Mixing rolling stock

[tcaron20]

At first I thought that my entry into the G scale train hobby would not develop into a passion but I was wrong.

Now I'm concerned about how my rolling stock will look when mixed with different brands.

Case in point is that I bought two LGB Denver & Rio Grande Western cars along with two USA Trains and the USA Trains DRGWs are a lot shorter and taller than the LGB ones. Am I missing something here? Does the manufactor's stated scale really matter? How do Bachmann, Aristo-craft, etc. match up?

Thanks,

Tom C

[jazzfan4]

The wonderful world of "G" scale is full of these sorts of problems. The track is #1 gauge which is about 1.75 in between the rails. There are multiple scales that can use this track and not all are true scale models.

1/32 the track is standard gauge, (4 foot five and 5/8 inches)
1/22.5 the track is 1 meter gauge.
1/20.3 the track is 3 foot gauge.

So far so good but now we have the weird.

Many trains are about claim to be 1/24, 3 foot narrow gauge (Bachmann 10 wheeler and deltron). The track should be gauged to 1.5 inches, but they use the #1 track because it is available

Then there is aristocraft which list the scale as 1/29??? It has been speculated that scale was chosen because you can enlarge your blueprints by 3 from Ho plans and create 1/29 models.

Lionel O27 cars are different from the 1/48 true scale model so it happens in other gauges but it not as bad as generic "G".

Sorting out "G" scale can be mind numbing.

[tcaron20]

Thanks Jazz...,

Tonight I was running my Hartland Princess around the family room floor and my wife says to me "How come the engine looks so small with the cars it is pulling?" Ahhhh!!!!

I had LGB and USA Trains passenger cars running together.

I though she wouldn't care or at show little interest. I guess mixing the rolling stock will not work.

Tom C

[Roy]

...Then there is aristocraft which list the scale as 1/29??? It has been speculated that scale was chosen because you can enlarge your blueprints by 3 from Ho plans and create 1/29 models...

#1 gauge("G" gauge) track multiplied by 29 gives a gauge of 4' 2.75".

I really don't know if this is pertinent, but using O gauge(1.25") to represent three foot gauge renders a scale of 1/28.8.

[Roy]

...Lionel O27 cars are different from the 1/48 true scale model so it happens in other gauges but it not as bad as generic "G"...

Of course, true O scale is 1.25"/56.5"= 1/45.2.

[Unfortunate Bystander]

The wonderful world of "G" scale is full of these sorts of problems. The track is #1 gauge which is about 1.75 in between the rails. There are multiple scales that can use this track and not all are true scale models.

1/32 the track is standard gauge, (4 foot five and 5/8 inches)

US Standard gauge rails are 4 feet Eight and 1/2 inches (or 56.5") apart. #1 Gauge track is 45mm.


32*45 = 1440
1440 / 25.4 = 56.692

---john.

[jazzfan4]

sorry, slightly senior moment.

[Locoboy5150]

Not mentioned so far is that G "scale" models can be very diverse in terms of what they are models of. They can range from 1 meter gauge trains (true 1/22.5 G scale as defined by LGB) to 3 foot gauge trains (1/20.3 scale) to standard gauge trains (1 scale or 1/32 scale.)

I just picked one, LGB, long ago and then stuck with it. I have no regrets.

[Steve DeGaetano]

Of course, true O scale is 1.25"/56.5"= 1/45.2.

I think you're confusing "gauge" and "scale."

O "scale" is 1/4" = 1 foot--regardless of the track gauge. Gauge refers to the distance between the rails.

In your equation above, you're saying that for O gauge track to be accurate as 56.5" gauge, then the models would have to be slightly larger at 1:45.2.

[Roy]

...In your equation above, you're saying that for O gauge track to be accurate as 56.5" gauge, then the models would have to be slightly larger at 1:45.2.

The British build their O gauge models to a scale of 7mm to the foot, or approx. 1/43.5. So they're dead wrong, too.

The reason this comes up, for me, is the MTH ten wheeler. When I first got it, I checked it out for a 1/4" standard gauge conversion, but it was just too far off.

Well, going back over it at 1/45.2, it works. The rebuild is coming along nicely.