Scale confusion.

[JohnDisdle]

I ordered one of these, for my layout.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fenteer-Caterp ... B07DFLZDS8

It says it's HO scale, so it should have fitted in nicely, although a little smaller than 00 gauge.

It arrived today, and it's huge... Although the measurements didn't look too bad on paper.

The dimensions are approx 8x5cm/3.15cm x 1.97 inch. I have tried searching for something similar to compare, but there are not many sizes given.

I have asked for a refund, but am I right or wrong?

[Dad-1]

I fear you may be forgetting just how big things are in even 4 mm scale.
Ever though about trees ? 100 ft, not that big a tree it has to be said, but
400 mm ?
Getting all scale right is not easy, and I suppose in line with our basic need to
compress there is, dare I say it, a NEED to often have under scale items. Perhaps
you should have kept it ? Either that or think smaller construction elements to
include on the layout.

Geoff T.

[JohnDisdle]

Hi Dad 1.

Thanks for your reply. I take your point about the tree, so are you saying the scale of this is right?

I still have it, but to me it seems over scale. It dwarfs an Oxford JCB, although not too bad against a Pickfords removal van.

I think it will have to go, as maybe it was a bad choice.

[dieselbob]

Hi John
I have a Corgi DG225005 trackside crane which is 40ft and doesn't look out of place at all. yours has an arm length of 50ft + another aprox 8ft on top for the body. The trouble with model railways we are looking at things from the wrong angle.
As Dad 1 says the size of trees in there natural state are enormous. I have a couple of trees that stand about 30cm high which is not big for trees.
The likes of Hornby and Bachmann sell 00 gauge trees that are that would be too small for N Gauge. I think you would soon get used to your crane.
Cheers
Bob

[Ironduke]

I'd like to see a photo of it on your layout.

[Peterm]

As above, the jib on these things can dwarf everything around them.

[MicroMan]

Get a bog standard 00 figure and stand it on the deck next to the cab... is the cab far to big or small for the operator? If it looks like he (she) would fit in, you are half way there

[Bigmet]

...I still have it, but to me it seems over scale. It dwarfs an Oxford JCB...

It should dwarf a JCB tractor of front shovel and back hoe type. These machines were made to the size required for the job, and with 'Meccano kit' construction to be broken down for transport. There's a similar machine on display at Beamish, where you can prove to yourself that these things were huge, and that's a fairly modest example...

[Bufferstop]

To see if something has been made to the correct scale despite it's apparent size you need to identify features on it which would be made to fit the human user, cab doors, distance between the steps on an access ladder any operating levers etc. Some of the real things are absolutely enormous. The same principals can be applied to models of buildings as well as trees. Airfix produced (now Dapol's) kits for a thatched cottage and a half timbered wayside inn. They both have doors and windows proportionate to a human figure (the inn being nearer to H0 than 00) but the inn should have a much larger footprint than the cottage, it's selective compression on a small scale.
If you find models from the late fifties early sixties when Hornby was Hornby Doublo by Meccanno and Rovex at Margate produced Triang Railways they applied different methods of producing short bogie coaches. Triang(Rovex) simply left out some windows from the length. Meccano producing a Pullman for Hornby used a much more subtle approach. The doors and windows were compressed slightly along the horizontal axis, the spaces in between were compressed by about twice as much, but since all the elements were there it was far more difficult to tell what they had done to it. Your monster machine may well be to scale!

[JohnDisdle]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
I shall attempt to add a photo, so you can see the monster. i have tried the attachment/ add files to see if it works.

[JohnDisdle]

Ok. Had another go. think i got it righ, but quality may not be too good.

[Bigmet]

It's right as a model, but simply too big for the layout scene.

[SRman]

Yeah, wot 'e sed!

Looking at the cab of the crane, it matches up pretty closely in scale to the JCB tractor. I don't think the OP has made any errors as far as scale goes.

As far as the physical size goes, it may have been a misjudgement for the area available.

[heda]

Agreed the scale is right but to big for the scene.
Dave

[Ironduke]

The end is called a clam-shell bucket. Got any canals that need dredging on your layout? Or a scrapyard maybe?