{"id":86,"date":"2018-01-13T21:02:14","date_gmt":"2018-01-13T21:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/laiben.com\/wordpress1\/?page_id=86"},"modified":"2025-11-30T16:48:44","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T22:48:44","slug":"old-track-plan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/laiben.com\/wordpress1\/old-track-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Proto48?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I returned to model railroading in 2012 after nearly forty years away. The comeback began with Lionel, then quickly shifted to 3-rail scale (3RS) as I chased a more realistic look. That phase lasted about two years. Eventually the unavoidable middle rail and oversized wheels became impossible to ignore, so the 3RS layout was torn out and I started fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n

Approaching the redesign as I would a living space, I made a list of preferences, necessities, and nice-to-haves\u2014very much in the spirit of John Armstrong\u2019s \u201cgivens and \u2019druthers.\u201d I wanted slow, deliberate movements; detailed track with broad curves; brass locomotives and rolling stock with smooth-running trucks; easily accessible switching areas; and solid mechanical and electrical reliability.<\/p>\n

The next decision was track gauge. Standard 2-rail O scale uses 1.25\u2033 gauge, which scales out to five feet\u2014wider than the prototype\u2019s 4\u2032-8\u00bd\u2033. Proto48 corrects this to a precise 1.177\u2033. To sort through the decision, I made another list:<\/p>\n

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Pros & Cons of Proto48…<\/i><\/div>\n
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