How small can you go? 1:220 scale? 1:450? 1:1000 scale??? How about a locomotive that can fit in a red blood cell? The BIG question is, why so SMALL? Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

Z scale was introduced by Märklin in 1972 and is one of the smallest commercially available model railway scales (1:220), with a track gauge of 6.5 mm. That's small... and is also used as Nn3, N scale three-foot prototype. Nn3 has become quite popular with several great American prototypes as well as European prototypes available. Surprisingly it runs well!!

BUT there is also T scale. T gauge track is 3mm and the scales are 1:450 or 1:480 depending on the prototype. Also known as "Third of N scale". It was introduced at the Tokyo Toy Show in 2006 by KK Eishindo of Japan and went on sale in 2007. It is the smallest commercial model train scale in the world.

The models use a battery-powered throttle with a maximum output voltage of 4.5 V DC. To improve power pickup and tractive effort, the powered cars are fitted with neodymium magnetic wheels.

BUT, there are even smaller scales all the way down to 1:1000 scale!!! These odd-ball scales are generally lumped together as Nano Scales. In this case, the motor can't be fitted into the train, so magnetic fields pull the trains along a computer-controlled track.

#modelrailroad #zscaletrain #nmra