When is N gauge not N gauge?

H

Harpo

New Member
Jan 21, 2005
53
0
6
82
Raleigh NC
Not sure if this is a question or an observation...some time ago I put together a Vollmer N gauge building, obviously of German heritage, which I had intended to use as a forest scene "Bavarian Inn/Restuarant". Something about it always bothered me a little, and today I think I finally spotted what it was. If one is to believe the height of the doors, this little gem is about 20% too large for N gauge...the people doors measure almost 8 feet in height! What's going on here? If I reduced myself to N scale (at 6'2") I could just bend down a little and rest my chin on the door handle. Wow. I mean, I've been to Germany, many times, and I just don't recall any 8 ft tall doorways. Even after the biergarten stop(s):D
_____
Harpo
 
There are manufacturers that think "close enough counts". Preiser LPB's for example, some are giants compared to N scale. I've heard of structures being oversized as well. I mentioned once before that I have some sheets of bricks by Plastruct marked"N scale/1:200". Not quite in my book...:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
Many manufacturers in the late 60s and into the 70s and 80s made dual purpose kits---kits that would say, make a small HO factory or large N scale factory using the same components and leaving the correcting to the creative. Sounds like there are still some out there.
 
I bought an HO scale Bachmann Hotel kit couple of years ago. When I opened the box, the windows were pretty close to HO scale(In real life...there is no standard for window sizes), but all the doors measuered(with my scale ruler) to N scale They measured 4' in HO.
Oh well, Lots of windows for scratchbuilding........
 
The first thing I thought was, "It's British N scale." British N is 1/148 while American N is 1/160. However, German N is 1/160 also.
Is it possible they just relabelled a TT scale one?
Click to expand...
A reasonable thought, considering Germany is one of the few places in the world TT is still made. But TT is 1/120, making it 33% larger than N, so this building isn't quite big enough for TT, either.
 
I had the same problem with a Polan passenger station. Although it said N scale on the bottom...the door height and window heights looked way to big. I just cut it away from its base, scored and cut away the bottom of the walls to a better scale height and re-glued everything together. Would this work for you?
 
Herc Driver said:
I had the same problem with a Polan passenger station. Although it said N scale on the bottom...the door height and window heights looked way to big. I just cut it away from its base, scored and cut away the bottom of the walls to a better scale height and re-glued everything together. Would this work for you?
Click to expand...

European stations sometimes have oversized doors and windows. Where I grew up, the the main doors (before the switched to automatic doors) where over 9 feet tall with the handle about chest hight. I remember as kids we could not even reach them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom