Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Discussion of large gauge model railway specific products and related model railway topics (problems and solutions). (1 gauge, O gauge, S gauge etc)
Post Reply
JimF
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:23 pm

Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Post by JimF »

Not having a thing in my possession for either scale, how compatible are these two scales? Can one use 1:48 structures, figures, vehicles, etc.., with 1:43 railway items?

Jim F
Terrier

Re: Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Post by Terrier »

Hi Jim, it's a little like the 1:72/1:76 in oo and ho scales, although a lot of models, airfix etc come in 1:48 and are slightly smaller than O, being 1:43.

Here's a picture of two model willies Jeeps, the one on the left is O (1:43) and the smaller on the right is 1:48. So you can see there is a mild difference in what the two scales put together will produce, but like all modelling, it's up to you what you want and if you think it looks okay, then, like me, that's the only approval required. Hope this helps chap.

Image

Chris P
b308
Posts: 5106
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 5:48 pm
Location: North Worcs

Re: Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Post by b308 »

One thing to say is that 1:43.5 is British O scale and 1:48 is American O scale, there's also European O scale, which is 1:45!

So as far as structures are concerned unless you are mixing British and American buildings together there shouldn't be any issues. People come in all shapes and sizes so that won't matter either.

As Chris said there's not a world of difference between them but it's worth noting that the larger you go, scale-wise, the more noticeable the difference between two scales which are "close together" numerically as that photo of 1:72 vs 1:76 shows.

The only way is to put stuff alongside each other and decide if you ca accept the differences. Personally I can't, especially when it comes to mixing OO, HO and 1:72 (aircraft) scales but many don't worry about it, each to their own... However much O scale stuff overlaps.

What are you thinking of using that makes you ask the question, if you don't mind me asking?!

Blair
JimF
Posts: 9
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 3:23 pm

Re: Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Post by JimF »

A belated thanks for the replies. Life sort of has been in the way.
Chris, thanks for the side by side, it helps. Yes, a noticeable difference, but not huge. Clearly avoid putting similar items in the 2 scales close to each other.
Blair, I'm planning a small shelf layout, more a diorama than a working layout, of a small town/village and station scene. I found there is a line of dollhouse structures, in 1:48, from a company called Petite Properties, of which I will be using a few. What I will most likely do is use any 1:48 structures together, say along the street facing the front edge. This should give the appearance of being all proportioned similar, and give a bit of forced prospective.

Thanks again.

Jim F
b308
Posts: 5106
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 5:48 pm
Location: North Worcs

Re: Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Post by b308 »

Yep, that's the way I'd do it as well. I've just used an N scale ruined castle on a 1:120 layout in the same way!
ParkeNd
Posts: 1374
Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2013 5:48 pm

Re: Size differnce between 1:48 and 1:43?

Post by ParkeNd »

My limited experience is that there are even size differences between models claimed to be at the same scale but from different manufacturers. I have one or two N gauge 1:148 scale lorries with the actual scale in numbers on the side of the box that I daren't stand next to each other.

What we see as different size is the square of the scale numbers. So two N gauge items even accurately described as 1:148 and 1:160 will be very markedly different in perceived size. As are the two jeeps which to my mind are so different in size they couldn't be parked next to each other - not on my layout anyway. A 1:43 product is 24% bigger than a 1:48 model of the same item. In the same way an OO loco is quite obviously 4 times bigger than the same loco in N gauge - not twice as big as many non-train people might expect from looking at the just the two scale ratios.
Post Reply