HO Scale Model Railroads & Trains

HO scale represents 1:87 scale, which is about half of O gauge, hence the name HO. This size train originated in Germany and was first produced in the '20s by Bing, a company in Nuremburg, Germany. They introduced a tabletop railway after World War I that was produced for a gauge of 16.5. Trix Express displayed a gauge at the 1935 Leipzig Spring Fair that was described as half naught gauge, which was abbreviated 00. The production of this size model train increased in response to the Great Depression, when people were attracted to the smaller size and lower price of these trains.

After World War II, HO scale model railroads grew significantly in popularity. As these trains were easy to mass produce, their prices were lower than the previously popular O gauge trains. Layouts were easy to construct using manufactured pieces, and they were easy to tuck into a corner of the basement. By the '60s, HO scale had surpassed O gauge as the most popular scale in model railroading.

HO scale is currently the most popular scale in model railroading in the United States and continental Europe. A vast number of items are available in ready to run, snap-together kits, and craftsman kits.

Quick Facts

• HO scale was originally written H0 scale and called half naught scale. Hobbyists in the United States who were not used to saying the word "naught" changed the term to O and began using the letter O rather than the number 0 when referring to HO scale
• The majority of HO scale model trains run on two-rail track using direct current. A few use alternating current and use tracks that supply the power through a third rail
• In 2014, the world's longest HO scale model train was 1,134 feet long. It consisted of 23 locomotives and 1,662 cars. The train took about 30 minutes to pass by