Scale of Piko G scale rolling stock ?

[unklian]

Has anyone worked out exactly what is the scale of the Piko so called G scale range ?

Are they all the same scale ?

Are they distorted in the same way some LGB stock is ? Some locos look shortened and narrower than they should be for example.

And when I mean scale I mean 1;29 or 1:24 scale, and I mean exactly not some vague and meaningless term like G scale has become !!

I know they all run on 45mm gauge track, but they look rather ' narrow gauge ' and they are much bigger than Gauge 1 1:32 scale. But they are not big enough to be Gauge 3 which is the true scale/gauge for 1;22 scale standard gauge.

 

Am I the only one too who finds the garden railway fraternity's casual attitudes to scale and gauge rather frustrating ! ?

[Arthur]

I've a Piko caboose, quite a nice model and it's similar in scale to the Bachmann basic G scale stuff which is narrow gauge in, I think, 1:22? I've no idea if it's based on a prototype and so it's impossible to be sure just what scale it is. It's certainly not Gauge 1.

 

The problem with G scale is that much of it, like the Bachmann range, has origins at the toy end of the market where accurate scale is not critical. Their basic stuff is 1:22, the Spectrum range, 1:20 (or thereabouts!!)

[PaulRhB]

The scale varies to look right on sharp curves. I measured the centre cab BR199 and I think, from memory, it worked out height is around 1/26 while the length was 1/29. That makes it quite small for the NG Harz version but quite chunky looking for the standard gauge range. They certainly are cheaper than the pure G1 offerings from Marklin etc and if you're happy to live with that look then you're going to enjoy them.

G Scale really is 1:22.5 as it was LGB that coined that phrase and depending on the story it means Gross or Garten.

[unklian]

Thanks for the answers chaps, I think I can fairly safely assume they are around about 1:29 scale, like much of the american so called G scale.

 

There is obviously some time to wait before we get some true 1:22.6 scale standard gauge ( 63.5mm ) RTR stock. Leastways that doesnt cost an arm and a leg .

[rue_d_etropal]

Just to add my little bit. I prefer to use the term G gauge not G scale, when referring to LGB/Piko and Bachmann. I think LGb started , in theory, with 1/22.5, which is either gauge 2 or 3 in Henry Greenley terminology. I think in France true 1/22.5 on 45mm gauge is referred to as IIm, suggesting is is same scale as gauge 2, but in UK the standard gauge models in this scale are referred to as gauge 3.

I have some Marklin gauge 1 items, which are 1/32 scale, and the BR80 loco is not much smaller than the Piko steam loco, so think the Piko model is probaly 1/29th scale. G scale seems to now stretch between SM32(1/19), ie 1/20.3 and revised gauge 1(1/30) ie 1/29, and they still seem to cram the same figure in everything.

I also have another relevant modelling interest as I am also a Gn15 modeller, and some prefer to just say what scale and gauge they model, rather than use an ambiguous term.

[Stevelewis]

As  mentioned  above  the   actaul  scale  of  G  scale  stock  has  always been   rather  flexible,  I beolieve  that  Lehmann's  original plans  were to provide  a  range of  products  which  although  from  narrow  gauge  Railways  of  differing  gauges  ie   760mm Austrian, Metre  gauge  Swiss,  USA 3'  etc  the  stock  could be  used together  and  there  were no  really  glaring differences  in size (of the models that  is)

 

This  approach  obviously  does  not   go down  well with  the  purists  who demand an accurate  scale  gauge  ratio and  everything  they  use  must be  to that.  But in practice many  g scale  users  are  quite  happy  with  the  situation  which allows them  to  use stock  from different  railways together  if  they so  choose ( Rule 8  I beleive is  the  quoted  rule on G scale  Central forum)

 

It is interesting to note  that  the  USA  Bachmann Spectrum  Range  which  is  built to 1:20.3 looks  big  against  some  other  stock, When  they  launched  th K27 some  years  ago  I bought  one  as  i  was  going  thro' an American phase,  and  I was  surprised  with the  size of  the  loco, It  came  in a  Massive  carton like a Large  suitcase  and  weighed quite a lot  and  was  really  hard  to handle due to its 1m+ length, it was  always  best  left on the  track whenever possible  and  not removed at the  end  of a running  session.

The  thing  was  though,  I had  to  make  several  alterations on my  line to allow  the  loco to be  run,  clearances on some  curves  which were  mainly 10; radius or  above  had to be   eased, and  some  bridge  sides  had  to be moved outwards,  I eventually  sold  it  on  and  used  the  cash to buy  an LGB  Unitah mallet!