on30 scale

[rwiseha]

Is the on30 scale really 1:48 or is it 1:64?
Thanks, Rex

[ossygobbin]

1:48

[Hamish K]

On30 is 1:48 scale running on HO (16.5mm) gauge track representing 30 inch narrow gauge. However people use it for prototypes in a variety of narrow gauges including 24, 30 inches and 36 inches.

1:64 is S scale. The reason people sometimes think that On30 is 1:64 scale is because On30 models can be about the same size as S scale models of standard gauge prototypes. This comes about because narrow gauge prototypes are usually smaller than standard gauge,  smaller prototypes in a larger scale (On30) can be the same size as a larger prototypes in a smaller scale (S scale). The small size of many narrow gauge prototypes can surprise people used to standard gauge. Also people who know narrow gauge through Colorado prototypes such as the K series mikados or the larger EBT locomotives, may not realise that these were very large locomotives for narrow gauge, and that many narrow gauge prototypes were considerably smaller, including most of those modelled by Bachmann.

Hamish

[rwiseha]

I was referring to building, people, and car size: not the track size. For example people in O gage size are a little large for the onso trains.
Does that make seance?
Rex

[El Loco]

Hamish explained it dead on .
The 0n30 equipment is smaller then the standard gauge stuff re; height, length etc..
It makes the figures and stuff appear to be  larger but its all to scale.

[rwiseha]

OK Thanks for the info. Granvillebuildings web site has an articular about this and are saying it should be 1:64 scale for the building, etc.

[C.S.R.R. Manager]

You might want to check your people's height with a 1:48 scale.  Some people that are advertised as "O-scale" are on the tall side.  Several of my 1:48 people scale at around 6 feet tall, which is very tall for people in the past.  I also bought some unpainted people from Micro-Mark, and some of them scale to around 6'-6" tall in 1:48.  They are probably designed to work at 1:43,and they are going to look huge standing next to a proper 1:48 train.  [But they were cheap, and I'm going to butcher them up and use them as seated passengers.]

It seems there was a website where they were showing ways to shorten people, mostly by cutting a section out of their midsection and legs.

Manager

[rwiseha]

Thanks, I'm just trying to get it right.
Rex

[El Loco]

Try to stick to 1/48th if at all possible.  1/50th will be a slight bit smaller then 1/48th but it would be noticeable next to each other. But if you should get any 1/43rd  it will be considerably larger then the 1/48th and it will almost dwarf the 1/50th.
It seems G scalers have the same issue as we 1/4 scalers do as several scales that are some what close.

[Hamish K]

I checked the Granvillebuildings site. They state that On30 may be described as O-27 bodies on HO chassis.  Not really accurate - the body size may be about 0-27 (underscale compared with true O) size, but that is because they are of smaller prototypes. They list O and On30 as separate scales with separate kits -  railroad specific structures such as engine houses and train stations on narrow gauge lines were often smaller than standard gauges ones because of the smaller size of narrow gauge equipment. However details such as the height of doors for people etc. would be the same as in standard gauge. I don't know what they are on their kits. Rather than use  O and On30 for structures a better description would be O standard gauge and O narrow gauge. Granvillebuildings also list On30 people, and state that the tallest is 1" high. That would be 4 foot exactly! A bit on the small side, even for the 1800s.

Hamish

[ebtnut]

The comments thus far are on the mark.  The On30 models in general follow small narrow guage prototypes, and the figures may look a bit large next to them, but so it was in reality.  The inside of a 2-foot gauge Forney could barely hold the fireman and engineer, while the cab of a standard gauge main line loco could hold a small dinner party.  And buildings don't shrink--they still have to hold real people.  Now, what some folks do as a way to create some forced perspective is to use smaller scale buildings towards the background as a way to impart more apparent depth to the scene.  You have to be careful about doing it so that there aren't any scale clashes, but it can be quite effective. 

[rwiseha]

Great!!  This has been very useful from everyone "s input on this subject.
I really have learned a lot and the way everyone attacked it from different angles was great.  Thanks to eveyone who contributed.
Rex

[rayport]

For as long as there have been commercial model rail(way)(road) models someone has been running equipment of one scale on a smaller scale track; mostly this has been very few people in any one scale/gauge combination,and mostly in the Uk and Europe. Super niche activity with a lot of scratch building involved. I think it fair to say that On30 is really the Bachmann scale (as is FN3 the 1:20 large scale products). Since the introduction of this range of products more people have become narrow gauge railroaders than all the narrow gauge modellers put together until that time. We owe a great deal to the inspiration of Mr Riley and the confidence of his management in trusting his judgement.

[HarryHotspur]

From everything I've read On30 is not a "Bachmann scale" but a true US On30, sometimes called On21/2. Meaning that the products are built to a scale of 1:48, same as other US O scale products. The gauge (distance between the rails) is not exactly 30" (more like 31.5, I think), but that's true of many scales.

I think a lot of the confusion stems from the fact that there are at least three different O scales: US is 1:48, UK is 1:43.5, and Europe is 1:45.  European On30 is usually called Oe, which denotes the difference.