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How do I Measure a Ho Scale Boxcar?

The HO scale, which stands for half of the O scale, is the most common scale used throughout most of the world for model trains. The scale is based on the relationship between the size of the train to the size of the model. The HO scale is set at 1:87.1 which equals .0646 inches or 3.5 millimeters on the model equaling one foot of the original. The easiest way to measure an HO boxcar is to use a metric ruler.

Things You'll Need

HO boxcar
Metric ruler
Paper
Pencil
Calculator

Instructions

- 1
  Use a metric ruler and measure the width, length and height of the boxcar. Write the dimensions down.
- 2
  Measure the height of the boxcar wheels. Add the height measurement of the wheels to the height measurement of the boxcar.
- 3
  Divide each measurement by 3.55 millimeters and write the answer down.
- 4
  The answer derived from dividing each measurement by 3.55 millimeters is the equivalent to the standard measurement of feet in American culture. Write feet behind each answer. Example: An HO box car that is 35.55 millimeters in wide is a model of a 10-foot-wide boxcar.

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