Ok I know n scale is 1:160 scale but , now that I have a few basic tools and my plywood sheet out ,, still need track and such right now useing a 3X2 foot oval . I would like to start practiceing with scratch building some buildings and utility type sheds just to get the feel of it , but I need to know how to measure out is 1:160 = to one real foot = 1/16 of an inch or is it more complicated or easier . if it helps I do have a Architects scale ruler but ,, its been 10 years since I picked it up to do any drafting or map making
You can pick up a scale ruler at your local hobby shop. It will show N scale feet on it. I have one made by General that lists S, O, HO, and N, as well as inches and millimeters. It's stainless steel, and is a standard ruler size, about a foot long, and an inch wide. It's also handy as a straightedge. If you want to do the calculations and measurements, take the measurements of the real thing, divide by 160 to get the model size, then do any needed foot to inch conversions. Example: A real structure is 20 feet wide. You want to figure how wide the N scale model is in N scale. Take 20 feet, divide that by 160 to get the width of the model in feet, then multiply your answer by 12 to convert that to inches. The math would look like this: Scale size in feet ---------------------- x 12 = model size in inches 160 Our example of a 20 foot wide structure would then be 1.5 inches wide. See the below example. 20 feet ---------- x 12 (number of inches in a foot) = 1.5 inches wide. 160
ConCor used to offer an exclusively n-scale ruler. It has wheel gauge, track centers,... They may still offer it. Also this might be a little simpler, if you use .00625 as a multiplier on all your prototype deminsions it will give you your exact n-scale deminsion.
