View single post by W C Greene
 Posted: Wed Dec 28th, 2016 10:42 pm
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W C Greene



Joined: Fri May 4th, 2007
Location: Royse City, Texas USA
Posts: 8056
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 Howdy Steve, when I began the old Mogollon Railway, I chose 1:32n20 as the scale/gauge because it was (is) so very easy to convert On30 lokies & trucks & O scale details into nice 1:32 items. I had really wanted to model a "two footer" but didn't think about using 1:35 scale...heck, most of the details and figures were already 1:35 anyway. One day I got out my 1:35 scale ruler and measured the track (16.5MM) and found that it appeared to be pretty much "right on" for 24" gauge! That's when I started calling what I was building 35n2. "Proper" 1:35 scale autos are not available for what I wanted but 1:32 scale offers fine old Model T's and other cool autos & trucks and those 1:35 scale figures didn't look "odd" around them. Matter of fact, I got a box of expensive Preiser 1:32 figures to compare and out of 6 figures, 4 were the same "size" as my 1:35 figures and two were around 7 feet tall-in 1:32 scale! They must have been basketball players.
I was taken by what modeler Greg Wright had built and shown in the NG&SLG, he was building 1:32n20. I knew there was another outlaw who thought like me.
So, here I am in an "odball" scale but loving it!
As for 35/32 scale parts, it just takes some looking at what Grandt has in O scale, old timer SELLEY makes beautiful curly spoked O scale brakewheels which work in larger scale, and others make details which may look a bit "coarse" for the O scale purist but fill the bill for this slightly larger scale. Atlas & Athearn O scale trucks look great for 40" gauge and can be converted for nice 36" gauge trucks also. Matter of fact, I have some standard gauge on my layout, the trucks are modified NEW BRITE toy train archbar trucks which scale out just right in 1:32/35. It pays to look at toys, etc. as "kitbash fodder".
And the economic values: a box of 1:35 shop tools (military kit) goes for about $7 or so and those 1:32 Model T's can be found sometimes for $10 bucks for 2 models (sale prices). Just think about how much they would be if labeled "for model railroad use"? And frankly, the detail on die cast autos & trucks surpass those on really expensive O scale models! (my opinion anyway).
Wheew...are you convinced yet?
Si is already pervert...um...converted and several of my friends are likewise.

Have fun & run a train RIGHT NOW!
Woodie



Above: NMRA HO standards gauge with 1:35 scale ruler...pretty close to 2 footer, huh?



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