Most common scale used?

[Anonymous]

G-Scale has so many scales...It makes it very difficult to build what people want.

What is the most commonly used scale? I like the 1:24 but it is still "new" compared to 1:22.5

[markperr]

It seems to me through many years of participating on this and several other boards that there are two mostly prominent scales.  The first is 1:20.3 which seems to be what most narrow gaugers run in.  The second is 1:29 which is the primary scale for modern mainliners.  Given that, there is a certain amount of flexibility required in order to be able to place things on ones railroad.  For instance, I model 1:29 since I run 60's-80's era diesels.  However, it's very expensive to buy cars and trucks in 1:29 as there are only certain manufacturers who build in that scale, so my cars and trucks scale out at 1:24, which are plentiful and relatively easy to find in hobby shops and department stores.  They only look out of scale proportionally to the well trained eye.  Similar flexibility is made on the other end where people will run Bachmann (1:20.3), LGB (1:22.5), Aristo classics (1:24), etc. alongside one another.

There are a few rivet counters among us, but for the most part, I believe we all use the ten foot rule to one degree or another.

Mark

[smcgill]

Welcome

You should give a history of your self(what country you live in etc.)

This helps with what type of answers we need to give.

My self : I run 1:20 and 1:29 on the same layout but not @ the same time!

2 railroads!

[altterrain]

This is how I worked out issues with scale. I like to run both turn of the century steam and early diesels.

My turn of the century steam locos consist of 1:22.5 and 1:24 locos and rolling stock (Bachmann, Hartland, Aristo Classic loco and cars and some USA cars). As a side note, 1:24 "G scale" trains have been around for many years (over 20) starting with Kalmazoo (now Hartland Locomotive Works) and Delton (now Aristo Classics and Hartland passenger cars).

My diesels and modern rolling stock are 1:29 Aristo and USA.

Now my reasons for doing this -

I usually run the steam and diesels seperately but if I run them together their scale is close enough to visually work together. While the 1:20.3 (Fn3) stuff is beautiful and prototypically correct, it is too large to run with anything else (at least to my eye).

All of my buildings (kits and scratchbuilt) are 1:22.5 (piko and pola) and 1:24 (kits and scratch). There is a large amount of scratchbuilding supplies (windows, doors, siding, etc.) available in 1:24. The number of buildings available in 1:20.3 are increasing but they are out of scale for smaller scales. Also, most of my diecast cars and trucks and figures (people) are about 1:24.

Since my railroad is fictional, I can call my Eastern narrow gauge steam line, Gn42 or Gn3.5 and still be prototypically correct.

-Brian 

[FJ and G]

7/8" scale is by far the most commonly used scale for me

[Rastun]

Mark,

You might also find a good supply of cars and accesories in 1:32. That sizing would give the trains a bit of punch and make them more the highlight of the scene.

Remelic,

1:32 proper standard gauge scale on gauge 1 track.

 

1:29 popular  standard gauge on gauge 1 track ( size increase to make the models closer in size to the 1:22.5 models in existance).

 

1:24 proper scale for 42 inch narrow gauge on gauge 1 track. Was used for ease of construction. This scale in my opinion could have been one of the greatest scratch building scales if they had just made thier own track for 3 foot narrow gauge and 4'8.5" standard gauge. Just because of all the other available products in this scale.

 

1:22.5 proper scale for European meter gauge on gauge 1 track. Also emerging is Gn15 1:22.5 on a scale 15 inch narrow gauge track using H0n3 track as it's base.

 

1:20.3 proper scale for 3 foot narrow gauge on gauge 1 track. This scale is becoming more and more popular as it grows, to the point that dual gauge ties are starting to become available so those who would like standard gauge trains in this scale can make thier own dual gauge tracks.

 

1:13.7 proper scale for 2 foot narrow gauge on gauge 1 track.

 

1:10.2 proper scale for 18 inch narrow gauge on gauge 1 track.

 

There are also some other scales used in europe like 1:19 and 16mm that I'm not all that familiar with and can't comment on them correctly. 

 

Personally, I model mainly in 1:20.3. That being said I do like some mainline steam and will probably build one train up to represent the GN's Oriental Limited. It will not run near other equipment and may not get real close to any buildings, but that's my way of thinking. For buildings I tend to buy 1:24 wooden kits from Smith Pond Junction http://www.spjrr.com and then resize certain parts to make them look more like a 1:20.3 building.

 

I hope that helped a bit. So build what you want to build. As long as the mix looks pleasing to your eye that's all that matters. 

 

Jack 

[cabbage]

Curiously enough have a 1924 copy of Henry Greenlys' "Model Railways"...

1:24 is the scale that used to be used for Gauge 3 track, nowadays 1:26
1:19.1 (16mm to the foot) is the true scale for building 2 foot narrow gauge models on 32mm (O) gauge track.

Most of the 3,500+ 16mm modellers in the UK will descend on Stoneleigh in Warwickshire on Saturday for the 16mmNGM AGM and all the trade stands there. I am going not to look at 16mm -but to look at Gauge 3 which is sold by many of the same retailers as 16mm.

So, I have to say that in the UK it is as follows:

1:19.1 16mm on 32mm track -common
1:2x G gauge products on 45mm track -fairly common
1:32 G1MRA -rare
1:24 or 1:26 on 63.5mm track -someone knows someone who knows someone who's got one....

regards

ralph

[vsmith]

Most common, not most popular.

When you consider what is on the market and avalable aftermarket on ebay and trainshows:

1/22.5 is still by far the most common scale

1/29 is second

1/24 is third

1/20.3 is forth but is steadily moving up the food chain

1/32 still brings up the rear

[dukebasketballer`]

Like Vic said, there is an abundance of 1:22.5 only because it has been made far longer than the the others. But the rest are neck and neck. The exciting thing is that the hobby is really taking off an new products in all scale are being intoduced by big time manufacturers as well as many small aftermarket companies.

[ttrigg]

I run the following scales;
Engine and passenger cars 1:22.5
Trolleys with people and freight 1:20.3
My people run from 1:15 all the way to 1:35(?).
Buildings, If I use the 1:22.5 ruler, my LGB engines run past a 48 foot tall light house and an 80 ft tall windmill.  Only two of my buildings are to scale (and NOT to each other)  Rosebud Falls Station (Aristocraft) and Chateau de Vic (Pola).  Every thing else is "well it looks good to me" or my wife got it because it looked good to her.

[Anonymous]

Wow, thanks a lot everyone.

This is a wealth of information on scales and I appreciate all your help. So the difference in scale is hardly noted between 20-24 or 24-29 so I could build buildings in 1:24 and it can still be used on almost all g-scale? Or should I be scale specific with it?

 

[Anonymous]

You should give a history of your self(what country you live in etc.)

This helps with what type of answers we need to give.

For those who are interested, I have updated my personal information. Feel free to email me if you want too, for what ever reason.

Cheers

[altterrain]

That's really a personal choice in what looks good to you. Most of the layouts I have seen in person are usually Piko/Pola kits, Aristocraft buildings or the "kitchy" stuff like ceramic buildings or bird houses. Not my cup of tea but it makes the owner happy. Modeling buildings is on of my favorite things to do so I have gotten away from the kits  and scratchbuild or look for some of more unusual kits. If you are considering kits there are a fair number available in 1:22.5 & 1:24, a few available in 1:20 (usually pricy wood kits with a western flair), and very few in 1:29. A recent issue of GR (Dec 06?) covered these. The biggest catch is mixing figures. !:20.3 figures dwarf most of the buildings in smaller scales.

 -Brian 

[Anonymous]

I builld all my buildings fromscratch according to a few old pictures. Im currently working on a railroad station out of 3/4" spruce painted white with cedar window frames and doors. Too many features to talk about in this thread but maybe when Im done I'll post a picture of it in a different thread.

Does anyone here build their own out of scratch? (Im sure you do)

What materials do you use or what little tricks are you proud of?

[altterrain]

There are many materials for buidling outdoor structures from wood (usually redwood, cedar or pressure treated), foam insulation board, hardibacker board, plastic veneer sheets (plastruct and precision products) and combinations there of. I might suggest you look through the building forum on MyLargeScale (also do searches on old postings) - http://www.mylargescale.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=10.

 Here are some of the buildings I have made from scratch using the listed materials-

 

(the pub second from the right)

 

 

 

 

-Brian 

 

 

[Anonymous]

Very nice buildings! I like them all. Thanks for the link.

So you scratch built all of them?

Do they handle the weather well or do you take them inside?

[altterrain]

Yes, all were scratchbuilt and live outside even over the winter. Except for a few minor repairs (paint touch up, regluing a couple of detail pieces) all did fine.

 -Brian

[dwbeckett]

Thanks for the history lesson on scales BUT IF IT LOOKS GOOD ON YOUR RAILROAD THEN GO FOR IT. I try not to mix scale's on rolling stock  but my Logging train is 1/20 ( bachmann 2-8-0 or shay)-1/22( LGB log bunks )-Unknown caboose lionel drovers.