Newbie, spending kids college fund

[Bokbfok81]

Howdy all
I have toyed with the idea of getting into model train for quite some time. I was planning to go with HO scale to complement my slot car tracks and just general space. I had great ambitions, but life happens often and those get pushed back. I will one day get the slot car and train landscape done, one day.
In the meantime, I wanted to get into G scale. I have started buying tracks as I see them popping up on the various sites and actually picked some more up this last weekend for a steal(I think). I am not planning(currently) on putting the trains outside but rather in my workshop. I have a 40x60 shop, with 14ft eaves and a 16ft peak. I want to snake the tracks through the building running along the purlins and all about.
That being said, I am eager to learn from you all and spend the kid’s college fund! I have a lot of questions but will do some research and curate them.

 

[korm kormsen]

hello
G scale is a somewhat inprecise naming.
you being in northamerica, and interested in slotcars - i would recommend, to concentrate on the smaller largescale options. either in 1:32 scale or in 1:29. they would combine with the Carrera slotcars in 1:32.

the larger options, like LGB (1:22.5) or even "F"-scale (1:20.3) would overwhelm the slotcars.

 

[Bokbfok81]

Thanks for the reply,
The g scale(garden) I am planning will be separate from the slot cars. That is what I want the HO for. Will be a tad smaller but this is still up in the air.

 

[Gizzy]

Welcome to the forum.

We are mainly a bunch of crazy Brits, so you might find the humour a little strange here....

 

[Bokbfok81]

Thanks Gizzy! I can get behind your humour.
How has things been regarding rugby and cricket lately? Specifically on the Oct, 21st?

 

[Gizzy]

Thanks Gizzy! I can get behind your humour.
How has things been regarding rugby and cricket lately? Specifically on the Oct, 21st?

Oct 21 was the day after my birthday.

So I wouldn;t remember....

 

[Paul M]

Welcome to the forum, have you a real name we can use? You've been warned about the humour, so just sit back and enjoy the forum

 

[dunnyrail]

Welcome to the forum, interested in your slot cars. Presumably they are near HO scale?

 

[pugwash]

As has been said, welcome. But please don't believe everything you read as some is tongue-in-cheek banter. Personally I am just envious of your workshop, over here I think it would be called a hangar.

 

[mike]

Hi, and welcome to the madness

 

[JimmyB]

Hi and welcome, not sure it has been mentioned, but we love to see photos of railways, especially what you are doing. But, you will have to excuse the humour.

 

[viaEstrecha]

Welcome. That's how I started, as a kid, with HO-ish sized slots (Triang Minic Motorways) in an old caravan. I had a railway wagon which cars could drive on to via a ramp, and then the trains began to take over, stealing real estate from the slots until the situation was reversed and it became a model railway in a caravan, with just a small circle left for the cars. G scale came much later when I needed bigger models for clumsy hands, and the kids had grown and left home. Sounds like you have space for all sorts of amusement - good luck.

 

[Bokbfok81]

Thanks you all for the welcome!
P Paul M I am Dwain, nice meeting you!
I rather call it a shop, if I was to start calling it a hangar, I might get different ideas. The wife would really like that!
I attached some pics of the shop, it is a mess currently and will probably be for a while still. I am wanting the trains so snake along the purlins and through the roof spaces.
Seeing that the most of you are Limey's, I think we will all get on just great! I like British things and order stuff for my car(1966 Mini Cooper S) regularly from there. I also have a 2005 Mini Cooper S, technically German owned company but it leaks like a British car.
My slot cars are Scalextric (1:32) with some Ninco tracks and cars. The HO is a smaller scale, but considering space will work better, I think.
I am South African born and raised, but now find myself with reliable power, fuel and can leave my doors unlocked in Tucson, AZ, USA.

I will try and post some pics soon of the railway progress.

 

[korm kormsen]

I attached some pics of the shop, it is a mess currently

an orderly shop is a sign of wasted freetime!
but you need another building. for those out of scale pickups.

South African born and raised,

do you happen to be from the Halfway House area?

 

[Bokbfok81]

do you happen to be from the Halfway House area?

Maybe 20min away, Bergbron. My dad's work was just about there.

 

[korm kormsen]

i have/had (?) a brother in HalfwayHouse, from whom i heard nothing since '89.

 

[Paul M]

. I also have a 2005 Mini Cooper S, technically German owned company but it leaks like a British car.

Authenticity was their aim, unfortunately they haven't seem to got the rusting within a year bit quite right yet

 

[Madman]

Welcome aboard, Bokbfok81. Happy to see another fellow Yank on board. So where exactly are you ?

 

[stevedenver]

Welcome.
g scale is great.
it has a presence and ‘toy’ like charm that i still love.
running it outside is a special joy.
i am what is referred to as a red box guy, ie LGB trains are the vast majority of what i have. Pola G for buildings.

it is my observation that train stuff, in general, is not as readily available as in the past. It is , imho, more and more, a specialty hobby than in past decades.

more so in g scale.

that being said, imho, G is becoming very limited in regard to ready made and varied accessories, rolling stock, etc. it takes a lot of room, too. Prototype railroading is …for me……..not a compromise, but a complete abandonment. I got over this a few decades ago.

i run z,n and g.
i used to run ho.

if i werent so heavily invested, and could do it all again, it would be HO or O, due to so much being available, and space.

welcome, again.
best of luck on your G journey.

i saved and sent my son to great schools.
once i felt secure, my indulgence has been trains and guitars.
im running out of room for both….

 

[Bokbfok81]

Authenticity was their aim, unfortunately they haven't seem to got the rusting within a year bit quite right yet

I had rust on my previous R53 that came from upstate NY. The current one is all rust free, perk of living in the desert.

i have/had (?) a brother in HalfwayHouse, from whom i heard nothing since '89.

Wow, that has been a while!

So where exactly are you ?

Tucson, AZ.

My wife will kill me if I actually spend the kid's college fund. I have some time, he is only 17 months old.