One of the most altered scales has always been "O" scale (0 scale). From the beginning, it was used as a track gauge only by toy train manufacturers, and O scale, 1:48, by many modelers.
O gauge and scale has been so reworked that we will need several weeks to sort it all out.
In the beginning, O gauge track was used by several companies like Lionel and Marx for their three rail toys. Not meant to be thought of a scale, they simply called these toys "O gauge". More on this in a couple of weeks!
In America many scale modelers took up the gauge and scale and many high-quality models were built to O SCALE, 1:48 scale, even though the cheated 1 1/4' gauge was off by a scale 3.5". or .08". About the width of the rail.