“Scale” in miniatures refers to the ratio between the miniature and the real-world object it represents. A scale of 1:12, for instance, means that one inch on the miniature equals 12 inches in real life.
Dollhouse scales
There are a variety of popular miniature scales. The most common miniature scales are:
- 1:16 scale, known as play scale, is what standard 11-inch fashion dolls use. It’s not technically a miniature scale, though you will see it referenced.
- 1:12 scale, known as one-twelf scale, is the largest scale miniaturists use and the most common miniature scale.
- 1:24 scale, also called ½ scale or half-scale, is one-half of 1:12 scale. [The 6-ft man would be 3 inches tall.]
- 1:48 scale, called ¼ scale or quarter-scale because it is one-fourth of 1:12 scale. [The 6-ft man would be 1.5 inches tall.]
- 1:144 scale, which would be the scale of a toy dollhouse placed inside an actual 1:12 scale dollhouse. [The 6-ft man would be 0.5 inch tall.]
- Unique scales.
- Particular toy makers sometimes created their own model scales. For example, the Swedish Lundby company used a scale between 1:15 and 1:18 for their items.
- Antique miniature scales vary widely. Standardized scales became important in the 1970s as people sought more accurate and interchangeable pieces for their collections.
- Finescale
- Highly and accurately detailed to exact scale miniatures are called finescale, a term that appears mainly in dollhouse and model railroad miniatures.
Collectibles in mixed scales
Watch out! Some collectibles use different scales within the same range. A popular series of Christmas villages mixes buildings in approximately HO (1:87) or S railway (1:64) scale with trains in O scale (1:43 to 1:48, common for Christmas and toy trains). The same village may have vehicles slightly larger than O scale with people who are G scale (1:20 to 1:25). Confused? Mixed scales make it hard to match your set unless you know the scale.
~ by Lesley Shepherd, About.com Guide. Used with permission.
Miniature figures & dolls
Meet George! He’s a porcelain gardener doll in 1:12 scale created by Little Women of the UK. George represents an average male at 6 feet tall, while his clone to the right represents an average female at 5 feet and 2 inches tall. The pair is also shown in multiple scales common to dollhouses, miniatures, and trains.
These photo pairs can be used as a scale check—they’re lightweight, don’t take up much room in your bag, and are easy to relate to. Looking for chairs in particular scales? They should have a seat that falls just below the knee. How big would that tree be in your scene? Guesstimate how many man-heights it would be.
You can cut out and glue photos of George in the scale you need to a piece of cardstock for easy use. Spray the paper with fixative or laminate it to make it last longer. Then, carry George with you when shopping for other items in a similar scale. He may be the silent type, but he’s glad to get out and about!
The figures in the image above represent:
- Four main dollhouse scales—1:12, 1:24, 1:48, & 1:144.
- Four railroad scales—1:24 or 1:25 (G scale), 1:64 (S Scale), 1:87 (HO scale), and 1:160 (N scale*).
- Common metal soldiers, Britain’s collectible figures, as well as many collectible village figures—1:32 scale.
- A basic size for gaming miniatures, typically between 25 and 28mm—the tallest figure in 1:72 scale is 25mm.
* Note: N scales can vary greatly. The figures given in N scale are 1:144, which is used for a doll’s dollhouse inside a 1:12 scale dollhouse, but which is very close to the 1:148 scale used as N scale in the UK. N scale in the United States is usually 1:160, the other figure size shown for N. Some N scale railway pieces will not work with each other due to these differences. Check the location of the manufacturer to help determine which ratio the N scale piece you are interested in is set to.
~ by Lesley Shepherd, About.com Guide. Used with permission.
Railway scales and gauges
Railway miniaturists use both scale and gauges in their models.
Scales
There is an enormous range of miniature railroad scales. Even within named scale groups, there may be a huge variation in the ratio, depending on the manufacturer and country of origin.
Some half-scale, 1:24 miniaturists use G scale railway components in their scenes, as the scales are similar. Likewise, popular quarter-scale, 1:48 is close to O scale.
- Z scale at 1:220 is the tiniest model railway.
- N scale varies from 1:144 to 1:160.
- HO is commonly 1:87 but can vary from 1:72 to 1:90, with various gauges depending on the manufacturer.
- S railway scale equals 1:64.
- O scale varies from 1:43 to 1:48.
- G gauge/scale at 1:22 to 1:25 is the largest for indoors, used in garden railroads.
- Outdoors even larger scales are the ride-on steam trains you see in amusement parks.
Gauge
Railway modelers not only have to deal with scale, but with gauge, which is the measurement of the space between tracks. Railway modelers sometimes divide themselves into two groups:
- Narrow Gauge in real railways has 3 ft. 6 in. (1067 mm) between the rails. It was used a lot for private industrial railways or railways in mountainous areas.
- Standard Gauge in real railways have 4 ft. 8-1/2 in. (1435 mm) between the rails and are the most common of the world’s commercial railroads.
You can learn more about model railroads by visiting Model Railway Academy.