Widening my G Scale Interest

[zenophon]

I am pleased to have found a forum for G scale enthusiasts.

I like narrow gauge in all sizes having grown up near Southwest timber country with plenty of prototypes. My favorite is Egger-Bahn in HOe which is particularly good for a city apartment. I also have 0n30 (Bachmann), LGB G trains and live steam in G (an Accucraft Dora).

I am primarily a hobby fan rather than a railway buff but I do have an academic interest in late 19th and early 20th century history.

My main interest in joining is to re-orient towards small G scale layouts, primarily for my LGB locos but also for live steam. At the moment I only have an Accucraft Dora (a tiny non-prototype shunter) but am looking for a more scale like small loco.

I have seen at least one "pizza layout" on the forum, which is how I found it. I am looking for inspiration for apartment friendly layouts.

 

[Zerogee]

Welcome to GSC!
We've actually had quite a bit of discussion of smaller indoor layouts recently, so hope that you will find posts of interest to you - feel free to ask anything, there will usually be some sensible answers!

Jon.

 

[royale]

Welcome aboard.

 

[pugwash]

Yikes! I can see an HOe layout in a flat but SWMBO is going to do her nut when she sees a G scale operation, and live steam to boot. Come on, tell us, will you be using coal fired locos?
No, seriously, there are some ace mini models in G here, and they all seem to be from your side of the pond, with an incredible use of materials and styles. Although they are still nicely nuts.

 

[zenophon]

Yikes! I can see an HOe layout in a flat but SWMBO is going to do her nut when she sees a G scale operation, and live steam to boot. Come on, tell us, will you be using coal fired locos?
No, seriously, there are some ace mini models in G here, and they all seem to be from your side of the pond, with an incredible use of materials and styles. Although they are still nicely nuts.

Thanks Pugwash, or should I say Captain.

The Accucraft Dora has a smaller footprint than my smallest LGB loco. The problem will be to keep the speed down to prevent a derailing. The idea is to start with a circle of LGB track and have two small coal vans laden with fishing weights to slow the Dora. Since the Dora is gas powered some speed control is possible.

If I don't set fire to the apartment the idea is to use the track plans on the Thor website for a small layout with two turnouts. If the Dora proves unsuitable I can fall back on my LGB Stainz loco.

 

[zenophon]

Yikes! I can see an HOe layout in a flat but SWMBO is going to do her nut when she sees a G scale operation, and live steam to boot. Come on, tell us, will you be using coal fired locos?
No, seriously, there are some ace mini models in G here, and they all seem to be from your side of the pond, with an incredible use of materials and styles. Although they are still nicely nuts.

Thanks Pugwash, or should I say Captain.

The Accucraft Dora has a smaller footprint than my smallest LGB loco. The problem will be to keep the speed down to prevent a derailing. The idea is to start with a circle of LGB track and have two small coal vans laden with fishing weights to slow the Dora. Since the Dora is gas powered some speed control is possible.

If I don't set fire to the apartment the idea is to use the track plans on the Thor website for a small layout with two turnouts. If the Dora proves unsuitable I can fall back on my LGB Stainz loco.

 

[Madman]

Welcome aboard. You'll find that we know it all here. At least we'd like to believe that. You've come to the best garden railway forum on the web.

 

[PaulRhB]

Greetings if weighting the wagons isn't sufficient try adding a brake on the axles too. It can be as simple as a foam block inserted between axle and chassis or a pad of wood or plastic lightly rubbing the axle by mounting on a springy piece of wire or plastic to provide friction. You can alter the friction by bending the wire or padding the mounting end to vary the angle

 

[Rhinochugger]

There is a delicious irony here - widening my G scale interest by designing the narrowest option

I love it - welcome to the madhouse

 

[PhilP]

Isn't widening G scale interest Gauge 3???????????????

 

[Rhinochugger]

Isn't widening G scale interest Gauge 3???????????????

Yebbut, try doing a pizza layout with 64mm track

 

[PhilP]

Yebbut, try doing a pizza layout with 64mm track

Would have to be American outline..
Everything is bigger in America.. Even the pizza's!

 

[David1226]

Everything is bigger in America.. Even the pizza's!

Just like Good King Wenceslas's favourite pizza.... deep pan, crisp and even.....

David

 

[Rhinochugger]

I can eat a 12" pizza

 

[PhilP]

I can eat a 12" pizza

Are you bragging, or complaining??

 

[Rhinochugger]

Are you bragging, or complaining??

I seem to remember that as a line from something my kids sang as teenagers, so probably the lyrics are adapted........however

As a younger man, when the family had been dinghy sailing all day on the Norfolk Broads, we went for supper at a Pizza restaurant in Wroxham, by the bridge, and I ordered a 14" Pizza - well it had been a long day.

Afterwards, the staff confessed to having a wager on the side as to whether I'd eat it all - a feat never to be repeated, but it did the trick at the time

 

[zenophon]

I seem to remember that as a line from something my kids sang as teenagers, so probably the lyrics are adapted........however

As a younger man, when the family had been dinghy sailing all day on the Norfolk Broads, we went for supper at a Pizza restaurant in Wroxham, by the bridge, and I ordered a 14" Pizza - well it had been a long day.

Afterwards, the staff confessed to having a wager on the side as to whether I'd eat it all - a feat never to be repeated, but it did the trick at the time

I am loving the Pizza banter.

I am very pleased that the late Carl Arendt's "scrapbook" website is still going. Working in Manhattan and living in a cramped apartment requires the light relief given by Pizza and bookshelf layouts at weekends - they are affordable and convenient alternatives to a suburban house or a vacation home.

 

[Rhinochugger]

I am loving the Pizza banter.

I am very pleased that the late Carl Arendt's "scrapbook" website is still going. Working in Manhattan and living in a cramped apartment requires the light relief given by Pizza and bookshelf layouts at weekends - they are affordable and convenient alternatives to a suburban house or a vacation home.

Ah, well, you've worked out how good this forum is. Usually you'll get quite a few helpful answers, then I'm afraid we can't help ourselves and it descends to a bit of unhelpful, if mildly amusing, anecdotes and banter.

So, it's not a bad place to be

 

[Gavin Sowry]

I am loving the Pizza banter.

I am very pleased that the late Carl Arendt's "scrapbook" website is still going.

Check out my Pizza 'n' Beer layout on that site...... 3½" radius curves!

 

[zenophon]

Ah, well, you've worked out how good this forum is. Usually you'll get quite a few helpful answers, then I'm afraid we can't help ourselves and it descends to a bit of unhelpful, if mildly amusing, anecdotes and banter.

So, it's not a bad place to be

Thanks to all for the replies.

Attached are photos of an impulse purchase - an MSS locomotive and two passenger wagons. The will be confined to a bookcase.

Am I missing something - is MSS typical of live steam track? It looks like it belongs in a vintage Meccano set.