Clement Matchett Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 I have been surprised by the short length of the straight rail supplied in The Scotsman Set (166mm).166mm is equivalent to 1 chain at 1 to 120.Were individual rails in the steam age one chain long? I can’t find the answer on the web.If so, and using true-to-scale coaches, TT:120 will produce the old and once familiar, clickety-clack.Sounds as if it does on my layout…Good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Spare Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 Rail was made in 60ft lengths, 6ft shorter than 1 chain. In 00, Hornby are adding the 'Salmon' bogie wagon to the range this year; these 62ft bogie wagons were used for transporting pre-fabricated track sections to relaying sites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clement Matchett Posted February 5, 2023 Author Share Posted February 5, 2023 OK. Thanks GS. 60ft is 18.29mm, so not so far off 166.We could understand some issues with sleeper spacing in the model, which might explain the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT-Man Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 The Hornby track geometry is copied from the standard mainland European geometry used by Tillig, Kuehn and others. So any resemblance of Hornby TT:120 toy track lengths to British real world rail track lengths will be entirely coincidental. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
von Klinkerhoffe Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 The ‘Chain’ is an old imperial measurement invented by Edmund Gunter in 1620 as a method of surveying land with low tech equipment. Literally a chain twenty-two yards long (or 66 feet) was used divided into 100 links with a brass ‘tally’ every 10 links.One Chain = 22 yards or 66 feetOne Furlong = 220 yards or 10 ChainsEight Furlongs in a Mile, so 80 Chains in a mileThe railway is made up of mile posts. A chain being one eightieth of a mile which is handy as it is divisible by 2, 4, 8, 16, 10, 20 and 40.I think the railways used the ‘Chain’ as this was one of the measurements used by its surveyors? And being an imperial measurement it was divisible into a mile.As to the length of a single piece of ‘track’ on British railways it varied by company. By the 1930's sixty foot rail lengths were standard on main lines and rails of up to a hundred and fifty or so feet were supplied to the LNER and LMS for example. According to Wikipedia British Rail from 1950 used sixty foot lengths.Having said all this I am pleased that your ‘Blink Bonny’ is producing the once familiar, clickety-clac. After all isn’t this what the hobby is about?I expect there is someone on the forum who has better knowledge of the length of track used by era and rail operator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D9020 Nimbus Posted February 5, 2023 Share Posted February 5, 2023 OK. Thanks GS. 60ft is 18.29mm, so not so far off 166.We could understand some issues with sleeper spacing in the model, which might explain the difference. At 1:120 scale (2.5mm/ft) surely 60 ft = 150mm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now