What scale is O scale??

BOTH!!! American O scale SCALE trains are 1/48. Euro O scale is 1/43.  The vast majority of auto and trucks available are 1/43 scale as that scale has been a popular collector scale in Europe for many years. There are very few true 1/48 scale model cars and trucks....many that are made are plastic kits. 

The Scale vs Traditional is a whole nother topic.

U.S. O-scale is 1:48, European O-scale is 1:45 and British O-scale is 7mm scale or 1:43.5.  Note that HO scale at 1:87 is "Half O" based on the British O-scale.

Most diecast cars and trucks are produced in 1:43 with a fewer number (mostly trucks and construction equipment) in 1:50 and a very very few in 1:48.

Simple, huh!  

O Scale is 1:48 with five foot track gauge.  The larger automobiles would better fit 17/64 scale (roughly 1/45, or the proper scale for track gauge), which is a dead scale except for me.  Lionel produced some trains in 17/64 scale before WWII.

While American O scale is close to 1:48, not all companies follow that.

There have been some offerings by K-Line, mainly larger(articulated, 4-6-6-4) steam engines, that are closer to 1:53 scale then O scale because the engine would be too large to run on most O gauge curve tracks. Might need 160 inch(15 foot circle) diameter curves and so a layout would be super large just for one engine?

Lee Fritz

I always thought O scale was 1:29 because every time my wife sees my 1:29  trains she says "O, I'm going to sell those when you die and go to Aruba".

Rick

Good enough for me! There's a lot of vehicles in 1:43 scale so that's what I'll go with!

The idea is to be consistent Mark.

Even if you get different proportional ones, if you group like with like they will look fine.  Same with figures.

U.W.

Thanks Walt. There's not a lot of room on this layout for streets or cars, but I wanted a police car to go with my police figures. I also found a National Park Service 42' Ford truck from MTH that will go nice with my campground I want to make in the corner. I might also need a few old beat up trucks to have throughout the yard area!

Walt-my dad is coming up to Michigan next Thursday to give me an extra set of hands bolting up the benchwork. Once that is done, I'll buy the track!

I've some pretty much to only scale locos, etc., these last few years, but I prefer 1:43 cars and small trucks - being about 10% bigger than scale seems to work to the eye well. I use 1:43 exclusively for cars and light trucks.   Big 1:43 trucks, however, look out of place; New Ray makes a lovely 1:43 Peterbilt tractor trailer that is just "too big."  I like 1:48 and 1:50 for those. 

The MTH European series are 1:43 or 1:43.5 and the difference in scale is very noticeable.  I have the Chapelon 241-A Mountain steamer and it looks a little strange around other locos - just a bit too large in drivers, details, etc.

Nope, that's "Oh" scale!

Simon

the confusion with O comes from the history that it started as a gauge (#0) when scale had little meaning with toy trains.  with the already established gauge, when scale model trains needed to be defined, 1:48 was probably deemed close enough and an easy scaling dimension to work with in pre-calculator days.

as far as your automobile choice, just be consistent in your choices and the difference will be hardly noticeable.  i have seen 1:50 scale buses mixed in with 1:43 scale autos and although you could nitpick, it has always looked close enough for me, especially as only a scenery element.

BTW, HO is "half O gauge", not "half O scale". US O is, as said above, 1:48 (every ruler

is a scale ruler!), and HO is 1:87. "Half O scale" would be 1:96.

US O has a disconnect between scale and gauge; HO does not. (Of course, my understanding is that in GB, where OO is popular, they run such on HO track,

which gives -them- a disconnect between scale and gauge, in the other direction.)

Of course, we are all incorrect in our terminology, as "O" scale is actually, originally,

"0" (zero) scale (1:32 is #1 scale; MTH offers this for "garden railroading", which

brings up a whole 'nuther subject about the use of the word "garden", depending

on Left or Right of the Atlantic.) 

    I know it's been mentioned already but beware of buying 1/43 big rig trucks. They

  will make your trains look small. For big trucks try to find items in 1/50. There are

  quite a few out there and they seem to fit in ok.  Good luck.

          Geoff

One of the things I realized that I have to remember is that I am building a cool switching layout in my own basement for my own enjoyment. Who cares if something isn't 100% scale, right? I'm not building a layout to have it judged or graded.

So I'll keep the vehicles 'close' to scale, but the most important thing is for me to build a layout I enjoy looking at and running around!

I don't believe you for one minute!!!!!!!  You are too much of a perfectionist to "settle".

U.W.