# G scale model trains from France



## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

So far, I see great G scale model trains dominantly from the UK and Germany; is there any brand name from France? I am just curious given France also has a great history developing train systems.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I'm aware of any French manufacturers but LGB have the Corpet Louvet French prototype.
I have all of the models except the latest from Marklin/LGB.










Andrew


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Garratt said:


> I'm aware of any French manufacturers but LGB have the Corpet Louvet French prototype.
> I have all of the models except the latest from Marklin/LGB.
> 
> 
> ...


It's a nice locomotive. I remember I saw a youtube movie about a train museum in France, and they have many G scale models but they didn't tell where those locomotives came from. Certainly, they don't look like LGB products. I will try to retrieve that youtube movie sometime soon.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Are you sure it was a G scale? I couldn't find a G scale one but here is a 1:50 scale French layout on 18.2mm gauge. Excellent!






Andrew


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Garratt said:


> Are you sure it was a G scale? I couldn't find a G scale one but here is a 1:50 scale French layout on 18.2mm gauge. Excellent!
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2gvQDsmWBg
> 
> Andrew


I am not sure, you might be right, it can be HO scale. But let me search for that information again. Meanwhile, I like the 1:50 scale video, very nice.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

I don't think there are any G scale manufacturers located in France.

I'm part of the team looking after the global G scale database and we cover every G scale manufacturer, well, we try to, but we have never come across any from France.

If you're looking for French prototype G scale, you can do a search for "French" on www.gbdb.info and see what comes up.
The database is a work in progress and will always be that - we try to focus more on older G scale items or items from small, relatively unknow manufacturers who might be hard to find otherwise.

Knut


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

krs said:


> I don't think there are any G scale manufacturers located in France.
> 
> I'm part of the team looking after the global G scale database and we cover every G scale manufacturer, well, we try to, but we have never come across any from France.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the information. I like to collect different models from different countries and very disappointed to know that France does not have any G scale manufacturers. I do the same when I visited Japan, I went to shops in Akihabara or train museums and could not find G scale models. My father-in-law has an N scale, I guess (since the train is as small as of a thumb) on his coffee table. But it is easy to understand for Japan, since houses in big cities have no land for backyard garden.


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Well, a fair number of LGB railroads I know are actually inside.
That's the main reason for the tight R1 curves.

Also, the old LGB (LGB under Lehmann) actually published a catalog in Japanese years ago - so there was some push to sell into the Japanese market.


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## Ian Pooley (Jan 2, 2008)

Atelier vaporiste has a website and offers a selection of rolling stock kits based on metre gauge equipment from the Réseau Breton. 
They also occasionally offer locomotive kits. They recently had a 600mm sugar beet railway 
Billard diesel on offer in kit form. 

Ian Pooley


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

They have also made two Réseau Breton meter gauge loco kits in live steam and are now turning out laser cut freight car kits which are really beautiful. I model standard gauge but saw them at an exhibiton. Pascal Lelièvre is the owner.
There have been resin kits for the billard railcars done also by various other French craftsmen artisans. There is no "industrial" type of production in France as of today. Of course in 1/32 scale it is even more difficult except for Aster Europas valiant efforts. Ther are also high end 1/32 scale models made by Lemaco (lematec etc) and Fulgurex as well as Bockholt in electric. Many Prussian locos, cars and coaches made industrially by Märklin can be made into French prototypes: the P8 the G4 the T9, the Bavarian pacific, the prussian 2-10-0, the DRG 2-10-0 to name a few some diesels are now running in France too, the prussian six wheelers, the recent bogie non coridor suburban coaches also, the donnerbuchs, the shurzwagen, have been in the SNCF stock and a good deal of the freight cars also.


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