Picky People Part 2

[MT Hopper]

Well it certainly has been interesting! There are more "O" scales and a real variety of "O" gauges than I imagined.
There are 1:45 scales:
Of12 12 mm gauge used in Germany,Austria,Hungary, Poland,Danemark,Holland,Luxembourg,Switzerland,and Italy

Of13.3 13.3mm gauge Germany

Oe16.5 16.5 mm gauge world wide

Then there's 1:43.5 scale:
Of14 14 mm gauge Used in Great Britain, France, Belgium and Scandanavia.

Then last but not least there are the 1:48 scale odd balls
On2 12.7mm gauge used in U.S.A., Canada,Australia,New Zealand and Japan

On30 16.5 mm gauge used by odd lots of folks in the U.S.A., Canada, Great Britain and odd spots in the Commonwealth.

So until my Arttista figures arrive the only "true" 1:48 scale figure I have is an Air Gunner figure from an old Lindberg airplane kit which measures exactly 6 foot to the top of his leather flying helmet!
The bottom line is, there are three "O" scales, 1:43.5,1:45 and 1:48.

Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
Will

 

[60103]

Doesn't anybody work in 1:50?
There was a US scale 17/64" to the foot on 1 1/4" track; does that work out to one of those values?

 

[MT Hopper]

Seemingly the only folks working in 1:50th scale are Die Cast model Car hobbyists and several folk modelling railways in Japan. That's all I am aware of.

Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
Will

 

[60103]

17/64 is 6.77... mm to the foot. or 1:45.1

 

[MT Hopper]

I recall reading in an old magazine from the sixties about a 17/64 scale locomotive and rolling stock. I believe the author acquired it from Model Engineering Works(MEW)at that time. The same equipment subsequently reappeared in a short artcile in one of the current magazines (MR,RMC, NG&SL Gazette) within the last four years I believe. As far as I recall this equipment was produced as a custom set of euipment so there was only "one of". Sorry I can't produce more exact info just now, BUT. My railway room is currently very slowly being transformed into a "shared" room ( children and railway) so all my "stuff" is boxed.
Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT Hopper

 

[bill937ca]

Seemingly the only folks working in 1:50th scale are Die Cast model Car hobbyists and several folk modelling railways in Japan. That's all I am aware of.

Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
Will

Could you be thinking of 1/150 N gauge trains? Japan's 3ft6in HO is 1/80. Space is at a premium so I can't imagine too many 1/50 trains.

 

[MT Hopper]

Could you be thinking of 1/150 N gauge trains? Japan's 3ft6in HO is 1/80. Space is at a premium so I can't imagine too many 1/50 trains.

No it actually was 1:50 scale. It was back in the sixties in an issue of MR and this chap built his railway to 1:50 scale to match the scale of the cars, trucks and early model aircraft he used on his layout. The only reason I remember it is because I was so fascinated by the fact that someone could actually build an entire train, let alone a locomotive (but then I was only 8 years old and my dad wouldn't let me near his power tools)! When the destruction, I mean renovation, of my basement is completed I'll look up the issue and post it's details.
Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT

 

[MT Hopper]

If you become interested in the subject of 1/48 scale figures take my advice and walk away. Before I committed to "doing" computer engineering, I spent a year at Industrial Engineering. From my flirtation I recalled the resource books I used and went back to one of them. THEN I remembered from my mandatory ARTS course in "stones and bones" a reference. The variation in height is itself incredibly variable. The change in human height from 1900 to 2000 is of course a function of nutrition etc. We started out "short" at the beginning of the twentieth Century and "grew" by several inches at the end of the Century.
Bottom line is, it depends on what "era" you model AND what race you are trying to depict. However, try as I might I still can't use 1/43 figures on my 1/48 scale railway.
The real bottom line is, lighten up and have fun. As has been said many times IT IS YOUR RAILWAY SO DO IT YOUR WAY!
Its just a burr under my particular blanket, and the fun I am having pursuing this topic that keeps me going. Different strokes for different folks.
Pragmatically One of the best buys you can make is to be found in Preisers 1/50 scale bulk package figures. Their item number 68290 from Walthers is a good deal. 1/50 you say, doesn't that result in too short a figure in 1/48 scale? Yes and no. It depends on what era AND what race you are depicting. Having said that,1/43 and 1/45 still leaves me with a bunch suitable only as Massai, Zulus or Harlem Globe Trotters.
The Arttista figures seem to be good for 1/48. I am awaiting some more figures from three other sources and hope to eventually be able to post a 1/48 scale figure source list based on my actually having the figures in my hands. Maybe I can't contribute great structures or scenery methods but I hope I can contribute a 1/48 scale figure list. Well back to the destruction/renovation of my layout and railway room.
Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT
P.S. I just realized. My apparent obsession with this 1/48 scale figure "stuff" is probably explained by my having spent 30 years painting for myself and then painting and customizing figures from 1/72 scale up to 120mm "monsters" for other folk. THEN I got more "into" model railways.

 

[MT Hopper]

P.P.S. Oh yes!! And currently painting Warhammer 40K figures and vehicles for my two sons wargamming adventures.
And modifying the little suckers (figures that is, not the kids).

 

[MT Hopper]

Just took delivery of some 1/48th scale people from Tamiya. They average in height between 5'4" and 5'9.5". These are good heights for the location and era I am tryting to model (North America, 1920-1939). I can set aside the bren guns and the stens and over the holidays turn helmets into hair. I have become so acustomed to looking at the Life Like Giants that the more correctly sized figures seem like WarHammer Dwarves. The price is very good. About $16.90(CDN) for 16 figures. At that price I can see being able to satisfactorily populate a diorama or even a layout. I am hoping that Tamiya has a 1/48 Desert Rats or Afrka Korp set. These could be converted into 1920s' flappers. Hopefully the 1/50th scale Preiser figures will show up in the new year.
I hope you all have a peaceful Holiday time.
Cheers from the Heart of the Continent.
MT ( hair maker to the 48th)

 

[Triplex]

Japan's 3ft6in HO is 1/80.

Didn't know that - though I shoud've guessed it. I wonder why the Japanese don't use S on HO track, HO on TT track, TT on N track and N on Z track as their primary scales. All of these produce gauges of 3'6" or slightly less.

 

[MT Hopper]

I agree Triplex. "S" scale on HO gauge track would seem like a logical combination. It works for the Newfoundland railways 42" gauge modellers.
Ah! The Newfie Bullet me auld son, now dere was a train buy!
Happy Holidays! and
Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT

 

[60103]

Of course, S gauge track with O scale (1/4") gives 3'6" gauge too. Only product I saw in this was the old San Fancisco cable car kit, but it never got off the display track.

 

[bill937ca]

Didn't know that - though I shoud've guessed it. I wonder why the Japanese don't use S on HO track, HO on TT track, TT on N track and N on Z track as their primary scales. All of these produce gauges of 3'6" or slightly less.

N Gauge 9mm, 1/150 for 3ft6in, 1/160 for Shinkansen is the primary scale in Japan and reportedly accounts for 90-95% of the model train market.

I have a couple of issues of the Japanese magazine the "Hobby of Model Railroading" from August 2007 and October 2007 these are the various scales and gauges listed:

1/80 16.5mm
1/87 16.5mm
1/87 12mm
1/87 10.5mm (D&RGW)
1/87 9mm
1/45 24mm
1/30 35mm
1/150 9mm
Z scale

Japanese model train magazines tend to focus on models rather than layouts and that particular magazine is noted for greater coverage of HO. Many of the HO models are brass or brass kits. Very pricey!!! The major suppliers with ads are Tomix, Tenshodo, Kato and Micro Age.

Recently Pro Z has appeared on the market in Japan and in the first quarter of 2008 T Gauge will appear (4 car EMU packaging is just a little bit larger than a soap bar).

 

[MT Hopper]

Ah yes! Nippon. Then there is "T" scale.
1/450 scale with 3mm gauge.
Made by Eishindo of Osaka.
Currently all Japanese high speed train models. Initial reports indicate problems with coupling and some speed control issues but the fact they exist is quite astounding!
Price of 4 car EMU is "supposed to be" $45 U.S..
So tiny you could use it as a model railroad in an "O" scale house!
The photos show the EMU as being availible in different colours for different "lines". North, South etc. From the overhead photo of a display at a japanese train show, I could model all of Montreals' rail activity with lots of space leftover in a gymnasium!!

Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT

 

[MT Hopper]

It has definitely been interesting. While researching the topic of a reasonable average height for a 1-48th scale,1-4inch scale figure I have learned much. The subject of height can take on the competitive aspects I have only previously seen in Hockey Games! You definitely should avoid this subject.
I innocently ended up at one site in the midst of a debate by Physical Anthropoligists about human height. There is even a thesis about the affects business cycles have on human height!
Cutting to the chase. For a North American White Caucasian Male a 1-48th "O" scale figure can reasonably range between 33 to 37.6mm in height. Laid out on a distribution curve this "seems" to suggest 36mm is a reasonable "average". So, my Life Like Giants at 6'6" are definitely too big for 1-48,1-4 inch scale. Tamiya, Aardvark and Arttista are apparently acceptable figure makers. In fact to maintain a seemingly representative population in scale figures, some from each manufacturer would be preferrable. I am still awaiting some "O" scale figures from several more manufacturers. When I have them in my hands and by my scale rulers I hope to post my final results in Picky People the Finale. IF I can figure out how to use this new digital camera toy I was given for Christmas, I hope to post photos with the end results (of course depending on whether or not I figure out how to post photos). I hope you all had a peaceful Christmas (or the Holiday of your choice).
Well I have some more Warhammer 40K to paint plus the 1-48 scale figures.

Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT

 

[60103]

MT: we were just watching a DVD of Disneyland in the 60s. My wife noticed the size of the people back then, not height but girth. One large person really stood out, in contrast to today.
If you want O gauge figures that are really out of scale, Lionel's Polar Express figures. The little boy just barely fits in the cab or the observation platform -- the adults are much larger.

 

[MT Hopper]

Hello 60103! I hope you are having a peaceful Holiday season. Thanks for your observations re the girth of the 60's folk and OUCH! I resemble that remark!! As I mentioned I hope to post a picky people finale AFTER I get the remaining manufacturers products on my scale ruler. It will not be a definitive work by any means but simply one hobbyists approach to the subject. It all started so innocently when I bought my first On30 equipment AND my first "O" scale figures. If those LL people had fit in the Forneys' cab or on the coach platform I could have carried on in ignorant bliss BUT no I had to go and measure them! I enjoy scratchbuilding structures and when an "O" scale figure wouldn't even fit through the doorway! Well then, off I went.
NEVER get in the middle of an academic debate between physical anthropoligists. I only asked what I thought was an innocuous enough question. I very quickly ended up ignored on the sidelines as the gentlemen, ladies and doctors(PhD variety) carried on. Oh well, remember to coin a phrase "Model railroading is fun!".
Cheers from the Heart of the Continent
MT

 

[bill937ca]

Doesn't anybody work in 1:50?

I stumbled across 1/50 on a Japanese model manufacturer's home page:

‰Í‡¤‰ï Official WebSite

And specifically this page:

ƒfƒ‰ƒbƒNƒXEƒIƒŠƒWƒiƒ‹îŒiƒp[ƒcEƒVƒŠ[ƒY

Many of the items shown on that page are not specifically 1/50th however. But it is used in architectural models.

Google Translate:

Google Translate

 

[nkp174]

I picked up some premo clay to try my hand at making my own o-scale people. There was a nice tutorial covering it on a large scale site...granted the large scale people are between 1.5-2.36x the size of o-scale.