7-1/4 or 7-1/2? Why the break in gauge?

Рет қаралды 11,440

Жыл бұрын

Here's a quick, oversimplified explanation of why there is a break in gauge for 1/8 scale backyard railroads in the United States.

Пікірлер: 43

@NorthCountryTrains Жыл бұрын

That was a roller coaster… with a great lesson. I definitely know that the track shown in the beginning is NOT the right gauge lol.

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

That's track I'm not finished building.

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

H, I have a couple suggestions to help your channel. Nothing bad, just stuff I've learned recently that I want to share. Call me when you have a chance.

@StubProductions Жыл бұрын

Haha! Nice! This sounds like the question I asked a few days ago about you running 7.25”. Thank you for sharing. I didn’t know this.

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

This was the best answer I could come up with. Thanks for the inspiration!

@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695 Жыл бұрын

yeah I'll just make my equipment have a keyway and set screw dimples for multiple gauges that way it will work out up to a couple in Inches variance

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

You can do that, and many have. ...but unless the track is gauged excessively wide, 7-1/4" gauge equipment with an IBLS or MiniRail wheel profile will run unmodified on 7-1/2" gauge track. I haven't tried it on 7-5/8" gauge yet, but that is a thing. Train Mountain is 7-5/8" gauge.

@michaelhannah5376 7 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks, I always wondered why everyone else used 7 1/4

@MillBrookRailroad 7 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting!

@UnknownIdaho 10 ай бұрын

When I found about this ‘small but significant’ difference in gauge as a kid it made me sad the worldwide standard wasn’t adhered to. Of course, not many 7 1/2” gauge trains are hauled oversees, but i guess that is why i like 3 1/2”, then move up to 18” gauge, avoiding the whole 14/15/16” gauge fiasco…

@MillBrookRailroad 10 ай бұрын

Most of the time, 7-1/4" gauge equipment will work on 7-1/2" gauge track. Few try it.

@minnesotaeerailroad8471 7 ай бұрын

Ha! Awesome piece of info!

@MillBrookRailroad 7 ай бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@jenniferwhitewolf3784 Жыл бұрын

Always wondered how that difference came about. Out here in the west it is all 7.5" Now, what happens when east coast gear travels out west and you get an extra 1/4" of slop... or when west coast gear east and its tight? Is there one flange and tire standard that works both ways, or are wheel sets made specifically for each gauge?

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

7-1/4" gauge equipment runs on properly gauged 7-1/2" gauge track. 7-1/2" gauge wheelsets are too wide for 7-1/4" gauge track. So, since I build 7-1/2" gauge equipment for people, I needed to make my track 7-1/2" gauge. The exception to all this are tracks laid to Train Mountain standards. Train Mountain is 7-5/8" gauge and I have yet to test 7-1/4" gauge IBLS standard width wheels on 7-5/8" gauge track. I don't know why TM went to 7-5/8" gauge. Perhaps it was to compensate for sloppy building practices.

@stevensolway1054 Жыл бұрын

REAL SCALE FOR 1:8 SCALE IS 7&1/16", AT 7.625"; BUT OVER THE PAST 100 YEARS IT GOT REALLY MESSED UP, BUT THE 7&1/4" WAS ONLY FOR SHARP CURVES ONLY FOR EXTRA CLEARANCE TO EASE BINDING. THIS IS ALSO A MISTAKE DUE TO THE OLDE 1850 GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY BUILT WITH 7'FEET AND 1/4", AT 7' 1/4", BUT WITHOUT PROOFREADING IN THE 1930S, DUE TO THE CONFUSING NATURE OF PUNCTUATION MARKS, THE 7 'FEET SOON BECAME 7" INCHES, ALL DUE TO MISPLACING 1(ONE) TINY HASH MARK ( " OR ').

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

The scale can be anything at all. It is the track gauge and the rail and wheel profile that is most important. 7-1/4" gauge (and 2-1/2" gauge, 3-1/2" gauge and 4-3/4" gauge) came to America in the early 20th century via London, Brighton and South Coast's Curly Lawrence and his articles in Modeltec Magazine.

@dw.7655 10 ай бұрын

Well you made a slight error by stating Carl typed 7-1/4 , but you should have said 7-1/2. Another issue that came to pass was wheel standards. It was agreed upon by many clubs the IBLS standards for wheel thickness. Based on prototype wheel width, reduced down to 1/8 scale a set of 7.25 inch gauge wheel set on 7.50 track might drop between the gauge if the track is out of gauge or the head of the rail is worn out significantly. Full size railroad wheels must be machined to their standards, so if they encounter a self gauging frog at a switch , the wheel will easily pass through. If all 1.5 inch scale wheels were machined at least 1/8 inch wider in the tread, you could operate 7-1/4 inch equipment on 7-1/2 inch track and all you have to do is widen the frog flange way and adjust the guardrail so both will pass through. Food for thought when building a large scale railroad. I don’t know if anyone has 1.5 inch scale self gauging frogs.

@MillBrookRailroad 10 ай бұрын

Well, I guess we'll call that a verbal typo. My track is 7-1/2 inch gauge, but my equipment is all 7-1/4. I don't have self guarding frogs, but I do have extra wide flangeways in the frogs. It works well enough until the rail kicks out too much on a curve. I'll have to measure the track the next time that happens. 7/8 inch wheels gauged to 7-1/4 should theoretically tolerate track out to 8-3/4 inches. In practice, it'll probably be less.

@bradzeigler Жыл бұрын

Can't you just run 7 3/8" and call it good?

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

7-1/2 won't run on 7-3/8. The workaround, for people who expect equipment of both gauges on their railroad, is to run 7-1/2" gauge track and make the switch frogs flangeways 1/4" wider to the inside. I've heard from long term members of Golden Gate Live Steamers that there was a gauge debate in the 1940's or 50's and 7-1/2 won out because they didn't want to exclude members who built to the wrong standard. It all snowballed from there. To this day, however, there is a widely held belief that the two gauges are completely incompatible. Something I prove wrong every chance I get.

@beatyree8582 13 күн бұрын

How is your 662. Doing Aaron is it doing fine send me a restoration update

@MillBrookRailroad 13 күн бұрын

I need to buy the right silver solder to fix the boiler, and I need to source some wheel bearings to replace the worn journal boxes. It's mostly on pause, though, as I have taken on some outside projects to help pay for the restoration.

@bernardc2553 Жыл бұрын

AUH But what's a 025 difference between friends, wife may have another perspective 😆

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

7-1/4" gauge equipment works on 7-1/2" gauge track but not the other way around. Other than that, you're absolutely right. ... but you wouldn't believe the arguments this one issue has caused.

@bernardc2553 Жыл бұрын

@@MillBrookRailroad I always want to build something for the Youger kids anound Here. it's an Adult 24hr town but sadly, not much for young-ins to do I do have room but running outta years..

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

@@bernardc2553 Find some like minded friends, form a club and pool your resources. Before you know it, you'll have a place for the whole family.

@gravelydon7072 Жыл бұрын

@@MillBrookRailroad Actually, that depends on the piece of equipment. My 7.5" gauge Shay can run on either. And while 7.25 is used in a good many areas, it is still an incorrect gauge for the scale. 1.5" scale should be 7.125.. 1.6 or 1 5/8th scale is closer for 7.5" gauge. 7.5" gauge also scales for 3' equipment at 2.5" scale and 30" gauge equipment for 3" Scale.

@2001cavador Жыл бұрын

Are you the dude who uses Aluminium rails?

@MillBrookRailroad 10 ай бұрын

The rails are aluminum. It's very common for this size railroad.

@chrisrotmanthatguyfromtikt1033 10 ай бұрын

Very prevalent, have almost 4000’ of it no issues, like real railroads have to check outside rail for railwear, @millbrookrailroad you know what I mean when you were at last years meet

@MillBrookRailroad 10 ай бұрын

@@chrisrotmanthatguyfromtikt1033 When is the next meet?

@chrisrotmanthatguyfromtikt1033 10 ай бұрын

@@MillBrookRailroad 16th

@ronhart4166 Жыл бұрын

So do you set up on 7.25 here in the US?

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

In the northeast, we do.

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

The rough line where 7-1/4 is prevalent runs roughly through the middle of Pennsylvania. Anything north and east of central PA is generally 7-1/4" gauge and anything south and west is generally 7-1/2" gauge. The exceptions being The province of Ontario and the state of New York, which are primarily 7-1/4" gauge. New Jersey is also predominantly 7-1/4. I'm in Vermont, so it's 7-1/4" gauge here but I build 7-1/2" gauge equipment for customers so I have gauged my track accordingly. All my own equipment, however, is 7-1/4. Confused yet?

@benmabry2280 Жыл бұрын

@@MillBrookRailroad very confused. Wish everyone would use just one size. Lol. 7 1/2" seems to be the middle ground.

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

@@benmabry2280 It does cause a lot of arguments and confusion. The most useful thing to remember is that if you're in the United States but not in the northeast, you use 7-1/2" gauge while the rest of the world uses 7-1/4. Most of the time, it's not a big deal until you want to run your equipment somewhere in the northeast. I wish we all could use the same standard. It would make it a lot easier to buy equipment from Australia and New Zealand.

@joshuataft5541 Жыл бұрын

Are u in VT I know of a track. Like that kinda and if you are I Wana see it

@MillBrookRailroad Жыл бұрын

I am in Vermont. More info at www.millbrookrailroad.com

@joshuataft5541 Жыл бұрын

@@MillBrookRailroad no crap.yeah mill brook is by me..I thought it looked familiar there is a small track by the mountain if that makes sence to I'll try to check the sight out when I get a chance..thanx for the reply..I'm by the brige..I try tonbe verge jst incase but if your local.you know where.. thanx again buddy...it's so cool what you do I've seen a little track for years and somtimes a man using it. Always thought it was cool and if it's you thsts even cooler 😆🙏👍😁