"28mm WW2 Translates to Approx What Railway Model Scale?" Topic

Hi, I'm interested in getting some accessories for my games and was wondering has anyone an idea what's the best fit for the 28mm Bolt Action and Chain of Command sized miniatures.

I believe the consensus is that they're roughly somewhere in this region 1:48, but probably closer to 1:50 and 1:56 ?

I've read some suggest that the North American O scale (I believe the UK/Euro version is different?!?) is quite close.

Any help directing me would be much obliged :)

For buildings and trains I use O scale. Tons of it on ebay.
Here is a photo of the O scale stuff I used for my Stalingrad setup.

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Some people use 1/48 vehicles. Many use 1/56, and this scale has the largest and fastest growing, variety of vehicles.

American and Euro both use the same track gauge and same model scales
O scale is 1/48
S scale is 1/64

UK, the scales are a little different than that because their actual tracks are a different gauge, but they tend to use the same model gauge as US & Euro. Hence Airfix HO/OO model kits. (HO = 1/87; OO = 1/76)

S scale is closest, but really hard to find.
O scale works well.

Another option is On30 scale, which uses O scale models on HO gauge track. It is used to model narrow gauge railroads. I like it because I think the narrow track looks better compared to the infantry figures and the O scale models match the 1/48 vehicles I use.

As a side note, I get a lot of use out of this page:
TMP link

While not directly related to the WWII question I have a couple of posts on my blog that maybe of interest. My opinion is that O scale is far to large. While you can certainly use the buildings without an issue, the size difference becomes very apparent when you put a piece of O scale track down and discover that your 6' tall man will fit neatly between the rails that are only 56 1/2" apart.

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Brigade's WW1/WW2 trains are S scale and work quite well (I have 7 of the cars now). Brigade has an engine or you can pick up something suitable at a Model Railroad show, they happen on a regular basis in the Philadelphia region, not sure about other parts of the country. My track is called S-helper, and while pricy, it looks fabulous. A company called MTH carries it now link

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As noted above the Company B train that Brigade sells runs on S gauge track. We recommend American Models track. It is reasonably priced, has weathered ties and has scaled rails in place of the oversized ones normally found in hobby stores.

We chose S simply because of the look and feel on the table. O gauge is way too wide. HO works for Narrow Gauge.

Brilliant references all round. Many thanks!

@BAMeyer

Just looked at your Link and it looks great and very reasonably priced compared to lots I checked out yesterday evening

UK, the scales are a little different than that because their actual tracks are a different gauge, but they tend to use the same model gauge as US & Euro. Hence Airfix HO/OO model kits. (HO = 1/87; OO = 1/76)

NO!!!
Railway tracks in the UK are the same gauge as in USA and Europe – 4ft 8.5ins.

What is different is the loading gauge. Thus trains in the UK look (and are) smaller than US or European trains and our tunnels and bridges are not big enough for such large trains as you have elsewhere. There are no double decked coaches in the UK!

Hence when making railway models, the track guage remains the same (16.5mm) but UK models are built to 1/76 whereas US and European models are built to 1/87.

Well caught Major! In fact there are several former lend-lease locomotives still running in the UK

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My bad. It gets confusing keeping British model railway scalaes/guages straight. I think they have about 4 different "HO" combos.

Back on topic, my maths failed me. I thought the O scale track would look 'close enought' with heroic 28's. Not. Doesn't come close to looking anywhere near right. Ordered some of the S scale from the link above. Hope to sell the O scale track off.

Railways scales are confusing, due to loading gauges causing early manfacturers to up the scale used but keeping the same track so difference between Euro/US and UK. As a result there is a lot of finescale modelling in UK that builds to the correct track gauge for the scale.

Basically there is (the big three plus two intermidate ones that are quite specialist!, ignoring narrow gauges as this gets way complicated…)

N Gauge – 9mm track gauge.
Euro/US: 1/160
GB: 1/148 (2mm to the foot)

TT Gauge – 12mm track
Euro/US: 1/120 (2.5mm to the foot)
GB: 1/101.6 (3mm to the foot)

HO/OO Gauge – 16.5mm track gauge
Euro/US (HO): 1/87 (3.5mm to the foot)
GB (OO): 1/76 (4mm to the foot)
There is also the modelling scale of 1:72 (1" to the foot) which is sometime mixed with 00 but isn't the same at all!

S Scale – 22.43mm track gauge
Euro/US: 1/64 (3/16" to the foot)
GB: Not common at all

O gauge – 32mm track gauge
Euro/US: 1/48 (1/4" to the foot)
GB: 1:43.5 (7mm to the foot)

IF you are not confused yet, well done. I regularly meet railway modellers who get all this confused!

Leigh

As a side note, I get a lot of use out of this page:
TMP link

Thanks for the link.

And just because I used them in another related thread here are some pics for quick reference.

top to bottom: HO, On30, S, O

HO Standard Gauge rail

On30 Narrow Gauge rail (physically the rails are the same distance apart as HO Standard)

S Standard Gauge rail

O Standard Gauge rail

Slightly better pic of a Black Scorpion mini from their Tombstone line against the O Standard gauge rail

These folks are pretty short when compared to the O gauge the tallest are barely topping 5' in height.

S scale is the closest but there's very little of that running around.