Observations #62: The State of O Scale
Since there’s been a lot of talk online about my latest Observations column, I’ve decided to post it here for those who don’t get the magazine or have not received their copy yet.
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The State Of O Scale
Not long ago an acquaintance sent me a letter saying he was getting out of O Scale after just getting started less than a year earlier. His reason was that it was too hard to find the things he wanted or needed to build his railroad. I’d seen this happen before several times and I am sure it will happen again in the future. This newcomer’s negative reaction to O Scale can be attributed to several factors.
First and foremost, O Scale does not conform to a prototypically correct track gauge. O Scale standard gauge was set in the U.S. at 1.25” (five feet wide) long ago in antiquity and the developed inertia against changing this is enormous. This wide gauge has led to a host of corrective measures over time, none of which have caught on with a majority of O Scale modelers or manufacturers, but has left O Scale 2-rail with a legacy of multiple scale ratios around the world: 1:43.5, 1:48, and 1:45.
O Scale is big, relatively speaking, and when smaller scales, like HO, N and Z, were offered to the hobbyist, migration to the smaller scales took place at the expense of O Scale. What was once the “King of all Scales” is now a minority scale with less than 5% of the total model railroad market. Indeed, some dealers and hobby shops don’t even know that O 2-rail still exists.
What little O Scale development there is goes primarily to the 3-rail O Gauge market. There are definitely more hobbyists using 3-rail than 2-rail. So, manufacturers tend to listen to and cater to the 3-rail market first. We’ve seen the kind of mayhem this can lead to with 140 smph top speeds, poor low speed performance and compromised fidelity to scale in order to operate on tight curves.
Unlike other scales, O Scale “suffers” from a multitude of competing control systems. HO and N Scale drive the overall model railroad marketplace and those scales have settled on DC and DCC as the two main control systems. Virtually every new locomotive in HO and N comes factory-equipped with dual-mode DCC with sound. O Scale control systems include DC, DCS from MTH, TMCC from Lionel, and DCC. Only Atlas O offers dual-mode DCC as a factory-installed option. MTH is now offering their DCC-compatible Proto3 system in its newest locomotives but only in diesels so far. Importers that cater to both 2-rail and three rail offer Lionel-licensed TMCC command systems in 3-rail models but only simple DC for 2-rail models.
All of model railroading has suffered from a loss of kits, particularly rolling stock and locomotives. In the smaller scales, there are enough buyers to accommodate the production of the most obscure equipment. Not so in O Scale. At present there is one producer of locomotive kits in O Scale: Stevenson Preservation Lines. The kits offered by Bob Stevenson are essentially updated Lobaugh kits from the 1940s and 1950s. The Varney/General Models/All Nation/Babbitt locomotive kits have found a new home with Bill Wade at BTS but the last Babbitt 4-6-0 kit I bought (2009) was hopelessly mired in the 1940s. There has been no U.S. development of a new O Scale locomotive kit since the 1950s. Mike Calvert in the U.K. has five white metal kits of U.S. diesels but that’s about it.
Ted Schnepf (Rails Unlimited) and Jon Cagle (Southern Car and Foundry) make cast resin kits, while Glenn Guerra (Mullet River Model Works) makes laser-cut and etched rolling stock kits. All three manufacturer’s kits are considered craftsman quality which means there are no entry level rolling stock kits for modelers to learn skills.
The state of scale turnouts in O Scale currently is dismal. There is one provider of ready-to-lay turnouts, Atlas O. Atlas O makes three types in 2-rail, a #5, a #7-1/2 and a #5 Wye. Contrast that to the 10 types Atlas O makes in 3-rail and the 27 3-rail turnouts offered by Ross Custom Switches.
The final stake through the heart of O Scale is the complete lack of 1:48 vehicles. You would have thought that by now someone would have capitalized on the lack of vehicles and filled that void. Uh-uh.
Many newcomers to O Scale come from either smaller scales (like my acquaintance) or the 3-rail side of the house where they are used to having virtually anything they want in an easy-to-open, ready-to-run box; where a locomotive from Athearn will easily double-head with one from Bachmann; and where they have a choice of scale couplers all of which are compatible. When they learn that in O Scale 2-rail if you want something you will likely have to build it yourself from scratch or bash it from something else, that most O Scale couplers (Kadees included) are oversized, that Atlas O truck frames are too wide, or that DCC for O Scale is immature, they leave. I watched one newcomer get berated for “whining” about O Scale on the OST Forum and then he left, for good.
I have very mixed emotions about all of the above. O Scale 2-rail is the last bastion of the scratchbuilder. I believe it builds useful life-skills when you don’t have everything handed to you ready-to-run. As one long-time O Scaler put it: “If O Scale was easy I wouldn’t be in it.”
On the other hand, O Scale 2-rail needs fresh blood and fresh ideas. That will only come from a younger demographic which will want to model in O Scale 2-rail. The niche where I see both youth and new ideas happening is Proto48. I think that Proto48 has plenty of room to grow and eventually become the defacto O Scale it should have been from the beginning.
Keep Highballin’
Category: General News
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Joe,
Being an On2 modeler, I tend to agree with you about O scale being the home of the scratch builder (maybe only Sn2 holds the same level of scratchbuilding in other scales). I agree that Prot48 is the future. I hope that other companies besides Glacier ParkModels builds P48 steam locomotives. I think Glacier Park has been a great entry into O scale, but the What is needed is the smaller locomotives, the 2-6-0s,4-6-0s, 2-8-0s, and small 2-8-2s. I would love to see some of the Ma & Pa, or smaller CN engines done in O scale, preferably P48. I am waiting for Sunset’s 4-8-0, which I wish they were doing in P48 as well.
Thanks for the great, and insightful article.
Matt
Matt, one thing that sets GP apart from Sunset, Atlas, MTH, etc., is that they don’t make models for the 3-rail market. GP designs their models from the ground up to be adapted to P48. You’re not going to get that from Sunset. If you want a P48 Class M, you’re going to have to get it converted.
While I will never be in proto48, Proto48 is a rising tide that floats all boats in terms of the quality of detail parts that are available. After a rather frustrating experience with no locomotive kits other than AHM being available in the 1970′s I went back to 3-rail in the 1980′s since there were 3-rail brass locomotives that I could run with my kit-built rolling stock. Just in the last four years I have been working in two-rail again.
There are a lot of very creative people in O and P48 due to the amount of scratch building. I really appreciate the inclusion of so many rolling stock construction articles in recent issues. Nice to see how others do stuff, to get ideas.
Hi Joe. I’m a new subscriber to OST Magazine and am just getting started with a 2-rail layout so I’m very interested in your column, especially concerning track, as that’s where I am at the moment. Regarding turnouts, what about Old Pullman? They seem to be a less expensive alternative to Atlas ($80 is a bit too pricey for me)and they appear to be well-constructed as well. Thanks for your input.
Kevin Kiehl
Kevin: Old Pullman is out of business which is why there is so much hand wringing going on in O. However, I spoke with a gentleman this past weekend in Chicago who plans to produce Code 148 turnouts using R-O-W components. I saw two #8s and they were beautiful. Much nicer than anything OP ever made. Look for this new business to debut around the end of the year with #6 and #8 turnouts. If they catch on, then he will expand the line to different Code rail and different sizes. Best part, they will all be MADE in USA.
If you are adventurous, you can try scratchbuilding your own using the Right-O-Way components.
hi joe,
I am also a new to 2 rail O scale, like many others I was in 3 rail. But before I went to 3 rail I was in HO for over 25 years. After spending 10 years in 3 rail, and with the final push from Lionel to discontinue classic TMCC, I am making the switch back to 2 rails again. I have been looking at and pricing DC power packs to buy for my new 2 rail layout and there are not alot of choices to choose from. I was also looking at soundtraxx sound for the engines, but again I was turned off by the lack of decoder’s with enough amp for O scale power use. Then came the choice for DCC systems, and also price. I have deceided that straight DC power and DCC control was to expensive for my needs. I have been looking at 2 rail track for 10 months now, and I still have yet to buy one piece. I like micro engineering 1/48th track, but they have NO switches. was also looking at atlas, but I would need to take out a loan to buy their switches. I really like the look of handlaying track and switches, but I work overnight and have three children in three different schools so I never would get that much time to lay any track. I was going to give up on 2 rail all together, but I had already converted all of my weaver models rolling stock to 2 rail. I had ordered my weaver lackawanna pocono in 2 rail dc, but I ended up having mth dcs proto sound 2.0 installed in it.
I see all of the hard core 2 railers complaining about buying a new engine for 2 rail with no dcc decoderes or any type of sound factory installed. I also recall reading that “I want to have my choice for decoders and sound”. If you want factory sound and dcc “plug & play” like HO has, HELP the manufacturer’s in making this happen. Joe is right when he said that 2 rail needs new blood to help push 2 rail O scale into the mainstream like 3 rail.
My complaints for being new is not enough track and switches for RTR people like myself. I am not going to dcc, but to mth dcs for control. As for rolling stock, weaver models makes and sells fine freights cars for my needs. As for engines, mth and weaver models will work just fine too, people like myself just don’t have the time to scratch build like 2 rail “HAS ALWAYS BEEN DONE”.
I would like to help 2 rail O scale grow into mainstream like 3 rail and HO.