When an O Scale vehicle is not O Scale

I believe the Good Humor truck is 1:43, could your O scale soda truck be 1:48?  I've got some 1:43 1967 Chevy Impalas that look huge next to a 1:48 Plymouth Super Bird.

Oh, sure, common phenomenon. A number of vehicle models are IMHO only loosely related to scale, and at least two scales (1:48 and 1:43) are in common use on O scale layouts. Sometimes you can even use it to your benefit -- I had to replace a missing SUV on an MTH operating McDonalds, and as it turned out, a slightly overscale (1:43) Mini Cooper was both similar in boxy profile to the missing vehicle, and somewhat easier to fit figures inside:

@coach joe posted:

I believe the Good Humor truck is 1:43, could your O scale soda truck be 1:48?  I've got some 1:43 1967 Chevy Impalas that look huge next to a 1:48 Plymouth Super Bird.

You are right. There isn’t a fractional size on the soda truck box. It just says O Scale. I didn’t think that mattered that much. 😮

Bob - After using my visual scanners, believe it’s small enough to be 1/50, or 1/55.

Here is a thread discussing the Coca Cola version of this soda truck (and others).  Based on model width, Rattler21 calculated it to be 1:64 and he sold his to an S scale modeler.

Bob

With mostly 1/43 scale available in cars available to us, it's always a challenge to blend them in with the buildings and other scenery items.  When I constructed North Main Street, I parked the cars at an angle to the curbing rather than parallel to the curbing, while making the road wider.  I'm satisfied with the "look." This method of parking on "Main Streets" is common in many older New England towns...probably other areas of the country too.

I recently purchased a 1/43 Freightliner tow truck by Greenlight...the detail and quality is great, but the size seems enormous .  Then I realized...in real life, those trucks are huge, so maybe it's my misunderstanding of it's true scale to my 1/43 cars.

@RRDOC posted:

Here is a thread discussing the Coca Cola version of this soda truck (and others).  Based on model width, Rattler21 calculated it to be 1:64 and he sold his to an S scale modeler.

Bob

Copied from that thread.

“Until the mid 1970s, the standard width of freight trucks was 96 inches, or two scale inches.  Short of two inches it is a 1:49 or smaller.  Wider than two inches it is a 1:47 or larger gauge.”

The soda truck measures 1 3/4”  in width. So 7’ instead of 8’.  

I ran into the same thing when I purchased a flat car from Menard's with a Flxible bus as the load.  I always wanted a Flxible for the layout so I ordered one.  When it arrived, the bus was definitely 1:64, way too small, and since I didn't need another flat car, back to Menard's it went.

What also needs to be considered is that the same model car can be sized differently from manufacturers. The Plymouths parked by the McD are from Menards and they work well alongside the smaller tractor trailer in this scene.
But the Matchbox Plymouth parked by the Shell Station is definitely larger than the ones at McD so onto the gas station it was placed. Even here, it seems a bit cramped parked between the building and pumps.

@BRicch posted:

What also needs to be considered is that the same model car can be sized differently from manufacturers. The Plymouths parked by the McD are from Menards and they work well alongside the smaller tractor trailer in this scene.
But the Matchbox Plymouth parked by the Shell Station is definitely larger than the ones at McD so onto the gas station it was placed. Even here, it seems a bit cramped parked between the building and pumps.

Surprised on the matchbox I always thought that they were smaller.

I should have clarified that the Plymouth is from the Matchbox 1/43 Collectable series.

1/43 is the original O Scale.

Half of 1/43 is 1/87 which is HO or Half O Scale.

1/48 is the more modern O scale.

@Texas Eagle 77 posted:

1/43 is the original O Scale.

Half of 1/43 is 1/87 which is HO or Half O Scale.

1/48 is the more modern O scale.

When you say, "1/48 is the more modernO scale", do you mean all the way back into the 1930s, for the outside 3rd rail, 2-Rail O Scale equipment? Somehow I never realized that all that 2-Rail O Scale stuff of my youth (1940s & 1950s), was actually 1/43.

@Hot Water posted:

When you say, "1/48 is the more modernO scale", do you mean all the way back into the 1930s, for the outside 3rd rail, 2-Rail O Scale equipment? Somehow I never realized that all that 2-Rail O Scale stuff of my youth (1940s & 1950s), was actually 1/43.

It wasn't.  I build, rebuild, and restore a lot of kits and cars from the 30's onwards -- almost all are 1/48.  The rare oddities and some of that outside rail stuff is 17/64's ones.

1/53 Tonkin Trucks and trailers

1/50 most construction trucks and vehicles

1/48 not much as cars go; 1/4" to the foot.

1/43 almost all cars;

So I just got used to it. until I start 3D printing scale cars.

Those Menard's Plymouths and many of the cars and trucks they're offering are 1/48.  Not bad for the money and look good as long as they don't get too close to those 1/43 vehicles you've already got on the layout.  Some examples:

Three Menard's 1/48 compared to a Road Champs 1/43.

A Menard's 1/48 Ford tanker and 2 types of ERTL 1/43 tankers.

A Menard's 1/48 compared to an Athern 1/50.

Some Menard's 1/48 trucks compared to a pair of Road Champs 1/43 pick-ups.

@AlanRail posted:

1/53 Tonkin Trucks and trailers

1/50 most construction trucks and vehicles

1/48 not much as cars go; 1/4" to the foot.

1/43 almost all cars;

So I just got used to it. until I start 3D printing scale cars.

Agreed.
I really like what @Capetrainman did there. I'll keep that in mind when I finally get to building a town.

I noticed manufacturers of contemporary vehicles tend to make pickup trucks and vans at a smaller scale than cars. For example, Kinsmart makes cars at 1:43, but it makes modern pickups, SUVs, and delivery vans at 1:46 or 1:48. Same with Gearbox. So my thought is, personal vehicles placed near my buildings or trains will always be pickup trucks/vans. Cars will always be at least a few inches away.

I'll admit, those of us who model the modern era probably have an easier time because today's cars are so much smaller than the land yachts of the mid-century.

@Hot Water posted:

When you say, "1/48 is the more modernO scale", do you mean all the way back into the 1930s, for the outside 3rd rail, 2-Rail O Scale equipment? Somehow I never realized that all that 2-Rail O Scale stuff of my youth (1940s & 1950s), was actually 1/43.

I think European O Scale is 1/43, but as far as I know, O scale here has always been 1:48, albeit mostly "wide" (5 foot) gauge...

...I think.

Mark in Oregon