# Why O gauge?



## Kmac (Sep 19, 2015)

With the Holiday season in full swing I was thinking back to when I got my first Lionel train set, and i got to thinking about several things. The other week I was staring at my layout and was making some plans for what I want to do after the holiday season. I was thinking "it would be nice if I had more room for lager curves." I got to thinking that if I modeled HO or N scale trains I could do so much more and in the space I currently have. But that thought only lasted a short while as I realized how much I love my O gauge trains. I had a large HO set when I was a kid. It was my first real electric train set, but I realize now I was too young for it. I remember the set had two diesel engines, one was a Santa Fe and the other a Union Pacific. I don't remember what they were but I remember what they look like. I also had one little steam engine. It was a Pennsy B6 with the slope back tender. The set had a bunch of freight cars and buildings and scenery. It really was a nice set from what I remember, but I also remember how easily they broke, and they didn't run very well. As a kid I couldn't "play" with those trains. Then my mom bought me A Lionel Christmas on VHS. I fell in love with those trains I saw on that video, and it was a major factor in some of the things I have purchased. I remember wanting a Lionel train set so bad and one Christmas that wish came true. The engine was so big to me it was heavy and I could play with it. I got two more Lionel sets as a kid along with my dad's old O gauge trains but they didn't run, and I loved them so much. I still have them and they too influenced me when I got back into the hobby. However I almost went in a different direction. My old apartment was small and I thought a few years ago when I wanted to get back into trains that I would not have enough space for my old O gauge sets. For a few years I wanted to get back into trains but never did until this past Christmas. For those few years before I got back into the hobby I had contemplated buying some HO trains because I thought I had enough space for them. But I remembered those Ho trains I had when I was a kid and I could never bring myself to buy another one. Now that I am back into O gauge I think how glad I am to have stuck with O gauge and didn't go a different route. After going though that in my head I got to wondering why others decided on O gauge. Was it because those were your first trains or some other reason. For me I love the feel and the look and how much detail there is on models now. Sometimes when I am running my trains or working on my layout I just sit in my chair and hold and engine or piece of rolling stock because I love the feel, Whether it be a prewar piece, a postwar piece, new MTH or Lionel I Love all O gauge. So enough of my rambling why do you choose to model O gauge trains.

Keaton.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Why not? 

Truthfully, I choose it because they're large enough to easily work on, they have cool features, and I had O-gauge as a kid. I've done a bit of work on HO, and it's pretty fiddly to maintain, and forget about the smaller scales!


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## Jeff T (Dec 27, 2011)

Couple reasons for me!

1) It's what I had as a kid. 

2) As I get older the old eyes don't get better.

There you go!


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## AG216 (Sep 28, 2011)

Keaton,
I chose O because:
-Easy to work with.
-You can add more visible details.(this is the most important feature for me)
-Any mechanical modification can be achieved.
-Heavy engines do not need TT ( I am 2 rails)
-Room inside the engines for anything, Geeps are little restricted.
-If you kick your layout by mistake you don't care about derailments.

Andre.


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## longbow57ca (Oct 26, 2015)

Hello, I like Marx trains because I have had them most my life and you don't need a big layout to enjoy them and they are easy to fix when broken. Marx trains were made to last a life time to me they have lasted a life time. To me Marx trains were the tuffest toy trains ever made and made in USA. Thanks longbow57ca.


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

OK agreed with all above I had them as a child and now my ape like hands would never be able to work on smaller stuff. So, sentimental and practical. Besides there heavy and last forever! Speaking of lasting forever, you still got those old trains? If your a little bit handy, we can walk you through fixing them up


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

as a kid I had ho in our damp basement set up 2 4x8 plywood on saw horses. spent more time trying to make it run, keep it running than I ever did playing with it.

one day I found my older brothers old lionel O. 2025 with some cars, track, transformer under the cellar steps.

trains were covered with mold, track was rust to the point of scaley, switches total mess.
the cardboard box had rotted away and everything laid in a pile.

3-4 days later it was on the table running. IT'S STILL RUNNING. and that was 50 years ago.

*i'm :sold: on O*


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## NTHILL (Nov 12, 2015)

The RTR Lionel set was what I got for our son when he was 4. Now it has exploded into a whole new world for us with a larger layout underway. Nick


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Why not?
> 
> Truthfully, I choose it because they're large enough to easily work on, they have cool features, and I had O-gauge as a kid. I've done a bit of work on HO, and it's pretty fiddly to maintain, and forget about the smaller scales!


I could not say it better, so I won't.


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## captaincog (Oct 7, 2012)

AS a child I had a small N scale layout that my father built for me. One day a year or so later a friend of my father brings by an old Lionel 2055 with a whistle tender and a couple of cars and caboose. I found some old track and got it running. Wow! It was a machine that smelled with ozone, smoked, make noise, and I was hooked.


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## njrailer93 (Nov 28, 2011)

I think the question should be why not o gauge!


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## PatKn (Jul 14, 2015)

O Gauge is the gauge I started with. My first train was a Lionel and there is a nostalgic value to O Gauge trains. That said, I have never been very impressed with smaller gauges. Oh, there are nice layouts and they are a more convenient in size - but - There is something about the sight and sound of an O Gauge train thundering down the tracks that can't be replicated with the quiet hum of an HO train. In addition, now that I am into scale models and run scale trains, especially steam trains, The beauty, detail and raw power of a train engine is best shown in larger scales.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

When I was a kid, O-Gauge was 90% of this hobby. You were a Lionel kid or you were out of step with most of our hobby. I never looked at other choices. When HO came along, I really resented it as it was taking away from what I knew and loved. 
*
Over the years, I still feel strongly that O-Gauge is the best choice.*


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## Joe Hohmann (Nov 5, 2015)

Actually, you will find most HO layouts use curves as large if not larger than many O layouts (because that is more in "scale"), but you DO get more scenics per square foot. The problem with HO is that the track is missing the center rail.

I think a big plus with O is the operating cars and accessories. I personally appreciate the detail on good quality 1:43 car/truck/bus models. You can better see the detail on figures, as well. Best of all, O looks more natural under a Christmas tree.


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## HenryL (Nov 20, 2007)

N gauge, too small to see, something for those who like to look at railroads from an airplane view. Not for everyone, not for me.
HO better, better for small spaces, cool stuff available.
O gauge, 3 rail offers a great option for play value and scale if you chose to do so. And you can see it better.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

Joe, I could not agree more.


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## Ricky Tanner (Sep 19, 2015)

I grew up with Lionel,Marx and Marklin HO (My Dad's). I dabbled in N and American HO in the late 60's early 70's before I discovered a plentiful supply of used Lionel on the secondhand market. I stay in O gauge because of the huge amount of modern (Brass and non-brass) steam locomotives offered. Reliability and ease of maintenance are also big factors. The price is about the same as HO nowadays so you get much more bang for the buck. The only other model railroad systems in the smaller scales that can approach O scale for reliability are Marklin HO and Kato/Tomix N scale. The larger scales G,One gauge are very reliable but there's a very limited selection of modern US steam and it's crazy expensive.


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Best of both worlds!*

I'm still an HO guy but by stumbling over a 2-6-4 and a 4-6-4 within six months has changed my appreciation for O scale..plus you can't put an HO train under a Christmas Tree unless its a very small tree...which is not in my wife's plans for the Holidays...so HO HO HO is now O O O!!:thumbsup::laugh:


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## mnp13 (Aug 22, 2013)

Two excellent reasons - kids and cats. O stands up to both very well, though if my stupid cat keeps testing that theory I'm going to lock him in the laundry room until after New Years!!! lol

But seriously, it's the perfect scale for under the tree, it's widely available and, like many have already said, it's the size I had as a child.


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## Guest (Dec 15, 2015)

Over the years I have built layouts in N, HO, 3 rail O and G. They are all fun and each has it's good and bad qualities. I am building in O now because I had an N scale layout but have an inherited condition where my hands shake (not a serious disease, just annoying) and I find it too difficult to work on N. G is too large for my space but O gauge is just right.


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## Yellowstone Special (Jun 23, 2015)

My 2 cents:

O is what a grew up with. Received my first Marx train at age 3 and first Lionel set at age 6. You can do more with O, it's easier to operate, looks more realistic in motion than other scales, and not so difficult to see the detail in the locomotives and cars. The center rail makes wiring and accessories easier to work with and O just seems beefier and more like a real train to me.


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## bill937ca (Jul 18, 2014)

Its big enough to be easy to work, yet small enough with trolleys and streets for a small space. There is all the history, the legacy as an ultimate Christmas gift and memories of displays and layouts in stores at this time of year. I like the center rail as well.


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## weirdtolkienishfigure (Aug 4, 2015)

My brother got a Lionel Train when I was a kid and I always remembered how nice it was. I had HO trains from the 80's and was not a fan. I really like how O scale trains fit into holiday village scales (Lemax, Department 56, and Lowe/HD villages).

Just so much flexibility and detail.


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## MOVL (Aug 23, 2015)

Like many, O is what I had as a child. When I got back into the hobby in 2006, I chose to stick with O. Mainly because I wanted to run that childhood set again and also I wanted a Lionel Christmas set bad. That started me going into the hobby full speed ahead.


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## 400E Blue Comet (Jul 11, 2014)

They're a big size too and also they have the interesting older engines that run on it... and the Crusader. A really useful aspect of it is that the common track has tight curves. Even though HO is half the size of O, a U-turn in O gauge is ironically half the size of a U-turn in HO. Although one disadvantage of it is the three pins- if you want to have a turn that goes in a different direction you have to move all the pins.


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## milehighxr (Dec 22, 2012)

Dad had it, and it's what I remember running as a kid. It just seems so natural. Anything smaller is too hard to see(and I'm not even 40 yet), anything bigger consumes too much room(not that I have much room now).


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## MacDaddy55 (Aug 19, 2008)

*Oh Brothers!!*



weirdtolkienishfigure said:


> My brother got a Lionel Train when I was a kid and I always remembered how nice it was. I had HO trains from the 80's and was not a fan. I really like how O scale trains fit into holiday village scales (Lemax, Department 56, and Lowe/HD villages).
> 
> Just so much flexibility and detail.


My oldest brother had a Lionel 2-4-2 Scout set and wrecked it...my uncle Milton worked as an electrical engineer for NY Niagara Mohawk and could fix anything electrical...he would fix it and Will would just wreck it again...which probably took a lot. He just laughs at me now when he see's what I have planned for the Tree this year and our little collection of Lionel Loco's & Rolling Stock!! Merry Christmas!!:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Todd Lopes (Nov 11, 2015)

History and ease of use for me. I did model HO when I was younger, but eventually moved back to O.


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## Papa (Jan 11, 2012)

Another guy that has been into ho,n, and O. At 73 years young my eyesight is still pretty good but patience is not. So for me it's O.


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

Grew bored/tired with semi scale stuff in late 80s/early 90s. Left the hobby just prior to MTH arriving and Lionel scale items. In 2009, I saw Norm C’s layout on “I Love Toy Trains” by chance-he did exactly what I wanted-scale 3R trains in a realistic setting.

A few years after I started in 3R scale, I bought a few very high end 2 rail brass locomotives with the intent of modifying for 3R use. What I never expected was how incredibly beautiful the 2 rail models were and that I was starting a new chapter in model railroading. 

My hobby is building variations of locomotives never built in O Scale. Love the challenge and great folks I meet along the way. And, the search for limited production quantity locomotives from years ago, often decades ago, is a hobby and great fun in itself.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Why not?
> 
> Truthfully, I choose it because they're large enough to easily work on .


Hear here!! Me too. I can repair O-Gauge locos. Plus they are pretty robust to begin, so not much is required. 

I also like the fact that an O-Gauge loco is large enough to be a really good, detailed model, at least if you pay enough for the detail. I love that. All that detail - separately applied pipes and ladder rungs and lights and valves and opening and closing cab roof hatches and doors, and see through grills and vents with operating fans, does not make the loco run any better, but it looks fantastic. Just incredible models. Wow. I love O-Gauge.


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## JCIS4ME (Jan 4, 2016)

Had Ho as a kid then built a small ho lay out for my son, then life happens fast forward to a few years back and the above pic says it all! 1/32 scale slot cars.(now gone) Job had me move to Jersey shore where I was in an apt, so N scale on the kitchen table for 3 years, now that I have moved again to a house (GARAGE!!!) I am rigging up an O Scale ceiling mounted track. Mainly like others have said easier on the old mans eyes and easy handling!


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

JCIS4ME said:


> View attachment 552716
> 
> Had Ho as a kid then built a small ho lay out for my son, then life happens fast forward to a few years back and the above pic says it all! 1/32 scale slot cars.(now gone) Job had me move to Jersey shore where I was in an apt, so N scale on the kitchen table for 3 years, now that I have moved again to a house (GARAGE!!!) I am rigging up an O Scale ceiling mounted track. Mainly like others have said easier on the old mans eyes and easy handling!


Is that a DIY slot car track? I always wondered about the techniques to make them.


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## JCIS4ME (Jan 4, 2016)

Millstonemike said:


> Is that a DIY slot car track? I always wondered about the techniques to make them.


Hey Mike
It is built with imagination and a few woodworking tools a small router and jig saw, etc. 3/4" High density fiber board copper stained glass tape.
Got to . . . Home Racing World Harry has alot of tutorials on building a wood track. and as always you can pick my brain as well!
Marty


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

I'm surprized slot cars haven't mutated into RC cars and the slots have been eliminated. I guess that would be chaos on the track for those that have problems driving towards themselves. Same with RC flying.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

MichaelE said:


> I'm surprized slot cars haven't mutated into RC cars and the slots have been eliminated. I guess that would be chaos on the track for those that have problems driving towards themselves. Same with RC flying.


That's a good point. It would be more realistic with cars jockeying for position. But an issue is power. The slots provide power - a lot of it given the size/weight of the cars. Without them, the cars would have to carry heavy batteries


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## JCIS4ME (Jan 4, 2016)

Millstonemike said:


> That's a good point. It would be more realistic with cars jockeying for position. But an issue is power. The slots provide power - a lot of it given the size/weight of the cars. Without them, the cars would have to carry heavy batteries


Yeah way back when, TYCO came out with slotless racing. And now they have Digital slots where you control what lane you are on! A bit too expensive for my blood! Kind of like the DCC for trains, one constant voltage to the track and the car and controller work together like an rc car would work.and also control the switches in the track to change lanes! All I do now with the slots is collect one offs and collector cars that aren't being produced any more. Or pre production cars signed by the manufacturer.

Cheers!


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

JCIS4ME said:


> Yeah way back when, TYCO came out with slotless racing. ...


I think I bought that set in 1980. I just graduated as an engineer and I couldn't figure out how they engineered the passing. The cars "transmission" powered one rear drive wheel forcing the car to it to one side hugging the inside track and onto the power rails . Hit the "passing" button on the control and the transmission would switch to the other rear wheel forcing the car to the outside rail. IIRC, there was a capacitor in the car to provide extra power for that maneuver. And when the cap's charge was expended, the car returned to the inside rail.


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## JCIS4ME (Jan 4, 2016)

Millstonemike said:


> I think I bought that set in 1980. I just graduated as an engineer and I couldn't figure out how they engineered the passing. The cars "transmission" powered one rear drive wheel forcing the car to it to one side hugging the inside track and onto the power rails . Hit the "passing" button on the control and the transmission would switch to the other rear wheel forcing the car to the outside rail. IIRC, there was a capacitor in the car to provide extra power for that maneuver. And when the cap's charge was expended, the car returned to the inside rail.


Carrera Slots have a digital set up for 1/32 scale and 1/24. Race up to six cars at the same time using a constant power to the track and the controllers regulate the speed and lane changes, the controllers act like a remote control due to the cars having a chip inside it to make the car go! Check out Carrera slot cars. I know we got off the topic of trains, but the 1/32 scale is real close to O gauge and could be incorporated into a lay out. I used O gauge buildings on my slot track and they fit in pretty good. With my ceiling layout it is hard to see scenery so high, but I will add what I can to make it more enjoyable!
Marty


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## DennyM (Jan 3, 2016)

That's all I ever had is O gauge. I do some HO, but it's kind of a pain. I just took my HO layout because it got on my last nerve. I don't have any problems with my O gauge.


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## Dogdoc12 (Jan 17, 2020)

Is there another scale than O ?


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## Firewood (Nov 5, 2015)

Dogdoc12 said:


> Is there another scale than O ?
> [/QUOT
> 
> I hear there are some smaller scales, but I haven't been able to see them for a few years.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

There's always 1:1 scale, but I've never been able to acquire enough land for a decent layout!


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## JCIS4ME (Jan 4, 2016)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> There's always 1:1 scale, but I've never been able to acquire enough land for a decent layout!


👍👍👍👍


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## Firewood (Nov 5, 2015)

JCIS4ME said:


> 👍👍👍👍


I believe that's called hernia gauge... 😉


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