Is there a difference between O-Gauge, O-Scale and O-27?
Although these terms are often used interchangeably, there actually is a difference. O-Gauge simply refers to any model trains which ride on tracks where the outer rails are 1.25 inches apart. That said, there are 2 main divisions within the O-Gauge hobby. O-Scale refers to O-Gauge trains that are built to scale in order to closely match the real-life prototypes. American O-Scale trains are usually built to 1:48 scale, which means that 1 inch on O-Scale is the equivalent of 48 inches (4 feet) of the real-life counterpart. European O-Scale trains, which have been gaining popularity in America in recent years, are usually built to either 1:48, 1:45 or 1:43 scale. Because O-Scale trains are quite large, they require wider curves to function correctly and look realistic. What this means is that O-Scale trains, while more realistic looking, take up more space. What about O-gauge trains that are NOT built to scale? These fall into a separate category called O-27. O-27 trains are the “classic
