O Scale and O Gauge
O scale is a 1:48 proportion, which means 1 inch on the model's surface represents 48 inches on the prototype. In other words, 1/4 inch equals 1 foot when dealing with O scale model trains. A model of this size is said to be in "1/4 inch scale," which is appropriate for O gauge track.
An exact O scale model of an 60 foot model train engine would be 15 inches long. The model trains used by scale model railroaders stay to these standards of proportion. There are instances when model railroad manufacturers don’t adhere to exact proportions. For example, Lionel's aluminum passenger cars, which were extruded, are the longest the company ever manufactured for O gauge track, only measure 15 inches. While they might fall short of being accurate scale models, because a passenger car is 80 feet long, which should result in a 20 inch railroad car, they look right in their surroundings , which is explained further in our article about O scale track.
O Guage trains are the most popular toy train gauge and the choice of serious model railroaders.
