# Widest "G" scale rolling stock?



## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

I'm trying to get a handle of the width of the widest locomotive or car in G scale.
By G scale I include everything from 1:20.3 scale to 1:29 scale.

The Accucraft K-36 user guide shows the width of that loco at 6 1/4 inches.
Is that the widest of any "G"loco orcar?
What about the Bachmann equivalents? Do they need more clearance?

And what about clearance in curves?
For a K36 or similar I would think R3 cirves should be the tightest ones used in practice.
Anyone know, or can measure, what the required clearance is for the overhang when these big locos go around tight curves?
Measurement from the centre position of the track.

Thanks,
Knut


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Knut;

I don't have an example to measure, but have read that the Bachmann GE 45 ton diesel was actually a model of a standard gauge locomotive running on narrow gauge trucks. I remember a lot of grumbling when the locomotive first was available: items on station platforms getting side-swiped, the locomotive getting hung up on signals or wiping them out, the locomotive getting stuck in tunnel portals, and the like. The 45 tonner may not be the greatest width in G, but still may be worth checking out.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Thanks David,

Good information.
It also reminded me of the German Harz Kamel diesel loco - the prototype was originally a standard gaige loco, then when the narrow gauge Harz Railroad in East Germany neede some diesel locos and didn't have the money to have meter-gauge locos built they took the existing standard gauge version and regauged it to Meter-gauge.
Piko came out with the model a few years ago - that loco is huge compared to the other Piko models. So I will check that one out too.


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Bachmann GE-45 ton is a little under 6" wide and about 7-1/2" high!
I had to look up the Piko Harz Kamel. It's a mamoth! Maybe not so wide though.

http://www.forum.gartenbahn-stammtisch.de/viewtopic.php?t=1426










Andrew


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

The Piko model is actually a smaller than it should be.
Here is the prototype:










The Piko model is roughly in scale 1:27, same as their standard gauge models.

But this loco is a Meter gauge loco, so the scale should have been closer to 1:22.5 for 45mm gauge track.

In any case - the actual width of the Piko model is 4 5/8 inches, nowhere near the width of the Bachmann GE 45.

So far the widest is still the Accucraft K-36 in 1:20.3 scale at about 6 1/4 inches

Knut


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

I was wondering about the scale of the Piko seeing their stuff is standard gauge.
The Bachmann 2-8-0 and Accucraft K-27 are less in width than the Bachmann GE 45 ton center cab both about 5-1/2".
7/8ths Fairymead about 5-3/4" wide and 8-1/4" high.
Bachmann V dump hoppers 6-1/4" wide. Bigger than you would imagine. Hoppers can be cut narrower though.

Andrew


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

The AMS Jackson sharp car are 5 in. (127 mm) wide.

http://www.accucraft.com/modelc/AM54-010-C.htm

May not be the widest, but add it to the list.

Alan


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Garratt said:


> I was wondering about the scale of the Piko seeing their stuff is standard gauge.
> The Bachmann 2-8-0 and Accucraft K-27 are less in width than the Bachmann GE 45 ton center cab both about 5-1/2".
> 7/8ths Fairymead about 5-3/4" wide and 8-1/4" high.
> Bachmann V dump hoppers 6-1/4" wide. Bigger than you would imagine. Hoppers can be cut narrower though.
> ...


I got the Accucraft K-27 width of 6 1/4 inches from the Accucraft manual.
But now looking for it again I came across this Accucraft model which is even wider - 6.44 inches.
http://www.accucraft.com/manuals/AT 20p3 C-25 LS Web Manual.pdf

Knut


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Widest model that runs on 45mm track, a contender:
Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes No. 23 in 7/8n2 scale:

http://www.7-8ths.info/index.php?topic=80.0

at least one model exists..I would like to build one someday.
Not a commercial model though, it's scratchbuilt.

6.57" wide.



Scot


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Widest cars we run on the Rio Gracie are two 1:20.3 Don Winter Drop Gondola kits I built.

6 inches at widest spot.










Tommy
Rio Gracie


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Here's an Accucraft K-37 on an LGB 1600 (R3 or just shy of 4' radius) curve. I couldn't tell you what the overhang measures to be, suffice to say I wouldn't want to be standing on the inside or outside of the curve when this hummer rolls by.










This definitely falls in the category of "yeah, it _can_, but why would you want to?"

Later,

K


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

And do not forget the height. The smoke stacks on steam engines can be very tall and create issues at tunnels.


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## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

I have a 1:20.3 Car Works Ditcher. That thing is really tall and wide. I think the Ditchers were all done about standard gauge size and fitted with narrow gauge trucks.

I have not gotten a ruler to measure it but it is definitely wider than a K-27 and the top of the stack towers over caboose. While the body is short the boom makes it pretty long when in lowered travel position.

I must plead guilty though of having a K series mike on 10ft diameter curves. Those are pretty tight even for a K-28


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## krs (Feb 29, 2008)

Dan Pierce said:


> And do not forget the height. The smoke stacks on steam engines can be very tall and create issues at tunnels.


True enough.

But for the height I'm going to use the LGB clearance gauge which includes the possibility of running catenary so that should also allow for the highest smoke stack plus.
The distance from the bottom of the ties to the very top of the clearance is 9 3/4 inches - I assume that is adequate except perhaps for 1:13.7 scale models which are a bit of a special category in my mind.

Knut


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