# New to large scale.



## G-builder (Jan 9, 2014)

My name is JR. I've been an N-scaler for about five years now and love it. But every christmas the large scale bug bites me and I have acquired a lot of nice G scale stuff over the years about four Christmases. I guess I spend more money around the holidays because I get a nice bonus so I have some money to spend. So far I got a few nice locos a PIKO 2-6-0 Rio Grande Mogul, a 0-4-0 hartland locomotive works steam loco, a bachmann 2-4-2 U.P. steam and a Euro D10 0-4-0 diesel this is my sons favorite to run since its small. And also have a lot of rolling stock. There are so many odd things in G scale that n scale does not have like I see lots of people run euro passenger cars with american locos. I guess I'm a purist I like to model an era or at least run something that looks somewhat accurate to a period. If I can't find it I will build it I've done this in N scale. So I will try to do the same in G scale. I also have a lot of track but I will get more over time cause I'm trying to do an outdoor layout but I don't wanna get ahead of myself yet. Cause so far I only have about sixty pieces of track and six switches three left and three right. I have to admit this scale can get expensive and with bills a mortgage and two kids I don't spend anything unless I can. This is why even n-scale takes a back seat when it comes to more important things in life but we all like to indulge now and then. My son loves this scale he is six and can grab the locos and rolling stock unlike N scale where I have to place everything on the track for him. I must admit I like it also but t takes up way to much space if you try to do something indoors that is why I like the idea of an outdoor layout.


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

An outdoor layout can be a lot of enjoyment and a great learning experience for a family with kids. I have a local family with 4 boys and have seen them grow up as they visit our shop over several years. The oldest one is now installing radio control and sound. I have really enjoyed helping as they grow.


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## josephunh (Mar 27, 2013)

JR welcome to the hobby I am fairly new myself. My advice is, like any hobby, yes it is going to be expensive but you get it and do it one piece at a time. Sadly the cost of track is what I think is driving folks away and not even the cost of the loco's anymore. As for being a purist it can be hard in this hobby since the scale is not one set scale, but it can be done. You just need to focus on a manufacturer or manufacturers who make a variety of things you are looking for in same scale and style. Else sadly it comes up to having people to try and have things scratch built. Your best bet is to take what track you have and find a place in your yeard you can create a small layout that allows you to work on expanding as you get more over the years. Else you can do what I did since I don't have a layout of my own yet, is I joined a club that gets you time on others layouts and clubs layout too.


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi JR. Large scale trains are a great hobby that can give you a life time of enjoyment. There are so many aspects to running trains outdoors, the garden, the electronics, battling the elements, building stuff and of course the trains. 
I would suggest starting small the empire will come one day but for now get your hands dirty and get some track down. I don't know where you live but Spring and the season for building is around the corner. You don't need to have 1000' or even hundreds of feet of track to have fun you can start with what you already have. 
As you move forward remember it is your RR and there is no right or wrong way to run it. There might be a better way but as long as you and your family is having fun then you are doing it right. 
Happy RRing


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## G-builder (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks for the welcome guys. I also believe that the price of track is why people shy away from G scale (most of the track I have I won on ebay at good prices). But I also believe most people do not know that you can use the track outside and brass and stainless steel is expensive. I think that manufacturers should do a better job at advertising this scale. And some people just want a large train set for they're kids but don't wanna dish out four hundred plus dollars for a set. I have an LHS that sells track for seven dollars a piece and forty dollars for switches all PIKO brand. If I need just a few pieces of track I will buy form my LHS but if I need bulk I will search ebay for a deal.


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

JR said "And some people just want a large train set for they're kids but don't wanna dish out four hundred plus dollars for a set." 

I think this is the fundamental problem... That is less than the price of an X-Box and they will buy that in a heart beat. They will eventually sink $1000 in that, but we complain about $7 track. 

Very few people seem to want to accept the reality of the cost of something that if it wasn't a toy train, would be classified as "durable goods" instead of "consumer electronics" produced in units of tens or hundreds of thousands of units. 

I am still using the same LGB track I bought in the 1980s and 1990s. I checked the boxes and the price was around $4.50 / foot discounted. In REAL dollars, that is as much or more than it costs now. 

The TRACK COSTS TOO MUCH complaint has existed since the SECOND day that large scale came into the USA.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

One good way to save money on track is to look for used track and switches on Evilbay, for the most part brass track is pretty hardy, so used track tends to still be in very good shape,, UV deterioration on the plastic ties can be an issue on early Aristo track but for the most part its a great way to save $$$. 

I have been indoors for years, strict R1 (4' diameter curves) use, and short rolling stock means I can get a fairly insane amount of track into a very small area. Based on the stock you mentioned you could also go R1 and save alot of space, but dont be brainwashed into thinking you MUST have 10 diameter curves or your doing it wrong. While having the widest curves is good advice, dont use them if the end result is a boring layout, the BEST curvature that fits your goals. Determine HOW MUCH AREA you have to work with, get a layout track plan going, THEN decide what curvature works best for the area you are working in. In addition to the R1 4' dia curves there are 5' dia, 6.5'dia, and 8' dia curves, all of which can be mixed and matched to create a very interesting layout in a small area. 

Now that being said, and before the "wider is better" folks start fussing, I will add this caveat, think about what your long term goals for this layout are and what you really wish you would run on this layout if you have the genies lamp and could make it happen, IOWs whats the BIGGEST thing you would like to run on this layout. will you be happy with a Piko mogul pulling short stock or do you dream of streamliners? A USA 4-8-4 Hudson? An Aristo 2-8-8-2 ? a string of heavyweight passenger cars? 80' autoracks? You see where I'm going, all of these require very substantial curves, much wider than the ones I recommended, but also they require a much greater commitment in available yard space and money to install. Decide what you would LIKE to run, determine what curvature it requires, and then build around THAT as your ruling curvature. So you need to make some decisions now that will benefit you in the long run. 

Also ...BE WARNED. Make sure whatever the minimum curvature you decide to use that the curvature of your turnouts MATCHES or is wider if turnouts are not available in that curvature. IOWs no one makes 5' dia turnouts, so you have to go to 6.5'. Sounds simple but its a very common newbie mistake to buy tracks and rolling stock that require wide radius turnouts then wonder why it derails on the R1 turnouts they bought to save money. 

Good Luck.


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## BigRedOne (Dec 13, 2012)

Welcome JR! 

I'm finding that large scale is less expensive than HO, when I consider the amount of railway I can fit in a given space. Although I've backed away from my original assumption I'd build on a table, as I had in HO, if I did I could only fit 1/10 as many track sections, and maybe four trains instead of 12 or more. LGB locomotives and cars are no more per inch than Marklin's. 

What's really nice is being freed from the hobby industry markups and packaging: HO gravel sold by the ounce? Large scale gravel is sold by the ton or cubic yard. Instead of those tiny pieces of wood and metal sold as hobby supplies, most of us seem to be building with construction materials from home supply and hardware stores. 

I had a floor railway this past year, but I just started building a portable modular elevated railway fashioned in part of model bridges. The first is a wood trestle, and I'm using lumber from Lowe's and hardware from McMaster-Carr; it will probably cost less than something similar in HO.


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

Welcome aboard JR !


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Indeed...I still feel G-Scale is a great long term investment as a hobby... 

Look at todays prices for HO modern locos....geez... 

I also promote G for it's greater size.. 
Easier on the eye sight.. 
Easier to hold.. 
Easier to work on.... 

And based on overall volume. .it's a bargain!! 

....Dirk


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## TonyWalsham (Jan 2, 2008)

..........and plenty of room for battery R/C when mother nature inevitably makes life difficult for all those electrons to get between the rails and the wheels.


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

JR Welcome from another beginner. This a great place to look at sites that others have put together over the years. I have found that posting questions and ideas here results in plenty of good advise from other hobbyists. 
Also a good place to go when explaining "It really isn't that big when you consider that ......................" I usually have one of the larger layouts like SD90WLMT's (Dirk) thread in Track, Trestles, Bridges, and Roadbed open when I use that excuse. 

Alan W.


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## TJH (Dec 27, 2007)

Welcome to the hobby. Glad your kids like it. I'm relatively young (29), and while I love xbox as much as any of my peers, one of the things I like about spending $ on this hobby is the long term payoff I get. I'm still running trains that my parents bought for me over 20 years ago. There are few things that can truly provide decades of enjoyment. I'm highly unlikely to have kids of my own, but if I was, there's no reason these trains couldn't be passed on to them.


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

Welcome to this version of model railroading, JR. I came from N-scale myself, moving outdoors when my indoor model room needed to become a bedroom! 

Used track is usually a bargain -- $2/foot at our club meets. Join a garden RR club, and you'll meet wonderful people from whom to steal great ideas and hints. At club swap meets, there are bargains on track, locos, cars, and all kinds of things you didn't know you needed 'til you saw them.


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