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
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