British N gauge

British N gauge is a model railway scale and gauge, rolling stock is to a scale of 1:148,[1] track is 9 mm (0.354 in) width as with all other N gauges making track and rolling stock approximately 10% out of scale with respect to each other. The 9 mm (0.354 in) track width derives from a scale of 1:160 for 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge rails.

British N gauge
Unnumbered Peco Jubilee
Scale2.0625 mm to 1 ft
Scale ratio1:148
Model gauge9 mm (0.354 in)
Prototype gaugeStandard gauge

Background

When N gauge was developed it proved impossible to fit the then available motors into scale models of British prototype locomotives. British railways use a smaller loading gauge than those in Europe and America, resulting in smaller locomotives. A greater body size was required on the models to accommodate the motors, so instead of adopting the correct 1:160 scale, 1:148 was used. This allows larger models, but means that the gauge is not an accurate representation of standard gauge. A similar problem and solution was adopted with OO gauge and British TT gauge in Britain. However, since N scales to 1,332-millimetre (4 ft 4.4 in) gauge, it is less out of scale than OO (1,257 mm or 4 ft 1.5 in) or TT3 (1,219 mm or 4 ft 0 in) in representing the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge.

Manufacturers
  • Graham Farish is the most prolific manufacturer, producing British locomotives, rolling stock and buildings.
  • Peco manufactures track and British outlined buildings in kit form and rollingstock.
  • Dapol produces locomotives and rolling stock.
  • Fleischmann produces track locomotives and rolling stock etc.
  • Other companies produce kits for buildings, rolling stock and other parts - including Metcalfe models, Ratio, P&D Marsh and others.
  • CJM Models produce hand built models of locomotives and other rolling stock.[2]

Former manufacturers
  • Minitrix/Hornby - prior to being taken over by Marklin Minitrix produced British outline rolling stock and locomotives, which were sold in association with Hornby.[3]
  • Lima - Produced some rolling stock and locomotives
  • Hornby produced British outline buildings in N gauge as part of its Lyddle End range.
Main article: 2mm finescale

Finescale modellers modelling in this size use 2mm finescale, which has 9.42mm track and a scale of 1:152.[1]

References
  1. British N Scale Standards Archived 2013-02-03 at Archive.today teladesign.com
  2. CJM Models website cjmmodels.co.uk
  3. Minitrix Archived 2012-07-16 at Archive.today teladesign.com
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