Any ideas for lines that are smaller than N scale track gauge but still 1:160 or close in scale?

[gavino200]

I'm not sure I asked that question right. I'm building a new layout. It's all n scale. But I was wondering if there exists anything that would be narrow gauge in an n scale world? So 1:160 but narrower tracks than 9mm. Like mining cars or trains that in real life are narrow gauge. No particular reason. I just think it would be fun. Any ideas?

 

[railsquid]

Something like this? http://www.nn3.org/

 

[Welshbloke]

We have plenty of 2' (ish) gauge in Wales. Look up the Talyllyn, Ffestiniog, Welsh Highland, Vale of Rheidol, Welshpool and Llanfair....

 

In 1:160 your best bet is probably using Z track and mechanisms, both being fairly easy to get hold of. 

[gavino200]

Thanks guys!

 

[gavino200]

3 minutes ago, Welshbloke said:

. Look up the Talyllyn

 

I think I was on that when I was a little kid. I spend a summer holiday in Colwyn Bay and we went on a daytrip to a slate mine. I'm pretty sure I remember a steam train ride. 

[Welshbloke]

It would either have been the Talyllyn or the Ffestiniog, both served slate mines. The WHR only reopened in the past couple of decades, the VoR runs from Aberystwyth up to Devil's Bridge (originally served mines in the Rheidol valley, but tourism was more profitable from fairly early on). I believe the VoR did some timber haulage during WW1 or 2. It became the last part of BR to use steam engines, having been nationalised along with the rest of the GWR in 1948 and kept running until sold to a private operator in the 90s. 

 

The W&L was unusual in that it primarily linked a market town (with standard gauge station) with a farming area. The section through Welshpool has gone but the rest of the line survives, along with an isolated bit of dual gauge track at the old cattle pens (now cut off from the active main line by the town bypass).

 

The Talyllyn was the first preserved railway in the world. If they hadn't been able to make the idea of volunteer labour to run a railway work there probably wouldn't have been any others. 

[Jaco3011]

Z track made by Märklin fits well Nm scale, as it's sleepers are slightly too big for Z. This should be standard for japanese railway modellingz but it sadly isn't.

 

Ne should be 4,5mm gauge according to NEM, Nf being 3mm.

 

You can use T gauge parts (3mm) to make Nf stuff (works with Ze). Ne remains tricky as there's very little supply of 4,5mm gauge track, and i'm struggling with Zm recently.

[gavino200]

49 minutes ago, Jaco3011 said:

Z track made by Märklin fits well Nm scale, as it's sleepers are slightly too big for Z. This should be standard for japanese railway modellingz but it sadly isn't.

 

Ne should be 4,5mm gauge according to NEM, Nf being 3mm.

 

You can use T gauge parts (3mm) to make Nf stuff (works with Ze). Ne remains tricky as there's very little supply of 4,5mm gauge track, and i'm struggling with Zm recently.

 

Thank you. This is great information. Can you tell me what the terms Nf, Ze, and Zm mean?

 

[Kiha66]

Nn3 which represents 3 foot (or meter, or anything close) and uses Z scale track is not unheard of.  Micro trains makes quite a few freight cars in that scale, and you can find loco kits where a N scale shell goes on a Z scale chassis.  My local club has a section that is like that modeling the narrow gauge lines found in the southwest united states.  

 

They look quite nice but are very tiny, I want to get them combined with our regular N operations someday too.

https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/micro-trains-nn3-99400953-30-log-car-with-load-4-pack/

[Jaco3011]

12 hours ago, gavino200 said:

 

Thank you. This is great information. Can you tell me what the terms Nf, Ze, and Zm mean?

 

The small letter after a scale means it's narrow gauge. -m (meter) means it's 1000mm and around (eg. 1067mm/3'6"). -e is 750mm and 762mm (2'6") and around, -f or -i (Feldhbahn and Industriebahn respectively) is 500mm, 600mm and 610mm (2'). -p (Park) is 381mm (15").

 

Nf - 1:160 3mm gauge industrial railway

Ze - 1:220 3mm gauge narrow gauge railway

Zm - 1:220 4,5mm gauge narrow gauge railway

 

It's all (except 3mm gauge) defined in NEM 010: https://www.morop.eu/index.php/de/nem-normen.html