7/8n2 Scratchbuilt Flatcar

Well I decided to take a deviation from O scale to do a little side project in 7/8n2 scale. For those non-train readers an explanation is in order:

A way in which trains are classified is the width between the rails. It's known as the 'gauge'. In the United States, most trains people think of when they think of trains are Standard Gauge railroads. In standard gauge, the width between the rails is 4 ft 8.5 in. It's called Standard Gauge because, well, it's the standard.

Other gauges exist. In particular, anything skinnier than standard gauge is classified as "Narrow Gauge". Narrow gauge typically ranges from about 18" up to 36".

7/8n2 is a scale that is focused on 2 foot gauge; hence the "n2" part at the end. It stands for "narrow, 2 foot". 2 foot gauge railways (that is, 24 inches between the rails) were used throughout the world, but more notably in european countries and south africa. Narrow gauge trains were smaller in size. They hauled less cargo, but their advantage was they were cheaper to build and could negotiate tighter turns than standard gauge.

Most of the 2ft gauge railways there were in existance have gone, but some are still maintained. The most notable 2ft gauge in the US was found in Maine, and is the only 2ft gauge railway to haul general freight. The other railways were typically focused on industrial use, for example, hauling peat or slate from a mine to a processing facility.

So if "n2" means narrow 2 foot, what's the 7/8? It means the scale is 7/8 of an inch represents 1 foot in real life. It's a ratio of 1:13.7. Not that knowing that ratio makes it any clearer, but I'm just being specific here. 7/8n2 is a "oh my gosh that's huge" scale. Consider this: A 2 foot gauge boxcar that in real life was 10 feet long and 6 feet tall would be 8.75 inches long and 5.25 inches tall if modeled in real life. A 9 inch boxcar is pretty big, and, it reprents a rather small boxcar at that.

If that was all too complex, think of it this way: 7/8n2 is a large scale to model small trains.

So on to the flatcar. Understanding that, this scale is big.

I'm working on designing a 2 axle freelance flatcar (freelance means I'm making it up rather than modelling it after a real flatcar that existed in real life). I've only begun work on the deck so far, but here is what I have:







I also did some experiments with attempting to create nails to be sticking out of the board. This was my first (and not too impressive) attempt, but I think I've got the idea of the technique:



I should have mentioned, the deck planks in the pictures were made from popsicle sticks.