Large Scale, then and now
During the early years of the 20th century, Large Gauge was about all there was. With O gauge representing the smaller end of the spectrum, most toy trains were ponderous. Clockwork, electric and steam-powered models were available. It was a different world. Most homes had no electricity, so power for electric models came from home-made batteries consisting of jugs of hydrochloric acid. Very little was standardized. Marklin and Lionel did the most to apply standards to gauges. Marklin produced and promoted #1 and O gauge trains, while Lionel shifted from its original 2 7/8" gauge to its "Standard" Gauge of 2 1/8". Standard Gauge remained a staple of US toy trains until the late 1930. Ives and American Flyer produced their own trains in 2 1/8" gauge. #1 Gauge faded quickly on the American scene. By 1939, O was the king of gauges for toy trains in the US.
Gauges were what they were, and scale did not have much of a place in thge design of large-gauge trains. Though some did determine a scale for many gauges, based on their relationship to the standard 4' 8" gauge of real railroads, several gauges were never scaled.
Lehmann, a German toy maker, brought Large gauge back to popularity through its 'G Scale' - a 1/22.5 scale train running on #1 Gauge, two-rail track. G caught on rapidly, and today denotes a variety of scales using 1 3/4" track. G Gauge trains today include 1/32, 1/29, 1/24, 1/22.5 and 1/20.5.
| Gauge Number / Name | Gauge of Track
(distance between outer rails) |
Scale |
| O Gauge | 1 1/4" - 31.8mm
1/4" = 1 scale foot |
1/48 US
1/43 UK 1/45.2 |
| Standard Gauge | 2 1/8" | * |
| #1 Gauge | 1 3/4" - 45mm
3/8" = 1 scale foot |
1/32 |
| #2 Gauge | 2" | * |
| #3 Gauge | 2 1/2" - 64mm | * |
| #4 Gauge | 3 1/4" (1910)
2 13/16" (1892) |
* |
| LGB G Scale | 1 3/4" - 45mm | 1/22.5 |
| G Gauge | 1 3/4" - 45mm
1/32: 3/8" = 1 scale foot 1/29: 10mm = 1 scale foot |
1/32
1/29 |
| G Narrow Gauge | 1 3/4" - 45mm
(In 1/24. 1/2" = 1 scale foot) |
1/24
1/22.5 1/20.5 |
| Lionel 2 7/8" | 2 7/8" (1900) | * |
* asterisk denotes a gauge which was not given a precise scale.