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Scale vs gauge: Not quite interchangeable

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains August 18, 2017March 3, 20221:64 scale, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s, american flyer, HO, ho scale, lionel, Lionel 675, n scale, o gauge, o scale, s scale, Standard Gauge

Wondering about scale vs gauge? You’re not alone. It’s a common question, and I’ll try to provide a simple answer. The two terms may appear interchangeable, but they aren’t quite.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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How big is 1:64 scale?

Dave Farquhar Model Building May 2, 2017August 1, 20171:64 scale, boxcar, electric trains, s scale

1:64 scale is a popular size for diecast cars. At one time it was popular for slot cars and electric trains too. But how big is 1:64 scale, really?

I’ll explain it mathematically and by giving sizes of some common objects.

Dave Farquhar

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How to avoid cleaning Lionel track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 13, 2017April 7, 2022Cleaning Lionel, conductivity, lionel, marx, oxidation, s scale

For some people, the only enjoyable part of cleaning Lionel track is arguing about how to do it. The rest of us don’t even enjoy that part. Recently I unearthed a decades-old secret that mostly eliminates the need to clean track. Sound too good to be true?

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Hipwell Manufacturing Co. of Pittsburgh

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 28, 2016October 22, 20221940s, 1950s, 1980s, american flyer, electric trains, lionel, lionel train, s scale, tin

The Hipwell Manufacturing Co. of Pittsburgh was the inventor of the single-cell battery and a venerable producer of flashlights. As recently as 2002, Hipwell produced 2 million flashlights in the United States.

Dave Farquhar

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Vintage tin litho buildings

Dave Farquhar Toy trains December 26, 2016September 15, 20221940s, 1950s, american flyer, Hot Wheels, lionel, o gauge, s scale, tin, toy train, train layout, train show, wyandotte

Years ago, I decided I wanted to take a different approach with my trains. I heard about a guy in Springfield who has a traditional toy train layout with no plastic on it. I wanted to see if I could do something similar.

At the time, information about this approach was rare. So I’ve collected here what I know about tin buildings made prior to 1970 (the approximate end of the postwar era). You won’t find everything you want in pre-1970 buildings, so if you need something more modern to fill in the gaps, see my other post tin buildings for train layouts.

Dave Farquhar

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Department 56 vs Lemax

Dave Farquhar Model Building November 2, 2016November 4, 2018american flyer, christmas, Civil War, estate sales, holiday village, home improvement, Lemax, lionel, o scale, postwar lionel, s scale

Department 56 vs Lemax is a battle between the two biggest names in holiday villages. There are a lot of similarities between the two brands, but the differences may matter to you. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering one or the other.

Dave Farquhar

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What scale are Matchbox cars?

Dave Farquhar Model Building October 10, 2016October 29, 20181:64 scale, 1950s, american flyer, Cobblestone Corners, Dollar Tree, HO, ho scale, Hot Wheels, Lemax, lionel, matchbox, old school, s scale

What scale are Matchbox cars, you ask? Unfortunately it varies a bit. Nominally they’re around 1:64 scale. But scale isn’t Matchbox’s objective. Fitting in the package is. That means the size of Matchbox cars is between 2.5 and 3 inches, depending on what looks right for the prototype model. So it can take some homework to figure out the actual scale of any given model.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Marx train sizes

Dave Farquhar Toy trains March 4, 2016May 19, 20231:64 scale, 1950s, 1980s, HO, ho scale, Japan, Joy Line, lionel, marx, marx trains, Model Power, o gauge, o27, s scale, sakai, tin, WWII

Over the years, Marx made electric and clockwork trains in no fewer than seven sizes and two gauges. Depending on how you count Marx train sizes, you can say it was more than that. Here’s an overview of what they made.

If you go to sell Marx trains, correctly identifying the size definitely makes them attract more bids.

Dave Farquhar

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How to determine scale of an unknown toy or model

Dave Farquhar Toy trains January 22, 2016September 30, 2016HO, ho scale, Hot Wheels, matchbox, o scale, OO, s scale

A frequent question on train forums involves a particular diecast toy car, usually available for a limited time but at a good price, and asking if it’s suitable to use in a particular scale. It seems not everyone knows how to determine scale themselves.

I understand why. I’ve never seen anyone explain how to do the math to figure it out, but it’s really not hard. All you need is a search engine, a ruler, and a calculator.

Dave Farquhar

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When HO is 1:87 scale and when it’s 1:64 scale

Dave Farquhar model railroading October 30, 2015October 22, 20221:64 scale, HO, ho scale, Hot Wheels, matchbox, s scale

I get a lot of questions about the difference between HO scale and 1:64, and it occurred to me that I missed something. I was thinking of model train HO scale, which is 1:87, which is about 25% smaller than 1:64. But for whatever reason, slot car HO scale is 1:64. So here’s how to know when HO is 1:87 scale and when it’s 1:64 scale.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

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The Silicon Underground

s scale

Scale vs gauge: Not quite interchangeable

How big is 1:64 scale?

How to avoid cleaning Lionel track

Hipwell Manufacturing Co. of Pittsburgh

Vintage tin litho buildings

Department 56 vs Lemax

What scale are Matchbox cars?

Marx train sizes

How to determine scale of an unknown toy or model

When HO is 1:87 scale and when it’s 1:64 scale

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