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So what are gauge & scale, and what size is "G"
gauge?
The gauge is the distance
between the rails. The most common rail width used in Garden Railroading today is 45mm (Approx 1-3/4").
This is the smallest common system where the track stays the same gauge and the scale of the model changes.
Scale
is expressed as a ratio. The ratio relates to the difference between the full size item to the model sized
item. Using a 1:24 scale, a full size, 40 foot long steam locomotive would scale down to 20 inches in length.
This will give you a rough idea about the size of the equipment running outdoors on this 45mm track. Large Scale manufacturers build a variety of
scaled equipment to run on the same gauge track. The following scales
( ratios ) are currently being produced for this 45mm track: 1:20, 1:22.5,
1:24, 1:29, and 1:32. For comparison, if you're familiar with the size
of HO scale then 1:20 scale is approximately 4 times larger.
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GAUGE
& SCALE
