# 2 foot gauge in G scale(!?)



## ssculptor (Dec 27, 2007)

Please correct me if I make any math errors but I am finally going to start building my European fictitious model railroad in Large Scale. Since the exact scales vary from manufacturer to manufacturer I will try to keep close to either 1/24 or 1/32 scale. Thus I can run from 1:32 to 1:29 to 1:24 to 1: 20.32. 
This will be mostly a two foot gauge (1ft 11 5/8in; 60 cm) World War One military railroad which ran behind the lines to service the trenches of the 1914-1918 war. 
*My question is what Large Scale items are available in 2 foot gauge in terms of track, wheel sets, locomotives, rolling stock, etc.? I am not looking for exact scale items but something that looks reasonably close. Where can I find suppliers of such items? *
In terms of scale I can choose 1:24 scale (1/2 in = 1 foot) 
I figure 2 foot gauge in 1:24 scale = a rough approximation of 1 inch. The closest commercially available track would be S gauge (.883in to .905in).
Or I can choose 3/8 in = 1 foot
I figure 2 foot gauge in 3/8 size = a rough approximation of .75 inch. That would be 1:36 scale. The closest commercially available track would be On3 gauge (.750in to .772in). Yes I know that I can get many military plastic models in 1/32 and 1/35 scale so I would have to decide which scale I want to work in.
Fortunately I am not a fine scale modeler so there be a lot of leeway in my models. Personally I judge accuracy by the three foot rule. If it looks good from three feet away it is in scale.
Yours,
Stephen


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

2-foot gauge is 13.7:1 on 1.75" rails ("G-scale") and there is a lot o stuff available. One of the club members demoed a live steam 2-foot gauge engine at our club meeting just today.


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## Exador (Jan 24, 2020)

I would say to pick a scale and stick with it. The prototypes of the engines and cars you want are relatively small so the scale can be large. 1/24 might be ideal. Lots of wheel sets and motor blocks available. With a subject this esoteric, you will be scratch building 90% of the layout. Above all, have fun and make it yours!


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I believe 7/8ths scale is the size for modeling 2 foot gauge equipment on standard 45mm gauge track. There is a forum online just for this scale of modeling, and there is some commerically made stuff in recent years with live steam locomotives from Accucraft and rolling stock from a few different small builders offered. Accucraft have done several live steamers and a company in the UK offers etched brass body kits to fit both Accucraft and Roundhouse 16mm locomotives.


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## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

Stephen, the most common scale and gauge for 2 foot gauge models worldwide is 1/19 scale on 32mm gauge (O gauge) track and there are manufacturers that also do WW1 'trench' locomotives and rollingstock (usually kits). Since WW1 modelling is your primary interest search out models and manufacturers in the UK in this scale often referred to as 16mm to the foot scale.
An advantage you will have is not only sources for your particular interest but running on 32mm (O gauge) track means it can be done cheaper with sharper curves in a more compact space and of course correct scale to gauge.
Just to tease you and give you inspiration, here are a couple of images of a Baldwin WW1 loco by Accucraft and a "Tin Turtle" petrol armoured car with some kit built rolling stock that my friend built a few years ago. Here he has them running on my 45mm gauge track as the loco and the kits can be set to run on either 32mm or 45mm gauge. All these were purchased from the UK and items often come up second hand so seek these out as well. 
 Russell


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## JoelB (Jan 3, 2008)

If you're intent on modeling World War I trench railways, then you have multiple options, depending on which track gauge you choose. Ferroequinologist has already given a great description of what's available in 1:19 (about 3/8"=1') scale. This scale on 32mm (O gauge) track has a large following in the UK and elsewhere, and there's a lot of vendor support. As has been mentioned, this also lends itself to scratch building using O gauge components (been there, done that, been very pleased).

You could go bigger and opt for 7/8"=1' scale on 45mm gauge. As already pointed out, there are RTR models and kits available in this scale/gauge as well. A relatively new source for WW I loco and wagon component kits in this scale is SWC3DBackshop (SWC3DBackshop | Etsy). I've bought and built several of Mike's kits and have been very pleased. I have no other connection to this vendor other than as a satisfied customer.

My advice is first, pick a scale and gauge. Then figure out where you're going to get rolling stock from.


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## ssculptor (Dec 27, 2007)

Mike Toney said:


> I believe 7/8ths scale is the size for modeling 2 foot gauge equipment on standard 45mm gauge track. There is a forum online just for this scale of modeling, and there is some commerically made stuff in recent years with live steam locomotives from Accucraft and rolling stock from a few different small builders offered. Accucraft have done several live steamers and a company in the UK offers etched brass body kits to fit both Accucraft and Roundhouse 16mm locomotives.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

16mm is commonly used in the UK to represent various gauges around 2' on O gauge track. There were several in the UK that were 2 foot and some various inches. Most engines from Roundhouse are 16mm and can have their wheels set for 32mm or 45mm gauge track. Best of both worlds being able to run on both gauges of track.


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

For those interested it should be known that these ex military railways were picked up and re used extensively after the Armistice for the rebuiding of large towns and ereas that had been situated in the battlefeilds and nearabouts way up untill 1927 for the reconstruction as well as serving as tramways in the devastated ereas until more permanent solutions were implemented. Besides this temporary use of which there is very little documentation available thus far, there was also a huge second hand market sold as military surplus. This was the source of equipment for a considerable amount of light railway lines built for the collecting of sugar beets in the northern half of France, some of which managed to survive until the mid 1960 as main form of transport for beets in these rather clayish plains where unpaved roads rapidly turned into quagmires. Both the Pithivier museum and the Froissy Capy operations are testimony to these numerous lines that have survived until today. These are interesting in that they aquired: French then British, German and American equipment thus providing for a great variety of rolling stock not usually found on narrow gauge systems.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

du-bousquetaire said:


> This was the source of equipment for a considerable amount of light railway lines


There was also the Lost River Logging Co in WV which had some Alco 2-6-2Ts from WW1.



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## ssculptor (Dec 27, 2007)

Exador said:


> I would say to pick a scale and stick with it. The prototypes of the engines and cars you want are relatively small so the scale can be large. 1/24 might be ideal. Lots of wheel sets and motor blocks available. With a subject this esoteric, you will be scratch building 90% of the layout. Above all, have fun and make it yours!


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

ssculptor said:


> my European fictitious model railroad in Large Scale.


From the original post. European 24" railways are also 600mm. (Wikipedia says so!) Actually 600mm = 1' 11 5/8", which is the official gauge of many UK 2' railways, like the Tallylyn.


Exador said:


> With a subject this esoteric, you will be scratch building 90% of the layout.


I have to say that the UK guys have a plethora of items in SM32 (1:19, Sixteen Mm to the foot, 32mm gauge.) I doubt they scratch build very many items.

Personally, I looked long and hard at HOn2 or HOne - 3.5mm:ft on n-gauge track. Lots of WW1 and other off-the-shelf rolling stock. Even the Thomas "Skarloey"!


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## ssculptor (Dec 27, 2007)

I agree and the scale I like is 1/24 size also stated as 1/2 inch to the 1 foot scale; also stated 1/2 inch to 12 inches, and so on. I will use 1.75" gauge track for the standard track and S gauge track (roughly .9 inch) for the 60 cm narrow gauge track (a necessary compromise).
The problem I have is almost all the plastic military train kits are in 1/35 size, except for a few in 1/32 size.
It bothers the bebjeebers out of me to see 1/24 and 1/32 trains running on the same layout, especially if they are coupled in one train. So I will have to make up trains of one scale and run that and then make up another train of the other scale and run that one separately.
I have no intention of building strictly to scale, period! This hobby is strictly for fun, not self punishment. Since my back yard is approximately 100 feet long by 20 feet wide I have plenty of space to let my imagination run free. One of my aims is to have a railroad gun on one end of the layout actually let loose and fire a round (a blank of course) and a second or two later have a structure or train car on the other end blow up with a bang! Just viewing a train run around a track doesn't do it for me. Another idea is to have a full size hand reach out of the ground, grab a train car and pull it back down into the ground, releasing a small cloud of a gas that smells of Sulphur. 
Did I mention before that for the past 60 plus years I have been an active Surrealist sculptor, writer and underground film maker? 
For the USA prototype railroads I will have a standard G gauge layout with American prototype steam locomotives and train cars. There will be fun activities on this RR also. 
Will I live long enough to build all these gems? Who knows? Who cares? Getting there is where the enjoyment of life resides.
Stephen 😄


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm using S-scale track for modeling Maine 2-footers in 29n2 scale:



1/29n2 scale



(That page has now been up for 18 years, its made the rounds of all the Maine 2-footer forums, and I even had 29n2 featured in an issue of "Maine 2 foot quarterly" magazine..but as far as I know, I am still the one, and only, person to ever model in this scale/gauge combination! 😉 oh well, that's fine, I still like it! 😀 )

Scot


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

Stephen,

if i did understand your post, you are more into military than into train modeling.
for choosing scale: while 1:13 gives you access to the world of "action" figures, with the benefit of articulated figures, there is not much of all the other stuff you'll need.

scale 1:24 (Dollhouse-Scale!!) has an abundance of pink accessories, but anything military has to be made on your workbench.

so your real choice would be between 1:35 (the ultimate military scale! more stuff, than you can ever buy!)
and 1:32 ( relativly cheap figures, that you can cut up for pose-variations, fair selection of accessories)

for 1:32 the H0 track is too small, the S track is a little too big.
for 1:35 the H0 track is a little too small, the S track is too big.

so you are down to either 1:32 with S scale track, or 1:35 with H0 scale track.
(toss a coin!)

from the trainside i would choose S scale track. (less overhang = less accidents in sharp curves)
from the military side 1:35 has to be the choice. (all that stuff avaiable!)

do you plan to run the trains often, or is it more for stationary dioramas?

anyhow, all your roling stock will be sctratch-built.


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