Train Stuff

[Mike]

For heroic 28mm style models, HO is the best fit?

[Andrew Beasley]

Nasty question – how heroic are your figures?

Also scale and gauge are different with gauge being the distance between tracks but scale being the models compared to the real life unit. These can differ in some cases 🙁

So the common scales are:

G is 1:20 to 1:29

O is about 1:43 (7mm is 1ft)

S is about 1:64

OO is 1:76 ish (4mm is 1ft)

HO is 1:87 (3.5mm is 1ft) – Half O Scale is the name derivative by the way.

N is 1:148 down to 1:160 depending on country of supply (OOO sometimes used for the smallest)

2mm is 1:152 (2mm is 1ft)

Z is 1:220 (and VERY expensive before import fees)

T is 1:480 (I think as its so costly I dare not look at is as I need want some)

Gauge is an issue – some countries have 1m gap while some have 3ft – it may not make a difference if you are using them in a game but can cause cornering issues with some trains at smaller scales.

I’ve ignored the more specialist 18mm / ScaleFour / TT as they are not common to buy.

Sorry it’s not a direct answer and may be a bit OTT.

[Darkest Star Games]

I’d say go with ‘O’.  I use Plasticville ‘O’ scale buildings for 28mm+ zombie games as wll as using WW2 Dust miniatures and it works a treat.

"I saw this in a cartoon once, but I'm pretty sure I can do it..."

[Etranger]

Andrew’s given you the common scales. That said, US O Gauge is 1/48, (& the rare European O is 1/45). O gauge tends to be expensive, as is S (1/64).

HO is far too small for 28mm – it’s 1/87, so between 15mm (1/100) & 20mm (1/72-1/76).

28mm, which is usually regarded as 1/56 these days, falls between O (1/48) and S (1/64) gauges.

[Patrice]

The cheap chinese-made Fenfa trains (sold under different names in different countries) are useful for this if you don’t need a very precise and exact model. They do not fit in the traditional railway modelling scales. The longer wagons are too small but the engines and some other stuff are quite good for 28mm. You need some scratch-built improvement as they look somewhat childish (and remove the electrical motor).

Some are western, some almost Pulp, some are more modern. A few years ago they flooded all toy shops and supermarkets at Xmas time, for two consecutive years, it’s not so easy to find them on sale now in shops but they are still online.

Example below: engine is 4.6 cm wide, tender 4.2 cm wide, that goes very well with 28mm figures IMHO. Rails are quite correct gauge but look too bulky. Give the long wagon and the trees to some kids or use them as scrap.

http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
https://www.anargader.net/

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