I'm a bad person. G Scale

I have G scale.....back when the kids were little we did G under the tree one year, O the other. I bought a Aristo 2-8-0 about a year ago because I like older stuff and got an unreal deal!  G is fun too.....IIRC some OGR staff has G too!

I have been in G scale since 1976. Swiss trains have been running in the yard every summer day for 22years. Never had a train derail even with 9 switches on the mainline. Mainline is a scale 1/2 mile. Size does matter. 

In addition to O, there are a lot of us who have an appreciation for other scales. I personally have a lot of equipment in HO and N.

If it's railroading it's all good. Enjoy it for what it is.

Bob 

My Dad(Tinplate Bob)is back into G scale big time after he got a Bachmann G scale Forney steam engine from my Mom and me this past Christmas.

Dan

There's certainly nothing wrong with enjoying multiple scales.  Large Scale still ranks among my favorites, and I'm thinking now of a way to add a high-level around-the-room Large Scale layout in my master bedroom (the only room in my home that lends itself to such a design).  I'm also thinking about ordering another Accucraft locomotive after I return from York.

I'm also into "G" scale but with a scale slant as I mainly own 1:32 trains...not those out of scale 1:29 things 

Although 3-rail O-Gauge is my primary railway passion, I have collections of everything from T to G. I just love all things Train. 

Dan, I hope to put in a garden railway this year and love the SR&RL.  Your Forney is one I hope to get for it.  Thanks for the photo!

I've had every scale. The one thing that always puzzled me about G is that all the G scale layouts I've seen have had less scenic and structure detail than all the smaller scales.

My own leanings are to 1:20.3 scale (also known as F scale) that represents U.S. 3-foot narrow gauge, but I do have a good amount of 1:22.5 (European meter gauge) and 1:32 (U.S. standard gauge) stuff as well. The various scales that operate on 45mm (1 gauge) track confuses the heck out of many folks new to that segment of the hobby...and some more experienced folks as well.

Here's a few photo's of G scale, O scale, and HO scale, in my train room

Alex

That's awesome!

Welcome to the confusing world of Large Scale!

I have 1:22.5 & 1:24 trains plus a couple Aristo 1:29 Egg Liners & a B-mann 1:20.3 45 tonner. They all run on 45mm track as Allen pointed out.

You can get very creative with Bashing in L.S., here are a couple I've acquired over the years:

My Christmas present to myself:

Enjoy what ever scales you have, big or small...

It's all about Playing with Trains!

Happy Rails!

Dave

I collect the Bachmann Spectrum G scale 1:20.3 engines; Shays, Climaxes, Heislers....they're beautiful. Not sure I'll ever develop a layout for them but I'll be happy just to display them

As I'm currently re-landscaping, the notion of having a small loop of G winding its way around parts of the yard has certainly crossed my mind.  

The fact that I don't know anything about G scale is a deterrent, but from what I've seen the costs certainly don't seem to be unreasonable.

The cost of track is the killer, in the neighborhood of $7 to $9 a foot.

I'm like CRH in that I run 1:32 also.   Joe

Another "G" scaler here.  My around-the-room layout is O gauge on the bottom and G gauge on the upper level.  I'm still working on the track plan for the G gauge layout. I have USA, LGB, Aristocraft, MTH, and some of the early Lionel large scale equipment.

I also have a few HO sets and a couple of N sets. 

Being an Amtrak fan, I have the Acela in O, HO, and N. Unfortunately, no Acela has been released in G; but, I do have all the Amtrak Genesis engines and cars that LGB released several years ago. 

I know that Spring is here when the transition from the comparative winter claustrophobia of my O layout transitions to having an ice tea outdoors while watching the G wander around.

Nothing wrong with liking G scale at all.  I used to have quite an extensive G scale outdoor layout with waterfall and 5 bridges.  But the weather here in Oregon meant that every Spring I had to spend a month getting roadbed and trackage back in order.  I will be selling off most of my G scale in the near future.  But it was fun to deliver beverages and food on a G scale train when company came over.

Steve, Lady and Tex

I love my G scale as well.  The ET&WNC line is currently under construction.  

Flex track is your friend!  

Being an Amtrak fan, I have the Acela in O, HO, and N. Unfortunately, no Acela has been released in G; 

 

Correct but LGB did paint an ICE train into Amtrak.

Agreed!  The cost of track--not to mention availability--is a detriment to advancing Large Scale, at least in the current market.

There is an old saying about parts are parts, Well, trains are trains. Congratulation on your new addition.

By the way, are you a Calgary or Edmonton guy.

What would be the 'life' of Gargraves track used outdoors?  Reason I ask is that their G gauge track looks much more prototypical with the 1:32 and 1:29 American prototype trains from MTH, Aristo, and USA trains due to the smaller rail and closer spaced ties.

A heck of a lot cheaper than the common brass track. 

Assuming it will rust, we would run on board battery power with R/C and that would look fine in real life!

If you're running battery power it doesn't matter what track you use. Let it rust.

Also true with live steam operation. 

Here is a link to the G&O story on the forum.  The G&O is an O gauge and G gauge garden railroad.

Link:   https://ogrforum.com/t.../the-gandamp-o-story

A valuable source of information for the Large Scale hobbyist is George Schreyer's website.  Here is the link to George's Technical Tips Pages--a ton of very useful info.

G scaler here too.  I'm currently into 2 rail O scale and G scale 1:29 version.  Although I still have some 3 rail O scale too.  What I don't convert to 2 rail I will sell off.  I collect military models in 1:32 and 1:35 scale to run as loads on my 1:29 G scale RR equipment.

I did sell off all my Aristocraft SS G scale track in favor of Gargraves SS G scale track.  I like the look of the Gargraves track much better than that large chunky G scale track.  I only wish Gargraves made a bigger switch than what they have available now.

Rick

Got bit by the G scale bug some years ago, so I own 3 LGB Swiss RhB locs and passenger cars as well as an Oriental Express brass passenger car set and SBB locomotive in 1 gauge. One big problem with G scale today is that the price for SS track for outdoor use is priced off the charts if you can find it.

Bob

Yeah, I've thought long and hard about the Amtrak ICE train.  But, it just didn't feel right.  When they came out with all the Genesis stuff, I decided to go that route. 

Now, if someone would just come out with the TGV in O or G gauge.   I picked up an HO TGV when I was in Paris a couple of years ago.

Allan, thanks for the link!  Very helpful!

Hey don't feel alone, and I am sure I'm not!

I model Z,N,O, and G mostly Piko and Playmobil.  When I do a real garden railroad, it will feature lots of Playmobil for the scenery, building, people, and ... -- you get it.  (Right now just 2 loops on the ground.)  Playmobil makes a western line with cactus's, pine trees, piles of rock, forts, tepees, wagons, stage coaches, animals and other buildings, including mines too.  This stuff is ideal for outdoors.  They offer an operating water tower also.  Inexpensive direct from Playmobil, expensive on eBay.

I plan on hosting open house(s) with a garden railroad club, (not currently a member) where I will specialize in railroads for kids, young or old!!!

If you have never seen the Playmobil line, it is worth checking out.  Extremely high quality stuff.

Piko stuff is also very good, whether trains or buildings, transformers or tracks.  You can pickup their starter set transformer often times for $20.00.  LGB sells the same model for $100.00.

What the heck, have fun with all of your trains!

I've never purchased anything but 0 gauge until last month at a Greenberg show. Saw an Aristocraft NH buddliner and had to have it. Have no idea why. No track, no power, nowhere to put it except on display in the den. Jeez it looks nice.  Rich

I just happened to be reading June 2003 Model Railroader where they review a MTH. 1:32 which is correct size for American 4' 8 1/2" track Hudson. Metal and plastic it weighs 15.5 lbs. 30.5" min radius, $800. I'll bet its impressive, Ive never seen one.

Sounds similar to me, I have a loop of N scale EZ track with tons of trains to run (and hope to build a layout someday), O gauge and a G garden railroad. I think being into multiple scales might be somewhat common. As someone who collects and runs both LGB and Lionel, I feel the two brands have alot in common besides the letter L. I think when you think of Lionel and LGB at their best, you think of trains that have set the standard.

Someone asked about outdoor 3 rail track, I remember reading that some brand of Atlas track is UV resistant.