Thinking of switching from O to G. Am I nuts?

[gg1hokk]

Exhibited my multi-scale collection of NYC steam at the Will Huffman train expo in Williamsport, PA this past weekend. I have NYC steamers in G, O, ON30, S, OO (American), HO, HON3, TT, N, and Z. While I was there I spent a lot of time talking to a gentleman who has a LOT of G scale track, trains, and accessories.  I very much LIKED the L-A-R-G-E-R size of the G scale trains. He indicated the willingness to sell a bit of his stuff to me at "good prices". I am seriously thinking about it. I have about 8 to 10K (new prices) of O gauge track, trains, buildings, autos, and etc., etc. which I would need to sell off to fund the new purchases. Part of me is in love with the idea while the other part realizes that in moves like this you also lose value - but I love those BIGGER trains.

 

Currently I have a 10'x12' layout, small by O gauge standards and even smaller I am sure, by G. But all I want is two continuous loops with perhaps a siding. Some houses, a road, and a few figures would be nice. I do not foresee any possibility of going outside.  For those of you experienced in O and/or G scale what advice would you give me? Is the heart ruling the head too much here?

The layout at the Expo would fit in my space and it would be bigger on trains (pun intended) but much leaner on extras....Any comments are greatly appreciated. THANKS!

[Rayman4449]

I would say definitely not nuts!  Your experience is why I think most if not all of us are here.  How large of an area in feet do you have for a G setup?  That will be the determining factor on how feasible it is to run G in your space and also will determine which models you can run.  The minimum MTH steamers like the Big Boy needs is 8ft diameter curves but looks better run on wider.  USA Trains Big Boy for instance you really need to look at 20ft diam minimum.  You might be able to get away with 16ft but it's pushing it and may bind.  Diesels of any mfg should be able to handle 8ft and some maybe tighter.

 

I recommend all stainless steel rail and stainless steel direct to rail Split-Jaw clamps.

[Chuck]

Do it! 

I did the same..switched from O to G like 12-15 years ago. Back in around 2000 MTH advertised they were getting into 1:32 scale with a magazine ad showing a Challenger for just under $1,000...I was paying like $1,200 for a MTH Premier Challenger and thought "I can have a  model twice the size for less $$". Oh and I had the then new Lionel JLC Challenger that cost like $1649.

Then about the same time at the local trainshow a seller had a newly released USA Trains 1:29 scale intermodal car with containers and that clinched it for me...the big O gauge sell-off  commenced!

I have a 20' x 30' G gauge indoor layout that can handle anything made...I'd never go back to O even though it at times it does seem a bit appealing.

I am working on a 300' long mainline outdoor layout.

[benshell]

4 hours ago, gg1hokk said:

Exhibited my multi-scale collection of NYC steam at the Will Huffman train expo in Williamsport, PA this past weekend. I have NYC steamers in G, O, ON30, S, OO (American), HO, HON3, TT, N, and Z. While I was there I spent a lot of time talking to a gentleman who has a LOT of G scale track, trains, and accessories.  I very much LIKED the L-A-R-G-E-R size of the G scale trains. He indicated the willingness to sell a bit of his stuff to me at "good prices". I am seriously thinking about it. I have about 8 to 10K (new prices) of O gauge track, trains, buildings, autos, and etc., etc. which I would need to sell off to fund the new purchases. Part of me is in love with the idea while the other part realizes that in moves like this you also lose value - but I love those BIGGER trains.

 

Currently I have a 10'x12' layout, small by O gauge standards and even smaller I am sure, by G. But all I want is two continuous loops with perhaps a siding. Some houses, a road, and a few figures would be nice. I do not foresee any possibility of going outside.  For those of you experienced in O and/or G scale what advice would you give me? Is the heart ruling the head too much here?

The layout at the Expo would fit in my space and it would be bigger on trains (pun intended) but much leaner on extras....Any comments are greatly appreciated. THANKS!

 

I'm going to have to stir up the conversation and recommend otherwise. It depends on what you want, and if bigger is your priority then yeah, by all means. But be sure you know what you're getting into. There is far, far less equipment available in G-scale, and occasionally we hear RUMORS of something entirely new, but it has been years since there has actually been anything entirely new released in 1:29 or 1:32. On the other hand, it seems like O-gauge is doing pretty well. One of my good friends recently sold all his G-scale and switched to O-scale, and when I go to all scale train shows like I did last week, I can understand why! I'm a bit jealous of the wide selection and more reasonable prices (mostly).

 

If I were starting over, I may have gone with O-scale myself. I'm reluctant to switch at this point since I have a pretty large collection and a big layout outdoors. But when I started collecting G-scale, it was a growing scale (and O-scale was shrinking), and I figured that even though I wanted things that didn't exist in G-scale, they would soon enough. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case.

 

All that said, I do love the big size of G. I'm writing this from my home office where my USA Trains Big Boy is on display--all 5 feet of it--and outside I've run trains over 80 feet long. It's definitely a fun scale to be involved with! I just want to be brutally honest about the drawbacks too.

[gg1hokk]

Appreciate you helping the G scale and G Forum newbie out. I just LOVE the looks of the bigger trains. it is an affair that I have had going for some time now... I am pondering the decision.

[Rayman4449]

There is definitely a bit to consider.  I will say it also depends on if you try and limit yourself to a particular scale.  Those that only do 1:29 are now limited to USA Trains which has a good variety of diesels but only 3 steam locomotives (Big Boy, Hudson and 0-6-0 tank engine) with the UP844 FEF in process now to be produced (Accucraft/AML had one 1:29 steamer the K4 Pacific).  If you go 1:32 scale you have a larger selection of steam that has been made as MTH alone has produced the Challenger, Big Boy, Hudson, GS2, GS4 and Triplex.  In diesel they have a decent variety but not as many as USA Trains.  It will boil down to how many trains you plan to own.  If you are like the vast majority of the customers I deal with then you might own 2 or 3 locomotives total.  For most it becomes a cost and space issue as G scale takes up space far more quickly that O gauge.  Again it really comes down to what you want, value and want to go with but for myself I feel I have just about all the main models I ever wanted (with the big exception to the UP DD40)  as I have all the examples of the MTH steam plus the USA Big Boy, Hudson, K4 Pacific and a number of Aristocraft Dash-9s and some other engines.  Even if they did have as large a variety in G scale I probably wouldn't own much more than I do now because of both cost and space limitations.  Again the exception is the DD40 (Hope MTH and USA Trains is listening out there  )  But it is true too that production does come more slowly in G scale as it is just a far smaller market.  Good luck with your decision.

[SteamPower4ever]

First of all - welcome here.

 

As others have said, you need to consider your available space and what you want to do in G scale.

Living in Europe I'm stricktly in one gauge or gauge 1 which is 1:32 scale on 45mm track as made by MTH. For me, other nearby scales like 1:29 are simply not relevant, which narrows the market somewhat, but on the other hand all the European brands are 1:32, which opens it up again. Then of course, the price of a model in Europe is generally higher than in the US, so ...

 

I have no room for large scale at home. Period.

Which is why I have an N scale layout at home and a small collection of large scale - more to the point, I'm slowly working my way towards modeling two very specific trains: A Danish brown coal or lignite haul from 1960 pulled by a steamer and El Capitan from the late 50's with F7s. I enjoy building and modeling, and I don't need to run the trains more than 2-4 times per year, so I've joined a club where we set up club the layout at shows, bring our trains and have a lot of fun.

And if the need to run trains hit me between shows, I have the N scale layout or I can go visit a friend who has a layout

 

I've sold my entire H0 collection to finance my entry into one gauge and I don't regret it.

That's my way of doing it and it works great for me.

You'll want to consider what works for you, so you don't end up in that dreaded "what have I done?" moment.

 

Again, welcome to the forum.

Jens

[gg1hokk]

Now I have to consider how much I would lose (I have about 8 - 10K in O scale), the best way to sell it, and what I could recoup in G scale. All I want is two concentric irregular loops with a passenger train on one loop and freight on the other. Accessories to follow. My available space is roughly 10' x 10'. I am wondering if that is too small?

[Rayman4449]

That will be tight but depends on what you want to run.  What kinds of locomotives and types of passenger cars are you wanting to run?

[Jerry B44]

Seeing as how you have the O scale already and limited space I would just stay with what I have. If you like MTH, they have a nice range of O scale to pick from and you get their good sounds/smoke/effects. If you want G The smallest  MTH G scale steamer is their Hudson, I would not go to any other larger one. The F units in the diesel are the smallest, I would not get the dash 8.  Passenger cars are 27" long and would not look good on those small curves. In freight, stick with the 40' cars, the others would be larger.   So, it depends on what you want to run in that limited space.

[Razor_Antilles]

7 hours ago, gg1hokk said:

Now I have to consider how much I would lose (I have about 8 - 10K in O scale), the best way to sell it, and what I could recoup in G scale. All I want is two concentric irregular loops with a passenger train on one loop and freight on the other. Accessories to follow. My available space is roughly 10' x 10'. I am wondering if that is too small?

 

Hello! As a relative novice to G scale trains, here are some things I've learned over the last year and a half of collecting:

 

For small spaces, small locomotives and rolling stock are king. I started with a USA Trains GP38 and a few cars on a 5-foot diameter circle with about 10 feet of straight total; made for a good-sized loop, but that was just the start of it. I ran a mixture of USAT American and Ultimate Series, but nothing bigger than their 50-foot box car. Later, I acquired a USAT SD70, which requires 8-foot diameter track, so I got some of that, and then more straightaway, and then started collecting intermodal cars and 55-foot modern tank cars, none of which will work on anything smaller than 8-foot diameter track. The downside is, nothing I run now will work on anything smaller than 8-foot diameter, unless I leave about two-thirds of my rolling stock and three of my four locomotives put away. The bigger, nicer rolling stock needs a lot of space to swing, especially the SD70 and Dash 9, the intermodals and the tank cars. If you don't intend to run huge rolling stock or convert your couplers to Kadee (which I believe requires a minimum diameter to function properly without incident--I don't use them, so I don't know), you might be able to do a TON in 10x10.

If you believe you'll be content with diesels like the GP38/GP7/9 in 1:29 scale from USA Trains, 10x10 will give you space for a decent-sized layout, provided you're only going to run small rolling stock, or rolling stock that is compatible with very small diameter track. If you're hoping to run a heavyweight passenger set, you can do that in 10x10... but you'll have precious little room on the edges of your space for anything else. If you want two lines, getting two 8-foot diameter circles to fit in that will be tricky, but it can be done. I know very little about MTH products, because I'm a 1:29 USA Trains/Aristocraft devotee, but it's possible their product line is more flexible because they're making things in 1:32, which is just smaller enough to perhaps create more options. Good luck to you!

[gg1hokk]

On 12/12/2016 at 11:26 AM, Rayman4449 said:

That will be tight but depends on what you want to run.  What kinds of locomotives and types of passenger cars are you wanting to run?

 

This may sound odd, but in Railroad, PA I saw a beautiful Civil War era layout complete with vintage town, opposing infantry on a battlefield, cannons being transported via flat car, some roving cavalry, etc. Very impressive and nice historical bent.

 

I also saw a whimsical G scale mountain top scene with a logging engine, some short passenger cars, and lots of ski lodge looking buildings.

 

I think any G scale that I built would have a definite theme as opposed to just a freight train in the 50's .

[ramburgy]

On ‎11‎/‎21‎/‎2016 at 2:06 PM, Rayman4449 said:

 

I recommend all stainless steel rail and stainless steel direct to rail Split-Jaw clamps.

 

Does someone make SS G track?

 

Rich A

[Jerry B44]

Sunset Valley does and it's in code 250, smaller rail looks more realistic.  With you being inside, the fear some have of it being damaged easier outside is not an issue. Plus the rail being a little smaller it is cheaper. Also, their switches are the best in the business. I've had their product for over 20 years and it holds up well

 

https://www.sunsetvalleyrailroad.com/

[Chuck]

22 hours ago, ramburgy said:

 

Does someone make SS G track?

 

Rich A

 For code 332 stainless track you have H&R Trains in Florida which makes beautiful track but expensive...http://www.hrtrains.net/stainless-steel-track

 

Accucraft/ AML makes code 332 stainless track.... https://www.accucraftestore.com/code-332-flex-track 

 

Can also find new or used Aristo-Craft code 332 stainless on various auction websites and some dealers still carry new old stock.

 

I had over 1,400' of new Sunset Valley code 250 stainless rail and I sold it all. It had a terrible non-consistent finish between pieces that varied from almost black to bright shiny silver. Some pieces still had mill scale on it from the foundry process. Some pieces were twisted & warped so bad that I spent hours in the shop using a vice trying to straighten it and every end had to be trued up with a chop saw as it appeared that the foundry was using a plasma cutter to burn the pieces down to somewhere near a 6' length...ie; the ends were melted with big huge burrs on the ends.

 

Though the SV switches may be nice I use USA brass switches as they are the best made...and they include a switch machine, controller & operating dwarf signal.  

[Pete Comley]

Pete Comley from Sunset Valley Railroad here. I'm sorry you had a negative experience with our code 250 stainless. We started offering this a few years ago, using a US manufacturer, and I had to keep pushing them at the beginning to get the quality up. They are now getting there, they have a new general manager who is very keen to make sure the rail is clean, straight and with neat cut ends. I won't go abroad to buy this, I want to keep it all in the US. Feedback, whether positive or negative, is always appreciated as I want to make sure our track and switches are of the best quality for my customers.

[Sean]

Hmmm maybe you need to send a piece or two to for Ray to re-evaluate? 

[du-bousquetaire]

Well for one thing I would consider things space wise: Unless you intend to model narrow gauge where you do get a bit of leway to do things indoors. The issue is: Have you the possibility to go outdoors? Because if you do then I wouldn't hesitate. Another factor is the climate Pennsylvania seems to be quite close to mine near Paris France, I get from 5 to 7 months of operation outdoors in a year. I know about Pennsy climate because I model the Pennsy in gauge one 1/32 scale. There is a fairly nice choice of equipment in that scale: GG1,F units, GP7-9, Alco PA1, VO1000; in steam you have the Aster K4 which has been produced either live steam or electric, a T1, an E6, a G5 and an M 1 has been announced .

 In 1/29 scale there is a wide choice of Diesels and a GG1 and a K4 which was also produced. for instance.

 But the nice thing to keep in mind is that once out in the garden there is no reason to stick with tinplate like short radiusses, it is even undesirable with live steam if manual control is employed. No grades is best for live steam but grades can be dealt with, even in live steam. Your railroad can thus begin to look more like a real railroad rather than an illustration from a 1950's Lionel catalogue and it makes things run much smoother. I run all my trains, in reverse if I want to and they stay on the rails, I even have a French push pull train. The minimum radius is about 10-11 feet that represents radiusses protype railroads used in engine terminals, sidings and some interchange tracks or junctions and were in real life negociated in reduced speeds (due to innertia, we don't have such a big problem in gauge one). If you can go to 14' its even better as then you are within some  of the tight curvatures railroads had to contend with in special places (canyons, bridge aproaches etc) on main lines. I sold all my HO and never went back except for a n HOe layout to run something in the winter. I hope this helps you reach a descision.