# Battery operated UK-style locos G-Scale



## hoosier daddy (Jan 31, 2018)

I hope this hasn't been covered before but I'm looking for G-Scale British style locos for a small slate mine type of layout in the garden but I've not found any. Can anyone suggest sources for such? I'd prefer if it included remote control (RC) but not absolutely necessary.
Thanks in advance.
Robin Young / Forest Hill, MD


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Robin,
Gscalecentral.net is a good place to ask - they are mostly Brits. I have bought and imported a couple of locos from UK suppliers, like John Sutton (John Sutton Models.)

I assume you want 45mm gauge steam outline, electric? I have a couple of UK live steam locos suitable for a slate mine.  Most UK outline narrow gauge is geared to 2' gauge (which was predominant in the UK,) and therefore they are 32mm gauge (SM32, or 1:19th.) Slaters Plastikard make a couple of nice quarry locos.










My LGB 20140 Feldbahn loco is a pretty good candidate, I would think? Although made in Germany, a lot of the locos ended up in UK quarries.


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## hoosier daddy (Jan 31, 2018)

Hi Pete-
Thanks for your quick reply and, yes, I was given a lot of 45mm G-scale track so that's what I'm building the layout with. I'd eventually like to move to live steam but starting out I'll probably go with battery powered loco with RC. And, yes, probably a "critter" of some type might be more in order although your pics look very enticing if I could get a battery version of something similar. I'll check out the John Sutton Models you recommended and see what they've got to offer.
Regards-
Robin


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## mejohnston (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi Robin,
You might want to look at 7/8ths scale on 45 mm track. This scale models 2' gauge railways on G-Scale track. Although there is not a ton of commercial material available more is being produced. 
Accucraft has offered some nice locomotives in this scale and there are a few other manufactures out there.
ModelEarthDesigns offers some nice kits to get you started.
in the US, both Ozark and the TrainDepartment offer detail parts and wheels and trucks.





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## trainmanfw&sw (Nov 4, 2020)

I think your idea of a RC control system is a great idea, as far as finding locomotives like the one in the picture I'm not sure where to find them. I have gone with RaiPro battery power and I really like there system. Biggest disadvantage with RailPro is there steam sounds are very little to choose from, this is where AirWire might be a better choice, but will take more room for the install. Keep your purchases in mind when installing the different battery powered systems, many engines will need a trailing car to handle all the needed components for there system. 

trainman


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## hoosier daddy (Jan 31, 2018)

mejohnston said:


> Hi Robin,
> You might want to look at 7/8ths scale on 45 mm track. This scale models 2' gauge railways on G-Scale track. Although there is not a ton of commercial material available more is being produced.
> Accucraft has offered some nice locomotives in this scale and there are a few other manufactures out there.
> ModelEarthDesigns offers some nice kits to get you started.
> ...


Thanks for the info, Marty, I think Model Earth looks interesting for rolling stock, especially their Welsh slate products..
Robin


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## hoosier daddy (Jan 31, 2018)

trainmanfw&sw said:


> I think your idea of a RC control system is a great idea, as far as finding locomotives like the one in the picture I'm not sure where to find them. I have gone with RaiPro battery power and I really like there system. Biggest disadvantage with RailPro is there steam sounds are very little to choose from, this is where AirWire might be a better choice, but will take more room for the install. Keep your purchases in mind when installing the different battery powered systems, many engines will need a trailing car to handle all the needed components for there system.
> 
> trainman


Thanks for your info. Trainman. I am not a big fan of "sound" in locos, to me it all sounds very artificial but that's just me. My big challenge will to to buy a loco and then add the R/C components. I have no experience with R/C so will have to read up on that.
Robin


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## trainmanfw&sw (Nov 4, 2020)

Understand, in most cases the sound gets turned off, or way down, it does become annoying after awhile. AirWire system does only come with engine control, you have to buy a sound card and add it for sound. RailPro if you didn't want sound, just turn it off. There are less expensive systems on the market, watch YouTube, there are many videos on this subject.

trainman


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Robin,
My Feldbahn loco has battery r/c and sound in it (actually in the trailing gondola.) I got the speaker inside the cab and it sounds great imho.






(Notice the wheels are sync'd to the 4 chuffs/rev at slow speed - by accident.)
Here's the thread on how it came together. (I post all my long threads on LSC.) It might give you some ideas.
Large Scale Central - Advanced Forum Detail Topic - LGB 20140 Sound and battery install

Squeezing battery and r/c into a little loco (any quarry loco in 1:22 or 1:20th scale is going to be small,) is tricky. There's a thread on Gscalecentral.net from a guy who put an 18650 LiIon cell (just one, 3.7 volts) in the boiler of one of these locos and added a 5V to 12V regulator to drive the motor.

Most UK locos that can be gauged to 45m are 1:19th scale, or 16mm:ft. Our F scale is 15mm:ft or 1:20, so the size difference is not noticeable. So don't turn down an SM32 (32mmgauge, 1:19th scale) loco - ask if it can be re-gauged to 45mm. Most can.

Roundhouse makes a few small diesels that are battery r/c and are gauge adjustable. Like this "Bulldog" which is a typical UK quarry loco.


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## hoosier daddy (Jan 31, 2018)

Hey Pete-
Thanks for your reply, all I can say is "how much and when can I have it?". That's one fine sounding little loco, pretty much what I have in mind. I'm surprised at the sound, not as tinny as some I've heard.
Not at all familiar with Feldbahn, is that a type of loco or brand of locos/rolling stock like Hornby for example? 
I have looked at the Roundhouse diesel that you pictured above but thought it was a bit pricey but maybe this is a pricey hobbey.
Robin


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

hoosier daddy said:


> Hey Pete-
> Thanks for your reply, all I can say is "how much and when can I have it?". That's one fine sounding little loco, pretty much what I have in mind. I'm surprised at the sound, not as tinny as some I've heard.
> Not at all familiar with Feldbahn, is that a type of loco or brand of locos/rolling stock like Hornby for example?
> I have looked at the Roundhouse diesel that you pictured above but thought it was a bit pricey but maybe this is a pricey hobbey.
> Robin


Well, taking them one at a time, the LGB 20140 cost me $200 a year or so ago, The batteries and electronics cost another $200-ish. It is available if you want to own it - I have nowhere to store it or run it. I'll need to acquire another $100 DSM2 R/C TX (transmitter) so the loco and one gondola cost me about $500. Yes, it is a pricey hobby - that RH diesel has r/c in it and is made of metal so it costs $$. But battery r/c is pricey anyway.

Feldbahn is the German for Field (Feld) Railway (Bahn.) Usually a narrow gauge RR on light track in the middle of nowhere (now converted to carry tourists?)
Feldbahn - Wikipedia
There are several German manufacturers in that category: LGB of course, Faller tried for a while with the eTrain, and Regner makes the RSSB.
REGNER RSSB - gardenrailways.co.uk

Most of the feldbahn models are not 45mm gauge. Regner uses 30mm to represent 600mm (2') while Faller used 32mm (O gauge.) I have a bunch of the latter - 32mm track at 30 inch diameter curves, and also some little Faller hoppers on LGB 4 wheel 45mm wagon frames:










I should also point out that these are not LGB feldbahn wagons or frames. LGB has a separate product line called feldbahn, with dinky wagons and small wheels - these below (the loco is not a "feldbahn" product, but could be.)










As I mentioned, the Brits imported many locos from German manufacturers, so the LGB 20140 would not be wrong in a UK quarry. A proper British quarry loco, like the Slaters "hunslet" pictured above, is only available in 32mm gauge. The Roundhouse diesels are the only UK locos I know of that are re-gaugeable.

If you want to use 32mm gauge I heartily recommend Peco SM32. It is narrow gauge, has untidy ties/sleepers, and is excellent quality. (I have a stack on my shelf waiting for me to get around to using it.)

If you want to use 45mm g-gauge track, then there are a few choices. The LGB 20140 has various similar locos (LGB "Chloe", Porter, etc.) Or you could take an 0-4-0 frame and put a UK body on top. That would be a fun project.

Finally, there is the Bachmann "Lyn" which came from a 2' gauge railway, but passenger carrying, not a quarry. It is cheap and 45mm.
https://d10m3frg6iijb8.cloudfront.net/uploads/new_lot_image/image/4491765/458.JPG


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry had me counting my loco collection last night, and I recalled one, an LGB Porter, which is perfectly suited to be a UK quarry loco.










Then there are a few other LGB 0-4-0s which would work, like this EMMA:


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## hoosier daddy (Jan 31, 2018)

Pete Thornton said:


> Well, taking them one at a time, the LGB 20140 cost me $200 a year or so ago, The batteries and electronics cost another $200-ish. It is available if you want to own it - I have nowhere to store it or run it. I'll need to acquire another $100 DSM2 R/C TX (transmitter) so the loco and one gondola cost me about $500. Yes, it is a pricey hobby - that RH diesel has r/c in it and is made of metal so it costs $$. But battery r/c is pricey anyway.
> 
> Feldbahn is the German for Field (Feld) Railway (Bahn.) Usually a narrow gauge RR on light track in the middle of nowhere (now converted to carry tourists?)
> Feldbahn - Wikipedia
> ...





Pete Thornton said:


> Jerry had me counting my loco collection last night, and I recalled one, an LGB Porter, which is perfectly suited to be a UK quarry loco.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hello Pete-
Sorry for the delay in replying to post above, Christmas, et al got in the way.
I appreciate your offer for the loco with R/C and trailing car plus R/C controller....I'll have to check with "The Chancellor of the Exchequer" to see if funding might be available. This might take a while as we've got some other expenses which take priority so I can't commit for now. If you have other opportunities to sell it, by all means do it....I'll just cry in my beer a bit. But if funding does become available I'll check back with you.
Regards-
Robin


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