Collecting model trains has become a worldwide phenomenon having grown from just a pastime for little kids to a full-fledged hobby for children and adults alike.
And as the hobby grows, new hobbyists have to make a lot of decisions, not the least of which is choosing the model train scale or size.
The term "scale" is simply the model train's relative size compared to the real, life-sized train.
There are variety of scales of model trains, each of which has particular advantages and disadvantages.
The scales are defined as ratios to the real train.
For example, a 1:2 model would be half the size as a real train, a 1:100 would be one-hundredth the size.
Over the years, the hobbyists, model railroad organizations and model manufacturers have standardized the many possibilities of model train scales to just a few.
The most common scales, from largest to smallest, are named G, O, HO, and N.
The largest, or G scale has a 1:22.
5 ratio.
The term "G" commonly refers to "garden", as this model train scale is too large for most indoor setups, and is perfect for use in abackyard or other outdoor location.
For perspective, a 70 foot real-life locomotive in G scale would be a little over 3 feet long.
The next largest scale if the O (oh) scale originally known as the 0 (zero) scale.
This is a popular size and depending on the country, ranges from 1:43 (Europe) to 1:48 (US) ratio to a real train, about 1/2 the size of G scale.
A 70 foot locomotive in O scale would be 1'6" (US) to 1'7" (Europe)in length.
The HO scale is probably the most popular scale as it is large enough to show a lot of detail, but small enough to put a reasonably-sized setup in a relatively small area.
"HO" stands for "half O" and is, not surprisingly 1:87 in scale, about half the size of the O scale.
In HO scale, a 70 foot locomotive would be about 9-1/2" long.
Because of their popularity HO models tend to be the least expensive.
The smallest of the commonly used model train scales is the N scale.
The "N" stands for "nine".
Nine millimeters is the standard distance between the rails of the track on which N scale trains run.
At 1:148 to 1:160 the real-life size, N scale trains are a little more than half the size of an HO scale.
Our 70 foot locomotive in N scale measures 5-1/4" to 5-5/8" long.
Because of their smaller size and narrower tracks, N scale models are really appealing to use in limited or confined spaces.
Taking them down and storing them is also more convenient than for larger scales.
The downside is that there is not as much detail available, the trains are lighter and therefore derail more easily.
Additionally, because of their small size and the likelihood of having more components, N scale models are a bit harder to work with and to assemble, especially for people with larger hands.
In conclusion, when choosing the scale of train right for you, keep in mind personal preference, amount of room available, assembly, and cost.
Take your time to do so, ask around or visit local model train shops before choosing.
Careful consideration of scale will definitely increase your enjoyment of this great pastime.