Editing N scale (section)

{{Short description|Modelling scale of 1:160, 1:150 (Japan), 1:148 (UK)}}
{{about|the model railway track size|the handheld video game system/mobile telephone|N-Gage (device)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox model rail scale
| name = N scale
| image_filename =Bachmann-2-6-6-2withPencil.jpg
| image_caption = A [[Bachmann Industries]] N-scale model of a [[Chesapeake and Ohio Railway]] H-5 class [[2-6-6-2]] [[Mallet locomotive]], shown alongside a pencil for size
| widthpx =300px
| scale=
| ratio = {{ubl|1:148 (United Kingdom)|1:150 (Japan)|1:160 (elsewhere)}}
| gauge = {{track gauge|9mm}}
| prototype_gauge =[[Standard gauge]]
}}

'''N scale''' is a popular [[model railway]] scale.<ref name=S-1.2>{{cite web| url=https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/S-1.2%202009.07.pdf| title=NMRA Standards: S-1.2 Standards for Scale Models| date=July 2009| website=NMRA.org| publisher=National Model Railroad Association| access-date=3 May 2020}}</ref> Depending upon the manufacturer (or country), the scale ranges from 1:148 to 1:160.  Effectively the scale is 1:159, 9&nbsp;mm to {{Track gauge|1435mm}}, which is the width of [[Standard-gauge railway|standard gauge]] railway.  However the scale may vary to simulate [[Broad-gauge railway|wide]] or [[Narrow-gauge railway|narrow-gauge]] rail. In all cases, the ''gauge'' (the distance between the rails) is {{track gauge|9mm|disp=or}}. The term '''N ''gauge''''' refers to the track dimensions, but in the United Kingdom in particular [[British N gauge]] refers to a 1:148 scale with 1:160 ({{track gauge|9mm|disp=or}}) track gauge modelling. The terms N scale and N gauge are often inaccurately used interchangeably, as scale is defined as ratio or proportion of the model, and gauge only as a distance between rails. The scale 1:148 defines the rail-to-rail gauge equal to 9&nbsp;mm exactly (at the cost of scale exactness), so when calculating the rail or track use 1:160 and for engines and car wheel base use 1:148.

All rails are spaced 9&nbsp;mm apart but the height can differ. Rail height (in thousandths of an inch) is expressed as a "code": thus, Code 55 rails are {{convert|0.055|in}} high while Code 80 rails have a height of {{convert|0.080|in}}.<ref name=RP-15.1>{{cite web| url=https://www.nmra.org/sites/default/files/standards/sandrp/pdf/rp-15.1.pdf| title=NMRA Recommended Practices: RP-15.1 Rail| publisher=National Model Railroad Association| website=NMRA.org| date=January 1990| access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://mrr.trains.com/how-to/get-started/2010/01/model-railroad-track-codes-defined| title=Model railroad track codes defined| website=Model Railroader| publisher=Kalmbach Publishing| date=January 29, 2010| access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref> Common real railroad rails are at least {{convert|6|in}} tall and can be taller on some roads, so at true scale the rails would be about {{convert|0.040|in}} high.<ref name=RP-15.1 /> Many older N-scale models may not run well on Code 55 track as their flanges are often unrealistically large, causing the wheels to bounce along the ties instead of ride along the railhead. Wheelsets with these large flanges are colloquially known as 'pizza cutters' due to a resemblance to the kitchen utensil.{{refn|group=note|It has been speculated that the term "pizza cutter" may have stemmed from the resemblance of wheels on the Lima model manufacturing company's models because Lima was an Italian company.<ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MYt8AwAAQBAJ&dq=model+railroad+N+scale+pizza+cutter&pg=PT25| via=Google Books| page=n.p.| title=Making a Start in N Gauge Railway Modelling| first=Richard| last=Bardsley| year=2013| publisher=The Crowood Press, Ltd.| location=Ramsbury, Wiltshire, UK| format=e-book| isbn=978-1-84797-650-5}}</ref>}}

An advantage of N scale is that it allows [[hobby]]ists to build layouts that take up less space than [[HO scale]], or put longer track runs into the same amount of space, because the models are smaller (by nearly a half) than they are in HO scale (1:87).<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nmra.org/beginner/scales| title=Scales & More: Modeling Scales| website=NMRA.org| publisher=National Model Railroad Association| date=December 2, 2014| access-date=May 3, 2020}}</ref> While N scale is quite small, it is not the smallest commercially available scale, as  [[Z scale]] is smaller yet at 1:220 and [[T scale]] is 1:450 or 1:480. N scale is considered generally compatible with [[1:144 scale]] for [[miniature wargaming]].