HO vs OO conversion

[burnthebox]

Hi to all those of you out there who know about these things, I'm asking about HO & OO , by that I mean HO can run on OO track, & vise versa right ! But do's that mean the HO is of a different electrical voltage than OO & if not can a HO gauge be converted, if that's the right word into an OO gauge, I know the scale is different, eg 1.76 = OO gauge where's 1.87= HO, so is it possible, & would the difference be so noticeable, up close & personal like,

[Broithe]

As far as I've ever seen any 00 or H0 loco will run anywhere that any other would - just subject to being DC or DCC.

 

You can have physical clearance issues - even at a smaller scale, some H0 stuff can be very large.

[Warbonnet]

I run European and American HO with no problems. All work here just fine.

[burnthebox]

Thanks Brothe for that, now maybe I didn't explain my question correctly, for example if you see a HO loco that you would love to have in OO, lets say an A Class, in HO gauge, what exactly would have to be done, of possible, to obtain this, is it to do with the electrics, or is it more complicated than that,i know the size differs from HO to OO as I believe HO s smaller !

[Garfield]

Not sure what you're getting at exactly, as your request above is a bit confusing. However, both HO and OO use the same track, so in that sense they are interchangeable. The difference is that HO = 3.5mm/ft whereas OO = 4mm/ft, so the track is spot on for 4ft 8.5in gauge in HO but slightly underscale for OO.

 

Both use 12v DC voltage, so they are fully compatible in that sense, too.

[Blaine]

If you model Irish in HO scale and run on P4 scale track its a perfect representation of 1600mm/5'3... OO Scale on 21mm better imo, less work.......

[burnthebox]

Thanks guys for that, that's cleared that up, now if you don't mind telling me is it a big deal to change the couplings, ( bogies ) from the HO to OO

[Garfield]

Thanks guys for that, that's cleared that up, now if you don't mind telling me is it a big deal to change the couplings, ( bogies ) from the HO to OO

 

The coupling height on HO stock is lower, so a little bit of handiwork can be required to get them to work together. However, this has the potential to ruin the look of the model in some cases.

[UP6936]

If you're going to run american models, I wouldn't recommend trying to fit OO tension lock couplings. The HO body mounted knuckle couplers are able to pivot, and this allows them to run around corners. Fitting a tension lock would probably derail trailing stock

[burnthebox]

If you're going to run american models, I wouldn't recommend trying to fit OO tension lock couplings. The HO body mounted knuckle couplers are able to pivot, and this allows them to run around corners. Fitting a tension lock would probably derail trailing stock

 

Thanks UP6936 but I was actually thinking / wondering about Irish loco's that have HO bogies

[Garfield]

Thanks UP6936 but I was actually thinking / wondering about Irish loco's that have HO bogies

 

Do you mean plonking Irish locos on HO bogies? Why? They're already compatible with the track as they are...

[burnthebox]

Do you mean plonking Irish locos on HO bogies? Why? They're already compatible with the track as they are...

 

I'm thinking about the couplings, from HO to tension lock, as I just prefer the tension lock !!!

[Glenderg]

Burn - 00 and H0 are simply two different scales of vehicle that work on the same track. All irish locos are scaled to 00. If you wanted a murphy model 141 in H0, you'd have to lash it into your "honey I shrunk da kids" 2000 machine, and shrink everything bar the axles by about 14% and you'd have a H0 one.

 

Have you come upon a secret society or such where there's sudden demand?

 

Ah - I see what you're at - cut off the european thing - glue an NEM pocket on somewhere at a matching height to your locos' pocket - stick in a tension lock coupler. Job's Oxo.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Glenderg
not sure meself to be honest

[burnthebox]

Burn - 00 and H0 are simply two different scales of vehicle that work on the same track. All irish locos are scaled to 00. If you wanted a murphy model 141 in H0, you'd have to lash it into your "honey I shrunk da kids" 2000 machine, and shrink everything bar the axles by about 14% and you'd have a H0 one.

 

Have you come upon a secret society or such where there's sudden demand?

 

No secret sociiety involved on this, you may remember I had a OO gauge A Class fitted with HO couplings & I was just wondering if it is possible to change the bogies / couplings without too much trouble,

[Glenderg]

you could drill two small holes in the skirt of the A Class, and insert a commoner garden staple at the right height, glue from the rear, and paint to your desired finish. This would snare the coupling hook of the coach or whatever - save you a bit of pain? R

[David Holman]

Do note that HO is 1:87 and 00 1:72. The difference may seem small, but is very noticeable. For my preferred 7mm scale, when you put a Corgi Classic bus [1:50] against a true scale 1:43 model, it shows just how much small the former is.

By the by, there was also Trix Twin, which was around 3.7mm/ft, while Gauge One is still and odd amalgam where anything goes in some cases - from 10mm/ft to 1:29.5 and all things between

[Broithe]

Do note that HO is 1:87 and 00 1:72. The difference may seem small, but is very noticeable. For my preferred 7mm scale, when you put a Corgi Classic bus [1:50] against a true scale 1:43 model, it shows just how much small the former is.

By the by, there was also Trix Twin, which was around 3.7mm/ft, while Gauge One is still and odd amalgam where anything goes in some cases - from 10mm/ft to 1:29.5 and all things between

 

00 is 1/76.....

 

..1/76.2, if I'm to be really picky..