Large Scale Central

Thinking about leaving G gauge

General Discussion
#1

Well, I’ve been doing some hard thinking about what I want out of this hobby, and how I got involved with large scale some 15 plus years ago, and I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that what I want to get out of the hobby is not going to be possible unless I win the lottery (don’t play so strike that out) or a long lost rich uncle dies and gives me a huge railroad fund.

So, I’ve been thinking about HO or even O scale indoors to accomplish my modeling goals. I havent made a firm decision one way or another, but the decision is looking a little more likely than it was a month ago.

I really enjoy large scale, but I don’t have the funds to build up a railroad, and with the rising prices and limited releases the choice is a little easier. Maybe I just got involved in large scale at the peak (2000-2003). Anyway I let you guys know one way or another once I’ve made a decision. And yes, I will finish out the Snow Dozer and maybe superdetail a GP30 for a small diorama, but that might be it…

#2

If ya don’t follow where your heart and soul lead then your heart and soul aren’t in it.

And that often makes for an unfulfilling experience.

#3

And at the other end of the spectrum, the heart and soul can have an ebb and flow like the tides - the water, the interest, the desire, is always there sometimes higher, sometimes lower.
And sometimes, metaphorically speaking, there is an undercurrent affecting the surface flow.

#4

Craig, leaving ‘G’ scale/gauge does not necessarily mean leaving large scale. We have an 0/0n3/0n30 section right here on the forums. There are some other folks who have made the change to smaller than ‘G’ and still post and chat with us. Don’t agonize over it so much. Go with your heart and enjoy the hobby, regardless of what scale or gauge you choose. There is no ‘RIGHT’ way to enjoy Model Railroading, just YOUR way.

Always remember, it’s your railroad, so enjoy it your way.

#5

No…

Can I have the Snow Dozer …(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#6

Always sad to hear that a large scale railroader considers changing course but many factors, finance, age or simple loss of interest are just some reasons.

I have always been able to run trains - in one way or another, i.e. switching or roundy-roundy, as circumstances dictated, most of the year with a hiatus usually in January and some of February when it was either very wet or cold.* * Cold by UK standards, but made more difficult by arctic or Siberian winds. (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

This winter has been a bad one for train operation here. A lovely Autumn/Fall which allowed major track and track bed maintenance, painting of railway building and garden fittings went south (west in the UK (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)) in mid November with frequent rain and colder weather. When you get to a certain age in life stood around in cold winds isn’t advisable - even if you believe you are enjoying yourself.

Consequently there have been times when I considered that maybe I should sell everything, especially when I look out into the back yard and see the tracks, tunnels, bridges and buildings plus some Bachmann 1:22.5 stock which is permanently there as static features. However, Spring is finally here, we had two falls of snow this year - a usually once every ten year event - so as Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote,

“In the spring, a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love” the kind of love envisaged in this instance is railroading. (https://cosgan.de/images/smilie/verschiedene/h020.gif)

Thankfully, Forum folks and their enterprises can help keep up ones spirits.

#7

Craig,

Over the winter I did some serious planning of what my end goal is, and what that is going to cost me. When I was done, I had reached the same conclusion you have. There was NO WAY I was going to be able to pay for all of this, and I didn’t want a 20 year project going on in my back yard. What also didn’t help, was it was hovering around the 0 mark, and in a few months will be pushing 100. Even though I didn’t want to, I was seriously considering giving up on G (1:20.3 for me). You probably have some of the same issue I have, where you see these mature layouts and think WOW, I need that NOW.

So I started considering my options. My new house has no basement for an indoor layout so I needed a different option. If you ever watched Toy Man Television on YouTube, he has an older video titled The Fools Speech which I highly recommend watching. The Fools Speech Video One of his points is to work with what you have available. I started looking around my odd shaped 7.5’ x 14.5’ work room and envisioned a highly detailed HO switching layout. A couple of locomotives, moving less than 10 cars around in a session. I went on E-bay, sniffed out a couple of good deals on HO buildings and bought them to play with while I planned the layout.

The surprising result is, that it has actually reinvigorated me on the G railroad. I find myself not thinking about the “big picture”, but what I’m working on at that point. I make it a point to not build a giant RR, but build a component of the RR. Maybe its a building, a car, or a snow dozer. In the end, the parts will add up to a whole RR.

So the question is, if I can’t afford a big G railroad, how can I afford a big G railroad AND an HO railroad? By limiting the scope of the HO, I pull a minimum amount of funds from the G. It actually helps you with the G. When I went to the lumber yard to get a few 1x4s for the HO, I ended up throwing in a dozen PT 2x4s for the G. When I go get more 1x4s, I will pick up more 2x4s and before I know it, I will have a pile of 2x4s that I bought over time. That has relieved my anxiety over buying all of this lumber in one shot. Suddenly I can afford the wood I need.

Don’t think of the hobby as G Scale, but as model railroading as a whole. Build something that allows you to work in the hobby on the days you can’t or don’t feel like working on the G. It really will help you out.

Chris

#8

Chris Kieffer said:

So the question is, if I can’t afford a big G railroad, how can I afford a big G railroad AND an HO railroad?

Don’t think of the hobby as G Scale, but as model railroading as a whole. Build something that allows you to work in the hobby on the days you can’t or don’t feel like working on the G. It really will help you out.

Chris

Your second point there is an excellent point.

As for the first point …

Well, give me a moment to tell about a certain way to have both G and HO … more or less … in case it isn’t generally known

… look up Gn15.

It is G scale narrow gauge, minimum gauge, on HO track.

Models 15 to 18 inch gauge estate, factory, mine, park, railways, exact scale gauge that 16.5mm gauge HO track represents being dependent on scale of figures used.

Except for vertical clearances the rolling stock is no bigger, and often shorter than HO. There are kits. People have also been doing 3D printing for Gn15 for a long time.

Scratchbuilding and kitbashing are common. There are prototypes, actually.

1/35n20 also exists, for example some Arizona mining trams in 1/35 scale.

With proper clearances, one could swap buildings and trees and run either HO or Gn15 on the same track.
There are all the way from several yard/meter long shelf layouts in Gn15 to shoebox sized microlayouts.

Would be fun to have a Gn15 layout with a regular G car as scenery on a spur to give size contrast.

Here is a popular forum, http://forum.gn15.info/

My own Gn15, and On30, have been in stasis after our little county seat farm burg started an HO modular club in 2012 but I still make bits of progress on them every now and then.

#9

Took my layout down last spring. Been into G for about 30 years. Getting old and did not want the wife to have to worry about it.

Been into trains from about 5 years old. I put up a small N scale in the basement, beginning to think that was a mistake, I guess I just burned out.

Don

#10

I hate to see anyone give up on their hobby. Because all too often, they later decide it was a mistake to sell off/give away their stuff. Because, after a break, they realize they enjoyed the hobby, but they just needed a break to recharge their hobby enthusiasm.

I got into large scale, because I have no room inside the house for any kind of layout. In some ways I enjoy large scale more then HO, and in other ways HO was more fun. (my personal viewpoint, your mileage may vary) But I get my HO fix with 2 clubs I belong to.

My point is, you need to do what makes you happy, whatever scale/gauge you finally settle on. Just don’t rush into any permanent decisions that you may regret before too long.

#11

David,

I agree that any rush decision making needs to be eliminated. I’ve been pondering this for a while now, and it seems that another piece of evidence starts pointing away from large scale and to something else. Personally, I like the idea of Proto48 as it has some detail that can be seen, but small enough that it is still manageable. Throughout this journey I keep thinking about what got me into large scale. The answer to that is, Ops at Dave Goodson’s. I haven’t gone to his ops sessions in a long while, but it was because of those ops sessions I began to think about serious scale modeling.

At this point in time, I have more room available for HO than large scale, but if I do go to HO, the large scale collection will have to be sold off to finance the HO.

I like the idea of keeping my Snow Dozer build and a GP30 set aside for future builds, but justifying keeping cars that have never left yhe box or used seems silly. Its hard to think of selling off this stuff, but I have to sit down and list the pros and cons of the decision making process. This is in no way saying that I’m leaving the hobby. I enjoy model railroading way to much to take up something like boat or airplane modeling.

#12

If you do decide to leave large scale, PLEASE contact the local garden railway club in your area. Don’t expect to make a fortune with the sale, but they will work with you to find good homes for your stuff.

#13

Forest,

If I wasn’t committed to a particular prototype, Gn15 would be pretty appealing, but alas, I enjoy modeling slightly more industrial areas. Gn15 and 1.5" gauge have similar appeals with the idea of having small industrial engines.

#14

Chris,

I completely agree, its hard sometimes to see the forest when your looking at the trees. My big factor in going back in doors is more related to the hobby support. The idea that very little manufacturer support exists for 1/29 in terms of people, vehicles, etc caused me first to reconsider. Than, the introduction of the Protothrottle by Iowa Scaled Engineering and the advancements in DCC make HO more appealing than it was 15 years ago. I’m really focused on prototype modeling and it looks like HO scale supports this effect more. Space is one consideration, but also cost. A lot of bargain “blue box” cars are available in HO at swap meets, online etc that provide more options than having to build everything myself. Granted, I’m one of the younger modelers here, so I shouldn’t be worried about “time” or how long it will take to build. Likely, I would build up slowly one town (or module) at a time.

#15

Dick Friedman said:

If you do decide to leave large scale, PLEASE contact the local garden railway club in your area. Don’t expect to make a fortune with the sale, but they will work with you to find good homes for your stuff.

What I can’t retire on these sales? I think between Facebook, LSC and local groups it should be “easy” to turn what I have, as I don’t really have that much, say compared to Andy’s empire!

#16

Craig Townsend said:

Forest,

If I wasn’t committed to a particular prototype, Gn15 would be pretty appealing, but alas, I enjoy modeling slightly more industrial areas. Gn15 and 1.5" gauge have similar appeals with the idea of having small industrial engines.

Slightly more industrial areas…Ok. But, some manufacturing facilities had a small railroad to move parts and supplies around. What could be more industrial then modeling the inside of something like a brick factory, with its own little Davenport pushing cars loaded with brick into a kiln, and then extracting those cars from the other side, while a small Plymouth brings in V dump cars full of clay and other ingredients to the mixing area. Then, out back, you park a string of standard gauge flat cars, and have a crane trans-load the brick from the Davenport’s flats to the standard gauge flats.

And hey, did aircraft modeling before I discovered, rediscovered, large scale.

#17

David Maynard said:

Slightly more industrial areas…Ok. But, some manufacturing facilities had a small railroad to move parts and supplies around. What could be more industrial then modeling the inside of something like a brick factory, with its own little Davenport pushing cars loaded with brick into a kiln, and then extracting those cars from the other side, while a small Plymouth brings in V dump cars full of clay and other ingredients to the mixing area. Then, out back, you park a string of standard gauge flat cars, and have a crane trans-load the brick from the Davenport’s flats to the standard gauge flats.

Sort of something like this which is on the way there?
“The first railroads were point-to-point systems for hauling quarried material. South Carolina’s Palmetto Brick Company was still such a railroad in 2008 - and 36” gauge with link and pin couplers, as well! Here we see Plymouth #2 bringing an 8-car train past spare engine #1 (a Plymouth 10-tonner built in 1939). This line has since ceased operation, with trucks taking over the duties."

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/257305/

#18

Yea, that could be approximated with Sn3.5. S scale on HO track.

http://understandingsscale.com/sn35.html

#19

I’ve looked at other scales, including Kevin’s and Doc Tom’s On30 work, but I keep coming back to the fact that I can’t see myself working on anything that small. I go over to Caboose Hobbies and look at those scales and just shake my head, no no no. HO would be really out of the question.

My compromise on the indoor/outdoor issue was that I used to have a basement 1:24 layout; now I have one that’s half in the yard and half under a very big porch, so I kind of get the best of both worlds. And here in Denver, weather isn’t much of an issue really, maybe a couple of cold snaps in the winter but that’s about it.

My time and interest in the layout sort of comes and goes, but it’s just a hobby, not life or death. I do wish I had more time, but retirement ain’t happening, especially since, in case anybody noticed, we might have hit another retail recession two and one-half months ago.

#20

I hear you. I thought I would get out of RR stuff all together. Though I have the room, I just never got around to building a RR. Ah well.

Well somehow the bug bit a little again. I have started collecting a few pieces of the old Buddy L/T-Reproductions outdoor trains. Sure it is not much, they are expensive but heck I finally got a small indoor ceiling loop.

Though really more a sort of tinplate (though technically roughly 5/8" scale), I just could not get over the presence of the things. O and HO and N after G just left me with a sort of meh feeling. No one misses seeing the big stuff (3.25" gauge and 22" long by 6.5" wide and 8.5" tall stuff or bigger). But to each their own. Love the things even if only a few bits and pieces and just almost big enough to ride on. So maybe a real steamer regauged might be in the distant future.

Anyway, I decided I did not need an empire and ton of equipment, others like that and that is fine.