[Totalwrecker]

heck

Here you go Gary.

 

[Gary Armitstead]

heck

Here you go Gary.

Thanks John. Actually you will note that I had quotes around the heck. I DID have "aatch-eeee-double LL's". My bad. I guess the software is trying to clean-up the neighborhood. Now we have the "word police" on the prowl.

 

[Esppe Pete]

Thanks for all the posts on the detail of the scales and Detial parts in general. I don't think many of us hear will "Switch Scales" due to comments here, so I agree with the sentiment of "Let it BE" regarding 1/29 vs 1/32. We are both Mainliners runing on the same track! As a 1/29er I will always envy the fidelity of 1/32, mostly when standing ove my trains. Yet I got into G scale because 1/29 was affordable at the time, 1990. On the 1/29 note, I'm glad to see Accucraft forging ahead with the GP60 and SD9 as well as thier stock cars. I think the SD9 will make Aristo roll in it's "promisory grave"! As for my 1/32 friends, Accucraft's triumphs in 1/29 will no doubt help 1/32 production, and they are the only mainline G scaler giving us product announcements this year. USA do you hear me? 1/29 sacle Joke alert: "I only buy 1/32 cars and buildings, I only date women with small hands.......... It makes my train look bigger" ;0

 

[Jerry Barnes]

I have 1/29 and 1/32. Seldom run them together, but have. Take a look at a real train, car sizes vary a LOT. I also have battery and track power a a few live steamers. I think the hobby is for fun, not arguing over scale. Do what you want, that's my theory. I might not agree with you, but you have your reasons and who am I to argue? I think we need to focus more on the fun part of the hobby and not argue so much.

 

[PaulRace]

Just checked back here because the page I was looking at cited this one as "Recommended Reading." Reminded me why I stopped participating in certain forums. I hope we've all outgrown the "my way or the highway" stuff by now.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

I just re-read this thread in it's entirety, and other than a bit of harshness to Scot in one reply, I see nothing wrong with it.

Not one person said that 1:32 is right and 1:29 is wrong. There are indeed statements that 1:29 scaled stuff is on the wrong gauge track, which is true.

In fact this is a good thread dispelling many silly arguments why 1:29 and specifically Aristo and Aml dropped production. There was over production for the times, the market shrank and Aristo existed on sheer volume, when they went away, there were stacks of product on the docks in China (Ask Scott Polk about this!!)

Just for fun Paul, what post do you think is "my way or the highway"?

Greg

 

[du-bousquetaire]

I started late in 2010 modeling US prototypes, so kept to 1/32 scale, which doesn't mean that I don't drool over some 1/29th scale offerings that I won't buy (like the USA trains PRR senator cars for instance) I build what I can't find, but as that is a slow process , so I also try to fill out as much as possible with existing equipment. I will gladly mix my Piko or ex MDC cars with an Aster wood cabin car or haul it with my FAM M1A, It is what is available that fits my theme which counts. I agree with semper vaporo for that. I do find that the two will not work together as there is too much of a size difference. Although I have seen 1/29th scale cars behind an Aster FEF tender that looks alright just because that western engines tender is huge. I do wish that more 1/32 scale equipment was available especially since MTH doesn't produce these any more. Apparently the 1/32 scale market seems to be doing OK as if you look at the progression of prices on the Piko ex MDC cars in the past several years, they have taken about a 50% increase, so if the price goes up, it seems that the demand must exist. After all the live steam market isn't so limited a niche that people claim it to be. One other aspect which has reduced the availability of new products it seems, is the fact that as many folks got older they sold their Aster mantlepiece loco which saturated the market with low priced used steam locos. The good thing about that is that now there are more younger people running these ex mantle piece locos. Lets hope there is a turn up in the market.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

So 7 years later MTH is gone and AML is still promising the GP60. Bachmann is slowly bring back Aristo products.

Oh and Scot is still here too! Some things never change.

Most of the market in the USA is either older steamers in narrow gauge (mostly Bachmann 1.20.3 and 1:22) or Class 1 railroads, which is solidly in 1:29, due to the much larger volumes sold by Aristo and USA Trains.

I cannot follow your reasoning for the USA, Piko has virtually no locos, and a mish mosh of old mdc cars, which don't match the loco scale.

Mixing in Aster locos is not making a lot of sense to me, a completely different market from the majority of large scale people here. Maybe people outside of the USA can buy more Aster than USAT or Aristo...

1:32 in the USA is for people richer than me, even MTH F units were way out of my budget, as well as LGB.

Greg

 

[VilledeGrace]

I started late in 2010 modeling US prototypes, so kept to 1/32 scale, which doesn't mean that I don't drool over some 1/29th scale offerings that I won't buy (like the USA trains PRR senator cars for instance) I build what I can't find, but as that is a slow process , so I also try to fill out as much as possible with existing equipment. I will gladly mix my Piko or ex MDC cars with an Aster wood cabin car or haul it with my FAM M1A, It is what is available that fits my theme which counts. I agree with semper vaporo for that. I do find that the two will not work together as there is too much of a size difference. Although I have seen 1/29th scale cars behind an Aster FEF tender that looks alright just because that western engines tender is huge. I do wish that more 1/32 scale equipment was available especially since MTH doesn't produce these any more. Apparently the 1/32 scale market seems to be doing OK as if you look at the progression of prices on the Piko ex MDC cars in the past several years, they have taken about a 50% increase, so if the price goes up, it seems that the demand must exist. After all the live steam market isn't so limited a niche that people claim it to be. One other aspect which has reduced the availability of new products it seems, is the fact that as many folks got older they sold their Aster mantlepiece loco which saturated the market with low priced used steam locos. The good thing about that is that now there are more younger people running these ex mantle piece locos. Lets hope there is a turn up in the market.

Are Piko G scale trains all 1/32? I see on the site, that the buildings are, but it is not real clear on the locos, and cars.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

The USA locos are not. They are sort of 1:29 to LGB "scale"... the US rolling stock is from an out of business company and are 1:32.

The subject of this thread was US prototypes and the forum is based in the USA.

The only US outline locos are the camelback, the 0-4-0 and the Mogul and they are all way over 1:32 in size.

 

[du-bousquetaire]

As far as I know only the ex MDC cars are 1/32 scale or near it. That would be: The two hopper styles, the boxcar and the reefers. However these are unfortunatly shortened by about 1 inch which is unfortunate. Also the reefer should be lower than the box car which is not the case (primarily because empty reefers returning to the West coast had their roof hatches open so that the inside would dry out and to obtain clearance the bodies had to be lower) and the ore cars also. Beware all the other cars including the caboose are 1/29th scale or over.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Right, a really mixed bag from Piko, but I think their corporate reasoning about the US market matches LGB's, those dumb Americans will buy anything with Santa Fe on it, no matter what the scale.

So those of us who model class 1 railroads here in the US stick to USAT, Aristo, AML 1:29.

Those who are better off than I will model MTH and Accucraft in 1:32 and perhaps some Marklin stuff.

Greg