Ive been building a 1/64 scale farm set for a few years and want to put a train into the set but to do the 1/64 scale equivalent (S Scale) it will be to expensive. If I was to use HO Scale would it be to noticeable of a difference or could I get away with it.
S is about 50% bigger than HO, so in ordinary circumstances you would definitely notice. Make that "it'd be impossible to miss." But depending on what you're doing, you may be able to pull it off by putting the trains in the background and "forcing the perspective" by gradually shrinking the scale of items between the viewer and the trains. Personally I think that would be pretty hard to pull off, but I have known a few intrepid souls to use N or TT scale background items in HO, which is pretty much the same kind of thing.
I think you would be ok, however the trains might look a little small in a 1/64 scale world. I took some photo's, gp-7 for reference. First two are with Ertl 1/64 tractors, next two are with HO scale Athearn Deere's and Norscot Cats, and the last is comparing the Ertl 1/64 8n to the Athearn HO scale Deere's.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KGZXJZeq8zw/TvqTpfp2K8I/AAAAAAAAAFI/f1X9pOYqUxY/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520001.JPG (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KGZXJZeq8zw/TvqTpfp2K8I/AAAAAAAAAFI/f1X9pOYqUxY/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520001.JPG)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PvS3X7PXaeU/TvqTsU5_P5I/AAAAAAAAAFM/8plz0mwqE7M/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520002.JPG (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PvS3X7PXaeU/TvqTsU5_P5I/AAAAAAAAAFM/8plz0mwqE7M/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520002.JPG)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l0uAvSV65yw/TvqTwoAZeeI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/F5TeqgG1e4o/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520003.JPG (https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l0uAvSV65yw/TvqTwoAZeeI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/F5TeqgG1e4o/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520003.JPG)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T2mj01uCbNU/TvqTzAxE22I/AAAAAAAAAFU/PD-Qm7qQeUM/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520004.JPG (https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T2mj01uCbNU/TvqTzAxE22I/AAAAAAAAAFU/PD-Qm7qQeUM/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520004.JPG)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G4sW-ThdLko/TvqT1qXrYII/AAAAAAAAAFY/awmojYJKvSg/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520005.JPG (https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G4sW-ThdLko/TvqT1qXrYII/AAAAAAAAAFY/awmojYJKvSg/s640/HO%252520scale%252520vs%2525201-64%252520005.JPG)
Hope this helps, Nathan.
Have you considered 0n30? Being 0 scale, 1:48, it would be too large except that it is scaled from smaller prototypes. Putting an S scale box car and an 0n30 box car side by side shows them to be very similar in size.
Jim
IHC,
If you consider the On30 line, there is Stock Cars for hauling Cattle & Flatbeds for hauling tractors as they still do in real life these days. Plus the smaller HO track will use less foot print on your "set" rather than S Guage. Just a thought.
Enjoy,
Barry