There is an article in the July 2012 issue of Model Railroader there is a review of a Piko Mogul 2-6-0. It is called a large scale model. Is large scale equivalent to G-scale (Garden) or Standard Scale (Tinplate)? What gauge track does it run on?
Thanks!
As far as I know Large Scale = 1 Scale = G Scale = Standard Gauge.
“Large Scale” generally means trains made to run on two-rail No.1 gauge track, 1-3/4" gauge. For standard gauge track, that is 1:32 scale. However in the US some companies use 1:29 scale.
In Europe, LGB started in the late sixties using that track to represent meter gauge narrow gauge trains, which works out to 1:22.5 scale. “G” scale/gauge originally referred to these trains. LGB means “Lehmann Gross Bahn” or “Lehmann’s Large Trains”.
To use the track as 3’ narrow gauge track, the scale is “F scale”, 1:20.3 scale.
Lionel “Standard Gauge” is three rail track which is (IIRC) 2-1/8" gauge.
I don’t think G-scale (Garden) will run on Standard Gauge (Lionel Tinplate) track.
Large Scale (LS) also called G is a family of scales that run on 1.77" track gauge. The scales and some manufacturers for each are:
1:32 also known as #1, MTH is probably the current largest maker of US trains in this scale.
1:29 used by Aristocraft and USA Trains
1:24 used by Aristocraft, Bachmann, and USA Trains - many structures for LS are this scale
1:22.5 used by LGB
1:20.3 also known as Fn3 used by Bachmann
1:13.7 also known as 7/8n2 no major manufacturer as far as I know.
I’m not sure which scale Lionel uses.
Enjoy
Paul
Thanks. So Large Scale and G-scale all run on the same gauge track and are all essentially garden trains. Thanks again!
Yes. Same gauge of track and generally for outdoors. While the summary is correct, some of the other replies have pointed to the very wide range of modeling that takes place using that same gauge of track. There are some very nice indoor railroads as well as a number of folks who use this guage to build “micro layouts” of tiny industrial operations. Just HOW the track is constructed - both ties and rail size - varies with the scale that the modeler intends to replicate. This portion of the model railroad hobby has, IMHO, never really come to grips with accuracy of scale, and this can be very frustrating to someone who is used to finding everything in HO very close to 1:87. Many products are offered as Large Scale or “G” with no indication on the packaging or advertising on what scale is represented. Modelers in these large scales frequently carry a “scale card” with them on going to a train show to be able to determine if figures or other items are “close enough” for use on their layout.
Bill
That´s correct - they all run on tracks with a spacing of 45 mm between the rails. Gauge 1 also uses 45 mm track, but won´t be able to run on the typical Piko, LGB or Aristo track, due to much smaller flange depth and wheel thickness.
Isn´t this confusing?
I have never understood, why there are so many different scales in that market segment. 1/32 is the correct scale for 45 mm standard gauge track. Why some of the manufacturers have chosen scales like 1/29 escapes my understanding.
Hi AF1963
Not strictly true there are some very nice indoor layouts in the large scales (larger than “O”)
Occasionally they also show up in Model Railroader magazine instead of Garden Railways because the layout is indoors.
Many of the larger scales way back in the mists of time where originally manufactured for indoor use LGB brand being a modern exception advertised as being for indoors and outdoors.
The modern gauge one trains are suitable for indoor and outdoor use BUT there are still some odd ones around that are only really suitable for indoor use.
Note I have referred to the gauge rather than scale because there are several scales in the US and world wide that run on gauge one (45mm).
All I know about standard gauge is that it was?? is toy trains?? on a gauge peculiar to the USA and not found anywhere else unless it was imported from the USA
Doesn’t make a lot of difference you still need a fair bit of room to build a reasonable layout your average 8’X4’ HO layout would be very roughly 24’X12’ in gauge one.
Mind you no problems with fiddly details[:D] because they ain’t so fiddly in that size.
regards John
Those poor guys in LS or “G” gauge.
We are back to the old failure of gauge and scale and the seemingly endless profusion of misrepresentations and manufacturers re-inventing things.
I have sort of personally given up on understanding LS. First, I’m not in it and never will be even though I admire the finer detailing possibilities. Second, any really lovely and well executed steam loco in the scale is about 4-10 times more costly that of the most expensive DCC non-brass HO engines and many of the best detailed cars are about the price of a nice DCC HO engine.
Gauge is about track separation. Within this gauge you are looking at the U.S. standard gauge “scale” and this then determines the equivalent 3 foot, 21/2 foot and 2 foot gauge separations.
I prefer to refer to “Scale” HO scale, O scale,etc. Here, we establish a fixed ratio between the size of the model and real life equivalent. In fixing a scale, forever, we force a “track gauge”, (rail separation), into existence!
The convention is that the country’s standard gauge is the real scale proportions and are forced to narrow the separation of the rails to simply stay in scale for all narrow gauges within the fixed scale.
For N, HO, S and O, (fixed scales), there are all manner of narrow gauges denoted by the n# following the scale designation. HOn3, Sn21/2,etc.
For LS there seems to be a free for all of scales revolving about a 45mm gauge!! Backwards and silly to my mind. Surely it will all shake out like VHS vs. Beta with an ultimate winner, one would hope.
Question… Is the NMRA involved in this? If they are and have firmly set LS scales, do the manufacturers care? LS needs to get their collective act together.
Suppose some idiot manufacturer created 1:98 scale and it ran on HO track or N track. How long would that last today?
Richard
Hi narrow gauge nuclear
Well the Japanese interpretation of HO and N as used for Japanese outline model trains seems to be doing OK but that’s scale gauge combination’s that are peculiar to the Japanese outline market.
If you want a consistent scale for gauge one it seems you have to model 10mm = 1’ which restricts you to
German or UK standard gauge 4’ 81/2" trains the other market is just to confusing and to easy to end up with a scale OOPS!!
Yes the large scale trains taken on a per piece level are more expensive,however taken on a whole railway basis it costs just the same as a decent HO N or Z layout the proviso being no quality live steam loco’s they are very expensive.
regards John
I believe the Japanese model makers use a different scale on the same gauge because most of Japan’s railroads are 3’ 6" gauge. I’m only aware of 4’ 8 1/2" being used in Japan on the Bullet Trains.
That´s quite correct. Japanese Ho scale is 1/80 and Japanese N scale is 1/150, the latter being incorrect for 9 mm gauge. The Japanese chose do to so to be able to run standard gauge Shinkansens next to narrow gauge trains.
To make things even more complicated, British OO gauge is 1/76, but running on HO tracks, and British N gauge is 1/144, running on 9 mm tracks. Both is incorrect.