Ho and oo compatibility.


kjchronister

kjchronister

Member
Been reading up on these two scales, as I'd like to host some brit steam on my layout. They're the same, but not quite, is the gist of what I read.

Does anyone here have practical experience running oo equipment, specifically Hornby, on ho layouts?
 
Interesting thread!

I have no information, but our Australian even Canadian brothers may know.
 
I have code 83 rail on my HO layout. I have a number of pieces of OO equipment. The problems I have stem from the flanges being too deep. Perhaps code 83 is uncommon where OO is prevalent.

The gauge for HO and OO is the same but the scale (1/87 vs 1/76) is different. This normally is not a problem as the British prototypes tend to be on the smaller side, so next to HO equipment they look (IMO) fine.
 
kjchronister said:
I'm code 83 too, probably should have said so.
Click to expand...

When I purchased them I didn't even give flange size a consideration. I simply assumed that everything these days would work with code 83. They do run but they "bump" when going through the Peco turnouts frogs.
 
fcwilt said:
When I purchased them I didn't even give flange size a consideration. I simply assumed that everything these days would work with code 83. They do run but they "bump" when going through the Peco turnouts frogs.
Click to expand...

Yeah, my old Rivarossi cars are the same: run, but bump through the frogs. Honestly, they track as well as anything I've got - those 'pizza cutter' wheels certainly do stick through about anything. They certainly are more stick-to-the-track than my MTH passenger cars that are pretty 'light on their feet'. Run for hours then just randomly derail for no apparent reason at random points throughout the layout. One little jitter in speed or some such thing and 'brrrrrrrrrrrrt' go the wheels on the ties...

Eventually I'll swap out the Rivarossi wheelsets anyway: Yet that's not so simple on Motive Power.

Just pro-forma... Is your OO stuff Hornby or other? Of what vintage? I'd not be surprised if newer versions had less-deep flanges, but that's just hypothesis. Hopefully someone across the pond or down under can give us more definitive info!
 
It's all Hornby gear - maybe three-four years for the oldest pieces.

I am still building my layout and most of my rolling stock is still packed away. I've just taken out some items for testing and enjoyment. Perhaps the ones I ran just happened to be the older ones, maybe the newest ones will be fine. Time will tell.
 
Newer British stuff will run on code 83 track with no problems, but older ones do have horrendously deep flanges! (One of the reasons I abandoned UK models for European and American many years ago). (I am a Brit by the way).

But as I said any current UK models will run fine on code 83 or 75. My main hate for UK stuff are the horrible couplers. On my European models I used Kadee plug-in couplers (Euro models all have sockets to accept them, mostly with close coupling mechanisms to close the gap between vehicles).
 
In all likelihood, any models of british rail I buy would operate strictly as 'unit' trains... If they end up being convertible to kadee type coupler, I probably would for aesthetic purposes; but I'd not intermix with my (strictly US) current HO stuff anyhow, so technically they could all stay 'tension lock'.

Thanks for the information that more current items do run on code 83! That's a big relief, and tells me to be sure what I seek out and/or check in photos.
 
In the mid/late 1980's I had a big ho layout, with a code 100 mainline. I also had a British "buddy" with a good sized collection of British prototye stuff and no layout maybe 75 freight and passenger cars and 50 or so locomotives, some brass steam and otherwise. He had them stored in two military foot lockers with built in racks. He brought the over to the layout and ran them all with no problems on the code 100. Sadly he passed in the early 1990's I've wondered what happened to those footlockers full of trains.
 
G'day all...Where you can really get caught out between HO and OO is in vehicles..The difference is really noticeable in that regard..1:87 to 1:76 jumps out at you if you see two cars or trucks next to each other or even next to rolling stock..a little less so with locomotives...I'd suggest that as HO has for quite some time now been the most popular used of the two scales and that Great Britain is the home of OO nowadays..but not so much elsewhere....that the 16.5 mm track used for both makes sense.. To produce track in the exact scale for a much smaller OO market wouldn't be practical....I've been caught a couple of times with rolling stock , accidentally buying containers and finding that when they arrive they're OO..and won't fit the flatcars...just look silly..Same thing with a couple of trucks I bought..They look okay at a distance but put them near an HO equivalent and the difference is starkly clear...As the track width is exactly the same. though (16.5mm) there is no problem whatsoever running Hornby or other OO trains...Cheers Rod..
 
Thanks for the info, Rodney. Hadn't thought about that. For me it will be strictly locos and rolling stock making a "guest" appearance on an otherwise ho scale layout.
 
Rodney that is a great point about vehicles, they are often overlooked. Thanks for the tip, now I won't get burned buying a OO vehicle for my HO.

I got burned buying English O gauge vehicles only to find out they are much bigger then Lionel traditional scale. The worst part is this has happen to me more then once! Who knew American brands would sell English O gauge?
 
King Toot that is a very interesting and informative read, Thank you!

I copied and pasted it into MS Word and it takes up 8 pages!
 
G'day Alan....Plug in couplers you mentioned....They're great...These got me out of a jam a while back with some rolling stock that didn't want to 'play nice' with my Silver series bachmann stuff..Suddenly they did..Cheers Rod..
 
Hi all. I'm not sure what sort of experiences you guys have had with the later model Brit steamers but I used to own 11 of Hornby's "super detailed" steamers around 5 years ago. All were purchased new and the level of detail on them was quite superb. Unfortunately, that was where the "superbs" finished.

I had nothing but endless problems with mechanisms, valve gear falling apart, woeful motors that even running with DCC could not begin to approach the slow speed capabilities of the US models, and locomotives that "waddled" down the track out of the box. The one and only Brit diesel that I purchased lasted 14 months at which point it was impossible to run a single lap of my 20' x 8' layout without having to prod it into life a least 6 times - the reason was due to poor pickups as a result of the bogie side frames being warped to the point where only 1 axle on each of the 3 axle bogies was making contact at a time - the other two were no longer making any contact with the side frames (and hence the pickups).

Maybe I was unlucky but I do think with a better than 70% failure rate of locomotives less than 2 years old - something is seriously wrong with the product. My Atlas HO diesels that have replaced the Brit stock - 4 are 5 years old and the other 2 are 4 years old have never failed once and they receive the same level of treatment and use as the Brit stuff did.

Just hope you don't get similar problems for what it is worth.
 
G'day Pete , Alan ..and all thread contributors....This astounds me but I don't doubt your word for a second...particularly about Pete's woes with the steamers.... There are only two Brit / European manufacturers I've had any direct link to ..Hornby and Bachmann and Hornby hardly counts as that was best part of 40 years ago as a kid...Here's my most used brands.....Athearn Genesis , Athearn RTR or Blue Box...Intermountain , Broadway Limited , a single Kato , three Walthers , one Atlas a couple of Lifelike's , and numerous Bachmanns including a few Spectrums..and my latest addition is a Sound Value Bachmann...I have 57 locomotives..Price range is $340 for one of my Athearn Genesis SD70 ACe's to $43 for a lifelike DC....SO far I have not had any fail in regard to motors , a couple have had pick up's issues and one damaged..a Bachmann SD 40-2..dropped off the table..Here's the real point ..I don't own a single steam engine...as all I model and run is 1960s onwards depictions..and a couple of F7 a's...Maybe that's the issue given that they actually have moving rods etc prone to warp , damage , breakages...could that be it...or is it I've been exceedingly lucky to date..Interested to read of your troubles but relieved that the recent locos aren't giving problems to you...Cheers Rod..
 
In fairness to manufacturers of UK locomotives, the quality is much improved from previous offerings. Steam locomotives are quite highly detailed and from exhibition layouts seen recently do seem to run very well. ........but I will stay with American HO ;)

Alan
www.andersley.co.uk
 
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