1:8716.5 mm trackFrom the UK
HO scale railways, explained from Britain
A plain-English guide to HO scale (1:87) railway modelling for people in Britain — why it isn’t OO, which makers build what, track and layout planning, digital control, and where to buy and meet other modellers.
Where to start
- Getting started First steps in HO: what HO is, how it differs from British OO, starter sets and choosing a railway to model. 4 guides
- Track & layouts Track systems, rail codes, curves, gradients and planning a layout that fits your space. 6 guides
- Locos & rolling stock Locomotives, coaches and wagons: couplings, eras and epochs, and looking after them. 3 guides
- DCC & digital Digital control: DCC basics, Märklin digital and mfx, decoders and sound. 3 guides
- Scenery & buildings Landscape, buildings, figures and making a layout look like somewhere real. 3 guides
- Buying & collecting Buying new and second-hand, what to check, and where HO is sold in the UK. 2 guides
- Clubs & shows Joining a club, visiting exhibitions and finding other HO modellers in the UK. 0 guides
Latest guides
All new guides| Guide | Topic | Time | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Märklin Digital and mfx explained | DCC & digital | 10 minutes | Easy |
| Märklin 3-rail AC explained | Getting started | 15 minutes | Easy |
| How to wire a simple 2-rail DC layout | Track & layouts | 2–3 hours | Medium |
| How to weather an HO wagon | Scenery & buildings | 1–2 hours | Medium |
| How to swap couplers in an NEM 362 pocket | Locos & rolling stock | 5 minutes per vehicle | Easy |
| How to plan a small HO layout | Track & layouts | 2–3 hours | Easy |
Who makes HO
The brands directory- Athearn USA
- Atlas Model Railroad USA
- Bachmann Trains USA
- Brawa Germany
- Digitrax USA
- ESU Germany
- Faller Germany
- Heljan Denmark
- Kadee USA
- Kato Japan
- Lenz Elektronik Germany
- Liliput Germany (originally Austria)
- Märklin Germany
- NOCH Germany
- Peco UK
- PIKO Germany
- Preiser Germany
- Roco Austria
- ScaleTrains USA
- Tillig Germany
- Trix Germany
- Viessmann Germany
- Walthers USA
- Woodland Scenics USA
- ZIMO Austria
HO in the UK
Most read
Popular guides- Getting started Märklin 3-rail AC explained Märklin H0 trains use a centre-stud third rail rather than two powered rails. Here's how it works, what M, K and C track are, and how it differs from…
- DCC & digital Märklin Digital and mfx explained Märklin's digital system grew from the Motorola-based Märklin Digital of the 1980s into mfx, where locos register themselves automatically. Here's ho…
- Track & layouts How to choose a minimum curve radius for HO Tight curves save space but limit what you can run. Use the makers' radius tables and the NMRA's recommended practice to choose the smallest curve yo…
- Locos & rolling stock How to swap couplers in an NEM 362 pocket Most modern European HO models have a standard NEM 362 pocket so you can change the coupler head. Here's how to identify it and swap heads cleanly.
- Track & layouts HO track codes explained: code 100, 83, 75 and more "Code" is the height of the rail in thousandths of an inch. Here's what the common HO codes mean, which brands use them, and how to join different co…
- Track & layouts How to wire a simple 2-rail DC layout A simple oval or end-to-end layout needs only a controller and a couple of feeds. Get the polarity right, separate sections with insulated joiners, a…
How we work
Everything on Loco HO is written in our own words from manufacturers’ information, the published standards (NEM and NMRA), clubs’ and retailers’ own websites and other reliable sources — listed on every page with the date we checked. We haven’t tested the products ourselves, and we say so. More about how we work.
Can’t find what you need? Tell us what you’d like explained.
Suggest a guide