Don't know if these are national or local but my Ace hardware here in northern Michigan has trucks and F units that are very close to HO scale. The F units have lousy looking trucks but the cars and trucks are pretty good. The gem is photoetched kits of a Caterpillar excavator and one of a road grader. My store has a built up excavator that looks great with very fine detail including the treads. They are abouit $10-12 each.
Were those kits made by Fascinations? Similar to:
I saw these at HobbyLobby. However, there was no scale printed on the kit package. I sent an email to the company's product support email and received a basically I don't know answer.
Some of the other models: http://www.fascinations.com/metalearth/cat
For construction equipment, if it looks right to your eye, it is right. The prototypes, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and others, all make the same machine in various sizes, from tiny little machines for grading suburban lawns, to really humungous machines for building interstate highways. If the model looks about th right size, you are golden.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
My challenge is finding construction eq for late 1979s. Most I come across is way too modern or new.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
dstarrFor construction equipment, if it looks right to your eye, it is right. The prototypes, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and others, all make the same machine in various sizes, from tiny little machines for grading suburban lawns, to really humungous machines for building interstate highways. If the model looks about th right size, you are golden.
.
Absolutely! I agree 100%.
If the cab looks the right size for an HO sized worker to get in and out, the model should be just fine.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
If they are 'close enough', you can experiment by placing them here and there in a scene, fore and aft, and you'll probably find a position where they look okay in perspective.
SeeYou190 dstarr For construction equipment, if it looks right to your eye, it is right. The prototypes, Caterpillar, Komatsu, and others, all make the same machine in various sizes, from tiny little machines for grading suburban lawns, to really humungous machines for building interstate highways. If the model looks about th right size, you are golden. . Absolutely! I agree 100%. . If the cab looks the right size for an HO sized worker to get in and out, the model should be just fine. . -Kevin
dstarr
Well, yes and no. It's helpful if the model is somewhat close. The problem with the Fascinations kits are that they come on a small piece of (I believe) aluminum. And all the kits seem to come on a same sized piece. So for all I know they could be N scale. Or a scale to be determined.
https://www.innovatoys.com/metal-earth
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=metalearth
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
I think that could be the ones I saw at Ace. Hard to tell because the detail is really excellent in person and doesn't show up well in the picture
My wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose. I measured it up and it's actually N-scale. That kit at least. But the backhoe in the kit above would probably be closer to HO, because it would be about the same size as the loco in my kit, and that would be way out of proportion for that particular type of backhoe.
- Adam
When all else fails, wing it!
LonehawkMy wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose. I measured it up and it's actually N-scale
Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll get one of the backhoe and see how big the finished item is. With the 40% off coupon it won't be that expensive to try. It was disappointing to me when I contacted their customer service and they couldn't tell me the scale. I'll try asking my question differently, i.e. what are the dimensions of the completed item.
I did see that they had a steam loco kit. That package, if I remembr correctly, said 1:200, which would be a little smaller than N scale.
Must be a local Ace deal. I searched the main Ace website and nothing like this shows up. My local Hobby Lobby sells these kits. Looks interesting but it would help if they gave the final dimensions with the kits.
Paul D
N scale Washita and Santa Fe RailroadSouthern Oklahoma circa late 70's
Lonehawk My wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose. I measured it up and it's actually N-scale. T
My wife got me one of those Fascinations Metal Earth kits like that backhoe, but it was a frieght train with a GP-30-something, hopper, gon, boxcar and caboose. I measured it up and it's actually N-scale. T
Always nice when the wife gets things for you. Mine does sometimes or suggests things to use for storage, etc. Funny that just when I think she doesn't care, surprise!
Good going on getting the construction equipment. What a pretty rare find!