How Many Run Their G Indoors ONLY?

I also prefer MRC power units such as the Controlmaster 20 and the current Power G. 

When I ran G, it was all indoors.

Now, I am trying to divest myself of my G stuff, but I can't find a buyer.

To be more specific, how many run their European (Austrian, German or Swiss) models on an indoor layout?

My dad ran his LGB trains indoors from the late 1970s(seen in the top photo)until the early 1990s when he moved the trains to the backyard permanently.The indoor layout developed into an impressive European only railroad by the early 1990s.I have photos of it,I have to scan them in and post them sometime soon.His LGB Christmas train still runs indoors every year at my mom's house.

THANKS for sharing the trains and the memories!  

I don't have a G layout right now....but all running has been indoors......mostly under the Christmas tree! 

I only have 1 G scale engine, a Bachmann 4-6-0 Annie.  Last year I installed one of the BlueRail boards and powered it by battery.  Until then I was using a 12v wallwart and my old Aristo-Craft Train Engineer system for walk around control.

Both systems run/ran fine.  I have an 8ft circle of track but with all the junk in the house I have no room for it!  Grandkids will most likely end up with it.

Yes indeed, we run LGB Sante Fe freight indoors, above the doors, through the walls, all around our train area....It’s fun to run.

I have a few sets and only have run them in the house, I have thought of trying some outside but never did!

alan

I did run my live steam Roundhouse Engineering SR&RL #24 with factory RC, my LGB/Aster "Frank S", and my Geoffbilt 2-truck Shay mainly outdoors, except at Diamondhead, MS ( the York of small scale live steam) in 1996 & 1997. We all ran our engines and trains in the lobby of the Day's Inn!  :-)

I mainly run my G indoors, but from time to time have had them running outside.  At one point, when my daughter was about 1 or 2, her birthday present to me was a G Gauge battery-powered set that I think was in Wal-Mart for a time.  Has a Santa Fe 4-4-0, freight car and passenger car for a mixed consist.  

I set it up on the deck in the back, and she loved seeing a train run outside!  Not long after it snowed, so I cleared the track and had it running through what looked like a snowy gorge!  I have to find the photo of that.

Then at some point later, I had LGB track running in the garden area just past our deck, in a small, almost dogbone loop.  Running things like Bachmann's Durango and Silverton Freight set in the Spring, hearing the chuffing sound was great relaxation!

I may run another loop of G Gauge outside soon now!  Just a loop of the battery operated track and run something out there.

I have both indoor overhead loop and a small garden railway outdoors.  While the track and buildings stay outdoors, my trains still look like new as they are only outdoors when I run them,  Then they go back on the shelves in my train room.   If they get dirty, I clean them up.   They all look as new as they did years ago when I got them.  I have a mix of LGB, Kalamazoo and a lone live steamer from Merlin Locomotive Works in the UK.        Mike the Aspie

I have an LGB set from about 1986. It came with a (dongle) thing that you put in line between the transformer and the track if running outdoors.  It is a closed plastic yellow thing about the size of a hot dog.  I have run indoors for many years so I haven't had it out in a long time or I would take a picture of it.

In Germany, they have many big layouts outdoors and seem to get along fine. As Artfull says, bringing the train in when not running makes sense, but the track seems to do okay outdoors.

I'm an indoor runner. 20' x 24' double track mainline with 20' diameter curves so can run my USA Big Boy.

Here is a quick pic, of my Merlin live steamer running on my outdoor line, track has been outdoors for 15 years now, on two different layouts.  Track is 100% LGB, as is my indoor loop.  So yes, the track holds up just fine.  The buildings have held up good as well, occasionaly a glue joint will give up, but that is quick fix.  Buildings are Pola and Piko products other than that stone "Hobbit house", it came from the local Meijers store.   

THANKS, ALL for sharing! :-)

C. Jones: That USA Trains Big Boy is got to be the ULTIMATE in Gauge One engines! My local dealer once had one on consignment and it was a SIGHT to behold! A little out of my league both financially and physically - at 75 and with arthritis, I could not move that diecast monster!

I have a chore enough with my standard gauge 408E's! LOL!

Just for the record, we have an MTH G Guage Big Boy in our neighborhood, it’s heavy with proto 2.  It’s actually a Monster...Great post Art, G Guage is cool.

I can carry the USA Big Boy..but really needs 2 people...engine is 50 lbs. and tender is 20.

Mine has been converted over to MTH ProtoSounds 3 and I currently have it apart as installing a whistle smoke system.

WAY COOL! :-)

C. Jones:

Wasn't the USA Big Boy offered with a Phoenix high quality sound system as an option?

In addition of O and HO; I have two G scale train layouts, this one is in my finished basement for our daughter.  The other G scale is outdoors.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=La9yNHyUrEM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-51HH6G9vI

Dan986 posted:

My dad ran his LGB trains indoors from the late 1970s(seen in the top photo)until the early 1990s when he moved the trains to the backyard permanently.The indoor layout developed into an impressive European only railroad by the early 1990s.I have photos of it,I have to scan them in and post them sometime soon.His LGB Christmas train still runs indoors every year at my mom's house.

Here, cleaned the first photo up a bit on my Mac:

Andrew-Porter posted:

Dan986 posted:

My dad ran his LGB trains indoors from the late 1970s(seen in the top photo)until the early 1990s when he moved the trains to the backyard permanently.The indoor layout developed into an impressive European only railroad by the early 1990s.I have photos of it,I have to scan them in and post them sometime soon.His LGB Christmas train still runs indoors every year at my mom's house.

Here, cleaned the first photo up a bit on my Mac:

Thank you. I have to figure out how to scan and post photos properly. My mom still lives in that house. Interesting to me how everything in the photos has changed over the past 40 years. The spinning wheel in the bottom right photo is still there though.

In the 80's prior to 0 scale and marriage LGB and 1/32 scale occupied both floors of the house.  Typical large layout with multiple loops and yard covering the living room, dining room and kitchen. 

The second floor had one big loop running through all the bedrooms compliments to my Milwaukee Saws All.   Every morning at 7:00 am a timer turned on the LGB 2-6-0 which ran down the hallway into my bedroom announcing the morning by tripping the whistle magnets.

      I have always been an O Gauge/ O Scale person. My parents bought me a Lionel train set in 1951. I am now 74 years old. HOWEVER, a few years ago I took the plunge into G Scale. We have a fish pond in the back yard and so I thought I would have a track plan that runs over the pond. I built a bridge that would hold my LGB track.

     What I enjoyed most was clearing a "right of way" because it was so close to real railroading. I had to chop down trees (bushes) and blast away boulders (stones and pebbles) in order to lay the track. Then the sight of my LGB engine running across the river (pond) on my home made bridge was so exciting!

    I had to add a station platform and passengers and everything was going strong until Hurricane Sandy was forecast to hit us. I tore everything apart and put into the garage so that it wouldn't be blown away by the hurricane.

    Since then, I run everything INDOORS.  I love watching the rods on my German prototype steam engine UP CLOSE, rather than from far away as when it was outdoors.

    John

My micro fiber swiveling office chair is right beside my layout and PIKO throttle. I love to watch the dual side rods and valve gear motion on my original LGB 0-6-6-0 2085D mallet as it goes around. Poetry in motion!