# Scale drawing help asap please?



## DarkTalon (Nov 8, 2008)

Hi all,

I've searched all the sites, and the web-at-large and not found exactly what I need for this dillemma.. I'm building a (3 way turnout as well as some other things) for a planned Storage/yard, and I found the drawings for one in an old issue of Model Railroader, but they're 1:96 How much do I need to scale this up for it to match the standard 45mm most of use? 


My other question is, what's the best manufacturer for quality-to-price of brass code 250 rail? I originally planned on using 332..but realize that the trains look so much better on the 250 it's worth it, i'll keep what 332 I have for test track/display..


Thanks in advance!


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

I'm not 100% sure how to scale the drawing up, but I would try (current track gauge)/45 * 100 = percent to photo copy with. I think that’s how I did mine. But just give it a shot and measure the gauge of the print out and adjust as needed. I must others at work were looking funny at me as I was photo copying stuff (in there minds) and measuring it with my callipers. 

I have used templates from http://www.handlaidtrack.com on the left click on printable track templates. They don't have G gauge, but again you can just use a photo copier to change them to what ever size you want. I'm sure there is a more technical method you could use to 'blow them up' the PDF files to 45mm gauge. 

Code 250: couple names that come to my mind are Sunset Valley, AMS (Accucraft). I have some, but I haven’t yet used it outside for extended periods of time. 

Hope this helps you out 
Alan


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 


You want a 1/96 th drawing enlarged so divide the 96 by 45 - that comes out as 213% enlargement. 

The track - I use the nickel silver Pecio G 45 which I find to be good in the USA there are suppliers of it as well. Nickel silver I think looks better and does not tarnish as much as brass though it still does. Llagas Creek sell it Code 250 their website is at  www.llagastrack.com


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Not sure that I'm correct, but assuming that the 1:96 drawing is representing prototype standard gauge track,

Then... 
1:96 to 1:32 scale
96 / 32 = 3.0 (300% enlargement)
56.5” / 96 = 0.58854166666666666666666666666667”
0.58854166666666666666666666666667” / 0.03937” = 14.948988231309795952925239183812mm
14.948988231309795952925239183812mm x 3.0 = 44.846964693929387858775717551435mm


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## DarkTalon (Nov 8, 2008)

I assume it's standard gauge, since it was in like a 1980something MR..which was before all the narrow gauge stuff caught on in the smaller scales... so 45mm track is 1:32 scale? 

Peter, Thanks for the input, but I'm really looking at brass for the fact it DOES tarnish..gives it a bit more prototypical feel, I don't plan to run a ton of track power, and what little I will run I won't mind giving the track a good scrub first.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

By using Stan's Handy Converter software, I'm getting the same answer as Steve C.-the copier setting should be 300%


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## DarkTalon (Nov 8, 2008)

alright, awesome! Where can I find this converter?


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

For code 250 I use the AMS Flex track. You bend the track in the shape you want for curves. Some folks do the belly bend, but I used a track bender tool. It comes with Narrow Gauge ties (larger and less ties per foot) or Main Line (skinnier ties and more per foot). I've been very happy with it. When I bought my switches AMS didn't have any code 250, but I think they do now. I have the Sunset Valley code 250 switches and would highly recommend them also.


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's the link. I use this software quite a lot. Very handy and easy to use.

http://www.stanstrains.com/SoftwareHandyConverter.htm

Hope the link works for you.


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## DarkTalon (Nov 8, 2008)

I did find this online before I asked.. is the similar to the what you used? http://www.printmini.com/calc.shtml I just didn't know what scale the track was to do the conversion, darn all the scales using 45mm


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

The one Stan has is great for model railroads. Every conversion you'll will ever do. Just plug the numbers into the boxes and press the convert button. Could not be easier. Stan Silverman is a member of this forum BTW.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By DarkTalon on 21 Aug 2009 12:09 PM 
I assume it's standard gauge, since it was in like a 1980something MR..which was before all the narrow gauge stuff caught on in the smaller scales... so 45mm track is 1:32 scale? It's not really that #1 Gauge track (45mm) is 1:32 scale, you could use the same method for 3-foot narrow gauge where the scale would be 1:20.32, you'd still come up with effectively 45mm, the actual numbers in between would just be different. I just used the example of standard gauge to show the proof that it worked out.

The important part is just remember, take the scale you've got (e.g. 1:96) and divide it by the scale you want (e.g. 1:32) and that will give you the percentage of reduction or enlargement you need. You've just got to use the same prototype on both sides, and run the numbers to cross-check yourself to make sure you didn't make a mistake. Or like others have suggested get yourself a copy of Stan's excellent program.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By DarkTalon on 21 Aug 2009 01:27 PM 
I just didn't know what scale the track was to do the conversion, darn all the scales using 45mm  Yeah, that sort of makes things a bit more difficult, in that case work backward.

Since you believe the 1:96 drawing represents a standard gauge prototype.
[*] Determine what the scale gauge on the drawing should be if it is representing standard gauge.
For example...

56.5" / 96 = 0.58854166666666666666666666666667" (model track gauge in decimal inches)
0.58854166666666666666666666666667" / .03937" = 14.948988231309795952925239183812mm (the same but in metric)

[*] Compare the calculated measurement to the gauge on the scale drawing, if you were right they should match.

[*] Now we find out what scale ratio of 45mm representing standard gauge would be.

45mm * .03937" = 1.77165" (convert mm to inches)
56.5" / 1.77165" = 31.891174893460898032907176925465 (scale ratio when representing standard gauge with 45mm gauge track.)

[*] The last thing determine percent of enlargement/reduction.

96 / 32 = 3 (300% enlargement)
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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey guys, he is not trying to scale the drawing to build an wquivalent scale structure. He is building a switch!! The important measurement is the gauge, the distance between the rails.

So what I would do is first measure the distance between the rails in the drawing. This is probably 16.5 mm. Now this measurement needs to be changed to 45mm. So I would divide the 45 by the 16.5 to get 2.727272... or 2.73 rounded off. So I would scale it up by 273%.


Hope this helps.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ironton on 22 Aug 2009 07:39 AM 
Hey guys, he is not trying to scale the drawing to build an wquivalent scale structure. He is building a switch!! The important measurement is the gauge, the distance between the rails.

So what I would do is first measure the distance between the rails in the drawing. This is probably 16.5 mm. Now this measurement needs to be changed to 45mm. So I would divide the 45 by the 16.5 to get 2.727272... or 2.73 rounded off. So I would scale it up by 273%.


Hope this helps. 

Rich

Would you help me out here, how would you get 16.5mm for a track gauge on a 1:96 scale drawing.


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## barnmichael (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By gary Armitstead on 21 Aug 2009 01:18 PM 
Here's the link. I use this software quite a lot. Very handy and easy to use.

http://www.stanstrains.com/SoftwareHandyConverter.htm

Hope the link works for you.



Looks like some great software tools. Unfortunately, it only runs on Windows which pretty much leaves me out.


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## Paradise (Jan 9, 2008)

The plot thickens. 

16.5mm x 96 = 1584mm = 62.3" = 5' 2 1/3". 

Now you are very close to an Australian / Irish prototype gauge. 
Is that what you really want ? 

1:96 is a ship building scale which is 1/8" to the foot. 

If it is standard gauge it would be more like 15mm gauge not 16.5mm. 

Which just happens to coveniently be a third of what you want. 
One third of 96 is ... Hey presto 32 ! 

Just another way to look at it 

Andrew


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

I was thinking it was a plan for an H.O. gauge switch. That gauge is 16.5 mm. 1:96 is probably British OO gauge (which I think is true 1/2 of 0 scale). But I will quit there before I dig the hole any deeper


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Rich

No hole there fella'







Just trying to understand, there's a whole bunch of things out there that I don't know, always something to learn.


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