1:87 Scale Equals How Much in Inches......

[RussHart]

If I am correct it comes out to about 1/8 inch equals a foot for building structures and etc. Or would 3/16 be closer to the real scale.

[DiezMon]

the closer would be 1/8.

[r_i_straw]

A scale foot is close to an eight of an inch but not quite. It is just a bit more. 3/16" is a foot in S gauge scale. Even though 1/4" is a foot in O scale it does not work out the same for Half O or HO. The gauge may be half but the scaling factor is not. A closer measure would be 3.5 mm for an HO foot.

[RussHart]

Thanks r_i_straw I had searched the net but did not find it.

[lexon]

This is a very easy question to answer. I just divide any prototype measurement by 87. Or multiply any HO scale measurement by 87. I am not a math expert. I just keep a calculator handy or use the calculator application in my PC when on line.


Below is just one link for a Google search for :
model railroad scale calculator


You can find a tremendous amount of almost any kind of answers if you search the Internet.


Model Railroad Life Size Scale Calculator

Rich

[Robbman]

87.086 is what I use

[watash]

Hey Robbman, that difference is why your trains wont run on Rich's layout. HA!

I went there and searched for HO Scale, and all I got was Google Adds. They show "O" and "N" but nothing I could find for HO.
I don't see well enough to get there, see? C? Sea?

ONE HO Foot is .137795276+ actual inches.
I use .1378" on My Micrometers and Vernier Scales whenlaying out engine parts.
So here is what I have used:
On structures .138" is close enough to look right to me.
.01148294+ is one HO inch, so I yse .0115" and it balances out. I don't work that close on a house anyway! Uts jusrt for layout.

A BNSF engine hand rail I measured is 1-1/4" diameter, so in HO, you divide the one inch by 4 to get 1/4 inch at .002870735, and use .0028 if you have a 1/10th indicating nike. But the Hand Rail 'to scale' would be .0115 + .0028 = .0143"

Look on the AWG Wire Gage Size chart to find the nearest wire to use.
The #28 is .013" (0.032mm) & #26 is .016" (0.041mm) .
You have to have 0.036mm to get .014" wire. (28 Ga. eectrical wire is usually solid single strand coated copper for wiring up switches, and way too easily bent to make hand rails of. Stranded wire is the same #28 Ga. (in outside dia.), but is made up of five to 15 tiny strands of coper wire for flexability. Expensive too!
.
Usually Music Wire is best for any wires that might get handeled, and some piping, brass and copper are both good for piping until you get up to about 45 thousandths of an inch diameter, then it gets too stiff.

If thkis doesn't help, you weren't paying attention, HA!

[RussHart]

Do What?????? LOL

Thanks watash I will keep this info I was looking and asking mainley for buildings but this will come in handy when I start building cars and etc. Im doing the 180ss probley the later part and I have a few cars that are from the modern area and I am going to take the bodies off and build flat cars and box cars out of them will be a lot of work that I have never done beffore but I am going to try it and see how they turn out.

[yankinoz]

I use a scale ruler - then 1 foot = 1 foot :-)

[watash]

Hey Russle, I may have confused you.

"On structures .138" is close enough to one foot to look right to me.
If you want to measure for windows etc. one HO inch is .0115" see?
It only makes a difference if you have a pair of windows side by side when each is from a different manufacturer.