Wonderful new 1:50 Speccast Union Pacific Freight truck: example of when 1:50 does and does not go with 1:43

I'm not a fan of the 1/43 vehicles. I prefer the 1/47 and smaller all around. I have a buch of the " bigger" cars and trucks I try to fit in but they just look wrong to me. I must say the 1950's cars were quite big in real life so that has to factor in. 

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

Thank you, great picture, and good to include a loco, too - that makes the point that the bigger out-of-scale trucks look out of place no only around the other vehciles but when near the locos, too.

I've never understood how anybody justified 1:43 vehicles, esp. with postwar trains.  1:64 vehicles look quite reasonable next to a 675!

I've used the differences between 1:43 and 1:50 to give a little forced perspective - 1:43 in the foreground, and 1:50 farther away.

 

I have that same UP truck and it is a beaut!

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. 

The trailers on the second and third one in from the left are the same?

You mean to tell me different scale vehicles are different sizes? How can this be?

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

Lee, nice comparison of the different scale trucks.

 

Speccast makes some nice looking truck.  However, I just cant get past the piano style hinge on their doors!  Wonder if one could take off the hinges and just glue the doors in place?

 

Jim

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

Here's two tractor/trailers that I have.  One is the 1:50 UP truck.  The other is a Peterbilt 1:48 scale.  Matt

Matt,

I like the Peterbilt.  Looks like at least the trailer is what is in Lee's post, is that correct?

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.  

Yes, I think it's the same trailer.  Matt

Robert your second to the last picture really show how much the size of the cab of a truck has changed over the years.  That tractor looks very small in front of the trailer by today's standards.

Does anyone know what the scale size is of the various tractor trailer combos that Lionel produced over the years?

Many of the tractor trailers are 1:64.  The Piggyback trailers and the tractors that go with them are around 1:48.