Indoor shunting layout with detailed scenery

T

ThePurplePrimer

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Hi guys

I am new here and new to G scale so I am afraid I might be asking some daft questions over the next few days

I have a space in my converted attic that is 16 feet long by 22" wide that I had intended to put a OO railway in. Then a friend announced he had some LGB stuff that he might like to sell, so now I am wondering if I could build something in G scale instead.

The first of my many questions is ...

Could you point me to some pictures of a similar sized indoor G scale layout that is detailed to the levels you might expect in smaller scale layout ?

Also - the track he has for sale is the LGB brass track - this looks very nicely made and would of course be great outside ( this option is not available to me ) but I wonder if anyone has weathered / painted / detailed it to look more realistic or should I be looking at another brand if that is what I want ?

Thanks
... Rob
 
The LGB track is bomb-proof, and perfect for outdoors, or an indoor layout on the floor where it will get abused..
you can weather it down, just like smaller scales.. It just takes more paint! ;) :D

You probably need to get a length of track and put it were you can see it for a few days.. By all means add some lose ballast, to see what it looks like.. If, after a day or so, you can live with the over-scale profile of the rail, then you have your answer..
Otherwise, you would need to look at other makes of rail.

It may also depend on what you intend to run.. G is mostly European, or American outline.. If you want to go more 'British', then you may want to consider G1??
 
Welcome to the forum Rob!

I have a portable layout of 7 ft by 2 ft called Hardyard.

Click on the linky below my signature for details....
 
Welcome to the forum. The K&NWLR is an indoor layout in the cellar, but combines two circuits (one 32/45mm dual gauge) with terminus stations with shunting space.

Pics on Flickr under "kandnwlr" (link below) or under the K&WNLR thread here. Alternatively simply type "k&nwlr" into Google Images. And there are videos from 2013 and before on Youtube.
 
Welcome Rob, I'm sure you'll find some inspiration on here, some fine examples in G to be found in the pictures section.

Gizzy,

The second link in your signature is an extension of the first and takes you to the same youtube cab ride video. Building a smaller layout myself I'm quite interested in taking a peek at your example, searching the forum for for hardyard only returns the above post

Cheers,
Phil
 
Marrowleaf said:
Welcome Rob, I'm sure you'll find some inspiration on here, some fine examples in G to be found in the pictures section.

Gizzy,

The second link in your signature is an extension of the first and takes you to the same youtube cab ride video. Building a smaller layout myself I'm quite interested in taking a peek at your example, searching the forum for for hardyard only returns the above post

Cheers,
Phil
Click to expand...

Okay thanks for that Phil,

I will look into it....
 
Phil - try this:
https://www.gscalecentral.net/g-scale-pictures/hardyard-a-g-scale-indoor-layout/

The way Gizzy has his sig line set up, just clicking on the link seems to pick up the "cab ride" URL as a priority.....

Jon.
 
Zerogee said:
Phil - try this:
https://www.gscalecentral.net/g-scale-pictures/hardyard-a-g-scale-indoor-layout/

The way Gizzy has his sig line set up, just clicking on the link seems to pick up the "cab ride" URL as a priority.....

Jon.
Click to expand...

Thanks Jon....
 
It all depends on how much realism you want....
If I was going to do a detailed indoor line ( I do like detail :) ) I would use the lower profile code 250 rail for the ultimate realism as, although the LGB/Aristocraft/USA Trains etc code 332 rail is fine for the rigours of outdoors etc, it is distinctly over scale, seen especially when taking low shots of locos etc.
This might be even more noticeable in a small, bench-high layout where you are going to be quite close to it when viewing...
 
Welcome to the forum Rob.

I support Beavercreek's comments on the track. LGB type track is almost bombproof but less substantial rail section is perfectly adequate, especially for layouts mounted on baseboards, and looks more realistic.

I imagine you may be running modest sized locos at modest speeds so when choosing a track system I suggest considering live frog points. Short wheelbase locos travelling at slow speed have a tendency to stall on dead frogs. Also pickup skates fitted to many G scale locos may short out on some brands of pointwork.
 
beavercreek said:
It all depends on how much realism you want....
If I was going to do a detailed indoor line ( I do like detail :) ) I would use the lower profile code 250 rail for the ultimate realism as, although the LGB/Aristocraft/USA Trains etc code 332 rail is fine for the rigours of outdoors etc, it is distinctly over scale, seen especially when taking low shots of locos etc.
This might be even more noticeable in a small, bench-high layout where you are going to be quite close to it when viewing...
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice

If I wanted to go for code 250 track works where should I be looking for that ?
 
Neil Robinson said:
Welcome to the forum Rob.

I support Beavercreek's comments on the track. LGB type track is almost bombproof but less substantial rail section is perfectly adequate, especially for layouts mounted on baseboards, and looks more realistic.

I imagine you may be running modest sized locos at modest speeds so when choosing a track system I suggest considering live frog points. Short wheelbase locos travelling at slow speed have a tendency to stall on dead frogs. Also pickup skates fitted to many G scale locos may short out on some brands of pointwork.
Click to expand...

The loco that has been offered to me ( and I really like the look of it ) is the LGB europalok 2078 corpet louvet - I will only be doing very slow shunting moves with it I imagine - it does have pickup skates

If I want to go for code 250 trackwork should I be looking at some kind of alternative pickup arrangement ?
 
ThePurplePrimer said:
Thanks for the advice

If I wanted to go for code 250 track works where should I be looking for that ?
Click to expand...

Peco make a code 250 track for G45 scale (SL900), as well as a code 200 for G1 scale (SL800). Both are 45 mm.

The choice for points though is limited with LH & RH available; however kits are available to make your own http://www.peco-uk.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=3309&CAT_ID=3336&numRecordPosition=1 for the code 200 track only.

The linky for the G45 track is http://www.peco-uk.com/prodtype.asp?strParents=3309&CAT_ID=3335&numRecordPosition=1 and you will note that there are adaptor fishplates to connect Peco G45 code 250 track to code 332....
 
ThePurplePrimer said:
The loco that has been offers to me ( and I really like the look of it ) is the LGB europalok 2078 corpet louvet - I will only be doing very slow shunting moves with it I imagine - it does have pickup skates

If I want to go for code 250 trackwork should I be looking at some kind of alternative pickup arrangement ?
Click to expand...
Nice loco.......
No difference in the pick-up system at all, just smaller profile rail. PECO code 250 track seems to be the cheapest way of doing it ..unless you want to hand lay the whole lot of course.
 
ThePurplePrimer said:
The loco that has been offers to me ( and I really like the look of it ) is the LGB europalok 2078 corpet louvet - I will only be doing very slow shunting moves with it I imagine - it does have pickup skates

If I want to go for code 250 trackwork should I be looking at some kind of alternative pickup arrangement ?
Click to expand...
Skates can be a problem on the Peco G45 points, but easily remedied, I believe by turning up the end a little more.

They can also be removed if required....
 
Gizzy said:
Skates can be a problem on the Peco G45 points, but easily remedied, I believe by turning up the end a little more.

They can also be removed if required....
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info

So if I remove them what are my options for alternative pickups then ?
 
ThePurplePrimer said:
Thanks for the info

So if I remove them what are my options for alternative pickups then ?
Click to expand...
I haven't one of these myself Rob, but I guess as a six coupled loco, there should be plenty of contact with the rail head.

There might be a traction tyre on one of the wheels.

You could also possibly fit a power buffer to help it cross any dead spots like point frogs....
 
Most LGB locos are fine with just the wheel pickups, especially on an indoor layout with clean track. The skates are there only to provide extra pickup (and a little bit of track cleaning potential) on outdoor lines.

Jon.
 
Ah ok and thanks

I had assumed the skids were the only pickups fitted - I didn't realise there were pickups already fitted to the wheels also
 
Yep, you will find spring-loaded carbon plunger pickups on the wheel backs of most (usually all) driving wheels, and sometimes on leading and trailing pony truck axles too. An LGB 6-wheel chassis like the Corpet Louvet should be fine on clean track without the skates, as long as the wheel backs are kept clean too.
I have a couple of brass Dingler Ts3 locos which have 0-6-0 chassis and these have no skates at all, just pin-point steel plungers on each wheel back - they run perfectly indoors OR out.

Jon.
 
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