Selecting the right scale

[diggerdooley]

I am just getting started with an outdoor layout. I have a sloping yard and have begun building a retaining wall and backfilling to level things out. I would like to know how to determine the best scale to go with. (1:29, 1:22.5, or what). And can different scales work together in a layout?

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Depends on what type of rr you want to model!

Old time or narrow guage logging/mining rr, then go big like 1:22.5 or so.

Mainline Standard guage (like Pennsy, Santa Fe, CSX, NYC, and a host of others) then go with either 1:29 or 1:32.

Now, that should get some argument started amongst the troops, and you can pick a lot of info up by sitting back and absorbing it!

Also, more info in profile , believe it or not, is indeed helpful in answering many questions. Better info on where you are answers climate questions which can have great bearing on answers. If you are an Easterner, references to the practices of Western railroads will mean less to you. It ain't prying, it's about better tailoring answers to your situation!

[whiterab]

My philosophy is that you don't pick a scale, a scale picks you. [8D]

As Bob said, what are you modelling? If you are modelling a standard guage go 1:29 or 1:32. If you are modelling a narrow gauge line, go with 1:20 to 1:24.

A typical narrow gauge line is based on rail spacing of 3'. This means that the 45 mm G gauge track would equate to an engines that would run on them would be 1:20.3 times as big as the rail spacing.

A US mainline engine would be be 1:32 as big as the spacing for a mainline track spacing.

As to whether or not you can mix the scales, that is totally up to you and how picky you want to be and what is fun to do. I'm doing a specific era of Colorado Narrow Gauge so I stick to 1:20 'cause that what's fun for me and I like to scratch build. I still have some 1:24 scale stuff on the layout from when I was starting out because there were alot of 1:24 kits available when I started.

A friend of mine likes to run what he feels like on a particular day. He does "roughfly" 1:29 because he can get all sorts of engines and equipment in that scale and if he finds something in 1:24 he likes, he buys it and runs it. You never know if on a given day there are going to be steamers or diesels running on his layout. I think we both enjoy each others layout and both of us are having fun.

[Ray Dunakin]

It depends a lot on what equipment you want to run, what you can afford, and what your minimum curves will be.

I'm just getting into this hobby too, and my layout will have a mix 1:20, 1:22 and 1:24. Why? First off, the location of my layout limits the radius of my curves. I need smaller locos and rolling stock that can negotiate such curves. Second, I'm mainly interested in old-time steam locos, and most of the smaller locos are in 1:20 scale. Third, my budget's pretty tight, so at least for now some of my equipment will be cheap models which often come in 1:22 or 1:24 scale.