Actual inches conversion to HO feet

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


T

Tom Rambo

New Member
Is there a chart, where I can measure actual inches on my layout, and see how many HO gauge feet those inches equal?

Or, is there a scale I can buy, that shows HO gauge feet for the area being measured?
 
I do have a steel rule which is calibrated in HO feet, but it's only about 10" long. .... Otherwise each inch = scale 7.25 feet (catchy number)! 1 foot = 87 feet.
 


Thanks to both of you.

Boeing...I want one of those scale rules. Please send me the exact brand and model #. Can you also include a high resolution photo of it?
 
Tom: I have a HO scale ruler I got years ago ... somewhere. Since that somewhere part never came to light, got three of them from Amazon which are metal and they now are spread around. They are a little thicker than the not found original but just as easy to see.
0114230243.jpg


If you just need to convert one to the other - have a look at Willie's post above.
Later
 
Also remember that if you are converting between actual INCHES and scale FEET you have to converted inches to feet or feet to inches someplace.
 
santafewillie said:
While this is not the one that I use, it looks to be about the same available on Amazon. Click on the link.
Scale ruler
Click to expand...
This is the one I have. I like that it also has other scales on it (I have done a few O scale structure builds) but it bugs me that the measurements don't start at the end of the ruler. Not enough to go out and buy a new ruler, but if I had it to do over again, I would try to find a different one.
 


Vince-RA said:
This is the one I have. I like that it also has other scales on it (I have done a few O scale structure builds) but it bugs me that the measurements don't start at the end of the ruler. Not enough to go out and buy a new ruler, but if I had it to do over again, I would try to find a different one.
Click to expand...
I have two from a company called General, 1-6" one and 1-12" one. The 6" one starts at the end of the ruler, but the 12" one starts 1 scale foot in. I have read that this is because the edge can be damaged and produce inaccurate measurements.
 
Vince-RA said:
This is the one I have. I like that it also has other scales on it (I have done a few O scale structure builds) but it bugs me that the measurements don't start at the end of the ruler. Not enough to go out and buy a new ruler, but if I had it to do over again, I would try to find a different one.
Click to expand...
The reason the scale doesn't start at the end, is so when the end starts getting banged up through use, those tiny measurements on the end don't get shortened.
 
If the ruler goes all the way to the end and you want to avoid any "damaged end" errors, just measure in the middle. If you want to measure something 22 ft, start at "10" and measure to "32".

If I need something accurate using a tape measure I never use the metal thingy at the end, I use a middle measure 24" = from inch 1 to inch 25.
 
Sounds like you want to measure long distances on your layout rather than dimensions that a structure might require.
Don't know if the NRA still offers this converter (print date on the back is 1968).
The chart is pointing to 350 feet prototype while the HO scale reads out at 48 inches +/-.
The chart works both ways - swing the HO pointer to 23 inches and it will give you the corresponding prototype measurement. (170"+/-)
Not bad for an analog computer........
1673732555115.png
 
dennis461 said:
That one (and I'll bet others as well) approximates the conversion.
Not a big deal for short measurements, but be aware its around 1.5% off.
Click to expand...
Well, I'm guessing that since the ruler notes directly on it, that in HO scale, 3.5mm = 1 FOOT, then it is not off any percentage at all, but right on the money.

For another method, I keep cheap calculators from the Dollar Store laying around the house. They USED to cost a dollar, but now they're more like a buck and a quarter (inflation, and all that stuff, ya' know). Converting is easy with one. Let's say you measure something an actual 5-5/8" (5.625") on your HO layout. How many scale feet is that? First, convert the actual inches to actual feet. Using your buck-and-a-quarter calculator, enter 5.625", and then divide it by 12. That converts the actual inches to actual feet. 5.625" divided by 12 = .46875, which is the actual feet (foot) length.

Then multiply the .46875 actual feet measurement times 87.1 and the answer in scale feet is 40.828 feet, or 40'-9 15/16" (or may as well round off and call it 40'-10", or even 41', if you don't have to be too picky).

I dunno, I have a good scale rule somewhere, but half the time it's so much easier and faster just to grab a tape measure and a calculator (at least for me it is).

Hope this helps. :)👍
 
Thanks to all of you. I've used the various methods, and all of your methods work out to numbers so close, that perhaps I don't need a scale. The easiest method for me is a simple equation: 1 inch = 7.25 HO feet
 


You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top