Meet TGauge, the smallest commercially produced model railway equipment in the world. TGauge is just half the size of Z scale.

Before anyone wants to beat me around the ears about the difference between gauge and scale and the correct use of those terms let me just say that TGauge is what this system is known as and the scale is 1:450 running on 3mm gauge track.

I came across TGauge a couple of years ago at a model railway exhibition in the northern suburbs of Brisbane and was amazed that these trains actually do run … and run quite reliably. The fact that the wheels of the power units are magnetised probably has something to do with that.

The power units are fitted with 4.5v micro motors and they collect the power from the rails as most N, HO and O gauge model locomotives do.

You don’t begin to understand just how small TGauge is till you see that you can hold the rolling stock for an entire train in the palm of your hand and one person can pick up and move an entire layout.

And while you’re looking at the layout take a closer look at the train sitting in the station … yes, that’s a TGauge Thomas.

There is quite a range of rolling stock including models of Japanese, British, German and American prototypes and I’m sure that a search on one of the 3D printing websites such as Shapeways will reveal even more.

Obviously TGauge is not going to be big on detail but you can certainly pack a lot of railway into a very small space and, if you’re someone who just likes to see the trains go by the TGauge would let you do a lot of that.

You can even buy TGauge here in Australia. Hobbies Plus in Victoria lists TGauge as one of the scales that they stock.