Greetings from Malaysia.

L

lifehitsharderthanatrain

Registered
Hi there everyone.
I've just started to try to get myself into this hobby.
Haven't really purchased any train models yet though.

From where I'm from, G scale train models seem to be a bit scarce to source.
The only ones that I'm able to come upon are some Piko starter sets from the sole retailer at where I am.
Not sure whether they're good as I can't seem to find much information about those.

So here I am going all over the internet finding as much details about them.
Still in a dilemma whether I should go get it and then start diving deeper into this sport.
The one I'm looking at is the most affordable starter kit with the festive decals, that's why it's difficult for me to make a decision.

Anyways I do enjoy seeing everyone here being so passionate about each other's masterpiece train and track creations.
Keep on rocking and keep on rolling those trains guys!
 
Welcome, Lifehits! Do you have a name you'd like us to call you by?
Piko is a good make -they produce solid, reliable locomotives and rolling stock, so you can't go far wrong. Even if the starter set doesn't give you exactly what you want, it will allow you to get some rails down and run some trains, which will a) tell you if it's a hobby you'd like to take further, and b) give you some motivation/enjoyment through running a train. You can then build on what you've got, either by online ordering, or buying pieces when you/your friends/family members travel overseas. And post some photos: these always generate interest, whether you have a short train on a piece of track, or a massive garden empire!
 
Welcome to the forum, can say that Piko is pretty ok, I have 2 locomotives that see extensive use on my line. Scale is a bit odd but if you like East German standard gauge then there is a very good selection that look the part on 45mm track if you can live with the slightly under track gauge look. As a starter you could investigate going dead rail ie battery power, saves the hassle of track cleaning. I am exclusively dead rail in the garden and would never change. You may find it difficult to source availability in your neck of the woods (stay clear of Radio Control Car stuff that is nit really purposeful for our needs). In UK there are RC Trains Micron and Fosworks that I believe will export to your neck if the woods. All can supply all the parts that you need to setup a battery powered locomotive and ther are plenty of threads in here about how to do it.

RC Trains Radio Controlled Trains - Home Page

Supplier of radio control equipment for model railway locomotives using Deltang components
www.rctrains.co.uk www.rctrains.co.uk

Micron Radio Control : Micron Radio Control

www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk
fosworks.co.uk

Fosworks

Garden Railway Radio Control and Sound Radio DCC for Gauge 0 to Gauge 3 Analogue DC and live steam systems too
fosworks.co.uk fosworks.co.uk

Finally the Piko locomotives with the exception of the Railcar are pretty easy to add the necesary gubbins to.
 
Welcome to the forum. Pico is a good and well established company, so a good place to start. Don't forget most of us start very small and build up over the years, and that lots of fun can be had with a small set up.
 
lifehitsharderthanatrain said:
From where I'm from, G scale train models seem to be a bit scarce to source.
Click to expand...

be welcome!
(so, done with the niceties)

you call yourself :

L lifehitsharderthanatrain​

and ask, if you should enter the hobby?
only, if you are the type of guy to hit back!

living in a "hobby-desert" (like i do as well in Paraguay)
demands a third-world mindset. it is nothing for perfectionists.

are you prepared to as much postage and customs, as the thing you want, costs?
are you a "tinkerer" and like to try out things?

only if you are able/willing to scavenge all kind of unlikely sources, you will be able to change a starter set or two into a railway empire.
(to my knowledge there is nothing bad with Piko starter sets)
((if you got a broken fishing hook, don't throw it away! you could use it for homemade couplers! - same with nearly each and everything, you can set your eyes on))

during the first 20 years about a third of my track was made from curtain-rails.


i know, it stinks, when somebody says: read my homepage!
i tell you anyway, because there you can see how it looks, if one always gets results that "liken a little, what one dreamt of to achieve.

Grossbahn - largetrains - largescale modeltrains layout - IIm Modellbahn Anlage

SOUTHERN & GULF RAILROAD an indoors largescale modelrailway layout - S & G RR eine Grossbahn Modellbau Innenanlage. In English and German - Auf Deutsch und Englisch.
kormsen.info

if you are able to live with chaos, like my site shows - Go on! buy the first starter pack!
if not - try fishing...

and don't forget: collect material for future use! (if you are married, your wife will call it junk and garbage)
 
Welcome. Like others have said a starter set will give you an idea of the basics. The track system that Piko uses is fundamentally the "de facto" standard in the "G Scale" hobby - 45 mm gauged track, using flat bottomed "code 332" brass rail ("code 332" = rail height in thousands of an inch). So, extending your initial layout will be fairly simple as it is available from multiple makers, LGB, Aristocraft, USAT, Bachmann, etc. They all use the same rail type and profile as Piko so they can all be easily used and fitted together with the same basic joiners or clamps. And it's fairly easy to find 2nd hand, although heavy to ship.

Again there is a vast amount of subject matter available that will run on that track system, anything from 1:32 - 1:13 in scale ! There will be something to match your interests somewhere. Your only real issue seems to be sourcing product. Clue, just about everything manufactured for this hobby in made in China. I would think Ebay (2nd hand and new) and Ali Express (new) are going to be places to start looking, subject to the usual need for caution with both. What are import taxes like in Malaysia ? Although I live in UK I have brought large heavy items in from the US, even with high shipping costs and 20% import taxes here it was worth it. I have even bought items from Australia.

Most important have fun and enjoy. Max
 
Hi there 'life' and a hello from the tiny land that time forgot.
When I had a G railway I had Piko locos and rolling stock, to my mind they were comparable to LGB. I would just suggest that if your funds allow go for the next starter set up as you will soon get fed up with a festive train unless you already plan a repaint.
As you will have already seen there is a wealth of information and experience here so don't forget: the only daft question is the one that wasn't asked.
 
Welcome!
Beware, this stuff can become a little addictive. But fun, and keeps us young at heart.

This is the time for 'something festive' but it can be a little out of place at other times of the year?

Do you have younger children, or grand children, who may be interested? - Small loco's for small people, can be fun.
There are kits, with all you need except glue and paint. Most are quite light, so postage will be less of an issue. - These will contain 3D printed parts, so possibly be mindful of summer temperatures, and leaving them sitting in full-sun?
There are laser-cut wooden kits, which possibly need a little more work?

But most of all...
Enjoy!

PhilP.
 
Welcome to the forum sir!

Although I am predominantly LGB, I do have a few Piko trains and some of their track and building too....
 
Welcome aboard.

Ebay, as a source has not been mentioned. I've sourced most of my trains from there. Be sure to compare prices though and don't ignore shipping costs, as they are part of the price.
 
Madman said:
Ebay, as a source
Click to expand...

over the years, and far from the "normal" countries of distributions, ebay can be stressy. postage of bought items easily can take more than a month - while the vendor starts nagging for a positive reaction after days. (to name just the most common occurrence)

so i learned to look for professional vendors with a "shop". in private and direct contact, with fixed price and postage, paying with provable money transfers, i had the least problems until now.
a few times, i even got luck, asking those vendors, to shoot me a mail, when they got a specified item in a specified price-class.

but anyhow - patience is the name of the game.

ps: first, who comes to mind, when thinking about problemless buying is Grootspoor in netherlands (saying as content customer)
 
Northsider said:
Welcome, Lifehits! Do you have a name you'd like us to call you by?
Piko is a good make -they produce solid, reliable locomotives and rolling stock, so you can't go far wrong. Even if the starter set doesn't give you exactly what you want, it will allow you to get some rails down and run some trains, which will a) tell you if it's a hobby you'd like to take further, and b) give you some motivation/enjoyment through running a train. You can then build on what you've got, either by online ordering, or buying pieces when you/your friends/family members travel overseas. And post some photos: these always generate interest, whether you have a short train on a piece of track, or a massive garden empire!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice, in fact that's why i'm looking for starter sets in particular.
Though i can't picture how far i would go if i would take this hobby further.
They call me Ray, but Lifehits sounds like a good new nickname.
 
dunnyrail said:
Welcome to the forum, can say that Piko is pretty ok, I have 2 locomotives that see extensive use on my line. Scale is a bit odd but if you like East German standard gauge then there is a very good selection that look the part on 45mm track if you can live with the slightly under track gauge look. As a starter you could investigate going dead rail ie battery power, saves the hassle of track cleaning. I am exclusively dead rail in the garden and would never change. You may find it difficult to source availability in your neck of the woods (stay clear of Radio Control Car stuff that is nit really purposeful for our needs). In UK there are RC Trains Micron and Fosworks that I believe will export to your neck if the woods. All can supply all the parts that you need to setup a battery powered locomotive and ther are plenty of threads in here about how to do it.

RC Trains Radio Controlled Trains - Home Page

Supplier of radio control equipment for model railway locomotives using Deltang components
www.rctrains.co.uk www.rctrains.co.uk

Micron Radio Control : Micron Radio Control

www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk www.micronradiocontrol.co.uk
fosworks.co.uk

Fosworks

Garden Railway Radio Control and Sound Radio DCC for Gauge 0 to Gauge 3 Analogue DC and live steam systems too
fosworks.co.uk fosworks.co.uk

Finally the Piko locomotives with the exception of the Railcar are pretty easy to add the necesary gubbins to.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the enlightenment.
Not that i understand all of the new jargons but i get the idea.
 
korm kormsen said:
be welcome!
(so, done with the niceties)

you call yourself :

L lifehitsharderthanatrain​

and ask, if you should enter the hobby?
only, if you are the type of guy to hit back!

living in a "hobby-desert" (like i do as well in Paraguay)
demands a third-world mindset. it is nothing for perfectionists.

are you prepared to as much postage and customs, as the thing you want, costs?
are you a "tinkerer" and like to try out things?

only if you are able/willing to scavenge all kind of unlikely sources, you will be able to change a starter set or two into a railway empire.
(to my knowledge there is nothing bad with Piko starter sets)
((if you got a broken fishing hook, don't throw it away! you could use it for homemade couplers! - same with nearly each and everything, you can set your eyes on))

during the first 20 years about a third of my track was made from curtain-rails.


i know, it stinks, when somebody says: read my homepage!
i tell you anyway, because there you can see how it looks, if one always gets results that "liken a little, what one dreamt of to achieve.

Grossbahn - largetrains - largescale modeltrains layout - IIm Modellbahn Anlage

SOUTHERN & GULF RAILROAD an indoors largescale modelrailway layout - S & G RR eine Grossbahn Modellbau Innenanlage. In English and German - Auf Deutsch und Englisch.
kormsen.info

if you are able to live with chaos, like my site shows - Go on! buy the first starter pack!
if not - try fishing...

and don't forget: collect material for future use! (if you are married, your wife will call it junk and garbage)
Click to expand...
the forum name is something i thought of in a short notice.
combining something related to this forum with some quote from one of my favourite movie.
still, it's true i believe.
sometimes life does hits harder than a train.

never did enjoyed fishing.
so i guess i'm better off working on miniature trains.
at least i don't have to wait long for something to fall for the bait.
 
maxi-model said:
Welcome. Like others have said a starter set will give you an idea of the basics. The track system that Piko uses is fundamentally the "de facto" standard in the "G Scale" hobby - 45 mm gauged track, using flat bottomed "code 332" brass rail ("code 332" = rail height in thousands of an inch). So, extending your initial layout will be fairly simple as it is available from multiple makers, LGB, Aristocraft, USAT, Bachmann, etc. They all use the same rail type and profile as Piko so they can all be easily used and fitted together with the same basic joiners or clamps. And it's fairly easy to find 2nd hand, although heavy to ship.

Again there is a vast amount of subject matter available that will run on that track system, anything from 1:32 - 1:13 in scale ! There will be something to match your interests somewhere. Your only real issue seems to be sourcing product. Clue, just about everything manufactured for this hobby in made in China. I would think Ebay (2nd hand and new) and Ali Express (new) are going to be places to start looking, subject to the usual need for caution with both. What are import taxes like in Malaysia ? Although I live in UK I have brought large heavy items in from the US, even with high shipping costs and 20% import taxes here it was worth it. I have even bought items from Australia.

Most important have fun and enjoy. Max
Click to expand...
that's good to know.
being universal does have its perks.
glad there's no propriety elements in the rails.

i'm suprised i can't find many manufacturers from china.
it would be a great in the cost savings if they do.

generally i'm not that familiar with the import taxes into Malaysia.
did try buying things from Japan, i seem to get taxed for items exceeding 100USD i remembered.
and then there's also tax from the sales?
with all these costs, it would be better for me to stick with a local retailer.
so i guess i'm stuck with Piko, since the other Marklin retailer has gone out business i presume.
 
pugwash said:
Hi there 'life' and a hello from the tiny land that time forgot.
When I had a G railway I had Piko locos and rolling stock, to my mind they were comparable to LGB. I would just suggest that if your funds allow go for the next starter set up as you will soon get fed up with a festive train unless you already plan a repaint.
As you will have already seen there is a wealth of information and experience here so don't forget: the only daft question is the one that wasn't asked.
Click to expand...
a new forum nickame for me.
that's what i get for choosing a name that's too long.

if i were to get the festive christmas train, probably keeping it as it is for a momento for how i got into this sport.
i plan to utilize it for something more than just a festive toy.
don't mind me if i annoy the forum with ridiculous questions.
 
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