Well, it looks like I am going to go overboard with this whole 1:16 scale tank thing. I cannot help but imagine what it would be like to start gathering other things from the WWII period that are also the same scale. I can buy and build structures (train set buildings) with a little help from the LHS, but how about 1:16 scale static vehicles and posable action figures? I know it may sound like I just want to play with trucks and dolls but I want to increase the realism by incorporating soldiers and props.

I have been searching around on-line, but I have not had much luck finding WWII American soldiers of the right scale. I found several German characters that are 1:16 and some U.S. guys that are 1:18, but I want them all to come from the same manufacturer, so they do not look like a bunch of dolls thrown into the scenery. [] Scale detail and realism are going to be important to me.

Do you know of a good place to start looking? Are there any people who collect stuff like this, who can point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Jason

I decided to order a couple of the figures from this link even though they are 1:18 scale. Hopefully they will look appropriate.

http://www.tankzone.co.uk/cart/dragon_18.htm

I also stopped at my LHS to check out some scale buildings, but of course 1:16 does not seem to translate into any train scale that they carry (which is a lot). I did see a few that looked like they would work well enough (guard tower, rustic European cottages etc., but the prices are outrageous! [X(]

I decided to buy a few square dowels and I picked up a very thin produce crate from behind a grocery store. I'm going to try my hand at fabricating a few structures by hand for about 1/100th the price. [sm=thumbup.gif] If the guard tower works out, I will also build a shack and maybe a small house or two. I figure that I can take a straight branch, cut it into small sections a glue them together to make a woodpile to go next to the building. I seem to remember that Hobby Lobby carries scale tools and gas cans etc., so maybe some of that stuff will fit the 1:16th scale. [8D]

Jason, don't worry, this is normal behaviour,(accessorising) once you get the tank bug. With 1/16th scale accessories being fairly limited, most settle for a mixture of 1/18th and 1/16th , it all looks pretty good from a few metres away.
You can check out what clubs around the world have done on the photo gallery at http://www.rctankhq.com/ A good online store to get 1/18th stuff is www.badcataviation.com or search 'ultimate soldier' on ebay. You should also sheck out the 1/18th scale forum here http://www.warbird-photos.com/gpxd/
Hope this helps
Neville

Ummm, yeeeeeeeaaah..................that didn't work out very well. It seemed like it would be so easy, but confound it! I planned the dimentions, took some time and measured each section, drilled pilot holes for the little nails, and I even distressed the little boards so they would not look store-bought. However, the base of my tower looks like a twisted wreck. [:'(]

I'm starting over, tonight with the same materials. This time, I'm going to cut a square base and platform for the bottom and top of the tower. I think that way, the side braces should come out even. Oh well. Trial and error. Live and learn. [sm=thumbup.gif]

They don't call me slick for nothin'!!!