| In real life a railway that is narrower then 1,435 | | | | then some of the other size train sets. It is a |
| mm is called a narrow gauge railway. Narrow | | | | huge sufficient scale that moms and dads with |
| gauge railways accommodate smaller radius | | | | small children do not have to worry about the |
| curves, and are less costly to build. They are | | | | pieces getting swallowed. |
| regularly found in mountainous communities and in | | | | The typical HO toy train runs on a two rail track |
| communities that don't have plenty of traffic to | | | | that is powered by an on the spot up-to-date. |
| justify the expense of building an ordinary gauge | | | | Some collectors have designed HO layouts that |
| railway. Narrow gauge railway's are frequently | | | | have a radius of approximately eighteen ins. The |
| duplicated by toy trains. | | | | eighteen inch radius models a full scale radius of |
| The smallest gauge toy train available to toy train | | | | 100 and thirty feet. The small radius is so tight |
| collectors is the Z gauge. The Z gauge operates | | | | that in real life it is just duplicated by streetcars |
| on a track that is only 6.5 mm. The Z gauge was | | | | and light rail systems. The casual toy train |
| introduced by the Marklin Company in 1972, at the | | | | collector generally uses a track that is supplied of |
| Nuremberg's Toy Fair. The z gauge is so small | | | | prefabricated snap together tracks, identical type |
| that a layout can fit inside a standard briefcase. | | | | of track is sometimes used by exhibitors who |
| Some Z gauge engines weigh slightly as 20 grams. | | | | move their layout from one show to another. |
| It is very important that a Z gauge track be kept | | | | Collectors who have lasting layouts generally like |
| extremely clean, somewhat spot of dirt can stop | | | | to use a track that's constructed of hand laid |
| the tiny locomotive in its tracks and gum up all | | | | sections. Some little train enthusiast choose a flex |
| the miniature working components. | | | | track that's compatible with a snap together |
| The hottest size train among toy train collectors | | | | track. |
| is the HO scale trains. The train was first | | | | The popularity of the HO gauge toy train makes |
| introduced to the market in the middle of the | | | | it easy for collectors to locate models and parts |
| 1930's but it did not enjoy immediate popularity. It | | | | for their little train set. The HO gauge is |
| wasn't until the 1950's that it started to attract | | | | approximately half the mass of the O gauge. |
| the attention of toy train aficionados. Fans of | | | | In the UK the hottest gauge toy train is the OO |
| trains started to realize that the the HO's small | | | | gauge. The OO gauge was first introduced in 192 |
| size allowed them to add even more detail to | | | | by the Bing company. It was called the Table |
| their layouts. | | | | Runway. A 16.5 mm gauge is employed for the |
| HO gauge trains are commonly less high priced | | | | OO toy train. |