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Out of Scale Vehicles/Toys On Model Railroads
David has an interesting observation and related question:
“Our modeling scales have been pretty well fixed for over 100 years. Our hobby has probably the largest demographic of any ‘toy’ buying, world wide. So why do toy manufacturers insist on making their product to either no scale at all, or to scales that do not relate to our most popular ones (OO, HO, N, etc.)
Are they not aware that they open the market for their products immensely?
For example, if the Asian toy car and truck makers did them in H0/00 rather than 1:100 or 1:80 how many more they would sell?
Is it possible for model railway associations worldwide (NMRA and all the others) start a ‘mailing campaign’ advising companies of the market they are missing?
What do contributors to this page think?”
8 Responses to Out of Scale Vehicles/Toys On Model Railroads
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I too have asked myself this same question. Imagine if they did make vehicles in say, 1/87, instead of 1/60 they would have the whole lot of HO train enthusiast market. I’ll take this subject even further: I have built eleven HO scale remote controlled vehicles(cars and trucks). I can drive these around on my layout. I also built an HO scale Fork Lift that I can load and unload flat cars with. I see a potentially large market for HO scale R/C. If the model train manufactures released a line of HO RC kits, I’ll bet they would go viral.
10:4 on that good buddy.
There are toy / model manufatores of vehicles who make their vehicles to scale and with some kind of accuracy but they are not cheap. To scale models are not seen as toys as they have a very fine and accurate printing of destination boards , number plates etc.
Agreed Finn, but if toy manufacturuers kept tp their same standards of quality, the lodl railway owner can trick them out and turn toys into models. Currently there is no point because the toys are out of scale. I commend the model car manufacturers, but they are a different market to toy makers.
Accurate. Look at the quality of Hot Wheels! If they were 1/87, us HO modelers would eat’em up. They could do all years from the 1920’s all the way up to 2020. And 1/110 would grab N modelers also. But from what I’ve seen of Hot Wheels, they are rather nice. Maybe not 100% accurate, but good enough for 99% of us. And the 1% rivet counters could jazz them up to their hearts content. What irks me the most though: Why don’t they tell us what scale the vehicle is? I’ve seen a truck smaller than the car next to it.
Probably because the modeller doesnt understand scale. BTE N scale is 1:160 Not 110 if your writing to makers ofctoys
If you’re lucky enough to have some early Matchbox cars and trucks they will fit nicely with HO scale. I also take some “modelers license” and use many of the 1/64th scale cars from various manufacturers. Depending upon the actual size of the prototype and the models placement on the layout they will fit nicely. The current crop of 1/64th scale cars offer a great deal of detail and make for realistic photos.
Thanks for your input guys, Let’s hope our discussion gets a little traction