Model railroad scale conversion charts

[Terry Toenges]

This has probably been posted at some point and I just don't recall seeing it.
I'm going to try to scratch build some things for my On30 layout and I needed dimensions for things.
With the HO dimensions, I can convert it to On30 with these charts.
http://www.urbaneagle.com/data/RRconvcharts.html

[WoundedBear]

I paid attention in  math class

Sid

[Terry Toenges]

I did too but math class was soooooo long ago.

[RAM]

ON30 is O scale. 

[Terry Toenges]

I know that RAM. Maybe I should have said "...convert them to use on my On30 layout with these charts."
The reason I wanted it is that someone has an HO water tower. I got the dimensions from him so I could convert those to O. Structures for O are fewer and pricier than for HO.
My thinking is that I ought to be able to find a suitable food can that would work for the tower. I have a number of HO Heljan type trestle kits with which I can make the base. The supports would be kind of spindly so I could double up all of them. Since O is less than twice HO, doubling should be sufficient in strength and look passable.
The tower that was measured for me has a tank that is 2 5/8" diameter X 1 7/8" high. That equates to 4.75" diam x 3.4" high in O. The platform is 3" square so that's 5.45" in O. It's 3 1/4" high so that's 5.9".
The volume of the HO tank is about 60.25 cubic inches so I should find something close to that in volume. Since it's "do my own thing On30", anything that seems close is ok.
4 tuna cans (12.83 ci each) stacked would give me 51.32 ci. 5 would give me 64.15 ci. 4 stacked looks better than 5 stacked and is close enough.
3 soup cans (19.63 ci each) stacked gives me 58.89 ci. but that looks too tall and skinny. Even 2 looks pretty tall and skinny.
2 standard cans (30.04 ci each) like fruit and veggies give me 60.08 ci. That doesn't look bad but still tall and skinny.
Plastic chip dip containers have the same measurements (4.25 x 3) as fruit and veggie cans (3 x 4.25) but they are reversed, being wider instead of taller. The taper precludes mounting them two high.
I'm leaning toward 4 tuna cans. I'll have to check out some chicken and dumplings at the store and see what they measure or maybe the big tall cans of baked beans.

[Len]

I find round oatmeal containers work well for 'O' water towers. They are 5-3/8" diamater, which works out to 21' 6" in 'O' scale. Which is within the "typical" range of railroad water towers. They can be cut down to whatever height works for you.

Len

[Terry Toenges]

Thank Len. There's another good idea. About 2 1/2" high would make it about 57 ci. Short and fat. I'm leaning toward skinnier so it takes up less real estate.

[Piyer]

Pipe.

You can find all sorts of diameter PVC pipe in the plumbing supply store or your local big box home center.

A trip to a hobby shop - doesn't have to be a model railroad one. Hobby Lobby, Walmart, or the like will do - should provide you with square wooden dowels that can serve as the support timbers. If your railroad is set in an area with brutal winters, you could even build a brick building as a base with sheet styrene, laser etched wood siding, or plaster castings (homemade if you have a steady hand for carving).

Don't overlook Lionel or O-scale Plasticville USA kits.

Lastly, some railroads drew their water directly from the local public water supply - Peterboro, NH on the B&M comes to mind. In which case they just had a standpipe trackside without any tank at all.