U.S. Prototype model of an N scale  (1:160) Chesapeake and Ohio Railway 2-6-6-2 shown with a pencil for sizeCSX 2112 (an EMD GP38 built by Atlas) awaits to switch a grain silo in a rural Virginia town.CSX 4346 (an EMD GP35 made by Atlas) awaits orders outside the freight depot.
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N Gauge

N scale (or sometimes N gauge) is a popular model railway size, allowing hobbyists to build layouts that take up less space than HO scale, or put longer track runs into the same amount of space, because the models are smaller (by nearly a half) than they are in HO scale (1:87). more...

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Z Gauge

The name comes from an abbreviation for Nine millimetres, which is the distance between the inside edges of the rails.

Overview

In Britain, some N scale models are built to "2 mm scale" for "2 mm to the foot" which calculates to a 1:152 proportion. Early N scale was also known as "OOO" or "Treble-O" in reference to O and OO scales and was also 1:152, though for an entirely different reason.

In the United States and Europe, models of standard gauge (4ft 8.5in) trains are built to 1:160 scale and made so that they run on N gauge track. In the United Kingdom a scale of 1:148 is used for commercially produced models. In Japan, a scale of 1:150 is used for the models of 3 ft 6 in gauge trains, while a scale of 1:160 is used for models of standard gauge Shinkansen (Bullet Train) models. In the U.S. and Europe, a scale of 1:160 is used for models of trains, irrespective of the gauge of the real trains they are scaled from. All of these scales run on the same 9mm track gauge (N gauge). This means the track is a little too narrow for 1:148/1:150 but the difference is usually considered too small to matter. Strict 2mm fine scale modellers use slightly wider and usually hand built track.

Although trains and accessories of similar gauge and/or scale existed as early as 1927, modern N scale only appeared in 1962. Unlike other scales and gauges, which were de facto standards at best, within two years N scale manufacturers defined the gauge, voltage, as well as the height and type of couplers.

N scale locomotives are powered by DC motors which accept a nominal maximum of 12 V DC. In traditional DC control, the speed of the train is determined by the amount of voltage supplied to the rails. The direction of the train is determined by the polarity of the power to the rails. Since the end of the 20th century, an increasing number of enthuisiasts have started using Digital Command Control (DCC) to determine the speed and direction of their trains. This has in part been made possible by surface mount technology and new motors that draw very little current (typically 0.2amps).

The agreed-to standard coupling is known as a 'Rapido' coupler from the manufacturer (Arnold) who kindly allowed it to be copied. The Rapido coupler system works well but is difficult to use for automatic uncoupling and also relatively large. U.S. modellers are making more and more use of a more realistic looking proprietary coupler system, available from Micro-Trains Line Co.. The MT couplers (as they are known) are more delicate and closer to scale American appearance than Rapido couplers. Other manufacturers are now making couplers that mate with Micro Trains couplers although without all the features of the MT couplers due to MTL owned patent rights.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


Minitrix N Gauge Electric Right Hand Point £0.99 Fleischmann N Gauge Points 1 X Left & 1 X Right Hand £0.99
Fleischmann N Gauge Straight Track 9100 X 8 £0.99 N Gauge Wheel Sets X 20 £0.99
Peco Etc. N Gauge N/Silver Flexy Track Cuts X 27 Feet £0.99 Peco N Gauge Double Track Portals And Walls X 6 £0.99
Fulgurex N Gauge 3 Aspect Electric Signal (New) £0.99 P & D Marsh N Gauge Planks Pipes & Land Rover £0.99
Farish by Bachmann - Pair of Br Mk1 Corr. coaches. Bnib £18.00 Knightwing N Gauge Track & Station Notice Boards £0.99
Peco N Gauge Streamline Points 1 Left & 1 Right Hand £0.99 Peco N Gauge Setrack Points 1 Left & 1 Right Hand £0.99
Peco N Gauge Medium Radius Left Hand Point (New) £0.99 Peco N Gauge Rail Joiners X 3 Packs (M.I.P.) £0.99
Kestrel N Gauge Cow Shed & Fencing (M.I.P.) £0.99 N Gauge Figures And Animals X 55 £0.99
N Gauge Petrol Pumps & Station Accessories Etc. X 40 £0.99 N Gauge Horses And Cart (Metal) £0.99
N Gauge Model Cars + Bus X 8 £0.99 Electric Locomotive Type Ef65-500 - Tomix 92944 £156.82
Powered Motorized Chassis - Kato 11-107 £14.99 Jr Electric Locomotive Type Eh500 - Tomix 2147 £64.65
Shinkansen 500 Nozomi Bullet Train 4 cars - Kato 10-510 £74.28 "N" Plastic Station+Overhead Canopy.No Maker £0.99
"N" Block Of Shops/Fire Station Plastic Made Up Kit. £0.99 Tipping construction lorry by Wiking n gauge £0.99
Car towing a small caravan by Wiking n gauge £0.99 Vw Variant towing a boat on a trailer by Wiking n gauge £0.99
15v Ac Transformer Suitable For Kato Train Controller £19.99 Kato 4001-2 N Scale Train Osaka loop line Japan £6.87
6 Volts electonic transformer for model lights New £14.99 12v 6 hanging lights for buildings & stations Freepost £5.99
20x 12 volts mini lights wired for buildings Freepost £8.99 Scale approx 300 tons N gauge Welsh washed Coal £2.75
N Gauge Burlington Northern freight 6 piece set £20.60 N Gauge Santa Fe passenger set: 1 engine; 2 pax cars £13.72
N Gauge Amtrak passenger set: 1 engine; 4 pax cars £27.48 Shinkansen 800 Bullet Train Tsubame 6 cars- Kato 10-491 £101.80
Shinkansen N700 Bullet Train 4 cars-Kato 10-547 N scale £88.04 Flat Wagon Chi1 (with earthen pipe) - Tomix 2721 £4.68
Flat Wagon Chi1 (with wood) - Tomix 2720 £4.68 Rivarossi N-Ga. Motor (New & Unused) w 5 Pole Armature £19.25
Atlas N Gauge Vo 1000 Nyc Rr Road No 8607 £41.26 Atlas N Gauge Fm H15-44 Cnj Rr Road No 1506 £41.26
Atlas N B-36-7 Csx Road No. 5574 £41.26 N scale Woodland Scenic Built & Ready Hardware w/detail £30.94
Atlas Scenic Ridge Layout N Scale Track Pack, Brand New £46.76
Click to see more N Gauge items
Prices current as of last update, 04/22/09 9:52am.


See also...
Animals & Scenery, N Gauge
Buildings, N Gauge
Coaches, N Gauge
Locomotives, N Gauge
Other N Gauge, N Gauge
Signals & Switches, N Gauge
Track, N Gauge
Tunnels & Bridges, N Gauge
Wagons, N Gauge

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