3.5" gauge track?

ge_rik

ge_rik

British narrow gauge (esp. Southwold and W&LLR)
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Do any of our transatlantic colleagues know of a source for 3.5" gauge track in the USA? We've had an enquiry on my other forum and so far drawn a blank.

Rik
 
3.5" gauge track is outside the purview of what we call garden railways here in UK. It is a model engineering gauge, and with US prototypes, the locos are quite capable of hauling ground-level trains with six or eight adults.

It's not that common in the US, either, with most folks going for larger gauges.

I recommend your pals to get onto this FB page - 3 1/2"(And Smaller) Gauge Railways | Facebook.

THIS is THE definitive model engineer scales website in the USA - I've high-lighted the page that has track manufacturers on it - Rolling Stock, Live Steam

Depending on where your pals live, it might be a plan to contact the nearest live-steamers club/track.
 
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Interestingly a guy in the latest G3 society ,mag has just built a Gauge 3.5” GWR broad gauge single, on my reckoning if you ignore the Brunel 1/4 inch it should run quite happily on 3.5” track so long as no points (switches) are encountered.
Edited to show as 3.5” rather than 3 1/2”.
 
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tac foley said:
3.5" gauge track is outside the purview of what we call garden railways here in UK. It is a model engineering gauge, and with US prototypes, the locos are quite capable of hauling ground-level trains with six or eight adults.

It's not that common in the US, either, with most folks going for larger gauges.

I recommend your pals to get onto this FB page - 3 1/2"(And Smaller) Gauge Railways | Facebook.

THIS is THE definitive model engineer scales website in the USA - I've high-lighted the page that has track manufacturers on it - Rolling Stock, Live Steam

Depending on where your pals live, it might be a plan to contact the nearest live-steamers club/track.
Click to expand...
Thanks Tac
Very helpful
Rik
PS I've just replied to your Messenger message which you sent last year. Only just seen it. Just shows how much I access FB these days. Sorry about the delay
 
Mornin', Rik! Thanks for calling by. I got sorted out, thanks, using Steve Foster. He's a great guy to deal with. Your friends on 3.5" are lone voices, I'm afraid. With US engineering scales based on ratios to the inch like this -

0 scale = 1/48 = 1/4" to the foot

2 1/2" = 1/24 = 1/2" to the foot

3 1/2"= ?

4 1/2" = 1" to the foot

7 1/2 and 7 1/4 = 1/8 = 1.5" to the foot

You can see how pointless it is! :)

Best

tac
 
tac foley said:
3.5" gauge track is outside the purview of what we call garden railways here in UK. It is a model engineering gauge, and with US prototypes, the locos are quite capable of hauling ground-level trains with six or eight adults.

It's not that common in the US, either, with most folks going for larger gauges.

I recommend your pals to get onto this FB page - 3 1/2"(And Smaller) Gauge Railways | Facebook.

THIS is THE definitive model engineer scales website in the USA - I've high-lighted the page that has track manufacturers on it - Rolling Stock, Live Steam

Depending on where your pals live, it might be a plan to contact the nearest live-steamers club/track.
Click to expand...
If it’s just display track that’s being sought I used to make my own with slim steel rectangular section set into wooden sleepers ( in my case roof tile battens) or display base for my 3.5” and 5” gauge locos,
I know this doesn’t contribute to the issue at debate but for a while I did run Hornby 3.5” gauge, gas fired live steam Rocket around my garden around 40 years ago.4332A644-F45F-4E73-AFFF-DD64738E47CA.jpeg
 
that is one rare gauge!

3.5" or 89mm gauge would be called (in the european system):

a IVm / 4m /four-meter gauge.
scale four (IV) is 1:11. - with a standard gauge of 127mm.

- OR -

it would be called standard gauge in scale III (3) = 1:16 / 3/4" per foot.
which seems to be the largest no-ride-on live-steam scale.

is this penible enough?
 
Korm, 3 1/2" is VERY common here in UK, usually with the track up on trestles, with passengers straddling the track of the passenger cars.

But returning to the OP's query - Right now we have no idea how much track his American pals need. I've responded that to the best of my knowledge, 3 1/2" gauge track is pretty rare stateside because the common track scales for engineering size model trains, given that there is way more space to play in the USA than anywhere here, are 1" scale, running on 4 3/4" gauge track - the counterpart of UK and Europe's 5" gauge, and 1 1/2" scale running on 7 1/4 or 7 1/2 gauge track - UK and Europe runs on 7 1/4" gauge.

Although 'lil Engines of Lomita CA used to produce castings for the smaller scales, I've never seen any in the last thirty years or so. The tracks that I'm familiar with run around a couple of acres in Mollalla at the Shady Dell Live Steamers, Oregon [4 3/4 gauge] and Train Mountain [30-something miles of 7 1/2" gauge]. Pennsylvania Live Steamers has set the standard on the Eastern side, and Finger Lakes Live Steamers in Merengo UNY fills in for those of us travelling down from Ontario and Quebec. Watch and enjoy the Golden Gate LS in Berkeley CA - note total lack of 3 1/2" gauge track -




My suggestion as to who to contact about anything smaller is still valid.
 
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