Question About G Scale Trains

Have you considered an outdoor (garden) setup for the G scale?

@PRRMP54 posted:

Have you considered an outdoor (garden) setup for the G scale?

Thought about that where I live - BUT, I was a junior high teacher with a back yard that is "open" and worried about vandalism. Now that I am moving and retired I won't have the kid problem. (most kids liked me but there are always a few) I still don't know what the back yard will be like. Your suggestion is well taken....

@Michael Hokkanen posted:

I don't know exactly how or where to put my question. I have been a member here for a l-o-n-g time and like to play by the rules... If I have erred, beloved moderators - please delete my post but NOT me. (Thanks)

I am in the process of moving. I am relocating from northern Pennsylvania to the southern part of the state. Actually will be very close to York... No house picked out yet. (competition is fierce) So, I don't know what room availability I will have yet. But I do know I will MAKE ROOM somewhere.

I have ALL of my O gauge trains, track, buildings, cars/trucks, people, accessories packed into boxes. Most all rolling stock and engines are in original boxes. (I learned that early)

I have LOTS of stuff. It is all O gauge. I would dearly like to swap some of it out to put together one or two trains in G Scale. Probably I would just put these on a track on a board decorated with ballast and place a tree or building by it to create a vignette.

Is there a person, place, or group that is in to this kind of arrangement that you could recommend to me?

I am envisioning getting a four or five car freight train with caboose and similarly a passenger train of some sort.

Thanks for your ideas & suggestions.....

Hey I live just north of York - and you are right the housing market is super tight! 

Anyway, there is Susquehanna garden railway club ( I think I got their name right) that can probably help steer you in the right direction. 

If you want new trains some of the forum sponsors sell g scale trains. If you want used trains you could wait for the next York train show there are always some g scale there. Also as a side note Cabin Fever Auctions has some MTH one gauge in their next auction

Nick Smiths Trains in Broomall, PA is well worth the drive. They have loads of great G gauge stuff new and used.

I can also recommend Nicholas Smith trains. I have a small outdoor loop and siding in front of my house in the Poconos. It’s held up well for the past four or five years. I leave the track out (it’s been ballasted), and bring the trains, buildings and electrical stuff in for the winter). It’s great sitting out on a warm summer night and just enjoy the running trains. During harsh weather and winter, I have an O gauge layout in the basement.

LGB and PIKO are two quality German brands of G gauge trains. The original LGB was made in Germany and the PIKO brand still is. The Marklin LGB is produced in Hungary but is still high quality.

You can find them, Hartland Locomotive Works trains, produced in Laporte lndiana.  Extremely rugged trains comparable to old german made elgeebee.

Currently production is halted due to CV-19, but trains are available through dealers.  Some of the locomotives & rollingstock are based on old Kalamazoo molds.

G Scale is my favorite. The old Aristo Craft was great! They offered many America RR items and where dependable runners. Their sets were bargains for kid running with the PWC  (slow start and slow stop) Controllers. The track was great once assembled (screwed together). LGB was a bit better in details and quality, cost more, but their slip together track was / is prone to poor continuity. I had a 15' x 35' outdoor layout. But the weeds killed that. The G Scale looks beautiful running in the sunlight.

Aristo Craft was the backbone of the YORK Garden Show.  It had an acre of floor space with wall to wall club setups and how to clinics. I still look forward that show ( late March) and then realize it's gone!