OK. another question to show my lack of knowledge. What is standard gauge? How does relate to O gauge?
Brent
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Standard Gauge is the original 3 rail gauge developed by Lionel. It is 3 rail and quite a bit bigger than O. Standard Gauge trains are close to G-gauge in size.
Scott Smith
The locomotive in the front is O-gauge-the blue one behind it is standard gauge.
Scott Smith
If I had known, I would not have asked the question. Since asking I have found the following:
With model trains, standard gauge can also refer to a size of model trains produced by Joshua Lionel Cowen (Lionel) from 1906 to 1939. These trains were slightly larger than the O scale trains which superseded them with an actual track gauge of 2 1/8". Lionel began producing O scale trains, with a gauge of 1 1/4", in 1915.
Today, these original standard gauge trains are highly collectible and can bring big money in good condition. Reproductions have also been made by several companies.
Thanks for the comments
Brent
Originally Posted by BReece:
If I had known, I would not have asked the question. Since asking I have found the following:
With model trains, standard gauge can also refer to a size of model trains produced by Joshua Lionel Cowen (Lionel) from 1906 to 1939. These trains were slightly larger than the O scale trains which superseded them with an actual track gauge of 2 1/8". Lionel began producing O scale trains, with a gauge of 1 1/4", in 1915.
Today, these original standard gauge trains are highly collectible and can bring big money in good condition. Reproductions have also been made by several companies.
Thanks for the comments
Thanks for the pictures Scott
Brent
I'm sure some of the guys who've lived in this space for awhile now will chime in with more technical details. But I've recently "discovered" this segment of the hobby, and it's absolutely terrific. It has its origins in the Lionel "pre-war era", but MTH is now reproducing lots of the tinplate trains of old with the Lionel Lines name -- courtesy of the agreement between Lionel and MTH a few years ago.
Be careful... You'll get hooked on this stuff. The toylike charm is very freeing from all the scale details that burden some folks in O-Gauge. 
Have fun exploring this segment of our hobby!
David
And just to confuse things....there is Standard gauge and Standard O.....those two got me when I first came to O!
Actually, "Standard Gauge" was a shrewd marketing decision.
Around 1900, all sorts of trains were around. Each manufacturer offered a unique line of trains that competed for a share in a somewhat limited market.
Real trains varied from Standard Gauge to narrow gauge (3-foot-gauge or two-foot-gauge in Maine), plus odd gauges around mines and industries.
In 1906, Lionel adapted the term "Standard Gauge" for a new line of trains that didn't match any others. This gauge was an odd gauge - 2 1/8" - that no other manufacturer used. Lionel obtained exclusive rights to the term "Standard Gauge." No other toy manufacturer could use it.
Lionel wanted to stand out. When customers wanted to purchase trains, transformers, or accessories, they could use the familiar term "Standard Gauge." They would buy Lionel, the only manufacturer that used that term.
Want to know something? Ask the forum?
Thanks a bunch folks
Brent
"In 1906, Lionel adapted the term "Standard Gauge" for a new line of trains that didn't match any others. This gauge was an odd gauge - 2 1/8" - that no other manufacturer used. Lionel obtained exclusive rights to the term "Standard Gauge." No other toy manufacturer could use it.
Lionel wanted to stand out. When customers wanted to purchase trains, transformers, or accessories, they could use the familiar term "Standard Gauge." They would buy Lionel, the only manufacturer that used that term."
Just to add a little more information.........
The 2 1/8" gauge was called Standard Gauge by Lionel. There were other American manufactures that also made trains of this size, American Flyer and Ives. they could not use the term standard gauge as that was trademarked by Lionel so they called their trains of this size "Wide Gauge". Their track was also 2 1/8". Their trains would run on Lionel track just fine and Lionel trains would run just fine on their track.The track was the same the big problem was the couplers, all three manufactures used a different type of coupler and their trains could not by attached to each others product. Both American Flyer and Ives made beautiful trains. Both would be out of the Wide Gauge train business by the 1930's. Ives went bankrupt and its dies and tooling was acquired by Lionel. American Flyer would after WW2 under the leadership of A.C. Gilbert , make S scale trains.
Enjoy 
Frank
Originally Posted by LVfan:
... The track was the same the big problem was the couplers, all three manufactures used a different type of coupler and their trains could not by attached to each others product. Both American Flyer and Ives made beautiful trains. ...
And unfortunately, the reproductions issued by MTH (Lionel Corporation Tinplate) carry on the same tradition with the coupler mismatch. I suppose they wanted to be "accurate" reproductions in the truest sense of the word. But part of me wishes they would have just adopted ONE coupler "standard" for all the Standard Gauge products being reproduced today.
David
