Have a fire hydrant that measures 3/4" high x 1/2" wide.
Would you consider this "O", "O27" or "H O" scale?
As always, many thanks.
I would estimate a fire hydrant at about 3' in real life. So 3' high and 3/4" on the model would be about 1' per 1/4". To me that would make it O scale or thereabouts. Maybe S scale but not HO and not G scale.
NDBPRR: Thanks, so much.
An ho hydrant is just under 3/8 inch high
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Agree the hydrant is 1:48 (O) scale.
O27 isn't a scale. It simply describes Lionel 'more or less' O scale that can run on their tighter radius track. The 27 refers to the diameter of the circle. 1:48 scale buildings and scenic details are 'right' for O27, and for On3, On30 or anything else that's basically 1/4" = 1' including large models of small watercraft.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Not on point to the OP's topic, but O-27 rolling stock is significantly smaller than 1/4" "O" scale -- just compare the usual O-27 "Baby Ruth" boxcar to a Lionel "true" O scale 6464 boxcar, which itself is very close to scale size but slightly shortened at 37 feet. The O-27 car is actually close to S scale in size, and this is true for most O-27 rolling stock. So for example accurate O scale figures look like giants on 0-27 layouts, and 1:48 or 1:50 die cast vehicles also look rather odd when used in O-27 layouts.
This is probably why the popular Plasticville trainset structures were also a blend of S scale and O scale in size. Whether you'd really need smaller fire hydrants for an 0-27 layout is not all that clear, but a case can be made that they should be.
Dave Nelson