What are the most popular model railway scales in the UK?

Whilst there are more model railway scales in the world than you can count on one hand, there are only a handful that have become mainstream here in the UK. As with any modelling niche, there are always smaller groups of dedicated enthusiasts that model in the lesser-known scales for various reasons, such as EM & P4. For anyone just starting out, we highly recommend avoiding these until you've at least got a few layouts under your belt and have a thorough understanding of what the acronyms mean and what sets those scales or gauges apart from the mainstream scales & gauges.

The most popular model railway scales in the UK are:

• OO Scale (1:76.2): This scale is the most popular in the UK, with a track gauge of 16.5 mm, which is actually the same as HO scale, which is popular in Europe and the USA. The size is convenient for modelling British railways, with 1ft being equal to 4mm, making it pretty simple to scale buildings, roads, fences and more. Plus there is a vast range of locomotives, rolling stock, buildings, and accessories available in this scale. Also commonly known as Double-O or 4mm scale.
• N Scale (1:148) - This is the second most popular scale in the UK. Being much smaller than OO scale, an N gauge layout will take up far less space than its OO equivalent. There are drawbacks though. With 1ft being equal to just 2mm, you'll need good eyesight and pretty nimble fingers to build a lot of the kits available in this scale. Also commonly known as 2mm scale.
• O Scale (1:43.5) - This is a larger of the most popular British model railway scales. It's easier to work with, but that comes at an increased financial cost. Plus the level of detail you need to make an O gauge layout look realistic is considerably higher. Also commonly known as Gauge O or 7mm scale.
• TT Scale (1:100) - Whilst not overly popular, TT scale offers a halfway point between OO and N gauge, being based on 3mm to the foot. It's a nice scale to work in but the downside is there's a distinct lack of ready-to-run locomotives and rolling stock. So if you fancy the challenge of building your own, it's definitely worth a look.

There are also other scales used by model railway enthusiasts in the UK, including G Scale, most commonly used for garden railways. HO Scale (which uses the same track as OO gauge but has a scale ratio of 1:87) is also very popular here in the UK but is only really used by those modelling continental and US railways. Although there is room for a little modeller's license when it comes to using HO with OO scale. Have a read of our other article here about mixing scales. Z Scale also has a bit of a cult following but being even smaller than N gauge it's one of the most challenging scales, with a ratio of just 1:220.

Coming up through the ranks - TT/1:120

This is a new scale which has been launched recently here in the UK with manufacturers such as Hornby and Peco releasing a number of train sets, locomotives and accessories. It's also something we're considering supporting here at Scale Model Scenery. Not to be confused with the traditional British TT gauge, this new gauge has adopted the international TT scale ratio of 1:120. Again, it offers the same benefits as the British TT scale, such as taking up less space than OO, but the added benefit is that it opens up access to a huge range of European and American accessories such as buildings, vehicles and figures which are perfectly suited for use on British outline layouts.

Whilst it's still early days, TT/1:120 is growing quickly in popularity but just how well it will do remains to be seen.

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