a set of track and wheel standards you can use if you are scratchbuilding. Using a common scale means you can get people, buildings/building components and scenic items, even if you need to scratchbuild all your rolling stock.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Jeremy C

[cp409067]

22 hours ago, Sturminster_Newton said:

Or build at 1:35 and then OO track becomes the equivalent of 18" gauge.

.....

 

 

*

I am afraid this is incorrect.

 

1:35 scale is 8.71mm/ft.

 

16.5mm track therefore scales 22.73ins.

 

Translation: it is not far off being reasonably accurate for modelling nominal 2ft gauge (inc 1ft 11.5 ins and 600mm).

 

[Figures above to 2 places of decimals.]

 

 

CP

Edited September 2, 2020 by cp409067

[BernardTPM]

For 18" gauge using 16.5mm track you need a scale of 1:27.7.

Using 12mm gauge the scale would be 1:38.1.

[PatB]

Bottom line is, if you want to model 15" gauge prototypes (RHDR was mentioned), use 0-9 for 9mm gauge track, or Gn15 for 16.5mm track, both being recognised scale-gauge combinations with at least some trade support.

[BernardTPM]

0-9 is near ideal for RHDR. Their trains would be very long in Gn15.