Skip to main content

Last week I found two 1:50 Speccast International KB-8 UP tractor trailers on Modeltrainstuff.com and ordered both.  Both are identical.  These are just spectacular models, very detailed and one of the few with opening doors, etc., that looks good with them closed.  I am building a warehouse truck center on my layout and these will be featured prominently.  The second photo below shows one of them side by side with an American Excellence 1:43 Buick, and with the 1:43 New Ray Peterbilt truck.  In my opinion the Buick works with it, although the smaller New Ray '50s cars (somewhere in the 1:47 to 1:53 scale depending) make it look like a bigger truck (it was big but not huge).   The Peterbilt does not work with it, or frankly, anything else on my layout - it was a bigger truck in the real world, yes, but not that big by comparison.  This is why I don't use the bigger New Ray and Schuco 1:43 trucks on my layout.

Slide2

Slide3

Attachments

Images (2)
  • Slide2
  • Slide3
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I'm selective on scale.  For cars - even up through 1955, I prefer the 1:43 scale - makes them a bit bigger and I like that, particuarly since so many of my cars are sports cars, or smaller sedans.  For big trucks and tractor-trailers, 1:48 is best but selection is limited.  I use 1:50 when I have to, as with this.  New Ray, and a few other 1:47-1:55 scale cars I have, I put toward the background, as said, to create a bit of forced perspective, and also because they are not the most detailed models and any lack of that fades to unimportance over a distance of several feet: the New Ray '55 Olds, Pontiac, and Buick convertibles, for example, look really good parked at the curbe from four or more feet away.

Great comparison Lee.  I like the UP Tractor Trailer.  The other day I remembered I had a K-Line "Hauler"  (any idea what scale they are?) So, after the other topic here, I was curious.  I pulled out the K-Line, a Lionel, a 1:50 beer truck, 1:43 Chevy pickup, and 1:43 Chevelle.  Took a picture, but I wont hijack your thread so I'll post it here:

Tractors (Semis) for Lionel & MTH Trailers

The photo below shows the contrast among some available trucks a b it better.  At the Left, the New Ray 1:43 Peterbilt.  Next, an R Collection 1:48 Peterbilt, which has been converted to 'Streets as has the next truck, a New Ray 1:43 '5e Mack.  Both are using a 1:43 New Ray bos trailer.  Next the SpecCast 1:50 International KB-8, then the piggyback box trailer from the recently released Lionel flatcars (6-27545) which is 1:48. 

Slide2

Attachments

Images (1)
  • Slide2
Originally Posted by Lee Willis:
Originally Posted by mjrodg3n88:
The trailers on the second and third one in from the left are the same?

Yes, both 'Streets vehicles use the same box trailer - its a "generic" trailer that New Ray calls 1:43 (it is certainly about that, maybe 1:45 to no smaller) and uses with many of its trucks

They look like they're different sizes in the picture, but maybe thats because of your streets mod to fit the correct truck?

Keep in mind that 30 to 50 years has seen a fair change in size of vehicles also.  The smaller vehicles are also older styles.  A Mack B61 cab was small, very small, compared to what you see on the road today. A Diamond Reo or even an early International cab was not the giant, live-in, away from home, cab you see today.   Even wheel sizes and tires have changed. 13' 6" height maximum and 51' length may not have been the case 50 years ago.  Think about some of the bridges still around that are over 50 years old.  

I think the flatbed trailers look behind a Speccast tractor will depend on the load on the trailer.  Speccast (at least the ones I have) are 1:50.  Probably anything from 1:64 to 1:43 could be made to work if a scale load - a 1:50 Bulldozer or some cargo of the right scale and look to the eye were put on it.  the only real way to find out if the look is good is to try.

OK....I for one don't want to beat a dewad horse (please don't anybody post that dumb cartoon!) but I am really confussed about this whole scale vs. appearance thing.

 

So tonight I came home and did some comparisons of my own. Keep in mind that by only have a 4' x 8' layout I run non-scale trains.

 

First up is a comparison between the tractor from a Lionel Tractor Trailer combo and an Ertle 1/43. Obviously the differance is huge:

 

truck 1

 

Next up is the ttrailer of that same Ertl 1/43 truck with a Lionel piggy back trailer. Note: since the Ertl trailer did noy have a way to place it in a parked posoition by itself the comparisons are #1 - Both Trailers on their roof, #2 - both on trailer back door (length and width comparison):

 

truck 3

truck 4

 

And finally the Ertl tractor with the Lionel piggyback trailer:

 

truck 2

 

OK, so you ask what's my point. While the 2 trailers are close to size other that the length there is not much visual differance between the 1/43 Ertle and the Lionel trailer which Lee figured to be about 1/48 but again the length differance is too big for my liking. So if the Ertl trailer is close to 1/48 why does the truck cab look so huge? It is as wide as the deck of a postwar cast flatcar.

 

I am totaly at a loss as to what is going to look good with my traditional sized trains and my 1/43rd automobiles which like lee said in his other post will work with the 1/50 SpecCast trucks?  Am I destined to just either do without or "settle" for something that I am not really happy with?

Attachments

Images (4)
  • truck 1
  • truck 3
  • truck 4
  • truck 2
Post

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×
×