Any T Gauge out there?

[Mark W]

Well, oddly enough, I acquired some 1:450 T-Gauge last month and gotta say this stuff is neat!

I just have some undecorated equipment and a double loop of track, so nothing to show off yet (some exciting things in alpha on Shapeways, more on that later), but I'm curious if anyone else on Railwire has ventured into or has been interested in T Gauge.

[Missaberoad]

@David K. Smith and @Chris333 both dabbled in T for a while... unfortunately most of DKS's photos would be lost... 

A few blogs, there used to be more but there was a pretty big blowup in the community and it kinda fell apart...

http://more-t-please.blogspot.ca/
http://victorian-tgauge.blogspot.ca/
http://adventuresint.blogspot.ca/

Excited to see what you're working on!

[Chris333]

I made a set of mini RDC's




With an N and Z scale boxcar


I had a little loop layout planned, but never got a PWM throttle that would get them to run slow.

[peteski]

Are they using code 55 track in T?  What's up with that?!  The track is as tall as the wheel diameter! 
 
But on a serious note, I know the track is steel and wheels magnetic.  I wonder what code it is?  Code 30 maybe?  Couldn't that track be used for Z scale?

[Catt]

But on a serious note, I know the track is steel and wheels magnetic.  I wonder what code it is?  Code 30 maybe?  Couldn't that track be used for Z scale?

Yeah Pete it is used for Z scale. Zn3 infact 

[Mark W]

Measured a few pieces of the Snap Track and it averages out to code 38.5.  Photos of the flex track appear to have much larger rail, but could also just be an illusion.   
Much more difficult to measure, the flanges themselves are in the range of .025"

Thanks for the links Ryan.  I've found plenty of photos and videos of those layouts/modules, but never happened across the blogs themselves! 
I've also read some bits about the gauge hitting a stall a few years ago.  Hopefully it's not a matter of time before supplies dry up all together. 

[Sokramiketes]

I dabbled a bit.  There was a guy doing some shells, and I converted a mechanism into an E8 and an RDC with his shells.  I did benchwork and roadbed for the Mike & Tom Danneman MRL N scale layout in T.  Even bought the flex track, but haven't gotten around to laying it. 

The early days of T were tumultuous.  Although the 3mm gauge scaled out to 1:480, it was advertised at 1:450 and many, DKS included, wanted to stick to 1:450 for North American prototype.  I was on the other side, since we didn't need to end up with 5ft gauge O scale again!

I suppose its a moot point if the scale doesn't take off.

[Kisatchie]

No T Gauge here... Dee?


Hmm... nope, none here
either...

[Dave V]

Is this what the early days of N and Z scales were like?  I was reading all this thinking "T scale will never be more than a novelty...not a serious scale for modeling."  Then I was hit by the irony bus.   

[Lemosteam]

Is this what the early days of N and Z scales were like?  I was reading all this thinking "T scale will never be more than a novelty...not a serious scale for modeling."  Then I was hit by the irony bus.   

SHAME!

[peteski]

Yeah Pete it is used for Z scale. Zn3 infact 

That is pretty cool. What I meant to ask was whether the T gauge rail could be used in standard Z gauge track?  Someone out there already produces the rail, so it is not like theZ  gauge track manufacturers would have to start from scratch.

[Mark W]

That is pretty cool. What I meant to ask was whether the T gauge rail could be used in standard Z gauge track?  Someone out there already produces the rail, so it is not like theZ  gauge track manufacturers would have to start from scratch.

I'd rather they start from scratch using Nickle-silver than steel, especially since the T gauge rail is barely under code 40 to begin with.
I'm worried enough for my future T gauge projects about keeping water off the rails when doing ballast/scenery.  I don't want to worry about that in Z also.

And I cant say about the T flex track but my snap track pieces aren't even rail.  It's just a micro upside-down T with no rail head. :/

[C855B]

I'd rather they start from scratch using Nickle-silver than steel, ...

It's my understanding that part of what makes T work is the steel rail. The wheels are little magnets, used apparently because gravity alone doesn't make reliable contact.

[Kisatchie]

...The wheels are little magnets, used apparently because gravity alone doesn't make reliable contact.

Hmm... maybe because the
slightest breeze would
blow the cars off the
track...

[Missaberoad]

Is this what the early days of N and Z scales were like?  I was reading all this thinking "T scale will never be more than a novelty...not a serious scale for modeling."  Then I was hit by the irony bus.   

Go back to the 1940's and add the early days of HO to the list.  

I do think there gets a point where its so small it is a novelty...
Mind you there's some amazing work being done in 1:700 scale (non operational of course)
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=157304

If you could solve the operational issues then fine modeling in T would be possible...  (Chris proved that)