WHAT ARE RIDING RAILWAYS?
Most backyard railroads are 7.5 gauge (7.5 inches between the rails such as the beautiful 7.5 steam locomotive (top photo, cover) found on the Bitter Creek Western Railroad. For reasons of economy and space constraints, this size is the most popular and most practical for the majority of hobbyists and clubs. And railroad buffs generally agree that any size of train is a good train. These trains are featured in the 7+RAILROADER magazine (www.7plusrailroader.com). But for many hobbyists and most public-carrying miniature railways, bigger is better. The ability to ride in the train instead of on the train can make a huge difference in the experience of being a passenger or an engineer. Generally, any miniature railway that is 12 gauge or larger is Grand Scale . (grandscales.
