Narrow Guage Study Group
The Narrow Gauge Study Group was founded at Scaleforum 1994 by a group of Scalefour Society members who had tried 00-9 and found it wanting and felt that there was a need for an informed self-help group who could investigate the best ways of modelling 4mm scale narrow gauge to standards comparable with those proposed for 4mm scale standard gauge by the Model Railway Study Group, which became P4.
The range of gauges used by prototype narrow gauge railways of all kinds can be quite bewildering - but it soon became clear that the standards for track and wheels adopted by the engineers and manufacturers of equipment fall into two groups for steam-powered NG railways, plus another for tramways. Gauges from 1ft 6in to 2ft 4.5in can be accurately represented (in 4mm scale) by the wheel and track standards of the 2mm Scale Association, and gauges from 2ft 6in onward use P4 wheel and track standards, in each case with the gauge of the track and the back-to-back dimension of wheelsets changed to the 4mm equivalent of the prototype gauge being modelled. We hope to produce a 'Digest Sheet' soon with a comprehensive listing of track standards used by the main NG railway companies.
The Group's newsletter has been 4mm Finescale Narrow Gauge News, but articles have been rather thin on the ground. From now on, I will co-ordinate articles or letters to appear in the 'Area Groups' pages of Scalefour News and also articles are welcome in Roy C Link's wonderful Narrow Gauge and Industrial Review.
Details from Paul Holmes, address on the Blue Sheet or email ngsg at scalefour.org.
(Above right)Winner of the MRJ Chalice at Scaleforum 2007
Double Fairlie Locomotive "James Spooner" pictured on Paul Holmes layout Borth-y-Gest.
Blue Sheet