O Scale Trains
O Scale trains were once the most common scale of model trains Introduced in 1900 by Marklin, a German toy manufacturer.
O Scale trains were primarily produced in Germany and continued to grow in popularity until World War II, where (for some reason) German manufactured products fell out of favor.
O scale continued to be popular in the United States until the early '60s; primarily manufactured by Lionel, Ives Manufacturing and American Flyer.
So what exactly is O scale? There is often a misconception that O Scale and O gauge refer to the same thing.
O Scale refers to 1:48 scale from real life (1:1).
Basically, an O Scale model train is 48 times smaller than a real train.
Gauge on the other hand, refers to the width of the track.
O Gauge track is based on the real world standard gauge track spacing of 4' 8 1/2" between the rails.
Track gauges can get very confusing if you're still a bit green with model railroading.
O Scale trains roll on O Scale track, but with one big caveat: There is more than one standard! Just be sure you are using the proper gauge for your train.
O Scale models are vastly superior in detail, making them a favorite for serious modellers.
The O scale enables modellers to put exacting detail into their layouts and rolling stock (the railroading term for model trains).
While O Scale trains aren't impossible to find, the majority of shelf space these days is dedicated HO and N Scale trains.
That being said, O scale trains are large and impressive and a lot of fun to play with.
These trains are easy for a child to set up on a track (N Scale and smaller trains can be enormously frustrating to get rolling) the only downside to O Scale is a layout quickly begins to demand a lot of space and a child could lose interest fairly quickly dedicated a lot of time into setting up a layout only to have to take it down again or (worse yet) being handcuffed to an oval truck nailed to sheet of plywood (that would be fun for about 10 minutes) Collectors also favor O Scale models.
Pre-war trains now fetch quite a wad on the auction block.
Another feature of O scale collecting is that a large number of models are limited runs; hand made and designed by expert modellers in their garage or basement.
This limited availability creates quite a market for O scale models and can be an incredible investment.
While there is a huge cottage industry in O Scale, Lionel, Atlas O, Bachmann and the venerable Markiln still have an impressive presence in this scale.
MTH Electric trains and Weaver Models are also manufacturers of note.
O Scale trains were primarily produced in Germany and continued to grow in popularity until World War II, where (for some reason) German manufactured products fell out of favor.
O scale continued to be popular in the United States until the early '60s; primarily manufactured by Lionel, Ives Manufacturing and American Flyer.
So what exactly is O scale? There is often a misconception that O Scale and O gauge refer to the same thing.
O Scale refers to 1:48 scale from real life (1:1).
Basically, an O Scale model train is 48 times smaller than a real train.
Gauge on the other hand, refers to the width of the track.
O Gauge track is based on the real world standard gauge track spacing of 4' 8 1/2" between the rails.
Track gauges can get very confusing if you're still a bit green with model railroading.
O Scale trains roll on O Scale track, but with one big caveat: There is more than one standard! Just be sure you are using the proper gauge for your train.
O Scale models are vastly superior in detail, making them a favorite for serious modellers.
The O scale enables modellers to put exacting detail into their layouts and rolling stock (the railroading term for model trains).
While O Scale trains aren't impossible to find, the majority of shelf space these days is dedicated HO and N Scale trains.
That being said, O scale trains are large and impressive and a lot of fun to play with.
These trains are easy for a child to set up on a track (N Scale and smaller trains can be enormously frustrating to get rolling) the only downside to O Scale is a layout quickly begins to demand a lot of space and a child could lose interest fairly quickly dedicated a lot of time into setting up a layout only to have to take it down again or (worse yet) being handcuffed to an oval truck nailed to sheet of plywood (that would be fun for about 10 minutes) Collectors also favor O Scale models.
Pre-war trains now fetch quite a wad on the auction block.
Another feature of O scale collecting is that a large number of models are limited runs; hand made and designed by expert modellers in their garage or basement.
This limited availability creates quite a market for O scale models and can be an incredible investment.
While there is a huge cottage industry in O Scale, Lionel, Atlas O, Bachmann and the venerable Markiln still have an impressive presence in this scale.
MTH Electric trains and Weaver Models are also manufacturers of note.
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