1\150?
- Thread starter Beady
- Start date
jdetray
Well-Known Member
I have never tried to mix them, but the difference in size will be awfully small.
For example, a 3-story building is about 30 feet tall. At 1/160, that's 2.25 inches. At 1/150, it's 2.40 inches. That's a difference of 0.15 inches. I think I'd find it very difficult to see the difference.
But to be fair, I have not tried it!
- Jeff
For example, a 3-story building is about 30 feet tall. At 1/160, that's 2.25 inches. At 1/150, it's 2.40 inches. That's a difference of 0.15 inches. I think I'd find it very difficult to see the difference.
But to be fair, I have not tried it!
- Jeff
That's interesting, didn't know they followed a different scale for N. Is it a Continental thing or a UK only variance, because their OO scale is 1/76 and the US and I think most of the Euro continent use HO 1/87 on the same 16.5mm track. There is a noticeable difference between those larger ones, but probably not much with the 1/50 against 1/160. If it's structures/buildings you're thinking of getting, maybe get 1 or 2 just to see. It'll be the details, windows, doors etc that will catch the eye, if placed next to each other, more than the overall size.
jdetray
Well-Known Member
A 7-foot door is 0.560 inches at 1/150 and 0.525 inches at 1/160.
Would the human eye even detect a 0.035 inch difference at a casual glance? That is only 35 thousandths of an inch, but maybe our eyes are really good at noticing such small differences.
Perhaps the overall difference in the volume of the structures would be more noticeable than the differences between individual small details. I'm sure this sort of thing has been studied somewhere by someone!
I recall reading articles about using undersized background structures and scenery on a layout to fool the eye into perceiving a scene to be deeper (more distant) than it actually is. That's at least tangentially related to this discussion.
- Jeff
They might be better in a foreground position, sort of a reverse forced perspective, but as said, it'll be in the eye of the beholder and whether that eye has been engaged in detecting such small differences in their working life.
I know from my experience in the sheetmetal industry, I could after a while pick the differences in gauges, just by looking at the edges of a sheet or piece and can still pretty much do so even though I left that industry years ago.
With these models, it's going to be a case of try one or two out, see how they are. A casual eye might not notice.
I know from my experience in the sheetmetal industry, I could after a while pick the differences in gauges, just by looking at the edges of a sheet or piece and can still pretty much do so even though I left that industry years ago.
With these models, it's going to be a case of try one or two out, see how they are. A casual eye might not notice.
Beady, consider yourself the pioneer 
arealgijoe
Member
Many of my Japanese stuff is 1/150, instead of the 1/160. I was well aware of the diff, but I have not noticed any size issue in use.
Maybe I am not as fussy about itsey bitsey issues, that might take a micrometer to notice, but on my layout it all looks fine, to me.
I do wonder sometimes, WHY the 1:150 instead of 1:160
Maybe I am not as fussy about itsey bitsey issues, that might take a micrometer to notice, but on my layout it all looks fine, to me.
I do wonder sometimes, WHY the 1:150 instead of 1:160
Beady
Well-Known Member
There must be an answer WHY somewhere, especially since everything that actually runs on the rails is 1/160. 1/150 seems to be confined to scenery. Where it gets really odd is when the 1/150 items are directly related to railroads, like pedestrian crossovers and actual stations. It makes passengers look like midgets.
I've been playing with a few items. I've found that 1/150 automobiles don't play well with Bachman automobile cars, and standing 160 people next to 150 autos makes VW Bugs look like Cadillacs.
Oh crap!
I've been playing with a few items. I've found that 1/150 automobiles don't play well with Bachman automobile cars, and standing 160 people next to 150 autos makes VW Bugs look like Cadillacs.
Oh crap!
jdetray
Well-Known Member
Most of the modeling world makes a distinction between N-scale and N-gauge. N-scale usually refers to the proportion used in various parts of the world, including 1/160, 1/152, 1/150, 1/148, etc. These proportions determine the size of objects on the layout: trains, structures, scenery, etc. N-gauge refers to the distance between the tracks, which for most of the modeling world is 9mm.
Most of the various N-scale proportions -- 1/160, 1/152, 1/150, 1/148, etc. -- use the same N-gauge (9mm) track spacing. There are exceptions, of course!
Wikipedia has a pretty interesting article about N-scale. It explains some of the WHY.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale
- Jeff
Most of the various N-scale proportions -- 1/160, 1/152, 1/150, 1/148, etc. -- use the same N-gauge (9mm) track spacing. There are exceptions, of course!
Wikipedia has a pretty interesting article about N-scale. It explains some of the WHY.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale
- Jeff
