I'm new at this. I'm a total rookie. But I've been to the hobby store already and am pretty hooked. Sheesh! I think I'm obsessive.
I've compared 1:72 scale figures to the HO trains. They are a 'little' large. But I'm wondering if anyone has doe this on a large scale. Are these too large, or does it work?
The trouble I'm having is finding figures in 1:87 (HO) scale that are facinating. Most are ho-hum, while 1:72 offers a ton of interesting characters. So, does this work or not?
p.s. Just what in the world is DCC? I've seen this acronym but I don't know what it is nor can I find info on this. What is it? What's the advantage? Why would I want this?
p.p.s. I'd prefer to work in N scale due to space limitations. Are there INTERESTING figures in this scale or close to this scale?
Thanks!
Sounds like you should go straight to the nearest Walther's catalog (most train stores and some hobby stores should have one available, or just check Walther's website). Believe you me: there are plenty of really interesting figures in HO (and unlike 1:72, most HO figures are non-military). Having dabbled in N-scale, I suspect N doesn't have quite the variety of figures HO has. Having said so, N presents unique modeling possibilities.
For info on DCC (Digital Command Control), I think you should search the forum for the term. You'll get plenty of good information as well as some strong opinions on whether it's worth the extra expense.
Best thing you can do is to leaf through some issues of the major model RR magazines to get a good idea of what is available on both scales.
Hope this helps.
Juan
Preiser and Merten are 2 manufacturers of little people in both H0 and N scales, there are others.
For a primer on DCC go here: http://www.tonystrains.com/tonystips/dccprimer/index.htm
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
Back to the first original question:
1:72 figures would be about 20% oversize for HO. Some examples:
The same problem occurs when trying to mix 1:72 vehicles into an HO scene, where a pickup transmogrifies into a light dump truck. They just don't look right.
Of course, John Allen hired an O scale yard hand for light switching on the G&D. John also made his own figures (wax over wire armatures, IIRC.)
You might have better luck with 1:96 figures. It's easier to explain undersize.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
tomikawaTT wrote: A five foot gymnast would suddenly become a six foot runway model.A five foot eight inch middle distance runner would become a six foot ten+ inch basketballer.A football guard, in full uniform, would suddenly become a human-looking Godzilla!
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
Most of my figures are either Preiser or Woodland Scenics. I've got a set or two of Mertens, also.
Look at the online catalogs at www.walthers.com, www.discounttrainsonline.com and www.rocousa.com. All have pictures of most of the figures, and I think you'll find that once you know where to look, the available figures in 1:87 offer more variety than anyone could possibly put on a layout.
But we're still waiting for Miners, aren't we? It's a strange world where you can get 1:87 scale llamas, but no miners.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Click image to enlarge
1/72 figures shortened to fit 1/76 OO scale and an HO figure pointing on the running board. The locomotive is the OO scale IHC oldtime 4-4-0 on the new Athearn/Roundhouse 4-4-0 frame representing the smaller 1870's locomotive in OO versus the 1880's locomotive in HO.
The difference is only about 15% but that is a huge difference, suprisingly
Harold
JFdez wrote: ... Believe you me: there are plenty of really interesting figures in HO (and unlike 1:72, most HO figures are non-military). ...
... Believe you me: there are plenty of really interesting figures in HO (and unlike 1:72, most HO figures are non-military). ...
Yer right about that!
Begin Rant
I don't quite understand it. There's a big need for non-military figures. These can be used for a variety of things. Some do exist, but at premium prices. But these are usually onesy-twosies, and $29 for a single or a pair of figures. Even sets of six aren't cheap! These run from $8 to $100, depending on the manufacturer!
I mean, come on! Where's the Circus figures and circus animals? Where's a Indian Muslim family? I've seend Davy Crockett, wild west trappers, Lewis and Clark. WHere's Dr Livingston? Where's a peaceful indian village that I can mix with either store bought or self-made Teepees? Where's the freaking Indian and african elephants? Where's some longhorn cattle?
I don't understand the mentality. Are people only amused with warfare? Are humans, by nature, only interested in replicating war scenes? Not by any means! Just look at the mdoel railroaders! So where are the figures that show historical incidents of peaceful life? WHere's Wilbur and Orville? Where's Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and similar tycoon giants and their entourages? Are the modeling companies stuck in a rut? Have they no imagination beyond conflict, death and destruction? If these manufacturers are so brilliant, then why don't they create a wider variety? IN 1/87 AND 1:160!
Everybody agrees that war is hell. So why do these manufacturers create nothing but reinactments of hell?
Now, I've looked into creating my own figures. Uh uh. No can do with reasonable speed and home made molds. These are injected molded plastic, or complex molded tin. I can't do this in my hobby room(s)! And if I did, I'd be spending plenty of time on these and have no time for the dioramas that I want to make!
When are the scale figure modelers gonna grow a brain?
http://www.iinet.com/~lengoforth/Looney-dispicable.wav
End rant
grrrr! I'd run over these companies with a Big Boy if given the chance!
hminky wrote: Click image to enlarge
I've been wondering about that loco. That's made by Bachman, right? Is it any good (pulling power and reliability)?
Harold,
Your photo makes my point perfectly. The HO figure looks like a (young) teenager - which is not totally unbelievable. OTOH, an S-scale figure in your OO scene would look like a refugee from a circus.
Beautiful job on the loco.
Lengo wrote: hminky wrote: Click image to enlargeI've been wondering about that loco. That's made by Bachman, right? Is it any good (pulling power and reliability)?
That is the loco Bachmann SHOULD have built instead of their limited prototype 4-4-0. It is an HO IHC oldtime 4-4-0 merged with the new HO Athearn/Roundhouse 4-4-0. I have a "what-I-did" at:
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/locomotives/4-4-0_merge/
It will pull 18 heavy MDC cars, here shown in a construction shot
Thank if you visit
Lengo wrote: JFdez wrote: ... Believe you me: there are plenty of really interesting figures in HO (and unlike 1:72, most HO figures are non-military). ...Yer right about that! Begin Rant I don't quite understand it. There's a big need for non-military figures. These can be used for a variety of things. Some do exist, but at premium prices. But these are usually onesy-twosies, and $29 for a single or a pair of figures. Even sets of six aren't cheap! These run from $8 to $100, depending on the manufacturer! I mean, come on! Where's the Circus figures and circus animals? Where's a Indian Muslim family? I've seend Davy Crockett, wild west trappers, Lewis and Clark. WHere's Dr Livingston? Where's a peaceful indian village that I can mix with either store bought or self-made Teepees? Where's the freaking Indian and african elephants? Where's some longhorn cattle? I don't understand the mentality. Are people only amused with warfare? Are humans, by nature, only interested in replicating war scenes? Not by any means! Just look at the mdoel railroaders! So where are the figures that show historical incidents of peaceful life? WHere's Wilbur and Orville? Where's Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, and similar tycoon giants and their entourages? Are the modeling companies stuck in a rut? Have they no imagination beyond conflict, death and destruction? If these manufacturers are so brilliant, then why don't they create a wider variety? IN 1/87 AND 1:160!Everybody agrees that war is hell. So why do these manufacturers create nothing but reinactments of hell? Now, I've looked into creating my own figures. Uh uh. No can do with reasonable speed and home made molds. These are injected molded plastic, or complex molded tin. I can't do this in my hobby room(s)! And if I did, I'd be spending plenty of time on these and have no time for the dioramas that I want to make! When are the scale figure modelers gonna grow a brain? http://www.iinet.com/~lengoforth/Looney-dispicable.wavEnd rantgrrrr! I'd run over these companies with a Big Boy if given the chance!
Easy does it, Lengo! The reason for the seemingly-disproportionate number of military figures in 1/72 is simple: 1/72 is a very popular scale for models of military equipment (mostly aircraft and armor), so the market for 1/72 happens to need mostly military figures. There simply isn't enough "civilian" equipment modeled in 1/72 to warrant production of civilian figures. 1/24 scale, on the other hand, has more non-military figures because it's a popular scale for automobile models (particularly race cars).
I intermix 1\72 scale figures on my layout, and they work perfectly, take a look at the real world and you see people of different heights....but the manufacturers only produce 1\87 scale figures....so what you end up with is everyone on your layout is 6 ft tall. [except the kids of course], I never buy those expensive prepainted sets...waste of money....I buy Preiser unpainted figure sets....120 figures for $25 and paint them myself.
I also use non scale vehicles......if you look at a typical 1\87 scale vehicle you immediately notice how small it looks next to a figure....while it might be ''exact scale'' real vehicles don't look that way.....so I mix scale and non scale trucks and cars [and equipment] and end up with a more realistic looking setting. The price factor is also a big consideration....the ''scale'' vehicles are grossly overpriced, just take a look at Woodland Scenics offerings, or the Busch line, while these may be nicely detailed, they are not worth the price that the manufacturers want.
If you want to mix scales then by all means do so......1\144...1\87....1\72, mix them all, after all it's your layout and you can do whatever you want.
Model railroading uses S-gauge (1:64) and HO gauge (1:87) but there's nothing really available in the 1:72 scale for trains. So, you'll find engineers, brakemen and townspeople in either S or HO. Also remember that train-gauge modellers have two strong markets - the transition era between diesel and steam, and the modern era, with less interest in the intervening years. So, the number of Native Americans is not very large, as they're not much of a component of the railroad landscape in the 20th or 21st centuries.
You will find a lot of circus figures, particularly from Preiser. They make a lot of animal figures, too. Preiser is a European firm, and their choices may reflect their own market rather than our own. IMHO, Woodland Scenics models aren't quite as good as Preiser's yet, but they are getting better. WS seems to be adding more sets, too, while I haven't noticed much new from Preiser for a while.
hminky wrote: http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/locomotives/4-4-0_merge/It will pull 18 heavy MDC cars, here shown in a construction shotHarold
That's an awesome how to! I don't know half of what you said, 'cause I'm a newbie, so I bookmarked it for later. I then bounced on to other how to's. Cool stuff! Great site! Thanks!
Have you pictures of your layout? I'd like to see more!
p.s. I had a little success today at finding some HO scale figures. I work in paper mache, and was working on a box. Since looking at dioramas and model railroads, I've decided to turn this into a mini-diorama and still keep it a box. The scene is a Muslim Mosque in Malaysia. This is based on a real place, from photos I've seen of it. So, to add a little bit of scale (it's still a characature, because I had no intention of scaling it), I went to Walther's and found a HO scale Indian woman in a sarong! BOY WAS I HAPPY! I also found an elephant in HO scale. Two of these women + the elephant was only $8 + shipping. So, I've calmed down a bit.
Paper mache is great medium for modleing lots of things for railroading. You can make buildings, trees, rocks, cactus, fence, weathered board, and lots and lots of things, perhaps even carriage models. Today, I've modeled trunks for palm trees. Paper mache save you some money, but it's time costly. If anyone shows any interest in learning more, I'll start a thread about how to do it right so that your creations will last a long time. Just holler.