New 1/72nd modeling!


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NP2626

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In the new Kalmbach annual magazine "Model Railroad Planing" edited by Tony Koester, Doug Tagsold, a prolific layout builder has introduced a new Scale. It is 1/72nd scale and uses HO track and HO models for his Narrow Gauge Colorado Southern. Technically HO Gauge track at 1/72 scale, is 3 feet 9 inches wide. Not exactly 3 feet per the real Colorado Southern. Also the track has ties to closely spaced and he spread them out some. I wonder if using On30 track might not be a better choice; however, maybe the money savings going with HO may have made this options more attractive. He came up with 1/72 scale as being almost between S scale and HO (1/64th vs 1/87th). He has found the Athearn/Roundhouse old time consolidation; or, the the old MDC Roundhouse Old Time consolidation to look very close to a C-16 narrow gauge engine and the old MDC Roundhouse 36 foot old time cars to come out to 30 feet long at 1/72 scale. He has scratch built some structures and used HO structures with enlarged doorways and windows.

I think this is certainly thinking outside the box and a very interesting proposal.
 
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There's a lot of models and figures available in that scale, could be interesting.
 
I:72 has been a scale, long supported in the model aircraft hobby in particular. Vehicles too, but can't say I've seen much in buildings/scenery. The fact that, as you've noted, there are no commercially available tracks that match any of the usual gauges, is probably the most limiting reason for it's poor acceptance in model railroading. One for the individualist and scratch builder so far, but who knows what it might become.
 
I wonder how this 1:72 scale came into being. In feet and inches it's 1"=6', or 1/6th"= 1' (12"). What a seemingly strange scale to work in. 1:64th, you can quite easily divide up into inches. But then again, how does 1:87th work out either?
 
I guess that figures and automobiles are readily available in 1/72nd scale, which is a great help. The fact that HO buildings are modifiable to make 1/72nd buildings is also a help. I would think a bugabo to over come is the fact that 3 foot Narrow Gauge ties are 6' long, meaning that about a foot and a half sticks out from each side of the track. This definitely looks different than standard gauge track.
 
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1/76 British OO or 4 mm scale has a large selection of vehicles. Oxford Miniatures alone must have made several thousand different vehicles. Unfortunately most come with a right hand drive. Structures too in 4mm scale too, although kitbuilt buildings do not seem to be as big a part of the UK version of the hobby. Browse the online retailer Hattons.com for many items that can be used on modern pikes where there has been a narrowing of design differences between UK, US and Europe for common objects. Don't be afraid to look under the Bachmann brand as Bachmann Europe/UK is an entirely separate entity (both owned by Kader Inc of Hong Kong) with much better design and quality than Bachmann USA.

ken
 
I guess I did not realize that OO was was so close to 1/72nd scale, being 1/76.2. Models for this scale would work (in my opinion) if they looked like American buildings, automobiles, figures and other equipment. HO is not simply 1/87th in scale, it is 1/87.1. I don't know where the .1 would become visible, I think only in a build up of dimensions. Doug Tagsold mentioned in his article that 1/72nd scale is popular with Military modelers and that finding vintage automobiles and figures wouldn't be a problem. Doug also uses Code 70 and Code 93 track. I was told by Sn3 modelers that Code 83 was to large of rail for Sn3 rail and that code 70 should be used. This would mean for a true adherent to scale, Code 83 would certainly be to big of rail for 1/72 modeling! Doug did not want to hand lay track, so he compromised. Isn't life all about compromising? What Doug started out to do, was to model a layout that gave the flavor of the Colorado Southern Narrow Gauge line. I think he has accomplished this!
 
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Does anybody else purchase both the Great Model Railroads annual magazine; or, the Model Railroad Planning annual magazine? I have every issue of GMR and almost all MRP magazines. I know that some people feel that Tony Koester is too opinionated and have a hard time with the him. However, I think he is entitled to his opinions, he has been at this hobby a very long time. Sometimes I agree with him and at other times, I don't. Doesn't mean there isn't wonderfully usable information in the things he writes! So, back to the question do you purchase these two annual magazines?
 
NP2626 said:
Does anybody else purchase both the Great Model Railroads annual magazine; or, the Model Railroad Planning annual magazine? I have every issue of GMR and almost all MRP magazines. So, back to the question do you purchase these two annual magazines?
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I seldom purchase the annuals. Now that I think about it, I've never even looked at one. I guess I just always assumed they were just pictures of layouts.
 
Great Model Railroads is an in depth look at each layout which has an article, discussing how built, the era represented and details of the layout. It is similar; but, maybe more in depth than layout articles written in Model Railroader.

Model Railroad Planning is about the design of layouts and what the builder was attempting to do. I find both well worth their price and look forward to them coming out.
 
G'day , As limited as it is S Scale at 1:64th isn't too bad either . I think American Flyer was best known for that if memory serves , maybe one or two other manufacturers too.
So , if 1:72 gets going that'll be another to go along with G , O , 00 , S, HO , HO n3, N and Z and one or two others most probably. No-one cane ever say we're not spoiled for choice..
 
Rodney, as I have stated in other threads here at the Model Railroad Forum, where I to start over, I probably would start over in Sn3. Sn3 is a true modelers scale. Other than P-B-L offering expensive ready to run rolling stock along with kits Most of what is availble for Sn3 is in the form of kits or you need to scratch build. This fits squarely in my wheelhouse. HO used to be a modelers scale until about 10-15 years ago when the plethora of what was offered became RTR.

I don't know if you read this complete thread; or, not. Doug Tagsolds 1/72 layout is actually HO, with some modifications.
 
G'day , I did see the HO connection but I also see why 1:72nd might work with mods ..As I do HO exclusively now I personally would never muck around with it but some might.
Some time back I bought come flatcars with loads advertised as HO on EBAY but when they arrived they were actually OO 1:76. Despite being on 16.5 mm track of course , they looked ridiculous , so in that regard there's lots of 1:72nd mixing that'd be even more out of place directly . Indirectly though with scenery aspects bigger scale could be used.


For indirect use my biggest bugbear is with cheap brand supposedly HO vehicles etc is how inconsistent they can be. I use these days Model Power , Biante , Caterpillar , Herpa etc because even though some are relatively expensive , at least you know they look right . The cheap knock offs for bulk scenes for a car park or wreckers yard might be okay but for a street scene they look awful, all look the generically same, different colours only difference and can often be out of whack scale for anything like realism. My tip to new buyers . BEWARE of very cheap packs of 50 or 100 HO cars for modeling. Cheap and nasty if ever was the case..,
 
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I would say that 1/72 scale Narrow Gauge, as Doug Tagsold intends, needs a new name. It uses HO Standard Gauge track as Narrow Gauge track. However, he says it scales out to 3 feet, 9 inches in gauge at 1/72nd scale. Since I am not involved in this battle, naming the size isn't my prerogative. I brought this idea up, as I thought it was interesting and as someone who has an interest in Narrow Gauge, I felt it has merit. I did not bring it up in any attempt to confuse new-comers to the hobby. Scale and Gauge are confusing enough without additional verbiage to add to the piles of jargon!
 
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NP2626 said:
I would say that 1/72 scale Narrow Gauge, as Doug Tagsold intends, needs a new name. It uses HO Standard Gauge track as Narrow Gauge track. However, he says it scales out to 3 feet, 9 inches in gauge at 1/72nd scale. Since I am not involved in this battle, naming the size isn't my prerogative. I brought this idea up, as I thought it was interesting and as someone who has an interest in Narrow Gauge, I felt it has merit. I did not bring it up in any attempt to confuse new-comers to the hobby. Scale and Gauge are confusing enough without additional verbiage to add to the piles of jargon!
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Getting late to this show, call it 72n4 since it scales to 46.771632 which is close to 4 feet. Like the proto guys do; Proto87, Proto48, Proto64. Take the 72 out of 1/72 and makes Scale72.

That is what I did with my 55n3 idea.

http://www.55n3.info/

Looks like a really good idea. Most HO models can become Scale72 like this "Sn3.5" model I built.

0006010_cab.jpg


original_pcalrwy.jpg


The Mantua and IHC Old time freight cars in the background are the right size.

wood_load.jpg


Those are 1/72 Preiser guys, the guy in brown is an OO scale Langley figure and is 5'-3" in Scale72. The guy on the running board is HO scale.

My Sn3.5 4-4-0 from a Bachmann HO comes out better in 72n4, moving it into the 1880's.

shapeways_cab5.jpg


Those are S scale lads.

The Arcata and Mad River RR was 3'-9" gauge as were several others so the gauge is prototypical.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcata_and_Mad_River_Railroad

Have to put together a webpage tomorrow.

Harold

EDIT: Would name the scale 172n4, rings better and call it Scale172.
 
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Some interesting thinking going on there, Harold! I think that Mr. Tagsold is modeling 3 foot gauge and dropping the 9 inches that HO standard track works out to in 1/72 scale and pretending that it just doesn't exist. The fact that he is modeling the Colorado & Southern RR would mean 3 foot gauge. I find the tie spacing and length of the ties to be a fairly good distraction from the looks of Narrow Gauge.

It's one of those things where compromise is necessary and I found the concept to be very interesting.
 
I always see model trains as running on three foot track.

Have no problem with compromise just pointing out there is a prototype for the nitpickers after long battles in the early On30 wars.

If you live in the world of the "blue box" imagination need not apply.

Did develop a website:

http://www.chainsawjunction.com/172n4/

Harold
 
Am always amazed at the number of people who have no interest in a new idea tell you that the idea is wrong.

Nitpickers act like the proposal is ill advised and you should do something already done.

When I did 55n3 the first time in 2010 and pointed to all the resources needed I got these remarks on forums.

"Apart from the prefabricated track (which as you commented, would look ridiculous), I don't see where there would be any great advantage because most of the HO scaled parts would not be in proper proportion to 1/55. For example, the most obvious thing that comes to mind are wheel sets. But a 33" inch wheel in HO would scale to just under 21" in 1:55 -- a bit small for most narrow gauge cars which were more commonly about 26". The only things that might be usable that I can think of offhand are locomotive drives and rail. The rest would require some heavy duty scratch building. "

"Interesting, but I feel it's reinventing the flanged wheel to solve an issue that isn't really an issue. Some structures can be modified, sure, and short figures can be used, but what do you do for vehicles and other structural elements? Hard enough to find true O scale vehicles. It would be an even bigger scratchbuilding scale than O or even S. If you like it, go for it! Think I'll stick with On30, myself."

There were more vehicles available for Scale55 than O and most things don't need scratchbuilding.

The nitpickers that make remarks like that never visit the site.

Harold
 
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tootnkumin said:
But then again, how does 1:87th work out either?
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It doesn't work out, it just happened sort of backwards. Take a 7mm track gauge for "Ought" scale, take 1/2 of that for Half Ought or 3.5mm. So make that equal to standard gauge of 4' 8.5" and what work out what scale ratio that ends up being?
 
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