Lionel UP 326 Consolidation

I don't really have an opinion on your primary question, but I've always felt that 1:64 automobiles looked correct next to "traditional" sized O-gauge trains.  (Conveniently, Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars are ~1:64 scale, cheap, and readily available EVERYWHERE.)  

I've always felt 1:43 autos looked too big, even compared to scale trains.  

This pic shows 4 versions of that 2-8-0, on the second through sixth shelves from the top, middle row, in the right column, from the top is a Lionmaster Big Boy, Lionmaster Challenger, Lionmaster Challenger, and a Lionmaster Cab-Forward. I t will look a bit large with the Lionmaster Locomotives, a Cab forward in particular, which seems scaled a bit smaller than the Challengers.

 If you would be interested in a 2-8-2, the Mikado jr, third from the top in the left column would go well with the LM Challengers. There was a thread recently about the Mikado jrs, it seems that I am not the only one that REALLY likes them, great Little engines. Unfortunately the Union Pacific Mikado jr was NOT one of the TMCC versions, I don't know if that matters to you or not.

 As far as what scale are "Traditional" and Post war items, they are really more "Selectively Compressed" than scaled. 027 stuff is more close to 1/64, Traditional would tend closer to 1/55, but niether are really scaled, and niether term is really "Definable".

 For ME, I think that 1/43 autos look over-sized(which they ARE) even with Scale sized trains, but that is a matter of personal preference for each modeler.

I Hope the pic helps you get a feel for the size comparison between the 2-8-0 and the Lionmaster series locomotives. Maybe you could copy the pic, and enlarge it, to better judge for yourself, how well they would look together, to YOU, which is what really matters. I like all of them, but tend to run semi-scale together, and scale size together, without mixing too much.

Doug

I have two of the Lionel Harriman mikes (one UP and one SP); both upgraded with EOB. The SP mike was repainted to UP and now has a coal tender.  They are good runners and look fine with "traditional" sized cars. Here are some photos I found- not the greatest but HTH.

I have a NYC Consolidation 2-8-0. It would fit in with traditional size engines just fine. I am also a fan of K-Line's "semi scale" engines including their Hudson, Mikado, and Pacific.

The can be had a bargain prices compared to what you'll likely pay for a Lionel 2-8-0.

Pete

Very few traditional locos are as small as 1:64.  As discussed on another thread recently, they really have a "rubber scale" as each manufacturer decides on each one.  I think of them, collectively, as "about 1:55 scale, though: and most are much bigger than 1:64 - compare them to S scale.  While I used to run traditional and semi-scale a lot, I've gone almost entirely to scale recently, preferring to run scale models of small locos (Atlantics, Pacifics, Berks) rather than Lionmaster Big Boys, etc.  With scale I get a more consistent size of everything relative to one another - I just like it.  

As to vehicles, I like the slightly larger size of 1:43 cars: they don't get lost amid the big locos and all so much.  I use that exclusively for cars and light trucks, but use 1:50 for big rigs and construction equipment: 1:43 big rigs look too big.  

I have the Lionel Consolidation and I think it goes fine with traditional size rolling stock. It's about the same size as a lot of traditional size engines, but a bit taller. The Vanderbilt tender helps to disguise the disparity in height and width, eliminating the jarring visual jump between a scale size box tender and the traditional size car behind it.