History of "O" scale model trains


The "o" gauge story....... toys for guys (and maybe gals) who love trains!
0 scale (or 0 gauge) is a scale commonly used for toy trains and model railroading.
It had its heyday when model railroads were considered toys, with more emphasis placed on cost, durability, and the ability to be easily handled and operated by small hands. Detail and realism were secondary concerns, at best.

This gauge remains a popular choice for hobbyists who enjoy running trains more than they enjoy other aspects of modeling, and collecting vintage 0 gauge trains is also popular.

Although Lionel is the most enduring brand of 0 gauge trains, a variety of manufacturers made trains in this scale. Prior to World War I, the majority of toy trains sold in the United States were German imports made by Märklin, Bing, Fandor and other companies. World War I brought a halt to these German imports, and protective tariffs after the war made it difficult for them to compete.


From 0 gauge's beginnings up until the mid-1970s, the various manufacturers' trackside accessories would interoperate with one another, but the train cars themselves used couplers of differing designs, often making it difficult or impossible to use different manufacturers' cars together.


As 0 gauge regained popularity in the 1990s, no fewer than six companies market 0 gauge locomotives and/or cars, all theoretically interoperable with one another.



Visit Omaha's "o" scale train club: Nebraska-Iowa Railroaders Club


SOURCE: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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