James River Branch: Tools and Supplies

Tools: Scale Ruler

This one might be obvious, but some modelers overlook the value of having a scale ruler. Granted, it's possible to work without one; after all, it's just a matter of calculating measurements based on the scale's ratio. For example, you can determine how long a 40-foot boxcar is in Z Scale by dividing 40 feet by 220. A scale ruler simply does away with the need to do any calculating.

After years of making do with all manner of so-so rulers, I finally decided to take mattes into my own hands and design my own—three of them, in fact, with English and Metric scales for three modeling scales: N, Z and T. They formed the basis of my initial product line for my company, NZT Products.

Just getting started? You can purchase my rulers from one of my dealers.