What are the most common gauges?
This is a real problem in the Grand Scales. In North America you will find 12, 12 5/8, 14, 14 1/8, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 24, and 30 inch gauge Grand Scale equipment. In the UK you will find 10 1/4, 12 1/4, and 15 inch in common usage. There are two major reasons for all this chaos. One is that until recently most of the Grand Scale railroaders were true “lone wolves”, working by themselves and doing as they saw best. Second, manufacturers of amusement park equipment had a vested interest in building to a gauge that was incompatible with the equipment of competing companies. An unscientific analysis has indicated that the popularity of Grand Scale gauges in North America, from most to least would go 15, 16, 12, 14, 24, 18, 22, 30, 14 1/8, 19. In the UK the popularity, from most to least would be 15, 10 1/4, 12 1/4. On both sides of the Atlantic 15″ gauge leads by a very wide margin.
