Starting up in G Gauge

[SNCF stephen]

Over the past few weeks I have been mulling over my future modelling options and I have been quite taken by G scale for some time. The potential to have a decent garden at some point in the not too distant future makes it more of a reality so I am now starting to have a think about what I need to be buying. 

 

I am still undecided about which exact system I should use. Part of me is very taken by the low cost alternative to Brass Track which is the Playmobil RC train track which has been used very effectively by John Teal. The cost is a major plus point for this system but will this track be able to run other G gauge stock or is it just the Playmobil stuff? I am aware it won't be able to run the track powered locomotives and that is a major downside (with associated costs like battery packs etc). 

 

The LGB/Piko Brass track looks very nice but comes with an eye watering price tag for someone who has a modest budget to start with (saying that I do have a fair amount of time to accumulate track). Is there a difference between these two brands and if so then what are the merits of each. 

 

If anyone has any suggestions of books that would help me get into some of the detail regarding modelling in G then I would be most grateful. 

 

Finally, when buying items what should I keep in mind, i.e. should I save and go for expensive items or consider the budget items in this scale? And shunting something that is done more in G scale or is it more difficult? 

 

Sorry there are a load of questions there but I want to know what I am getting into before I start to take the plunge. 

 

Many thanks

 

Stephen

[77philg]

join the G scale soc. They will have open meets where you can chat and ask questions ,plus a magazine .Try  peco  track that's a little bit  cheaper. My peco has been  down since 2003  no problems as yet A starter set can be cost effective and add as time goes by.I battery all of my stock ,but I model 16mm narrow gauge  live steam which I mix with LGB ,Accucraft  stock, and build myself . Shunting is not a problem in this gauge. If you want to run battery power some battery packs will not fit in  some locos .

[PaulRhB]

The advantage of metal track is there is a huge range you can expand it with. Look for secondhand stuff it'll be 2/3 to half the price and can be cleaned up with a wire brush.

Not much difference between Piko, LGB or Trainline track and it's all compatible. The wiring in Piko points can be a little light if you start drawing high currents but can be fixed easily either before laying or if it breaks.

There's always the battery power option and rc on top too if you choose plastic track. The playmobil diesel set is excellent and frequently on offer around £80-90 at Amazon or Argos. I've added a diode bridge to mine to lower the speed from the enthusiastic speeds out of the box.

Depending on prototype there are loads of options, secondhand LGB for European, Bachmann for American and a good range of uk models from Accucraft and reasonable price kits from the likes of IP Engineering etc plus conversions for rtr models from Garden Railway Specialists.

Decide on a theme and I can point you some ideas. I'd also recommend surfing G Scale Central to see the variety of budgets and themes. There are some very realistic lines built in small spaces on sensible budgets. Look for the Wetton Gooey Light Rly.

Search Camberwick and Süd Harz on here to see the uk and German stuff

[SNCF stephen]

Thank you both for the speedy replies.

 

I think I have seen Sudz Harz in the flesh but I cannot recall where. It was impressive and inspirational. I should add that I am minded to go for a German prototype as there appears to be more stock available and I like the prototype. I must also add that I am thinking of doing this as an outdoor railway. Going outdoors is a while new challenge for me but it saves space inside and will hopefully motivate me to garden some more.

 

I am thinking that I will join the g scale society in the coming months as it looks a good society with a local group. This would be most useful if I am going to procure rolling stock before I have a railway.

 

Thanks again

[kintbury jon]

I had a small g scale layout in the garden. Started off with an LGB starter set and went from there. It's fun and the stock runs well but I got fed up with the maintenance of the layout. The track dirtied quickly with the fishplates being the biggest problem (not to mention weeds!)

 

A few bad summers has meant that it was rarely used. I have since removed the layout but have kept the track and stock and instead lay it out on the grass when used.

 

LGB is good quality yet not cheap. I picked up a number of second hand items including stuff from Germany. With the Euro as it is, I bet prices are competitive at the moment.

 

There are a few cheap copies of LGB items made by Newqida. Not as good quality but perfectly useable.

 

If you are happy with the 040 steam\ diesel locos,4 wheel coaches and radius 1 curves, LGB can be bought pretty cheaply.

[PaulRhB]

I think I have seen Sudz Harz in the flesh but I cannot recall where.

There's also Shades of the Harz, which is about four times bigger than mine

Mine has only done two shows so far, Wimborne and Shepton.

If there's a local group that's active then the G scale society will be good for ideas.

[SNCF stephen]

Shhhhh, don't tell the wife but I purchased a fair bit of G scale brass track from Germany last week. 

 

I think I will try and find a low cost starter set to add to this and give me some stock. 

 

Can anyone tell me how easy it is to fit a battery and remote control system to a locomotive. I would like to avoid having to wire up my layout as I find wiring to be a bit of a headache. Is it expensive to purchase the kit to wire it all up and would a LiPo battery with a large DINS connector be suitable (7.4v)? 

[PaulRhB]

There are various kits on the market from Brian Jones, RCS in Austrailia and Cliff Barker all you have to do is decide where to stuff the batteries. Deltang also do some systems suitable. I've not fitted any of mine yet but I have purchased some Deltang bits to try out with a Lipo after others used it successfully. It's all packed away as busy with other models that have deadlines to meet so not sure when I'll get round to it. The bits are small enough that they should be easy to fit in any LGB loco apart from the feldbahn ones and Steph who has 7/8ths scale Snipe Fen Farm on here has used one of those with manual batteries in so it's probably possible to squeeze in a receiver too

[railwayrod]

I have just come across this thread. I was a member of the G scale Society for many years and enjoyed reading the magazine which often contained useful and interesting articles. My garden railway was started in the early nineties and I elected to use Peco track as opposed to LGB. The foundations were constructed using ½ inch ply supported by 3" x 1" timber on 2" x 2" legs with the ply covered in roofing felt. My ground is nearly all granite with little in the way of top soil so I supported the legs on concrete blocks. The whole lot was simple to do and quite robust. I did take the precaution of treating all woodwork with 3 coats of Cuprinol wood preservative before I fixed the roofing felt. The whole lot lasted for 20 years and gave me a great deal of pleasure. All rail joints were bonded with 30 amp fuse wire and I used a radio controlled controller. This gave me the facility to view the layout from different places but still kept me in control of the loco.

 

Last year I decided that the timber work was in need of replacement as some of the ply had began to rot. I carefully lifted the track and put it to one side for reuse. So far I have re-made about half of the new bases for the next layout  using the same materials figuring that at 71 years of age if this lasts for another 20 years then I will be more than happy. On the new layout I will use new Peco track so if you are interested in purchasing some 2nd hand Peco track please send me a PM.

 

Prior to my outdoor layout I had a G scale layout in a 2nd hand caravan which was featured in Continental Modeller some 35 years ago. This used G1MRA rail and chairs on wooden sleepers and was my first foray into G scale.

 

Railwayrod

[SNCF stephen]

Thanks for the advice there Rod. It is most useful. 

 

I have now received the LGB track from Germany. I have one left hand turnout, about 7 sections of 30cm straights and 13 curves which is just about enough to make a full circuit if the turnout is used as a curve. It is a good starting point as I can now get a feel for the size of it all. 

 

I am liking the German narrow gauge stock from LGB but I am not too precious about running a prototypical formation. I am intending to slowly build up a collection of rolling stock over the coming years and I have my eyes set on getting a Stainz loco and some passenger carriages if I can. With thanks to PaulRhB I think I will try and go down the avenue of Remote Control as it does make wiring the potential layout much easier. However, in the short term if I set it up temporarily I will probably use the track connectors. 

[Satan's Goldfish]

If you do decide to use track power rather than batteries, 1 tip I read once was to put a little contact grease into the fish plates (electrically conductive grease). I have a can ready for when the LGB has a permanent home. The supplier of the tip reported never having any electrical issues around the track (once rail heads had received a clean before an operating session), and taking apart the track many years later found all the grease still in the fish plates.