#12 vs #13

[Jaco3011]

Hello

I've just bought Tomix' TaKi1000 in 1/80 scale. I intend to convert it to narrow gauge, but it's my first Japanese model ever, so I can still choose between going with modelling into:
>#13 aka JM (1/80 13mm gauge)
>#12 aka H0m (1/87 12mm gauge)
>non-standard 1/80 12mm gauge

13mm vs 12mm: 13mm is accurate for 1/80, 12mm is accurate for 1/87, but 12mm is way more available. Well, it is simply "available" compared to extremely rare and Japanese-only 13mm parts.
1/80 vs 1/87: 1/80 is exclusive to Japan, so I'd have to either scratch-build or order from Japan every little thing that's not part of nature. But 1/87 trains are more expensive and have less variety, not sure about eg. cars in 1/87.

I'm not planning to go into Shinkansen soon, probably not at all, but in 1/80 Shinkansen would cause even more mess with gauges.

Is there any regular group of #12 or #13 modellers in Europe?

[Martijn Meerts]

1 of my projects is a combined H0j / H0e forest and mining railroad, where the forest / mining lines are H0e (1:87, 9mm), and the connecting branch line is H0j (1:87, 12mm). Due to my fairly specific theme and era, I'll likely not be able to use much pre-existing structures from the likes of Faller, so most things will still be scratch built.

 

My rolling stock for now are all kits, most of them in brass, but I also have several plastic kits. H0j is definitely not common, and there's not a lot of rolling stock to choose from. A lot of what's available is steam era, which fits me fine, since that's what I'm concentrating on. I also went with hand laying track, where most people use TT track, but TT track is somewhat out of scale.

 

I do believe for example the Kato E5 in H0 is actually 1:87, not 1:80. It's much the same in N-scale, where (most) regular models are 1:150, but the shinkansen are 1:160.