I'm new around here mainly lurk. I couldn't help noticing in this thread that some folks here refer to G gauge (I call it G Scale) as "goofy". I'm aware that the various manufacturers are not set on one ratio since there is 1:20. 1:22. 1:24, 1"29. 1"32, etc and probably others that I don't know about. For the record, I'm getting to be a geezer now and have been model railroading for more than 50 years. In that time, I've done American Flyer HO and S gauge, O Lionel Tinplate, regular HO and now G. I loved all of them and never, ever said a word to anyone that I knew to make them feel bad about their choice of scale. When I found G scale with all of its several ratios back in the early 1980's, it was love at first sight. Not only that, with my increasingly poor eyes, I was again able to scratch build cars and buildings and actually see what I was doing. I love to just sit in the center of my train room while the trains are running and just watch. I just want to say, you'll never hear a word out of me about someone's choice of gauge or equipment. The thing to do with G is just pick a ratio and stick with it. That will make it less "goofy. Happy Trails to all.
"Goofy Gauge" is a long-standing monicker. When you can take a piece of equipment, length is 1:27, height is 1:28, width is 1:29....something is wrong. When you even HAVE 1:29 you have a problem. Go ahead..scale it out...4' 8-1/2" and see what kind of gauge you should have. When the saying "how much more does it cost to do it right than to do it wrong?" never enters the manufacturer's lexicon.....well, we have a problem. Yes, 5 major scales on one gauge plus a raft of minor scales...but it's the adherence to them that is the issue. Ever see how high .332 rail scales to? You might be rather surprised to find how tall supposed narrow gauge rail suddenly has become. No one is saying anything bad. We're long past that. Decisions have been made by manufacturers and customers alike. I have lots....Botch, LGB, USA, Delton....maybe one piece of Lionel somewhere...Magnus...but not one piece of 1:29 Aristo anywhere. Choice.
That's what is so fascinating about Model Railroading. There are really no limits to it other than your imagination and, of course, your wallet. I'm reminded of that Model Railroad back in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry those many years ago. The fellow who built it, Minton Cronkhite, was limited by a dearth of available models in that era of the late 1930's. He set about to build most of the rolling stock himself. He built it in "Q" Scale which is exact to 1/4" to the foot. It shows that you are only limited in model railroading by three things: Imagination, time and money. As to the manufacturers, they also have limitations. They need to sell their products in great quantities to stay afloat. They also have to try to make them somewhat compatible with other systems so that they will get a decent market share. http://midnightrailroader.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html
Yeah, I have the "other way".... 17/64ths stuff...still. If you decipher my "handle" you'll understand my affinity for OLDER 0 scale stuff..especially doorstops. Manufacturers have to sell their products.....and some have not done a satisfactory job of doing it. Hence, they are no longer with us. Doesn't matter Half 0, 0, G.....we could come up with quite a list of defunct companies if we wanted to.
Let me explain here in the G forum the issues of 0. To fix the scale/gauge discrepancy we had from Maerklin (1:48, 1.25" gauge) 17/64ths scale was developed. The nmra decided we could not have two scales on one gauge (I kid you not), so 17/64ths did not adhere to nmra standards and "officially" died after WWII. We went along with that level of angst and bs until some bright young person decided Proto:48 was the answer. THAT decision permanently and irrevocably split the 0 segment of the hobby. No one has ever been able to figure out the thought process of the nmra on this..since the prime directive in "interoperability" and "interchangeability", which can now never happen. I run steamers that are sand cast bronze, balanced, open-frame motors with 70+ year old gears, cast bronze drivers and cast iron tyres. They out-pull, usually by a factor of three, new stuff that is none of the above. For some one in G to have developed as late in the game as it was, a scale that matched no known gauge, was ludicrous at best. Some folks love it, more power to them. Oh...and then to design, develop and produce a coupler that worked effectively with no others....it just got weirder and weirder.
Well you sound like you are pleased with your choices in model railroading. That's good. I'll go back to lurking now with my ludicrous, mismatched stuff.
It's rarely absolutely correct. Which is what keeps the rivet counters in an overpopulation mode. At least I don't run my trains on electric power through the rails.
So, let me guess.....with no power through the rails, you must be either using live steam or batteries. But I understood you to say that you had open frame motors... I have an indoor layout in the second floor of my barn. Power through the rails is the easiest and best for me. With straight DC and a track cleaning car, the LGB rails look like new after close to 20 years. I built my own power supplies and turnout machines from surplus electronic parts in the 1980's. I enjoy experimenting. That's easily half of what I do.
Mine is outdoors, 1500 feet, over 20, about 100 switches, no track power, aluminum track, radio battery, and it runs just fine.
That's interesting. 100 switches ( I call them turnouts). Are they powered? If so, do they require much maintenance being out in the weather. On my former HO layout (10' X 13', HO and HON3, 1977 to 1990) I used 35 hand built switching units and they were quite reliable but they were indoors.
