What does HO mean?


Johnny, you are so mean. :)

It does mean Half O scale. That's not quite precise but it was close enough when HO gauge started. I have no idea how N scale got the name and I assume Z scale is because it's so small and Z is the last letter of the alphabet. I guess G stands for "Garden" and I never was sure how the term O guage was invented.
 
enjineerbill said:
Really Jim, I'm just easily entertained:)
And you are right, I've always been under the impression that it stood for "half-O".Johnny
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According to Marklin who was the first manufacturer of HO it did stand for half oh.

Originally the scales were numeric.

Gauge 4: not sure
Gauge 3: 2 1/2" scale
Gauge 2: not sure
Gauge 1: 1:32
Gauge 0: (zero not oh) 1:48 ish works to 7mm = 1'
Gauge 00: (later double oh) 1:76.2
Gauge 000: (treble oh, close to N) 1:152 (US N is 1:160)

HO: 1:87.1 works to 3.5mm= 1' so exactly half O.
 
AndrewC said:
According to Marklin who was the first manufacturer of HO it did stand for half oh.

Originally the scales were numeric.

Gauge 4: not sure
Gauge 3: 2 1/2" scale
Gauge 2: not sure
Gauge 1: 1:32
Gauge 0: (zero not oh) 1:48 ish works to 7mm = 1'
Gauge 00: (later double oh) 1:76.2
Gauge 000: (treble oh, close to N) 1:152 (US N is 1:160)

HO: 1:87.1 works to 3.5mm= 1' so exactly half O.
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Just as a matter of clarification, the original European 0 Gauge was approximately 1/43.5 scale. The 1/48th scale (1/4" to the foot) is American O, which came much later and only after an extended battle with the 17/64ths hobbyists, circa 1940-50. It is from the original 0 Gauge that H0/HO (which first appearred in the 1920's) was derived.

NYW&B
 
NYW&B said:
Just as a matter of clarification, the original European 0 Gauge was approximately 1/43.5 scale. The 1/48th scale (1/4" to the foot) is American O, which came much later and only after an extended battle with the 17/64ths hobbyists, circa 1940-50. It is from the original 0 Gauge that H0/HO (which first appearred in the 1920's) was derived.

NYW&B
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Yep you're right of course. I was trying to simplify to avoid mass confusion. There are actually 4 different ratios for O dependent on US, UK, Europe. Don't forget O-27 too. OO is also different between the US and UK. There is also US N, UK N, European N, Treble O, and finescale 2mm. It goes on, and on, and on, and on...............:D
 
UP2CSX said:
I never was sure how the term O guage was invented.
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Back in the days of the really big scales (1 scale, 2 scale, 3 scale) Lionel came out with a new scale which half the size of 1 scale and was termed as 0 (zero) scale. Modelers quickly dubbed it O scale and the name stuck. Of the other three scales, 1 scale is still around and is fairly universally known as Large scale or G scale. 2 scale and 3 scale are still around but are way too big to have in the home and can quickly gobble up acreage for a descent run.
 
jeffrey-wimberly said:
Back in the days of the really big scales (1 scale, 2 scale, 3 scale) Lionel came out with a new scale which half the size of 1 scale and was termed as 0 (zero) scale. Modelers quickly dubbed it O scale and the name stuck. Of the other three scales, 1 scale is still around and is fairly universally known as Large scale or G scale. 2 scale and 3 scale are still around but are way too big to have in the home and can quickly gobble up acreage for a descent run.
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Jeffery, O scale came from Marklin in Germany around 1898 just before Lionel. Gauge 1 is 1:32 so O is a lot bigger than half. G on the other hand isn't the same as Gauge 1 as its 1:22.5 but runs on the same track. Thats why its so top heavy looking.
 
Not quite, Jeff. O-Gauge (which technically isn't a scale but simply a measurement of track gauge) was created by the German firm of Marklin, as an extension of the european classifications of #1, #2 and #3 GAUGES, i.e the next smaller gauge from #1 Gauge.

Likewise, classification by "scale", as in O-Scale, HO-scale, etc., did not really develope until the late 1930's and well into the 1940's O and HO models were referred to as being of O-Guage (or Gage) and HO-Gauge.

In addition, G or Large Scale is used to represent a whole group of differing scales from metre gauge to 4'8 1/2", so is really a mess.

NYW&B
 
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AndrewC said:
Yep you're right of course. I was trying to simplify to avoid mass confusion. There are actually 4 different ratios for O dependent on US, UK, Europe. Don't forget O-27 too. OO is also different between the US and UK. There is also US N, UK N, European N, Treble O, and finescale 2mm. It goes on, and on, and on, and on...............:D
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You are quite correct in regard to OO, in which the UK version is a bastardized and somewhat unrealistic mix of scales.

However, O-27 trains are identical in "scale" to O-gauge. O-27 simply stands for a track radius employed by Lionel for its cheaper line of O-Gauge trains, while 31" (or O-31) was the "standard" radius trackage intended for use with their more expensive line of O-Gauge.

NYW&B
 
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Now let's see..... HO is half O and Z is half N.... or is G the square root of S?::eek::eek::eek:

Thank you gentlemen for enlightening me. Now I'm more confused than ever.::confused::confused::confused:

But at least now I know what an urban ho is. :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
Selector said:
http://www.nmra.org/beginner/scale.html

These people seem to feel happy about the "half" O designation, although they point out that the actual dimensions have been changed a bit.
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In looking over what the NMRA has to say on that site with regard to gauge and scale, I'm rather surprised to see so many errors and lack of familiarity with the historical background of the subject. I really would have expected more from them.

NYW&B
 
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