1/87th Vehicles

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Yeah I've seen some pretty nice stuff in S scale floating around, too bad.
Thought I'd throw a few recycled truck pictures into the mix:
 
ChevelleSSguy said:
Its the most popular size amongst toys kids play with. More appropiate for S scale. Although, if you look at large vehicles like big rig style trucks, construction equipment, busses, etc. They are usually scaled down to fit to 1:64 and will usually match closely to HO scale.
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I realize its a personal choice, but to me 1/64 scale (S Scale) vehicles just look way too big for HO scale. On the other hand, OO scale (1/76 scale) vehicles wouldn't look bad though. Early Matchbox cars and early Aurora Thunderjet slot cars were 1/76 scale, and they would look okay with HO trains and scenery. Those early Matchbox cars and Aurora slot cars were 1/76 scale specifically because OO scale trains were more popular in England than HO scale in the late 50's. Aurora had obtained the US marketing rights from England's Playcraft for the Model Motoring slot cars and marketed them in the US as HO scale. The Aurora Thunderjet Model Motoring sets were originally designed to be used as part of the scenery for model trains. Imediately it was discovered that the slot car sets were used on their own for racing. Tyco later introduced their "HO scale" slot cars which were really 1/64 scale. Tyco went with the larger scale to allow bigger more powerful motors and bigger tires. Aurora later switched to 1/64 scale as well for the same reason but continued to call it HO scale. So to this day, S scale slot cars are referred to incorrectly as "HO" scale.
But to me, S scale is just way too large for HO. But thats a real shame, because there are countless beautiful 1/64 scale cars and trucks out there.
In my case, I have chosen many smaller HO scale structures for my layout rather than large buildings that take up huge amounts of scale real estate. But when you park an S scale vehicle thats two scales too large next to a smallish HO scale structure, it makes the structure look way too small (especially if there is a garage or bay door on the building). A 1/64 scale van or 4x4 pickup might even tower over the roof of a HO scale one story structure, and 1/64 scale vehicles certainly wouldn't fit on an HO scale Auto Rack or Auto Loader.
Just my opinion for what its worth. Sorry to ramble on for so long.
 
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Someplace in all my junk I still have some HO scale Slot car frames from the 60's & 70's.
can't remember who made them then. They had track w/Ho scale rail crossings built in.
 
Larry said:
Someplace in all my junk I still have some HO scale Slot car frames from the 60's & 70's.
can't remember who made them then. They had track w/Ho scale rail crossings built in.
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Aurora, Tyco, Atlas, Faller, and Lifelike all had train sets that combined slot cars and HO scale trains using those crossings. Some may still sell those sets combining HO trains with S scale slot cars.
 
By the way, if anyone is up to testing their driving skills on the streets and highways of your HO scale layout, Wiking and a couple other manufacturers now make 1/87 scale radio control cars and trucks. Heres a Youtube video of someone test driving a 1/87 scale Wiking RC firetruck on their layout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9NAkmvwptI

But, this custom built RC 1/87 SUV looks more impressive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUMZq4Sgo_0

But this is really impressive (though not 1/87 scale)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXr1-L8GXoQ&feature=related
 
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i remember reading somewhere that American Flyer S scale trains were made specifically for hot wheels/matchbox cars - or something like that. i really do hate that current hot wheels are not 1/87 because they have some of the slickest old school American Muscle for a great price. I still pick them up when i see them at Wal-mart. My 9 year old son just cannot understand why i just hang them on the wall in the package. although packed away, i believe i have a few hotwheels 1:87 cars, including a couple of nascar. Walmart by me stopped selling ALL 1:87 vehicles which also sucks. good thing i stocked up on a few dozen when i had the chance. when i go to my LHS the 1:87 cars are minimum $10.00 a pop.
 
Airslide said:
i remember reading somewhere that American Flyer S scale trains were made specifically for hot wheels/matchbox cars - or something like that. i really do hate that current hot wheels are not 1/87 because they have some of the slickest old school American Muscle for a great price. I still pick them up when i see them at Wal-mart. My 9 year old son just cannot understand why i just hang them on the wall in the package. although packed away, i believe i have a few hotwheels 1:87 cars, including a couple of nascar. Walmart by me stopped selling ALL 1:87 vehicles which also sucks. good thing i stocked up on a few dozen when i had the chance. when i go to my LHS the 1:87 cars are minimum $10.00 a pop.
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I think S scale trains predated any 1/64 scale cars by decades. Using S scale trains and diecast cars would be the best of both worlds. But theres not much of a selection of S scale of anything else like buildings, figures, and other details.
Not only did Wal-Mart stop carrying 1/87 scale cars, but I was also disappointed when Hot Wheels discontinued their limited line of 1/87 scale cars. I had to go to several Toys R Us stores in northern Virginia and Maryland in search of the 1/87 scale Hot Wheels cars a couple years ago to find just one yellow Plymouth Superbird, one purple 1970 Dodge Challenger, one 64 Ford Galaxie, and two 55 Chevy panel tuucks in 1/87 scale. I was real disappointed that the 67 GTO and 62 Chevy Bel Air that had been announced by Hot Wheels, never made it to production.
 
All of the Toys R Us stores near me have also stopped carrying 1/87 Hotwheels cars, as well as the el-cheapo Life-Like trainsets with the F40PH pulling freight.
 


i went looking for some dullcote in hobby lobby yesterday and they dont even haven any moe train stuff - except 2 trainsets. i have not seen any train stuff in toys r us in years. blame the intenet i guess. on the upside, it drives all instant purchase rail traffic (pun intended) to the LHS - which is where i had to go for the dullcote anyway because hobby lobby was out.

great score on the challenger, galaxie and the heavy chevys. im jealous. i know i got a couple of hot wheels 1:87s a while back from walmart, but nothing like those. i think one was a modern mustang-

yeah, even looking online, there isnt much S scale stuff around. i guess the Doc's delorean will just have to remain in the package.
 
Airslide said:
i went looking for some dullcote in hobby lobby yesterday and they dont even haven any moe train stuff - except 2 trainsets. i have not seen any train stuff in toys r us in years. blame the intenet i guess. on the upside, it drives all instant purchase rail traffic (pun intended) to the LHS - which is where i had to go for the dullcote anyway because hobby lobby was out.

great score on the challenger, galaxie and the heavy chevys. im jealous. i know i got a couple of hot wheels 1:87s a while back from walmart, but nothing like those. i think one was a modern mustang-

yeah, even looking online, there isnt much S scale stuff around. i guess the Doc's delorean will just have to remain in the package.
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Toys r Us here had Life-Like train sets this past Christmas when I was shopping. I also picked up a few 1/87 cars at that time. The Hobby Lobby didn't have much train stuff at Christmas, but I thought it might be because they were moving from the old Wal-Mart building to the Fayette Pavillion. I haven't been in the new store yet, although I need to make a run there to pick up some sheet styrene for a couple slot car projects.

Rotor
 
diburning said:
All of the Toys R Us stores near me have also stopped carrying 1/87 Hotwheels cars, as well as the el-cheapo Life-Like trainsets with the F40PH pulling freight.
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Here mine "hot wheels"!
Has decided to show thus to you some pieces from my shelf ;-)
They are pleasant to me!!!

At us only in such "scale".
"Hot wheels" in 1:87 scale saw only on the Internet here again at a forum.

Would like to buy... To sweep with a breeze along the railway! ;-)


Forgive me... For my English ;-)
 
Nice little collection of classic American cars Rustam.

No need for apology about your English. "To sweep with a breeze along the railway" I think you describe having one of these cars for real and driving fast beside a speeding train? When you do be sure to buy the Firebird or the Mustang GT. They are much faster than a Skoda or a Ural salt mine truck. ;-))
 
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So far, I've only weathered a few "heaps" that sit out behind the race car shop on my layout (you may remember seeing the race shop Airslide...the one with the palm tree growing beside it! :rolleyes:). A few others are "weathered" from 45 years of "play wear". ;)

Most of my autos are "out of the box" and onto the layout. I did add custom wheels and tires to a few (I think I used Herpa wheel and tire sets?). No doubt, more vehicles will end up being weathered, but there is still much to do before I get to that point.

Rotor
 
Airslide said:
as i have indulged myself in learning the art of weathering im curious to know if anyone weathers automobiles on their layout?

looking at one of my favorite layouts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgzMcgGqnr0) the attention to detail is daunting, including weathered automobiles.
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Check out the 1-87vehicles.org website. Plenty of info and probably the best site out there regarding vehicles in the 1/87 scale. I try and weather all my vehicles, but I definitely customize all of them.
 


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