Miniature scale is the size ratio between a miniature version of an object and its full-size counterpart.
The most common miniature scale is called one-twelfth scale (written as 1:12 or 1/12). In this scale, one inch in miniature equates one foot in full-size. It can be easier to think about 1:12 scale in reverse; instead of comparing miniature inches to real-life inches, turn it around so that the ratio is real-life feet to miniature inches. For example, a 6-ft tall man would be 6 inches tall, a 2-ft long bench would be 2 inches long, a 6-inch long postcard (half of a foot) would be 0.5 inch long, and so on.
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.
- 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.
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 huge variation in the ratio, depending on the manufacturer and country of origin.
- 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.
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.
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.
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 collectables 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 and adapted from the former page <http://miniatures.about.com/od/scaleminiatures/a/impscale.htm>.