English-Made Model Railroad Donated to Cuba

2061 Views 7 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Dennis David, Dec 1, 2005

Dennis David

Discussion Starter · Nov 22, 2005

A model of a Cuban railroad, represented in a 1:48 scale miniature, has been donated to the Cuban Railroad Museum by its builder, Englishman Peter Smith

Following a two-year exposition in England, the representation will be exhibited in Cuba starting November 19; this date was selected to celebrate the third anniversary of the museum and the 168th anniversary of the first Cuban railroad line. Cuba was the sixth country in the world to have a railroad (from 1837) and is the only island of the Caribbean that still has one.

The mockup includes landscapes, town sceneries, a sugar mill, different locomotive models and their wagons.

Mr. Smith has visited Cuba on several occasions since 2000 to participate in international steam railroad conferences held on the island. A long standing member of the High Wycombe and District Model Railway Society he has writen articles on various aspect of railway history.

See less See more

Save

1 - 8 of 8 Posts

julesmail67

· #2 · Nov 29, 2005

What a coincidence...

Just this last week we had a visiting speaker at the club talking about the Railways of Cuba and particularly the Cane railways, take a look...

http://www.modeltracks.co.uk/smallworld/openday.htm

The model looks good. Two things, is there a link that we can take a look at the layout please?

And in the 'I-know-I'm-thick' category, what scale does 1:48 equate to?

Best wishes
Jules

Save

Dennis David

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 30, 2005

That would be O Gauge

Save

Rail-Rider

· #4 · Nov 30, 2005 (Edited by Moderator)

O dear!
This could (probably will!) open a can of worms!

Quote from Wikipedia
QUOTE While 1:48 is a very convenient scale for modeling using the Imperial system (a quarter-inch equals one scale foot), the discrepancy between O scale in the United States and in Europe is attributed to Lionel misreading the original Märklin specifications .
O Gauge
American version is 1/4" to the foot = 1/48 scale
Elsewhere it is more normally
7mm to the foot = 1/43 scale (actually 1/43.5)

When you think about it, HO is Half O and HO is 1/87 scale.
1/43.5 is exactly half that and so makes complete sense.

What makes no sense at all in my mind is why German Märklin selected such an idiotic mongrel mixture of scale units in the first place - scaling from feet to millimetres?
7mm = 1 foot?
Madness!!!

See less See more

Save