# HO buildings with G scale figures



## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

I wonder if it is ok to use G-scale figures with HO buildings? The reason I do this because HO buildings are more affordable compared to G scale counterparts. However, HO figures are too small to be attractive.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Sure, but you will have 17 foot high people so make sure your people are no where near windows or doors. 

Seriously I cannot see how HO buildings will look right anywhere near the tracks or trains. 

Greg


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

If differences in scale don't bother you, then there is no problem... it is your Railroad so you get to decide what you want to do.

Differences in scale _really_ bother me, so using buildings with 1 inch tall doorways that humanoid figures that are 3 inches tall are supposed to walk through would seem silly and ruin any sense of modeling to me. 

Some people do use slight variations in scale to enhance perspective... such as putting an O-scale building in the background so that it appears as though it is farther away (because O scale is smaller than G-scale there is the illusion that the building is more distant... IF viewed from the correct angle).

I have found that some items in one scale are so far out of scale for the one they are advertised as, that they can be used in another scale. Lionel couplers for "O-scale" trains are actually 1:32 scale of the real thing and so fit my Garden Gauge trains to perfection since I model in 1:32 scale. I also have an "O-scale" signal bridge (Pennsy style) that with some small blocks as the tower pedestals (to raise it about an inch and a half to clear my trains) looks just fine for 1:32 scale. A "Z-scale" train can look like a model of a full sized ride-on scale train in a garden scale train layout.

I suppose an HO scale "mansion" could substitute for a child's playhouse behind a Garden scale layout modest house... but using an HO factory for a G-scale train to deliver goods to is... well... exceedingly ODD to me and "I" would not do it.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

If you put properly sized people and objects in the foreground and anywhere there are trains nearby, you could certainly use H0 buildings in the background to give a sense of perspective.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

But if you are going to used forced perspective, then you want HO scale people with the HO scale buildings.. 
forced perspective is tricky to do right, but it can be done.. 

as to the original question, using G-scale figures with HO scale buildings..no, I cant see any way that would look good: 










Scot


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Its his railroad. If he wants to do that, then let him do it.

John


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

"let" him do it? 
that assumes we are not letting him do it.. 
what are we going to do, go over to his house and kick down his buildings if he tries it? please..  

of course he "can" do it if he wants to.. 
he asked "is it ok to do it"..Sure, its "ok" to do just about anything, as long as its not illegal. 
you can use Z-scale buildings if you want to!  

I think what he really wanted to ask though was "will it look ok to do it"? 
the answer to that is clearly no, it wont look ok..it will look very weird and unnatural. 

but if he still wants to do it anyway, then more power to him..everyone here will "let" him do it. 

Scot


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Umm, John, the op ASKED for opinions, no one is not "letting him do it".... 

He asked what we thought, and I think Scot's picture gives a nice calibration. 

Greg


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I thought the picture looked pretty interesting. It would cerrtainly draw some comments.


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Just paint the guy green, everyone should have the jolly green giant on their RR. 
Do not forget the gorilla....Godzilla, he will be in scale for that building.


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## cocobear1313 (Apr 27, 2012)

OMG Scot, I haven't laughed this hard in a while. Thanks. 
Dave


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

mymodeltrain; 

One point that has not come up as yet, is that the plastic used for most HO scale structures is not UV ray resistant. So, if your layout is outdoors, your structures could disintigrate over one sunny summer season. Even HO structures can be pricy to replace each year. 

Just my $0.02, 
David Meashey


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## Pete Chimney (Jan 12, 2008)

A lot of others have posted here on their thoughts about HO-scale buildings on a G-scale layout. 

One thought came to mind, one could use HO-scale buildings if one were building a model railroad within their model railroad. 

At several train shows some G-scalers have used HO-scale track to simulate the typical 7.5" gauge live steam equipment. In this way the obvious large people-to- building scale discrpency is removed, i.e. the G-scale people on your layout have their own layout to play with. but of course you will need to lay some HO-scale track to simulate the 7.5" equipment.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

I agree with the other's comments. If you had a place on your layout visually away from any "G" track, trains, buildings, etc., it might work. Such a place could be a few structures on a mountain side where the track either goes behind the mountain or under it in a tunnel. In my opinion it would look out of place in or near the same visual scene. But it is your RR. Try it and see if you like it. Please answer some of the questions that you asked in the broken coupler thread. You are new here, but people get tired of offering help when you start a thread and fail to follow it. Chuck


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay, Give me a break, I wasn' really serious. Obviously the HO stuff will not look good with the G scale.

I use 1:20, 1:22 and 1:24 together and those mixtures look just fine to me. Most of my engines are 1:20, my freight cars and passenger cars are 1:22 and my buildings are 1:24.

John


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Thank you all for constructive comments. Scot's picture tells everything. I just canceled my order for the HO building today.


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Mymodeltrain, I just started a topic in the Buildings forum on other sources for "G" buildings, that you might find helpful. I would imagine that you might find similar structures in rural Tennessee. The buildings pictured below my name came from Virginia and West Virginia. Chuck


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Chuck,

Nice buildings. I don't know much about Tennessee area, I would like to go out more and search for local wood builders. My wife and I moved to here a few years ago from Boston. Now adays, I started to make wood buildings myself whenever I have time. It's fun.


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