Hello Everyone:

I have had a few people ask questions about what cars, trucks and diecasts will work on HO scale trains.

So I decided to post this small guide about it.

Lately on ebay a lot of sellers have been popping hot wheels and matchbox cars into the HO scale trains area, and in some ways this is a problem.

Not all hotwheels and Matchbox cars are 1/87th scale, most of these cars are 1/64th which is larger in scale which would be more appropriate for S scale trains.

Hotwheels has a lot of cool cars, and so does matchbox, but the proportions aren't correct if they are bigger than 1/87th scale.

if you don't mind them not being to exact scale, cool but you have to realize if you want realism you will have to try to get vehichles that are 1/87th scale.

during the 80's Monogram models made some plastic cars with diecast bottoms that are 1/87th scale, and hotwheels made some as well.

Hotwheels does produce some 1/87th scale cars still, but you have to make sure the package mentions it.

the most common company for 1/87th cars is Malibu, Busch and model power, you do have a bunch of other companies that make cars in 1/87th scale as well.

one of the most popular companies is Classic Metal Works, the paint and details are great.

Bachmann makes some, and so does Life Like ( walthers ) the problem with these cars is the lack of details, no interiors.

Athearn is making cars in HO scale that are detailed, they made some in the past that lacked interiors and such, but the new ones are very nice, these cars are plastic.

then you have kits out there, resin and plastic ones, time and patience is needed for these cars.

Another company is revell, they make soem cars in 1/87th, but they usually make 1/64th cars.

Johnny Lightning is a company that makes diecast cars, but the cars are 1/64th.

if all else fails, buy a scale ruler from walthers and do the measurments on what the car should be size wise, information for the real vehichles can be found online and then use the scale ruler to do the math.

I hope this helps.