As I'm new to the hobby I want to buy things that match up. Can someone help me discern the difference in the Scales. I have a LGB Forney and some Pico buildings. These are listed as 22.5-1, but I have seen a number of different scales. How do I tell what scale I dealing with? Whst is the best/most popular scale for an outdoor setup?
Thanks
Dear Tooth,
Your question is sure to bring out a lot of opinions. The short answer is that there is really no solid way to define LGB's scale. It's close to 1:22.5 but can be off significantly in almost any of the dimensions (and not all at the same time), and they do not specify a scale. Most of the other manufacturers are pretty close to what they advertise.
The best thing to do is to compare an item you're proposing to buy to something that you already own. If the two look good together, meaning that they are about the same scale, then go ahead and buy it.
Walt
toothmark wrote: As I'm new to the hobby I want to buy things that match up. Can someone help me discern the difference in the Scales. I have a LGB Forney and some Pico buildings. These are listed as 22.5-1, but I have seen a number of different scales. How do I tell what scale I dealing with? Whst is the best/most popular scale for an outdoor setup?Thanks
Have fun with your trains
This discussion about scale gives me a pain in the neck and a few other places as well. What Walt says is right, if it goes with what you have you are ahead.
Rgds Ian
Also Marklin in 1/32 scale. There is no best scale.
underworld
Undie there is one best scale but none of us could afford it or use it in all prcticality and that 1 : 1.
Ian:
I am so glad the other guy asked. I just went to my first train show last weekend here in St. Louis, and there were two somewhat vast rooms. There were two, (2), (II, as the Romans spelt it) dealers of G-guage. (I refuse to use 'scale' for obvious reasons.) There was one formidable old guy who had a G-gauge passenger set, rather tatty, as the English say. And that was it. Nothing else. (In G). I was lucky to find that one dealer, just a day's journey by fast car from me, who talked to me at great length. In gratitude, I bought a used Aristocraft turnout and two issues of GR. And right there, after reading both those issues, I became hopelessly confused with "Scale". I'm still confused about 'narrow gauge' vs 'standard gauge' since both appear to be 45mm. Now, I really don't care about scale, per se. So long as it looks good, that's fine. I worked to close tolerances for years, I sure ain't about to do it in retirement. In the other sizes, HO, etc, narrow gauge stuff is easily discernable by looking at the wheelbases. Now, if G gauge manufacturers are putting wide bodies or narrow bodies on the same set of trucks and calling one Standard and one Narrow, that ought to be made clear.
I got some ballpark prices on remote control, battery power, etc. I went and got some good beer, after, too. Good grief, that stuff's high. For me. But compared to other scales, it isn't out of reason; it's just intrinsically expensive, I suppose.
So it look like I'll do block wiring et al. There's a huge train show coming up in March a long day's drive from me, but we're going, because many guys there are using batteries and I don't want to give up yet.
I went out in the backyard and eyeballed the site of the future RR. Things looked grim under two inches of snow. Half is sloped (eroded) and half is terraced.
Les Whitaker
Yes Les you are right but you are talking to possibly thre wrong person about scale, as i just cannot be bothered with the intricacies of it. I have enough worries of my own when dealing whith my present projects.
I think when thet refer to narrow guage etc they are referring to the original prototype situation; not the model.
I am unsure about the relatationship between "G" and "#1" i think they are the same but i don't care about this aspect and i don't need tobe enlightened.
As far as i am concerned if it looks ok it is ok.
Rgds ian
grandpopswalt wrote:Dear Tooth,Your question is sure to bring out a lot of opinions. The short answer is that there is really no solid way to define LGB's scale. It's close to 1:22.5 but can be off significantly in almost any of the dimensions (and not all at the same time), and they do not specify a scale. Most of the other manufacturers are pretty close to what they advertise.The best thing to do is to compare an item you're proposing to buy to something that you already own. If the two look good together, meaning that they are about the same scale, then go ahead and buy it. Walt
Walt,
Always an interesting topic.
On that scale for LGB; LGB advertised for years and years that they build to 1:22.5 scale. That would be correct for Meter Gauge models on 45mm track.
As a matter of fact if you look at the second page of this PDF it still states:
"LGB trains are G scale (1:22.5) — four times larger than conventional HO-scale trains (1:87)."
Not quite factual in more than one respect, but still stated.
Tooth
As a quick check for scale: take along a "normal" 1:22.5 figure and a "normal" 1:20.3 figure to check the door heights of buildings and rolling stock.
Hope that helps
ER
Toothmark, scales are a bit like fractions; would you rather have 1/3 of a pie or 1/5 of a pie? The 1/5 of a pie is smaller - but when you start to learn fractions, it doesn't seem right as 5 is larger than 3.
If an average person is 6 feet tall, in 1:22.5 scale he would measure out to be 72inches divided by 22.5 which is 3.2inches. Going the other way, you find a figurine 3inches high. How tall is that in 22.5 scale? Multiply 3" by 22.5 and you get 67.5inches or 5 ft, 7 and 1/2 inches.
And if you are in Canada, it works the same in metric. A person 180cm tall would scale out, in 1:22.5 scale, to 180cm/22.5 or 8cm tall. In 1:20.3 scale he would be taller; 180cm/20.3 = 8.87cm. So, roughly, 1:20.3 scale is about 10 percent larger than 1:22.5 scale.
E.R.'s idea is a good one. Take a cardboard cutout of a typical person in the scale you like best and stand it beside something you want to buy. If he can't get through the door, or if he doesn't come up to the door knob, you know this item isn't going to work well for you.
Hope this helps a bit.
Art
iandor wrote: Undie there is one best scale but none of us could afford it or use it in all prcticality and that 1 : 1.Rgds Ian
Yes!!!! 1 : 1 is best!!! When I get a piece of land I'm looking at buying an old passenger coach.
Welcome to the world of garden railroads and straight into the issues of gauge and scale. Trust me guys, if it looks right then it is right, you will have plenty of time later when you have your track down to sort out all the different offerings of 1:20.3, 1:22.5, 1:29, 1:32 etc etc. In the meantime enjoy what you have, you can always sell it later if you decide on something else.
Kim
kimbrit wrote: Welcome to the world of garden railroads and straight into the issues of gauge and scale. Trust me guys, if it looks right then it is right, you will have plenty of time later when you have your track down to sort out all the different offerings of 1:20.3, 1:22.5, 1:29, 1:32 etc etc. In the meantime enjoy what you have, you can always sell it later if you decide on something else.Kim
I think you covered it well!!!
Vic's list is good. We also have a (free) downloadable scale-and-gauge chart on this site:
http://www.trains.com/grw/default.aspx?c=a&id=28
Rene Schweitzer
Classic Toy Trains/Garden Railways/Model Railroader
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
What I’d like to see is photos of engines in side views and front views from the different companies to really see how they look next to each other. I’m numerically challenged, so “seeing it” in a picture helps me tremendously.
Not a complaint, but just a wish. Carry on...
I have had made a figure of myself for my garden railway and i am 1.7 m tall and my image is 76 mm; i only run LGB at 22.5 ; 1 so i guess that settles it.
I think you are the only one I've heard of that modeled themself!
MT:
Now, there's a great idea! I too wish there were pixes of the various scales side x side and end x end. I'd even buy a magazine or book that had that info--for G gauge. Just for my own information.
If you're speaking of the Feb issue, I read that article. As a rank newbie, it was useless. Not to denigrate the writer.
underworld wrote:I think you are the only one I've heard of that modeled themself!underworld
Far from it! If you paid attention over the years, there are various and sundry in all kinds of different scales.
Perhaps the one with the largest "distribution" is Dr. René Wilfer, of PIKO. A likeness of his is delivered with every PIKO "Taurus" in 1:27.
The reviews that have been published on that engine didn't mention if the figure was also 1:27.
Stickler for Detail wrote: underworld wrote: I think you are the only one I've heard of that modeled themself!underworldFar from it! If you paid attention over the years, there are various and sundry in all kinds of different scales.Perhaps the one with the largest "distribution" is Dr. René Wilfer, of PIKO. A likeness of his is delivered with every PIKO "Taurus" in 1:27.The reviews that have been published on that engine didn't mention if the figure was also 1:27. ER
underworld wrote: I think you are the only one I've heard of that modeled themself!underworld
Well, he was the only one I'd heard of....now I know of more!!!
Thanks!
Mate i havent actually, I only said i did to attract a whole lot of rubbish from the liks of Curmy.
iandor wrote:Mate i havent actually, I only said i did to attract a whole lot of rubbish from the liks of Curmy.Rgds Ian
Dear Ian
You are such a card
Curmudgeon didn't go for it and others probably thought that you would have had to resize one of your pictures to have something to work from.
BUT many know that you have a bit of a rocky relationship with photo software ..... so the chances were minimal to NIL.
Kind of warm Downunder, isn't it!?
Oh, boy, oh, boy.
I can't wait for Kevin to see references to his beloved EBT as "oddball".
Boy, he's gonna lambaste you in his next column for sure!
Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month