size of people and vehicles

Greg:

I suggest Artista; their figures are realistically posed and nicely painted.  They will custom-make figures to order; like you standing at a BBQ grill; i.e., posed as if you are preparing steaks for dinner.

At 1:48 scale, a 6 feet tall person should be rendered as a figure 1-1/2 inches tall.

As for vehicles, go to DIECAST Direct on the web. They offer many brands in their catalog - cheap vehicles from China and pricey cars by BROOKLYN.

Carry on, regardless ....

Mike M.

My thoughts on your size question is to use 1:48 or 1:50 scale vehicles if you can find them.  However, except for some trucks, construction, farm, etc equipment, not too many vehicles come in these sizes.  Most forum members here seem to use 1:43 scale vehicles mainly because that is what is out there.

I personally do not like 1:43 vehicles because they make my 1:48 sized trains look small in comparison.  So, I do not have too many vehicles on the layout.

I have quite a few Arttista figures but a couple of others with some interesting figures are Metal Figures (.net) and Woodland Scenics. Metal Figures sells individual figures and I like the half-bodied drivers they make to put in vehicles and the kids flying kites.  I also bought a great funeral set from them of pallbearers carrying a casket. Woodland Scenics have sets of plastic people that have nice detail and typically come 5 to a set at a decent price. All sorts of other people out there including cheap sets of plastic people on auction site that are great if you want lots of people for little money. Have used those to create a crowd in front of a movie theatre, and butchered some of them (cut off feet, legs, et al) to use them inside of passenger trains or vehicles.

While everything I mentioned above is labeled O scale, they aren't all the same size. Such is humanity, so I wouldn't sweat it. I even have some Homies for certain scenes and those clearly aren't O scale (bigger) but fit in if grouped together.

I agree that the 1:43 model cars can be too big depending on the model. Likewise, some 1:50 model cars just look too small if your trains are scale. The display of cars you see at the end of the aisle in a drugstore seem like they'd be a good fit when you're in the store, but some of those are even bigger than 1:43. I bought a few thinking they would look good but wound up giving those cars to my nephew's boys.

@Mooner posted:

...snip...  I even have some Homies for certain scenes and those clearly aren't O scale (bigger) but fit in if grouped together.

I agree that the 1:43 model cars can be too big depending on the model. Likewise, some 1:50 model cars just look too small if your trains are scale. The display of cars you see at the end of the aisle in a drugstore seem like they'd be a good fit when you're in the store, but some of those are even bigger than 1:43. I bought a few thinking they would look good but wound up giving those cars to my nephew's boys.

Homies:

They seem to fit some scenes properly unlike 1/43 cars.

@PRRMP54 posted:

Homies:

They seem to fit some scenes properly unlike 1/43 cars.

I think  it all depends upon "how you set up the scene" People "come in all shapes and sizes, cars and trucks are a set scale, and can bet set in a scene with the right figures and structures to trick the eye in believing it works!

I like the assortment and size of the Arttista figures.  I'll say 70% of my figures are Arttista...have some Preiser also, but many of the  "P" 1/43 figures tend to be the tall guys in the scenes...lol  The paint schemes on the "P" are vibrant and realistic, but the assortment in "O" doesn't seem to be growing at all.  HO assortment in "P" is huge.

It seems the majority of cars available to us are 1/43.  I agree they tend to be over-sized in some locations on the layout, but I've learned to work the scenes to make the size less noticeable to the viewers   On my North Main Street where several 1/43 cars are positioned, I  "parked" the cars with the front of the cars side-by-side facing the curb, rather than have the length of a car be visually measured parallel to a building, appearing to take up the majority of the front of certain buildings...

FYI, Menards has the majority of their vehicles 1/48 or 1/50, both lighted Plug and Play, and unlighted vehicles.