Any new news on T gauge?

Mike Skibbe Feb 5, 2007

  1. David K. Smith

    David K. Smith TrainBoard Supporter

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  2. Kez

    Kez TrainBoard Member

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  3. David K. Smith

    David K. Smith TrainBoard Supporter

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  4. RSmidt

    RSmidt TrainBoard Member

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    1/350 is a popular models shipbuilding scale. One company actually makes a set of static trains as harbor accessories for dioramas. The loco is actually an RS-1 I think, perhaps and MRS-1.

    I'm considering using the rolling stock from this along with the T gauge trucks widened out to Zn3 (or maybe Zm if I use commercial track) as a less expensive entry into Z narrow gauge. I gues the loco would have to be a Shay if I do steam though.

    Randy
     
  5. David K. Smith

    David K. Smith TrainBoard Supporter

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  6. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I bought a bag of a few hundred of the 1:360 people to use in my Z Scale North Coast Limited dome cars. They are made of metal, and can be positioned slightly different, so it should be a nice effect, but I am way slow at making progress.
     
  7. RSmidt

    RSmidt TrainBoard Member

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    David,

    Took me a few minutes to remember, but here it is:

    http://www.commanderseries.com/pages/docks.html

    Commanders Series - Iron Shipwright models - accessories.

    The boarding ramps and dock sections might be useful for Z scale as well.

    Looking back at the photos of what they have, the boxcar and gondola are steel types and might not work as narrow gauge cars, but the flat and tank cars might still. I believe these are resin models, not white metal. I have one of their 1/350 tugboat models and it is a nice piece.

    Randy
     
  8. David K. Smith

    David K. Smith TrainBoard Supporter

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  9. RSmidt

    RSmidt TrainBoard Member

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    Some where i saw a photo of a static diorama with these trains on a car float and one of their tugboats painted up as a PRR tug pushing it.

    Randy
     
  10. Charlie Vlk

    Charlie Vlk February 5, 2023 In Memoriam

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    The track gauge at 3mm will work out to approximately 1/480 in North American Standard Gauge.
    IF the MU units are copied from Kato, Tomix, MicroAce or Green Max 1/150 units riding on 9mm track, the mechs should be usable for 1/480
    North American prototypes (the slightly smaller Japanese prototypes making up the ratio difference so the 1/160 North American stuff is about the same size).
    However, if the 3mm track is scaled out at 3'-6" and the carbodies done at the same scale, the proportion will be 1/350 for the equipment.
    This will make the bodies too wide for 1/480 size equipment to match the track gauge.
    My guess is that the bodies will be sized to fit the pager motors, which means they will more likely be towards the 1/350 end so some fiddling will be necessary to make the stuff work for North American Standard Gauge on 3mm track.
    Sorry to point this out, but if history is any predictor of the future, T gauge may eclipse Z in popularity.....it seems scale popularity seems to skip intermediate sizes.....

    T <Z> N <TT> HO <OO> S <??> O <1> G

    Seriously, it looks like Z will be able to have narrow gauge stuff... at just about 24" the track will make a scale model of the entire Maine 2 footer lines possible..... and at 19" in N Scale it opens up mining and industrial operations that should be fun to do...
    Charlie Vlk
     
  11. Triplex

    Triplex TrainBoard Member

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    There's no significant scale between S and O. I would count S as one of the "intermediate sizes". I wouldn't put OO on the same list at all, because where OO is used, HO is rare. In the UK, S is even less common than in the US, and Z is almost non-existent.
     
  12. Don A

    Don A TrainBoard Supporter

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    Bring on the T. If it comes on as fast as N & Z, then I am safe as we are then looking at a good 20 to 30 years in the future. If someone wants to put in first dibs now for my layout in the year 2026, I'll make note. I'm coming up on age 72 in a few weeks. I'll buy a LOT of MTL stuff and more in the meantime.

    ...don
     
  13. Kez

    Kez TrainBoard Member

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    DIBS!

    :angel:
     
  14. Don A

    Don A TrainBoard Supporter

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    DIBS in Ohio are worth (The pain of Robert 'discussing' his hand drilling puncture in decibels) * (the local temperature around here lately) / Square root of (0)

    Got you down in my black book for 1 DIB ... need your phone number

    ..don
     
  15. Charlie Vlk

    Charlie Vlk February 5, 2023 In Memoriam

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    You are correct that there is a discontinuity between O and S.... there were some variations of O scale/gauge and even one in S IIRC, but nothing that really qualifies as an intermediate between 4/16" and 3/16" to the foot.

    The point about OO is not really valid.... in England "OO" is used for oversized bodies running on HO track...to allow the use of bigger motors in the smaller prototype. It really isn't OO Gauge which was quite popular before WWII (Lionel even made trains in that size).

    Z will probably "survive" the onslaught of T.... especially if Micro-Trains or MTH doesn't jump into it as the next "slot car rage".... to be honest, N Scale started out as a curiosity toy, so there is no certain predictor of how T will develop.

    Zn3 or Nn2 do sound like challenges worth exploring....

    But if the T Gauge will have two scales associated with it... 1/350 for the Japanese stuff, and 1/480 for North American Standard Gauge, what will they be called? Don't want to get into a situation like G Gauge where you have 4 or 5 different scales all called "G".

    Charlie Vlk
     
  16. David K. Smith

    David K. Smith TrainBoard Supporter

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  17. RSmidt

    RSmidt TrainBoard Member

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    I got some of the 99 cent motors from electronics goldmine to play around with (haven't yet). I think if you take the rubber housing off of them they are actually about 3mm in dia. I think they run up to 9 V as well instead of the normal 3V for pager motors. And at 99 cents, who cares if you burn one out.

    Randy
     
  18. Triplex

    Triplex TrainBoard Member

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    Nowadays, OO is used only to refer to 4mm scale on HO track. 4mm with correct gauge is P4.
    N survived Z, but TT didn't survive N. I suspect T will never pass even Z in popularity.
     
  19. solo_clipper

    solo_clipper TrainBoard Member

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    3.2mm pager here. A little pricey, used for micro rc aircraft. Gears can be had also.
     
  20. Charlie Vlk

    Charlie Vlk February 5, 2023 In Memoriam

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    N Scale didn't kill off TT.... TT was never that popular and ony had one full range and a few specialty small manufacturers in the 50's..... it just never took off. HO was probably responsible more for the death of TT.
    TT just wasn't smaller enough to justify the hassle of having small range of products, having to handlay track, etc....
    There was a concerted effort to bring TT back...sort of.... when the Iron Curtain was coming down. Rokal had a line of European TT (different track gauge, IIRC) that had a couple of North American items in it. The importing company never really took off, there being no need for expensive European-made items of questionable proportion and quality in a new scale....
    TT was the "official" scale of the Soviet Block countries...in a way it cooled off the growth of N Scale in Europe until recently as East Germany, Poland, Czechosovakia, etc emerged. Some companies (including Arnold Rapido) thought there might be a untapped market for TT.... but it really didn't develop.
    The Maisto diecast trains are TT size copies of Bachmann HO equipment... including the CB&Q NE12 waycar.... now if they had made that line in Z.....
    Charlie Vlk
     

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