My new 4 3/4 inch railway

[kvd1]

Hello,
I recently completed a 4 3/4 inch ride on railway. I haven't figured out yet how to add pictures here but this is my blog documenting construction:
http://kylebuildsarailway.blogspot.com/
Lots of work but well worth it!
Kyle

[kvd1]

Thanks for the tip!

[Pendo Pilot]

Hi Kyle, Just looked at your blog. That is well impressive, the video was great as well. Any more details on the rolling stock & loco? Your plants sure grow fast there!!

[LMS-Jools]

Yes looks most interesting.

[kvd1]

Thanks! So far just have a home made flat car built out of plywood and oak with trucks from one inch scale railroad supply in the US. The engine is an unfinished Maxitrak chasis kit (with an upgraded 4QD controller with hand control), so far just a box on wheels but hope to make it nicer now that the line is done.
Next addition will probably be a rail pup so the kids can go around the track on their own muscle power.
Kyle

[kvd1]

Yes, for reasons unknown to me the US uses 4 3/4 inch for the 1" scale tracks. Makes it a bit of a pain since most of the US uses the larger 7 1/2 inch gauge so there are only a few manufacturers of smaller scale stuff here. Thankfully Maxitrak makes the powered boogies in both 5" and 4 3/4".
I have a little over an acre property so could have gone to the larger track, but I wanted the track to go around our pond and the curves would have been too sharp for the bigger scale. Also will make it more affordable to someday get a nice steam powered Shay!
Kyle

[kvd1]

Recently was checking directions to my house and saw that the railway is actually visible on the satelite picture. Pretty cool.
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[Pretoria]

Yes, for reasons unknown to me the US uses 4 3/4 inch for the 1" scale tracks.  Makes it a bit of a pain since most of the US uses the larger 7 1/2 inch gauge so there are only a few manufacturers of smaller scale stuff here.  Thankfully Maxitrak makes the powered boogies in both 5" and 4 3/4".
 I have a little over an acre property so could have gone to the larger track, but I wanted the track to go around our pond and the curves would have been too sharp for the bigger scale.  Also will make it more affordable to someday get a nice steam powered Shay!
Kyle

That's because 1" scale (ie 1" = 1 foot) gives 4 3/4" gauge for the standard gauge of 4ft 8 1/2 inch track.

To get 5" gauge, the scale is actually 1 1/16" = 1 foot.

True scale UK models are thus 1 1/16" scale, but I guess some are done at 1" scale for ease of conversion and re-gauged to 5" for convenience.