What is O Scale Anyway?
If you are looking to get into model railroading or simply trying to buy a train set, you will find that trains come in various scales like O scale, HO, N or some other scale.
What Is Scale?
Model railroads come in many different scales. Scale is simply the size of the model train as compared to the life-size version. In the U.S. an O scale model train is one that is 1/48 the size of a real-life, get on board and give me your ticket, type of train. This scale varies slightly depending where you are in the world.
Märklin, a toy manufacturer in Germany, originated the O scale around 1900. From the 1930s through the early 1960s, it was the most popular model railroad type in the U.S. I can vouch for this because these were the train sets I had when I was growing up.
These trains were larger than the other popular scales and could take a lot of abuse, trust me. Eventually they were overtaken in popularity by the smaller HO scale trains.
These smaller scaled trains not only cost less but they also showed more detail and, naturally, you could build a more complex layout in a smaller amount of space. For comparison, the videos below show both a 4×8 foot O scale and HO scale layout.
Which Scale Is Best?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question. The scale which is best is the one most suited to your needs. There are two primary factors to consider when choosing a scale.
Cost – Typically, the O and Z scales are more expensive. The scales which are most cost effective are HO and N.
I suggest you go to your nearest hobby shop to look at all the different train models first hand, then choose the scale you like most and make note of its cost. This will give you a feel for what you will need to spend to get started.
Space – The majority of model railroad enthusiasts prefer the smaller scale trains, and for good reason, these layouts take up a lot less room. This means you can lay more track and have more intricate layouts in less space than is possible with a similar O scale design.
In the end it will all come down to what you can afford and how much space you have available.
Although the smaller scales may fit your budget and space requirements better, I doubt they will ever replace the fun of my childhood O scale model trains (boy… I really sound old).