Related information

NGMRSC terminology

Many railway terms vary, even in English, according to continent.  (Even 'railway' is normally 'railroad' in North America, although counter examples like the Canadian Pacific Railway exist.)

With apologies to North American visitors, NGMRSC uses British terminology.  The main terms that vary are:

  • Points - known as turnouts or switches in North America
  • Sleepers - known as ties in North America

Please see the NGMRSC dictionary for further terminology.

 

 

Sections:

 

Narrow gauge railways

The strict definition of a narrow gauge railway is any railway with a gauge (the distance between the rails) that is less than 'standard gauge' - 1,435 mm or 4'8½".  There are various 'standards' of narrow gauge - ranging from the not-very-narrow 1,372 mm or 4' 6" to perhaps the narrowest narrow gauge of 600 mm or 1' 11⅝", which is effectively interchangeable with the fairly common 'two-foot' or 610 mm gauge.

In general, any narrower gauge, such as the 7¼" gauge Beer Heights Light Railway at Pecorama in Beer, England, is a model representing a wider (usually standard) gauge prototype.

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PECO

PECO is an English model railway company based in Beer, Devon, in the UK.  PECO supplies track and other items for a variety of scales and gauges.  (Narrow Gauge Model Railway Supply Canada sells items for HOn30 / OO9, HOn3, and HOm.)

PECO website

PECO publishes the specialist magazines "Railway Modeller" and "Continental Modeller".  (These links open the publisher's pages.)

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Micro Engineering Company

Micro Engineering, Inc. is located in Fenton, Missouri, and was founded in 1964 by Robert D. Rands.  Micro Engineering Inc. manufactures a long line of track and track accessories for HO, N, G and O scales, along with a line of highly detailed injection-molded styrene kits.

NGMRSC offers MEC HOn3 non-weathered, Code 70 Flex-Trak, compatible #6 right and left-hand turnouts, and compatible metal rail joiners.  Please see the Micro Engineering Company collection.

Micro Engineering Company website (not secure)

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    OO9 Society

    The OO9 Society caters for all aspects of small scale narrow gauge railway modelling, both for the beginner and the experienced modeler alike, for the scratch-builder, the kit builder and the modeler who prefers proprietary ready to run equipment.  Active or armchair modelers will find a welcome in the 009 SOCIETY.

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    Narrow gauge model railway scales and gauges

    There are dozens of combinations of model railway scales and gauges.  NGMRSC serves five narrow gauge variants - three with one shared product range, one with two manufacturers, and a fifth with its own product range.

    Scale / gauge name Scale ratio Model gauge Model mm per prototype foot Precisely represented prototype gauge Remark NGMRSC collection
    OO9 1:76 9.0 4.0 686 mm / 2'3" Frequently used in United Kingdom. Often representing 2'0", 2'6", 1 metre, etc. gauges. PECO OO9 / HOn30 / HOe collection
    HOn30 1:87 9.0 3.5 783 mm / 2'5" Frequently used in North America. Often representing 2'6" gauge. PECO OO9 / HOn30 / HOe collection
    HOe 1:87 9.0 3.5 783 mm / 2'5" Frequently used in Europe, often representing 600 mm, 750 mm, 760 mm, or 800 mm gauges. PECO OO9 / HOn30 / HOe collection
    HOn3 1:87 10.5 3.5 914 mm / 3'0" Frequently used in North America, representing three foot gauge. HOn3

    and

    Micro Engineering Company HOn3 collection
    HOm 1:87 12.0 3.5 1044 mm / 3'9" Frequently used in Europe, often representing metre gauge. Peco HOm collection

     

    HOm

    Scale:  1:87 = 'HO' = 3.5 mm to the foot

    Model track gauge:  12 mm

    Prototype representation:  metre (3'9") gauge

    Frequently used for European railways.

    NGMRSC collection:  PECO HOm collection

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    Rolling stock manufacturers

    Inclusion of manufacturers below implies no endorsement by this shop (NGMRSC.ca) except as noted.  Please contact NGMRSC with any comments. 

    HOn3 rolling stock manufacturers

    Allegheny Scale Models

    Durango Press

    Leadville Designs

    Northbound Model Works

     

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    PECO plan sheets

    PECO provides turnout and crossing plans which are drawings (at the model scale) suitable placing on a layout for planning track arrangements.  'Left' and 'right' variants are shown together on common plan sheets.  Links to plan sheets are provided in appropriate product descriptions.

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    PECO irregular and main-line HOn30 / OO9 track

    Track in the HOn30 & OO9 collection belong to either of two styles:  irregular or main-line ties/sleepers.   PECO describe these as "the original [irregular] range which depicts the slightly worn-out track of a picturesque old railroad or alternatively a main-line style suitable for a thriving industrial or well-maintained tourist line".  The different shape and arrangement of the ties/sleepers is visible in the pictures of PECO SL-400 (irregular) and PECO SL-404 (main-line) track.

    'Irregular' items:

    'Main-line' items:

      • PECO SL-404 OO9 flexible mainline track
      • PECO SL-E495 Turnout (Mainline Sleepers), Medium Radius, Right Hand
      • PECO SL-E496 Turnout (Mainline Sleepers), Medium Radius, Left Hand

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    PECO Setrack and Streamline HOn30 & OO9 track

    Track in the HOn30 ' OO9 collection also belong to either of two families:  Setrack and Streamline.  The Setrack family includes the rigid straight and curved track sections and the smallest radius points/switches/turnouts.  The Streamline family includes the flexible track (both irregular and main-line) and the medium and larger radius points/switches/turnouts.

    Setrack items:

    Streamline items:

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    Narrow gauge modelling magazines

    Narrow Gauge and Short Line Gazette

    Railway Modeller

    Continental Modeller

     

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