Are 1/38 vehicles too big?

Yes, too big.

1/43, 1/48 and 1/50 are what you should be looking for.

Take a look on American Excellence or Diecast Direct for starters.  Try the ON SALE link on American excellence.  There are not too many 1/48 scale vehicles out there.  Most use 1/43 (about 10% larger than O scale, but then O scale track is actually also 1/43).  I think 1/38 would be too big.

I think 1:38 is too big.    O Scale, if  you want to stay close to scale is 1:48.    There are many 1:43 vehicles out there and some 1:48 and 1:50.  

Your best bet is to stick with one scale vehicle too.   If you do 1:43, stick with that or don't park 1:48 vehicles next to them.   

IN a word, "Yes"

What about the "Forced Perspective" look?  If you have the space and the track(s) aren't located at the front edge of the layout, wouldn't larger vehicles be more approperate then, assuming you've modeled a highway at the front edge instead of the railroad?

We all have our own preferences.  To me, 1:43 is too big.  Really wish there were more 1:48 available.

I have 1/43 and they work great for me.

@olstykke posted:

Hi - I searched and didn’t see anything on this. What’s too big for a toy car for O? I’m seeing a lot in this scale in stores . I haven’t compared to the rail cars , but they look pretty close .

Why not buy one and see how it looks on your layout in a particular scene?  Keep the receipt and if you don't like it, return the item for a refund. You didn't mention if you have a three rail scale layout or a toy train layout.    John

Here is a 1/43 Corvette next to a 1/38 Corvette. The difference with 1/48 or 1/50 would be even greater.

Had a good look at the Lionel Gateman lately?

@BMT-Express posted:

Had a good look at the Lionel Gateman lately?

Most of those Lionel accessories are more "toy-like" than actual scale sized accessories, that's hardly a good comparison.

1:38 is definitely too big. I use 1:43 for cars and pick-up trucks, 1:50 for larger trucks like box and tractor-trailer trucks, and 1:50 for busses. I have found two distinct advantages to selecting particular types of vehicles in these sizes - first, they look great on a layout and second, this approach provides the largest selection of vehicles to choose from, by a wide margin.

While 1:48 vehicles would be ideal, very few were ever manufactured, and there are hardly any available in the marketplace. This situation is extremely unlikely to change in the future. So if you have a large layout, with many vehicles on it, 1:48 vehicles are really not an option, and certainly not for cars and pick-up trucks, IMO.

Pat

I agree that 1:43 is also too big.    However, there is so much out there that it is hard to ignore, the price is generally good, and it is much closer than 1:38.  

I have a few 1:48 vehicles and they look much better next to the trains.  

However, when I go to the Diecast Direct webstie, about the only 1:48 vehciles I see are fire trucks  mostly.    How many fire trucks do  you need on a layout?

@prrjim posted:

I agree that 1:43 is also too big.    However, there is so much out there that it is hard to ignore, the price is generally good, and it is much closer than 1:38. 

I have a few 1:48 vehicles and they look much better next to the trains. 

However, when I go to the Diecast Direct webstie, about the only 1:48 vehciles I see are fire trucks  mostly.    How many fire trucks do  you need on a layout?

It depends on how many burning house accessories you have.
Alan

Again rule # 1.  It is a matter of preference.  But clearly, 1:38 is not recommended for O Gauge Layouts.   Again' personally, I think 1:48 even though supposedly prototypically correct'.  I prefere 1:43. First, and 1:50 second..... On the Bay there are Thousands of Diecast cars, trucks, and buses.  Search for 1:43 die cast vehicles.........

Yes, I use 1/50 all around and 1/64 for far away items.

OK, so why wouldn't 1/38 work for Really Close Up scenes, since it's been used for photographing layouts in the Forced Perspective mode?  This isn't to say it would work, just wondering.  

Anything that is not 1:48 is "too big". Or "too small". 1:38 is definitely huge.

It depends upon your inaccuracy-tolerance. That cross-Atlantic 1:43 stuff always looks too big to me. I tolerate some of it, and the production standards are often pretty sloppy, too, which can actually be good. I have 2 50's Chrysler 300's (a '57 and a '59 - essentially identical cars in the real world) in "1:43". Yeah. Right.  One looks "S-ish" and the other is fat 1:43, definitely.

1:50 is the only wrong scale that is close enough to not matter to me. Better a shade small than a shade big. Vehicles for our layouts is a sore point, as the scales are almost always wrong and no one produces a realistic product mix: one more convertible, dumb Chevy truck, Jaguar, Corvette or '57 T'bird...gah. We need some plain and/or ugly 2-door/4-door sedans/hardtops and station wagons, and the rest, in molded, unpainted plastic models that don't cost $8.95. I don't care if it rolls or not, or has opening anythings. Sell 'em by the bag.

Trinity River, I suppose if you were doing a diorama to illustrate forced perspective, you could have 1/38 cars, people and buildings in the foreground, 1/43 in the middle ground, and 1/48 or S Scale in the background. Not a layout but a demonstration...  IMO it would be an interesting educational tool if done really well, nothing more...

It's your layout what ever makes you happy.   I had a good friend that died in 94 who had no sense of scale and proportion he ran Standard gauge O gauge Flyer and G gauge all on the same layout.  We went to York about a dozen times over twenty years and if he saw something he liked he bought it never mind what scale it was.  I would always chide him about not having a central theme and he would just shrug his shoulders and say  "Toys" with a sheepish grin.  Bill was the happiest train collector I ever knew.   Having an eye that discerns the  difference between OO, HO and Sn3 is not a blessing.                       j

It's all about perspective and what you are trying to achieve. In this pic of a 1/48 lighted pair, the black Corvette in the background is actually true 1/24 scale.

HiramO: Forced perspective dioramas using different scale people and/or trains appear to be common when a modeler is entering a contest.  On one's layout, like John Acton's late friend (RIP) and JimmyJohns 148 and 1/24 models seem to be sending the message to "Do it your way as long as it makes YOU happy!"

All good points made by good people.    

It appears that using diverse scale vehicles and/or people (structures too of course) on a layout depends entirely if one is a toy train operator or scale model rivet counter?

Technically I would say yes. But if that's all you use I guess you could get away with it. And it's your railroad. But if you really want to be more accurate goto the bay and look for MTH auto carriers. Sometimes you can get them reasonable enough. Also again the bay and just put in chevy, or dodge, or ford, etc and see what comes up sometimes you can find the same seller selling a bunch of different cars.

We made it simple. We like Brooklin models and have collected them. That is what we decided to feature on our layout. They are quality and my wife loves their pink cars. (Try that on a N and W coal hauling RR), she makes it work.

Do we have some 1:48 and 1:50... yes and we are selective where they are placed.

We pay the bills, it is our layout. Easy as that.

Sounds to me like you pay the bills for your layout. Go with what you like and have fun. Working with forced perspective and doing it successfully can really add a lot to a scene.

While I think I have everything from 1:38 to 1:50, I find 1:43 works best with the people I have.  1:43 is also the most common in my area and most cost effective.  I purchased many cars from Rite Aid when they go on sale 2 / $5.  I don't mind spending money on trains.  I do not want to spend money on cars.

I believe that 1:38 is too big. That scale is closer to the 1:35 scale military modelers like. But that’s my viewpoint.

i mostly collect 1:43 scale vehicles. While it would be nice to collect 1:48 scale vehicles, they are scarce in general and models of the stuff I want are even scarcer (I’m trying to model the 1936 to 1949 time period and models just aren’t that common).

I think 1/43 is too big, especially when Lionel stuff is near 1/64, like their semis and intermodal containers and running gear. Tough to keep everything looking good together in O Gauge.

First, let me say it is your layout and you should do what makes you happy.

In my opinion,1/38 is very large for O-gauge. I use 1/43, 1/48, and 1/50 scale cars around my layout. I make sure to keep vehicles of the same scale close to each other and different scales apart so nothing looks mismatched. There are numerous affordable 1/43 and 1/50 cars on the internet so you can easily set an era without breaking the bank.

Here is my 1/43 Solido Duesenberg Model J next to a Premier K-4S and a Legacy J-3a.

It looks pretty good to me but others might disagree. Bottom line: it is all up to you!

Bryce