Totally new to Garden Railroading and loaded with questions...

[rollingstock1]

Hey there...

I've always had HO layouts since a youngster, but during the last few years having bought a place and put in a deck, a pond, and a nice garden so I've been looking for a new hobby...I've been checking out some of the sites the last few days and am hooked...

but questions abound...

what's the best company to go with in G scale LGB or Bachmann...and are any of their items interchangable ie...track, cars, power sources...etc...what's the support like for each?  Or is there another company(es) to go with...

What are the power sources for an outdoor layout...I'm assuming I'll need to put in a GFI breaker with a  20amp circuit at least for power for structures and switches but how is the transformer run...is it similar to an indoor HO layout where it's plugged in or as I've noticed some folks talking about battery controlled power...?  But I'm assuming each engine has its on control system/pack...?   Or do the rails carry power? Ie your lionel or HO layout indoors....

 Is the G one universal scale...or with LGB being a German based company are the track sizings slightly different than say Bachmann...or is it universal... 

 any information or thoughts would be most helpful

thanks

mal

[Mr_Ash]

for the most part all track works together with other brands with a little modification..

I would suggest using LGB or Aristocraft track, bachmann track is hollow and will rust through over time, its like they take a flat piece of metal bent over into the shape of a rail, very cheep stuff

Im also a noob  sofar I have 2 Bachmann 4-6-0 Steam Engines and some freight & passenger rollingstock, all track is LGB. (2 sets worth of bachmann track in a shoe box in a closet)

[altterrain]

Hey there...

I've always had HO layouts since a youngster, but during the last few years having bought a place and put in a deck, a pond, and a nice garden so I've been looking for a new hobby...I've been checking out some of the sites the last few days and am hooked...

but questions abound...

what's the best company to go with in G scale LGB or Bachmann...and are any of their items interchangable ie...track, cars, power sources...etc...what's the support like for each?  Or is there another company(es) to go with...

What are the power sources for an outdoor layout...I'm assuming I'll need to put in a GFI breaker with a  20amp circuit at least for power for structures and switches but how is the transformer run...is it similar to an indoor HO layout where it's plugged in or as I've noticed some folks talking about battery controlled power...?  But I'm assuming each engine has its on control system/pack...?   Or do the rails carry power? Ie your lionel or HO layout indoors....

 Is the G one universal scale...or with LGB being a German based company are the track sizings slightly different than say Bachmann...or is it universal... 

 any information or thoughts would be most helpful

thanks

mal

Going with your criteria above you'll have to go with Bachmann being better since LGB has been out of business for about a year.  Seriously though, you have lots of homework to do. There are many more manufacturers of locos and rolling stock than those two. Look up above and there is a sticky labelled " Beginners: start here". 

All "G" track is 45 mm in width. Unlike the smaller scales there are many scales that run on 45mm track ranging from 7/8's (1:13), representing 2 foot narrow gauge to 1:32 representing 4' 8 1/2" standard gauge. Some of the other manufacturer's include Hartland Locomotive Works (1:24 scale), USA trains (1:29 & 1:24 scales), AristoCraft (1:29 & 1:24 scales), and MTH (1:32). Bachmann focuses on 3 foot narrow guage 1:20.3 scale trains with the exception of their beginner "Big Hauler" series at 1:22.5 scale (the same scale as most of LGB trains).

Power options are many including track power, track power with radio control, DCC, and battery / RC. I run a mix of track and battery/RC.

Click on my signature log below to see what I have done in the past 2 years building my garden railway.

 -Brian

[Anonymous]

The best comapany to go with is up to you really. Is like me tryn to sell you a Ford when you want a Chevy.
There are lots of parts that you can put on like cuplers all the way to kitbashing a train or the full train and cars kitbashed.
Support I have found good for both.
You will need a GFI plug/s, make sure you place more than one there never know when you need a extra for like parties.
Battery controlled power is just that, no live rails, some use the new 18v battery from a drill driver. Note: Not as much rail cleaning with battery power, but you will have to clear leaves, stones from frogs and turn outs, branchs, etc.
On the other hand you can have rail power which most like even thou we have to clean the tracks with a LGB Track Cleaning Car or Aristo-craft makes a Coobase to clean them or last but not leased a sheet rock sander with fine grit paper. Now I was just speaking of Brass track only there. They make all kinds of track, brass, SS, Alu, etc.
My code on my rails are 250 but they make a code 332 which others say looks better. Really up to you.
As for turn outs I use LGB and track is Aristo-Craft and all brass with Split Jaw clamps on them. Bachman track does not hold up well with weather at all. Use it for Christmas tree or sell on Epay.
As for scale trains and cars:
Fn3 scale 1:20.3
G scale 1:22.5 
½" scale 1:24
1:29 
1 gauge
3/8" scale 1:32
Good link for you to look into: http://www.trains.com/trccs/forums/353205/ShowPost.aspx

The Toad was here

[TheJoat]

Mal,

There's lots to think about.   If you like standard gauge trains, you'll probably want to take a look at Aristocraft and USA trains.   Most of their stuff is 1:29.   If you're into narrow gauge, Bachmann has a nice assortment of locomotives in their Spectrum series that are 1:20.    Accucraft makes some in both scales, but they are a bit more expensive.   They also have live steam locomotives available.

For research, consider the following sites:

• http://www.largescalecentral.com/
• http://www.mylargescale.com/
• http://lsceverything.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
• http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips.html

The first two are free forums and have lots of information available; the last two are just for references.

I'm also partial to my own site:  http://www.jbrr.com/ 

 

[two tone]

Hi rollingstock You dont say where you live, but no matter I would recomend LGB track and points (turnouts if you are in USA) I use thew train engineer to control my trains and thier accesories for points. My layout as been down for about 4 years and I have not had a problem with any thing and i`ve moved track about several times as I exspaned the layout. My trains and rolling stock are Bachmann as i like thier products and I get very good service from them. hope this helps do ask for more help if you need it

[altterrain]

Hi rollingstock You dont say where you live, but no matter I would recomend LGB track and points (turnouts if you are in USA) I use thew train engineer to control my trains and thier accesories for points.

Hey John (two tone),

I don't mean to mean overly critical but this is only useful information if LGB track is readily available and its not. Anything you find on eBay is most likely to be used track and that's always risky especially with switches. My experience with LGB track is that it is no better than AristoCraft track and it costs more to boot. I'm not a fan of brass track anywy, unless you're battery powered.

-Brian 

[rollingstock1]

Hi guys happy holidays...thanks for all of your responses...

 I haven't checked out the aristocrat stuff yet...but have downloaded a bunch of info regarding the track and trains...two tone I'm in north Evanston IL - just north of Chicago...plenty of snow in the winter up here...I see Mr. Ash who posted is in my area...Mr. Ash any specific hobby shops you'd recommend up here?  You also made a really good point about the Bachmann track...and seeing as we both live in the elements I'm inclined to go this way and away from Bachmann on the track issue.

and thanks to everyone else so far in their help...Brian have they really stopped making all of the LGB stuff...?  By the way love your layout...and downloaded a bunch of the stuff from the link you posted for me...

Toad mentioned the bachmann track doesn't hold up and with the weather either...SO I guess I I'll look at Aristo Craft.  I'm also thinking battery remotes for all the engine power to I don't have to deal with electrifying the track except the switches...brass track seems to be the best route to go...

by the way Bruce thanks for your input as well...love your bridges on your layout through the link to you railway...

thanks for your help guys hope to hear from you all soon

take care

and have a safe holiday

mal

 

 

 

[altterrain]

Thanks much. You're near one of the biggest and best large scale stores in the country, St. Aubins in Woodstock (http://www.staubintrains.com/trainshop/maps.asp). I have purchased most of my track from them (some of the best prices). Yes, LGB is no more. Marklin bought the molds and name and will be producing more "LGB" in the future.

-Brian 

[Bucksco]

LGB track IS currently in production. LGB track IS available through retailers.LGB IS still in business. LGB of Germany has changed owners but is still in business. The new owners are basically going through a reorganization.

[Anonymous]

I'm also thinking battery remotes for all the engine power to I don't have to deal with electrifying the track except the switches...brass track seems to be the best route to go...

by the way Bruce thanks for your input as well...love your bridges on your layout through the link to you railway...

thanks for your help guys hope to hear from you all soon

take care

and have a safe holiday

mal

 

Hi Mal,

 

Welcome to the Large Scale hobby!

If you are considering going battery power, you can save a bundle by going with aluminium track. You will have fully independent control - each engine having a separate address - and you get away from cleaning track (for conductivity) as well as the cumbersome wiring for reverse loops and wyes.

Hope that helps

 

ER 

[DennisB]

Being new, there is a lot to learn. Very best advice you will hear is to subscribe to Garden Railways magazine. No, I don't work for them. Advertisers all post their email address, large advertisers post a small catalogue with prices. LGB is NOT gone, LGB is STILL in business, and I don't work for them either. A garden railroad is not something you have, but rather something that you do. It is a journey and not a destination. When purchasing accessories keep in mind that you may be into this for the long haul. Buying Cheap, will come back to haunt you. Being well informed is key to enjoying this hobby. Happy railroading, Dennis.

[rollingstock1]

Hi again everyone...

I'm in Florida for the Thanksgiving weekend...and just visited a couple of hobby shops today...and the people I chatted with tell me LGB is the standard...the shops I went to had LGB stuff in stock but they did talk about the buyout by Marklin and the change over...thanks for the additional input...and yes I did pick up two more months of Garden Railways Mag...thanks to dennis, lis, and jack for your input as well...and dennis yes I hear you - it's not something overnight to be sure - one gentleman I spoke with said to go with LGB track all the way but I'm going to check out St. Aubins' when I get home next week - and Brian interestingly enough when I mentioned St. Aubins' to one of the independent shop owners he immediately knew them...

take care all

happy railroading and hope to hear from you soon

peace

mal

 

[climaxpwr]

LGB will slowly come back on the market with new product, they went belly up and were bought out by Marklin, They are the oldest toy train maker in the world and thier trains are top quality.  I also have LGB trains, under our christmas tree this year and eventualy in the garden.  Thier locomotives are the best on the market for just being able to pull it from the box and run it trouble free.  What you buy really depends on what look you want, LGB is predominantly European narrow gauge.  Only recently did they start to bring on more USA main line locos like the F7 and GE Genesis diesel.  Thier narrow gauge mogul, styled from the C&S railroad in colorado was one of the first USA narrow gauge locos on the market other than the Kalamazoo 4-4-0.   Right now the needed parts like bulbs and some electronics are avaible from the very sub contractors that supplied them to LGB.  Once Marklin ramps production back up it will be business as normal.  Just takes time when the plant has been shut down for some time and they plan to move production to other locations.  If you like what you see in LGB, do not hesitate to buy it.  The support will be there for parts ect.  I personaly prefer to go thru Watts Train Shop in Indiana or Ridge Road Station in NY state for my G scale needs, both have websites.   Cheers   Mike

[gbbari]

Hi Mal,

I was new to this hobby just 4 years ago. I found that all hobby shop owners are naturally a bit biased towards what they sell (well...duh!) although that is not always bad.  As you can probably tell by the variety of opinions among the relatively few answers you have received thus far, there are no black-and-white answers to your questions.

I started with an LGB starter set and the quality was so fine it got me hooked into the hobby. But sooner or later you will read the same answer from someone who started with a Bachmann Big Hauler set or an Aristo set or several other brands as well.

My humble suggestion is that you read voraciously through the large scale forums such as this forum, those forums as listed in a prior reply, plus these:

•  http://www.gscalemad.uk.com (a free British-based forum, but very informative and great for modelers with small yards,
• two Yahoo large scale groups:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LGBfamily/ , and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gscalegroup (you have to join the Yahoo groups but they are free and well worth the time)
• Large Scale Online http://www.lsol.com (a fee-based U.S. forum but it is inexpensive - ~$32.50 year for 2 yr membership - and *very* informative with many features)

There are also forums run by Bachmann Trains and Aristocraft Trains. Naturally they are fairly limited to discussing only their brand of equipment, but they are informative and useful.

Reading through these for several months or longer before investing will help you avoid making some early mistakes.  Example - How could buying an LGB set be a mistake? Well, eventually, you may decide that you want to model late 20th century American prototypes...so in that case USA Trains or Aristocraft would be a better choice than LGB due to far more extensive U.S. model selections. Or, if you buy a LGB European-style set you may find that you enjoy modeling German narrow gauge railways so....LGB and other European brands would be better for you than USA, Bachmann, or Aristocraft.  Bottom line?  Read extensively in the large scale forums to get familiar with what brands are popular for what reasons among different modelers.

You can buy anything and get it running outside quickly, but then what? Read about the different kinds of track and track layings techniques (track is a huge subject with garden railroaders; again, no one track laying method is singly superior - a lot depends on your climate and back yard situation.

 One more suggestion, when asking a question, be as specific as you can about your own situation so forum members understand the context in which you are asking.

 Good luck,

Al

[rollingstock1]

Hey All...

finally got up to st aubins...unreal store - took my fiancee with me...mr ash don't know if  you made it to the Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanical Gardens but I highly recommend it...that was what finally put my wife to be in the game as it were - she totally loved the detailed smaller garden plants and how wonderful they looked around the tracks...

I ended up going with an Aristo Craft Southern Pacific Steamer - my fiancee got it for me as an xmas present - I love the SP Daylight series...which Arist has a special on...6 cars for 4 they're all the streamline stretch...so I put a downpayment on those...

I'm going with stainless steel track...so much to do so many choices to make...

hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday...

take care mal and holly

[altterrain]

Sounds like you made some good choices all around (especially getting the misses on board). Be sure to take lots of pics as you get started in the spring!

HNY, Brian 

[Mr_Ash]

Hey All...

finally got up to st aubins...unreal store - took my fiancee with me...mr ash don't know if  you made it to the Wonderland Express at the Chicago Botanical Gardens but I highly recommend it...that was what finally put my wife to be in the game as it were - she totally loved the detailed smaller garden plants and how wonderful they looked around the tracks...

I ended up going with an Aristo Craft Southern Pacific Steamer - my fiancee got it for me as an xmas present - I love the SP Daylight series...which Arist has a special on...6 cars for 4 they're all the streamline stretch...so I put a downpayment on those...

I'm going with stainless steel track...so much to do so many choices to make...

hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday...

take care mal and holly

Hope you had a good holiday and congrats on the SP engine! I didnt know about the Wonderland Express at the Botanical Gardens They have it running through Jan 6th so I still have a couple days to check it out, maybe this weekend!

[altterrain]

Hope you had a good holiday and congrats on the SP engine! I didnt know about the Wonderland Express at the Botanical Gardens They have it running through Jan 6th so I still have a couple days to check it out, maybe this weekend!

That's because GR decided to make the holiday display listing only available as a download instead of publishing it the magazine as they had done in years past. I think that was a really bad move on their part.

-Brian 

[rollingstock1]

Thanks again for responding - Mr. Ash I hope you got up there to check it out...it was quite an incredible display...and I have to tell you guys St. Aubins is a haven for train freaks like us...

I couldn't believe how much stuff they have in the warehouse there...just insane...but that daylight SP series does it too me every time - I have it in HO all Athearn - probably the best HO scale company out there...track prices at this scale though are something I wasn't ready for so I'm going to really have to plan it out...an advice on controll guys?  I see that Bridgewerks seems to be the high end control system? 

 take care all

mal

[rollingstock1]

By the way Brian I took a look at your website for your railroad - just amazing and beautiful

take care

mal

[Dick Friedman]

To amplify on what "Stickerfordetails" wrote, don't write off aluminum, even if you use track power. My Llagas Creek rail and switches have held up well, they are code 250 so they look better than the big stuff to me.
I use track power so anyone can run at my house!

One other piece of advice -- join a Garden RR Club. You can't make all the mistakes the other members have, and that'll save you time to make your very own!

[hudrail]

 Grief S P daylight remember you need a minimum no 6 switch and 10 foot diameter curves .Also use flexable track to make transitions into those curves nothing looks worse than a train going from straight to curved track instantly. Every full size railroad uses transition curves. Check out the USA train no 6 switches they have a cast brass frog which is superb. I started in August 2007 and my tips are largest radi possible largest switches best transformer you can afford and decide on which way you are going to power the railway from the start. DC or DCC or radio. I have gone the DCC route and find it suits me.  The new QSI plug and play are awsome thats sound and controle together .I have just ordered 7 more units for my USA locos thats a total of 17 QSI units they seem so slow at delivery though but I will be totally QSI . I now have digitrak stuff laying about. I use a German Massoth drive system which is totally NMRA compatable and thougt the price was high I have never looked back . Come on QSI get my order shipped NOW

       60 years playing trains "brenthouse.co.uk" Hudrail

[rollingstock1]

hey gang I'm learning the hard way...recently lost my gig so my train development is on hold right now until I can get the cash flowing in again...I do have my daylight series and a good amount of track plus a highend bridgewerks powerpack...although I've yet to set everything up and get it running...

does anyone know of any clubs in the area where I could meet some people in the hobby and get a chance to run the passenger series cars...

just to refresh everyone I'm in the north suburbs of chicago (evanston to be exact)

happy railroading to all 

 

thanks as always

Mal

 

 

 

[DMUinCT]

  You need a "Wish Book" before you get started, it built Lionel, it built American Flyer, and they are building "G Gauge.  Most of us ether got a Catalog or viewed "G" in a Hobby Shop.

   A full color CATALOG! 

   Aristo-Craft (Lewis Polk in NJ) has an excelant 112 page color catalog of its products and how to use them.  The U.S.A Trains Catalog (Charles Ro in Boston) is about the same size.  The MTH (Mike Wolf in Baltimore) "G" (Gauge One) Catalog is about 50 pages.  Most are published every two years.

   LGB (Germany) started the affordable, weather-proof outdoor railroad hobby, they had rugged thou less detailed products and the most beautiful Catalogs. After the bankrupcy and take over, we shall see what products will return to America.

 They all run on the same track, look for the sign,  "G 45mm".