Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Railway Wargaming => Topic started by: OSHIROmodels on January 29, 2015, 08:08:45 AM
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Ladies and gents, as the question asks, what would be your preferred gauge (distance between the rails) for 28mm gaming?
I've listed the main scales that are close to 28mm and an option for something else.
Please let's not have this as a scale/gauge debate as there are already a few of these on the board, I just want to gauge (pun intended :D ) people's preference for gaming railways :)
cheers
James
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Just to clarify, is this "ideal" or "for practical purposes"?
See, there's something of a general preference for S/On30/Poundland trains all of which are on or about the right size. S is arguably the best fit, but is virtually unavailable. On30 is almost the same size as S only running on HO track. Because On30 is fairly easy to obtain, in practice a lot of people who might otherwise choose S opt instead for On30 (On30 may also be strictly superior in certain cases, such as for narrow-gauge colonial railways). Then there's the cost-conscious folks who are happy with Poundland-type trains because both S and On30 would be too expensive for them.
I literally just placed an order for $85 of S-scale track yesterday, so I know where I'm bound. lol ::)
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Depends on the railways gauge you want to depict, because they varied a lot. If it was me, I'd stick as close as I could to the historically accurate comparative size as I could, within reason and depending on budget and availability.
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Yes,
more historically accurate, the better.
You could thus offer three gauges, one based on the broad gauge of 1520/1524mm gauge, the second for the standard gauge of 1435,1mm and the third for the narrow gauge of ~1067mm.
That would enable to make systems such as pictured in the link below, combining both broad and standard gauges:
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raideleveys#mediaviewer/File:Haparanda-Tornio_rail_bridge_Sep2008.jpg
So I rest my case, make three gauges :)
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For whatever it's worth, existing commercial hobby gauges of track are cheap and being able to match S, or HO (for On30), or other existing track sizes will make it easy for people to buy off-the-shelf track without getting fiddly.
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My preference is in part determined by the ground scale - for RCW for example with a focus on units I go with HO track so that the rail line doesn't excessively dominate the board.
For more skirmish games with a ground scale closer to the figure scale I use track that I reset the rails for at 1/56.
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If you are asking for the purpose of making rolling stock, the answer is simple, make the wheels an interference fit on the (separate) axles so that the user can then gauge them to their preferred track. This technique is often used by the hardline railway modellers who see OO as too inaccurate and regauge to EM (18.83mm @ 1/76), a quick spin through the railway modelling press should throw up some examples.
As for Pocoloco's suggestion that broad gauge is 1520mm, I refer him to Mr Brunel's broad gauge Great Western Railway at 7' (2133.6mm) ;)
Tim
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Haha, well that surely is/was one of the broadest gauges :) I tried to convey just some sort of general current consensus o_o
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Many thanks for the replies gents :)
After looking around a fair bit at lunch time over various fora I think it will probably be a case of varying wheel positions rather than stock rails as suggested above...
Watch this space...
cheers
James
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Varying the width of the trucks on rolling stock is probably not much of an issue. Trying to adjust the width of the trucks on a locomotive is a whole different proposition, especially for steam locomotives. If you try to adjust the driving wheels on a steam locomotive you will have to figure out how to adjust the side rods and the valve gear so they don't bind.
And from the perspective of the rolling stock it would be much easier to swap out the trucks completely than to go through and adjust all the wheels.
Quite frankly you are better off picking one available gauge of track whether that is HO/On30, S, Sn3 or O.
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Just to clarify, is this "ideal" or "for practical purposes"?
S is arguably the best fit, but is virtually unavailable. On30 is almost the same size as S only running on HO track. Because On30 is fairly easy to obtain, in practice a lot of people who might otherwise choose S opt instead for On30 (On30 may also be strictly superior in certain cases, such as for narrow-gauge colonial railways).
I know where I'm bound. lol ::)
100% !
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I think it will probably be a case of varying wheel positions rather than stock rails as suggested above...
James this is actually what the prototypical railways did actually: pressing the wheels on the axles to allow matching different gauges. There was continental rolling stock where this was regularly done when it passed the frontier to and from Russia for example (1435mm to 1524mm and back) and the narrow gauge military field railway steam and diesel engines of the Heeresfeldbahn had outer frames which allowed pressing the wheels to either 600 or 750mm gauge.
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Completely depends on your priorities.
If it's for realism. I'd go with S.
If it's for ease of acquisition, price and doing less modification, I'd choose O.
So unless someone else is paying, I'd probably go O scale.
It's a bit of an outlier, but I'm doing a sci-fi elevated train for my layout. It's all on Lionel style O-27 tri-rails. With no sleeper, metal connections and 3 rails, it looks nice and spacey.
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Two of the things I like most about S track are that a figure on a smaller base (22mm or smaller) can be stood cleanly between the rails and that the ties are sized much more realistically against figures.
... which reminds me that American Models still hasn't confirmed my track order. Better get to seeing what's up. :?
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James, perhaps if you want to do rails do a two part kit.
1)Sleepers and rail/ties
2)second rail.*
*if that's a little flimsy perhaps do tri tail. Lock in the middle rail and leave the outer one floating. You wouldn't be able to do curves though! o_o
I just measured my toy train from K-Mart. I assumed it was running HO, lucky me in on 00 at 19mm lol lol.
Cheers
Matt.
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Hi
I`m creating a Stalingrad game in 28mm and using HO track but the rolling stock is to small so i`m stripping out old HO stock for the bogies/wheels and making some larger top halfs for them . Nothing to a railway enthusiasts standard but enough for war gaming with.
Cheers AL
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I went for O Narrow gauge track as it was easily available for me, with a Bachman loco and rolling stock to run on it just in case I decide to make a working layout some day.
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S looks right , O looks too big - make your own - you're talented enough and given the cost of S gauge yours may be cheaper :D
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Yes, S is the winner.
One idea I've been tinkering with is buying and converting (mostly "Europeanizing") an American Flyer for the loco and then seeing if I can use Lego wheels as a basis for scratchbuilt cars. Not sure if the flanges would be too big on my S track though.
Anyway, it's a daunting enough project that the train aspect of my railroad stuff has been pushed to the backburner. But in the near to mid term I'd like to at least base my track so as to have it for terrain.
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Still debating on this but thanks for the continued replies.
Got to get Salute out the way first though.
cheers
James
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Any idea what gauge(s) are offered by Customeeple and Sarissa?
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If it helps here is my `get by`
Cheers AL
Hi
Needed to create some rolling stock for the boards, the scale is a bit mixed up but here goes:
Russia is narrow gauge in WW2 so HO/OO track is fine but I needed `O `gauge or `ON 30 `Gauge for the carriages. So I cracked of the bogies of HO/OO to match the track and hand built some quick carriages to reach the scale I needed.
Still have to do a couple of flat cars but under advise for my m8 Ade waiting for the early T34`s before sorting theses out.
The open top carriages are metal and will be a grey colour but the rest are wooden and will be a weathered darkish red.
Cheers AL
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_0993_zpsfcx1sft0.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_0994_zpslkmjhyra.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_0995_zpsvgvcs703.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_0997_zpshf13mexy.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_0998_zpst8tzpivo.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_0999_zpsmihljpv0.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_1001_zpsivl3ru1o.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_1002_zpseckdugcb.jpg)
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Looking excellent! Very much along the lines of something I'm assuming I'll have to do - rebuild existing wheels and scratchbuild the carriages above.
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_1003_zps1guommgq.jpg)
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(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/alcal/STALINGRAD/IMG_1003_zps1guommgq.jpg)
FANTASTIC!!! :-* :-* :-*
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Looks just the part! Great stuff.
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Spectacular!