Estate Railways
This page is a collection of resources for those who are interested in rideable model railways for their estate. At one time steam outline models dominated this field but diesel outlines are quickly becoming the norm. Both live-steam and gas engines are used as power sources. For smaller (non-riding) scales that are more suited to suburban lots, visit Garden Railways
Gauges and Scales
The commonly used gauges and scales used in rideable model railways for estates are:
- 3 1/2" gauge - 3/4" scale [1:16] - elevated track
- 4 3/4" gauge - 1" scale [1:12] - elevated track
- 7 1/4" gauge - 1 1/2" scale [1:8] - track on the ground
- 15" gauge - 3" scale [1:4] - normally considered an amusement park scale.
Steam Locomotive Classes
Steam locomotives are often referred to by Whyte's Locomotive Classification based on wheel arrangement and given colloquial or nicknames. Note that in general engines without pilot (ie. leading) wheels were used as switchers and had no nickname. Engines with two-wheeled pilots tended to be used in freight service.
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Manufacturers and Retailers
There is a large number of manufacturers in many scales. These can be found easily by using phrases such as live steam railways in any search engine. This set of links will focus on the smaller gauges for the average hobbyist.