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I find the 1:43/1:50 conundrum a pain. I realize that European standards are driving it. It's a shame that the US market was never big enough to force manufacturers to make cars, trucks and earth movers in true 1:48 scale. I was just explaining this to my grandsons last night as we were admiring the Grove crane that I just got and how it compares in size to the 1:48 cars that I have. Classic Construction Models makes their brass pieces in 1:48, but they are costly and aren't practical to use as props on a model railroad. The HO guys have the advantage again. Their stuff is all 1:87.

imageimageimageimageWillygee, that is the Menards product you can buy direct for about 50 % less than the website you posted. 

I would agree that the model is at least 1:43 if not even larger. See the photos I have taken from my collection. The yellow box truck is New Ray 1:43; ambulance is from Menards (same cab as your posting); green Ford is the exact same as your picture and it is from Menards; white Chevy Tahoe is 1:43 and made by First Response; white pick up in Bobcat dealer paint is 1:50; white International cab over is 1:50 from K-Line. 

Hope this helps all see the size more accurately. 

 

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willygee posted:

 But are they true 1/48? Some so called 1/48 ending up as repackaged 1/43..too big for me and 1/50 too small.

A 4% difference is just about negligible in the "O" world... 1/50 is a much better fit for the O-gauge world than 1/43 and will nary be noticed.

A lot of 1/64 equipment fits in quite well, too, especially tractor-trailer units. the 1/43 T-T models are just HUGE compared to most O gauge train equipment.

 

  • This is a very interesting and valuable discussion. For my military loads I can choose from 1/43, 1/48, 1/50, and 1/56. I find that I can even run several flat cars with 1/43 small trucks on one and a 1/56 Abrams tank on the next. They look acceptable because the body styles are very different and small trucks at 1/43 look close to 1/48 where a huge tank at 1/56 also looks 1/48. 
  • The "running difference" looks acceptable to the eye.
Last edited by Scrapiron Scher

It is easy to determine if flat bed and van trucks and trailers are 1:48 scale.  Normal, run of the mill flat bed or van trucks and semis are 102" wide.  Divided by 48 equals 2 and 1/8 inches wide.  Thirty or so years ago they were 96" wide for 2 inches.  Very few semi trailers (Weaver 53' van trailers being a notable exception) are scale length.  the 13 1/4 inch length of the 53' model road trailer uses a lot of room on a train layout.  Imagine dedicating a minimum of two feet in front of every dock on your layout for semis to maneuver.

John in Lansing, Illinois

hibar posted:

Typically the only models offered in 1/48 scale in the diecast industry are model airplanes.

To expand on that, I think it is fair to say that diecast "o" scale stuff is not made with model railroaders in mind.  They make it for people who collect 1:43 or 1:50 models, and THEN they try to see if they can't unload a few units on "unpicky" o gauge guys.

We are at the bottom of that hierarchy of customers

The difference between 1/48 and 1/50 is not much ..you can easily mix both scales and not notice anything out of place..sadly not many models are made in 1/48 ( few very expensive CCM Cat Models) and tons of planes.

I  have a lot of 1/50 scale truck and trailers  and there are a lots of options  like Kenworths from Norscot (W900L and T800), SWORD the T800 W, Mack Granite, freighliner century and Peterbilts, . Drake from Australia K200, T909,T908 and the C500,the First Gear Macks and KW T880, also from Netherland WSI  Volvo VN 780 , Kenworth T660 ,Peterbilt 387, KW C500 and  Western Star ...and a growing number of Trailers  Dry Vans, Tankers, flatbeds, and lowboys  so theres plenty to choose from . I dont mention any of the huge array of trucks and trailers from  TONKIN due the silly scale (1/53)  

still there are many trucks or trailers that never will see the light , at least manufacture in big numbers in this case one have to make their own , I do have couple models that I made like the Freighliner Argosy and Merrit livestock Trailer both in 1/50 scale made using CAD  and rapid prototype...I also made a Kentucky Moving Van from Styrene.

 

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