Is it just me? When I see auto racks out in the real world the ratio of length to height appears that they are shorter in length than the ratio of my HO models
Could it possibly be because when we view a prototype auto rack, we are in a position where it tends to tower above our eye level, which may optically foreshorten its length, especially the closer we are to it. I’m no expert on optical illusions therefore, I honestly do not know the answer to your question. This is just a WAG.
This is pretty much correct. We’re used to seeing model trains at a scale distance and not up-close as we’re generally used to seeing prototype trains, especially if we’re riding on them or railfanning to focus on certain details/charateristics of a train.
Check out this video of autorack loading/unloading operations, which is filmed from a considerable height distance from track level; the cars look proportionately similar to how we’re used to seeing our models: