Keeping It All In Proportion: Adendum

Going back a couple of posts where I lamented about my non acceptance of the size relationships of HO scale trains vs cars and trucks, it was interesting to receive a few comments from people who had a similar impression. If nothing else it was nice to know I was not alone in having this idea.

Anyway, I was going through a folder full of images I have found online and came across one that was very very interesting. Basically it was an old International or Dodge truck, a very very common model in Australia in the 60's and 70's, and being quite familiar with this model and its size, it kind of put a few things in perspective.

Firstly looking at the picture, I get that same impression of the truck being too small relative to the S wagon. If I was doing a version of a police identikit picture, and was asked to increase or decrease the size of the truck until it was in proportion with the S wagon, I would probably make it a bit bigger than it is. Basically my idea of sizes between these two things is disproportionate.

But, having a think about what I had laying about in the spare room, this gave me a chance to have a play as well on a Friday night where there was not a lot on t.v. to keep me remotely interested.

Now the truck I have used is not a Dodge, and is not strictly HO scale, but most probably 1:76 being an old Matchbox model, it is none the less in relative terms "similar" if not slightly bigger than it should be.

Placed with a Road Ragers Holden it looks about right in relation to size, and my brain doesn't have a problem with them co-existing together.

So, armed with an S wagon I have had for about twenty five years(and it looks it), a GLX of similar vintage, a flat bed truck and an old Holden, I've recreated the scene in what you would have to agree is a very fine representation, and an example of my substantial modeling skills!

Interestingly the relationship between the truck and the S wagon is similar to the real thing, and the car looks in proportion to them both and in relation to the GLX from this particular angle. The photo of the actual scene also makes my brain realise that even small four wheel wagons like an S wagon, would swallow a small to medium sized truck like the old Dodge quite easily, which is not what I think possible when looking at a lone S wagon.

I think the key to all of this is that we may not realise just how big even small pieces of rolling stock are, not to mention locomotives. After looking at some pics of the old 35 Class working the rails in days gone by, they are also not a small loco. I think we forget that they share the same sized drivers as a 38 Class, and pictured double heading with Garratt's shows them to be quite a sizable loco in all dimensions bar overall length.