"N Scale" Becoming Looser & Looser?

[tehachapifan]

I've mentioned this before when some 1/150 cars were starting to be advertised as N scale and now I'm seeing stuff ranging from 1/144 to 1/170. I'm not a fan of this seemingly-increasing trend but I can live with it IF the item is clearly marked as 1/144 scale, for example, and not just "N scale". Thoughts?

[johnb]

I've mentioned this before when some 1/150 cars were starting to be advertised as N scale and now I'm seeing stuff ranging from 1/144 to 1/170. I'm not a fan of this seemingly-increasing trend but I can live with it IF the item is clearly marked as 1/144 scale, for example, and not just "N scale". Thoughts?

it depends on the country, American N is 1/160, UK N is 1/144, Japanese N is 1/150.....

[nkalanaga]

European N is also 1:160, and if the item says "International N Scale" it should be.  I haven't seen that term in years, but it might still be around.  Basically, if it's a European prototype, made on The Continent, it should be 1:160, although there are undoubtedly exceptions.  European-made British prototypes are usually 1:144, for the UK market.

[tehachapifan]

Thanks for the replies this far. I guess I sort of misspoke, in that I knew that there have been these variations on N scale before. My point is that that the lines between them seem to be more blurry now than before.

[nkalanaga]

Possibly new companies that haven't done their research, and don't realize that their "local" N scale isn't the same as everyone else's?  Or maybe importers that haven't done any research at all, and just look at the "N Scale"?

With many buildings, especially the older ones, it doesn't matter much.  Some vehicles don't matter.  The older Kato Toyotas are Japanese 1:150, but work fine as American full-size cars of the 60s and early 70s.   British or Japanese railroad models don't matter too much to the rest of the world, because most modelers in other countries don't realize how small the prototypes are, and the models look about the right size with American or European standard gauge models.  But I'd love to get some Japanese prototypes in true 1:160 for my narrow gauge!

But I'm with you, that the actual scale SHOULD be labeled, especially if it isn't 1:160, isn't obvious, and is sold in a country that uses "standard" N.

[Doug G.]

The only legitimate scale ratio for N scale is 160/1 because the Arnold Company invented it and they used 160/1 since that is the correct ratio for nine millimeter track, standard gauge.

The other ratios are close but certainly are NOT N scale. If they want to fiddle fart around with the size of their models, that's fine. Just don't call them something they aren't.

Doug

[peteski]

Thanks for the replies this far. I guess I sort of misspoke, in that I knew that there have been these variations on N scale before. My point is that that the lines between them seem to be more blurry now than before.

Probably because nowadays there are more sells selling internationally (on eBay or even in online shops).  Plus there is more and more variety of N scale products being produced than ever before.

All those products are designed to work with N gauge track (9mm between insides of the rail-head).  So, the N gauge stays the same even though the N scale can vary between countries.  Japanese N scale (1:150) represents their most numerous narrow gauge railroads. In UK and U.S. most trains use standard gauge tracks, so they scale down to 1:160 in N scale.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Keep in mind early N scale was 1/157 for Lodestar to 1/200 for the original Arnold 200 line. Both scales were more of a suggestion than anything else.

Some Japanese 1/150works very well with NA N scale because if the natural size difference in equipment on their meter gage track. All Japanese bullet trains are modeled in 1/160, and the home market does not seem to mix and match the sizes.

I think you may be referring to Modeltrainstuff adding a few robots and boats to their N scale section. I can see the boats, but don't know what's up with the robots.

[JanesCustomTrain]

UK N scale is 1/148 not 1/144 !

1/144 is a scale most common in plastic and die-cast aircraft models.

Jane

[peteski]

UK N scale is 1/148 not 1/144 !

1/144 is a scale most common in plastic and die-cast aircraft models.

Jane

A good explanation of why British N scale trains running on N gauge track are scaled to 1:148 is at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_N_gauge

[basementcalling]

So N is the new G?

I see the various ratios a lot on Shapeways.

Let the buyer beware.

[rschaffter]

So N is the new G?

G is #2 scale models (theoretically narrow gauge) on #1 gauge track.

In the UK they run 00 (1/76) on H0 track, but they did give it a different name... 

[randgust]

It's messier than you think.

The Atlas 2-6-0 is a narrow-gauge (meter-gauge) Japanese Porter 2-6-0, developed by MicroAce.    I'm guessing it is 1:150.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JGR_Class_7100     Notice the driver diameter given at 36".

I got one of the original Japanese-lettered MicroAce ones when they first came out, a couple more Atlas ones for mechanisms after they came out.

You don't realize how truly oversize it is for conventional N until you start slapping a scale to it and comparing it to actual locomotive drawings.   It LOOKS good though.  But if you start scaling it out it has 42" drivers, which made it perfect for my Lima 2-6-0 conversion project, which was a much larger 2-6-0 with chunkier proportions.  Put it side-by-side with the original and it's pretty obvious that something is wrong.... or put it side-by-side with the Atlas 4-4-0 which is dead-on a US standard gauge prototype.   Makes the 4-4-0 look wrong, and it's not.   It's only really painfully oversize in the cab dimensions and possibly the stack height.

That's the most glaring example of mixed-scale out there that's not really openly disclosed and you can even start an argument over.  I hope there is poetic justice that the Atlas 4-4-0's done by Microace are in a Japanese forum trying to figure out how to put a bigger cab on them because they just don't look quite right...

[JMaurer1]

So N is the new G?

  Since I also model in G (actually Fn3 scale).

[jimmo]

The only legitimate scale ratio for N scale is 160/1 because the Arnold Company invented it and they used 160/1 since that is the correct ratio for nine millimeter track, standard gauge.

The other ratios are close but certainly are NOT N scale. If they want to fiddle fart around with the size of their models, that's fine. Just don't call them something they aren't.

Doug

I agree that 1/160 is the established N-scale, the rest of the variations are all based on each region's 1:1 railroad gauge using 9mm components. The British refer to their 1/148 N as N-gauge as to distinguish from American and European N. The only thing they all have in common is the gauge of 9mm. What would have happened if everyone had their own gauge in 1/160?

I'm glad that they are all the same gauge, otherwise we wouldn't have all these Japanese powered chassis to work with. Every time I check there are new mechanisms available for those railcars or odd little switchers some of us are working on. I just wished that they would do the same for Z.