[GoldenBrassRail]

I got the American basic LGB G set a few weeks back. I have been happy with what I had running it, but knew from the day I got it that I want to do more with G.

This piece of rolling stock is my first acquisition to add to my train. I know it is not exactly going to win any awards for being the most elaborate, fancy G scale rolling stock out there... But the thing about it is... You can get these for $50 to $60 for each car. What I want from G for me is to be a bigger, better O gauge alternative, and for now, indoors. This car seems very O gauge-like and is an appropriate start to having G be my counterpart to my little O gauge collection.

I have not done that much searching, but I know these hoppers come in a couple different styles and colors. But I am hoping I will wind up finding these in more colors than I have so far.

The locomotive that came with the LGB set is early 20th century and was part of a passenger set, but to be honest, it doesn't totally look out of place pulling these short freight cars, and suffices for my simple purposes.

 

[Rail_Master4501]

If you are trying to fill out your collection for cheap you could look into getting some old New Bright cars on eBay. You might have to paint them into your preferred scheme.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

If you are trying to fill out your collection for cheap you could look into getting some old New Bright cars on eBay. You might have to paint them into your preferred scheme.

Thank you for your fantastic information. The wheel size and nuances might make spending the money on Piko to still prevail, but this is another cool lead nonetheless

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Those cars are "ore jennies" and are pretty close to scale.

You are lucky to get them cheap, often they command a high price.

Greg

 

[Dick Friedman]

If there's a garden rr club in your area, check with them. They may have what you need and there's no shipping or tax to be concerned about.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

If there's a garden rr club in your area, check with them. They may have what you need and there's no shipping or tax to be concerned about.

Thank you. I am going to look into these. How does that work do these clubs normally stock stuff to sell or they just have stuff lying around? I am pretty active online talking about my hobby but I don't normally engage socially because I have a bunch of mental illness and it is very awkward (I do manage to hold a job with limited hours though).

Ore jennies. I googled about these and see that they tend to only exist in some parts of this country. But just look great on model layouts at home here. They go well proportionately with my little
LGB 0 4 0.

One particularly tantalizing angle to this is that I frequent Menards.com since I have O gauge trains as well.... You can get a frickin 8 pack variety of new ore jennies, for $106 from Menards. I WILL eventually get myself a shipment of those. And Contrast that with the $60 or so I pay when I order one ore jenny for my G gauge. But that is kind of part of the fun of G gauge. Theyre bigger, and buying one car is a special treat.

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

I mostly but from eztec or newqida for my rolling stock and I have been looking at scratch building for a while

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

I mostly but from eztec or newqida for my rolling stock and I have been looking at scratch building for a while

Thanks for your message, because I am happy to hear from someone who buys Eztec.... I see their stuff on ebay a lot and how it is inexpensive and wondered if you are satisfied with it. I know it is a little less detailed than the more expensive stuff and I have avoided it for that reason, but I guess I was interested to see if people like it since I could always turn to Eztec if I ever wanted to buy a bunch of one car to make a unit train or something!

For now, I just ordered an LGB tank car on Ebay and got it for only $33

 

[JohnM]

What era or rr are you modeling?

 

[NorthwestGarrattGuy]

Thanks for your message, because I am happy to hear from someone who buys Eztec.... I see their stuff on ebay a lot and how it is inexpensive and wondered if you are satisfied with it. I know it is a little less detailed than the more expensive stuff and I have avoided it for that reason, but I guess I was interested to see if people like it since I could always turn to Eztec if I ever wanted to buy a bunch of one car to make a unit train or something!

For now, I just ordered an LGB tank car on Ebay and got it for only $33

View attachment 63805

well the eztec stuff is awful but its something and with a lot of work you can make it look ok its pretty good for making freight trains longer

 

[Pete Thornton]

How does that work do these clubs normally stock stuff to sell or they just have stuff lying around?

It works a bit like the FB Marketplace I mentioned on yr other thread. Members donate their stuff to the club, the club sells it cheap and keeps the money to pay expenses.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

It works a bit like the FB Marketplace I mentioned on yr other thread. Members donate their stuff to the club, the club sells it cheap and keeps the money to pay expenses.

I have googled on a couple of occasions looking for local Connecticut clubs, and could not find any, or at least could not find any functioning websites. there IS a live steam type club whose site I frequented but theyre too far for driving for simple rolling stock. I would only go 90+ minutes if I am going for a major purchase like that S gauge american flyer set ive always wanted.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

So I finally got my hands on my first ever shipment of mental wheels. I chose USA Trains "Polished" metal wheels. They are basically chrome or chrome style, and I was very happy when I got them. They are super heavy and high quality. I had not realized how heavy and prestigious these wheels would be, and that is expecially considering that these wheels were among the cheaper options available so I wonder what it would have been like if I got more expensive versions of the same wheel.

 

[Pete Thornton]

I paint wheels with black acrylic (though brown or a mix will also look good) that I buy at Michaels Crafts. If you hold the wheel against the face and turn the axle with your other hand, it is easy to get a good result.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

I paint wheels with black acrylic (though brown or a mix will also look good) that I buy at Michaels Crafts. If you hold the wheel against the face and turn the axle with your other hand, it is easy to get a good result.

That would make it more prototypical but I actually chose the chrome on purpose for the jeweled look, I absolutely love it just because I am not the kind of modeler that is concerned with being prototypical. They had metal wheels that were actually black as well, but I love this shiny-ness.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

What era or rr are you modeling?

Hmm. What era? To be honest, I have not chosen to adhere to any particular era… or any prototypical ideology whatsoever.

I just mix and match whatever I get my hands on. Right now, these squarish ore cars and LGB tank cars seem to look proportionately good with the little LGB starter 0 4 0 that came with my set. The cars I have are all roughly the same proportions as the little steam loco.

SOON I am going to be getting an upgrade for a locomotive. And I have considered a USA Trains GP38 for some time as they are available from RLDhobbies.com for a mere $378 and I think I saw them on CharlesRo for a similar price. But more recently, I am liking these 2 6 2 and 0 6 0 type European locomotives that have a black paint over red paint scheme. Considering those can be acquired on Trainz.com for around $300 or less, very tempting and neat. And if I got a GP38, it would force me to upgrade from 4’ curves to 5’ curves. But as you imagine, having one of those pulling some Michigan Ore Jennies is less than prototypical yet I would do it anyway.

Interestingly, about these ore cars I have, they come in several different color and line schemes and are made by Piko… but just today, I found some that are made by USA trans at 1:29. I can’t tell if that’s going to be the same size as these Piko ones. I know the Piko ones aren’t 1:29 I don’t think, and the Piko ones were from MGD tooling. The USA trains and Piko are a little different but I will include a photo of the USA trains ones.

the USA Trains ore cars are highly overpriced at recommended MSRP, being twice the price as the Piko ones.

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

What era or rr are you modeling?

By sheer luck I just found a post from this very forum which offered me big information about a comparison between the MDC/Piko and USA/LGB ore cars for G gauge. Turns out they are in fact quite different.

As I already have the Piko ones, I guess I hope my eBay bid on a USA ore car is outdone. It probably will be, because it’s at $36, has 32 hours left and these USA ones come with metal wheels. Of course if somehow I wind up winning, it would be a great deal at $36 considering they MSRP for $114 and come with metal wheels… even if it does look different.

for the Piko ones…. I spend about $90 on each ore car when you combine the cost of the car, the aftermarket metal wheels, and the shipping. The USA cars seem much more prototypical based on YouTube videos of real modern ore Jennies. But that’s besides the point since I don’t care about prototypical, and I already do Piko cars with USA chrome wheels.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

That picture is from my back yard.

The Piko ones are re-issued MDC, and are 1:32. The USA ones are reissued Lionel and are slightly larger in scale and have an extra block of plastic in the bolster to raise them to look better with 1:29.

A unit train will look fine, but don't mix them.

Ore cars

Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers

elmassian.com

Greg

 

[GoldenBrassRail]

That picture is from my back yard.

The Piko ones are re-issued MDC, and are 1:32. The USA ones are reissued Lionel and are slightly larger in scale and have an extra block of plastic in the bolster to raise them to look better with 1:29.

A unit train will look fine, but don't mix them.

Ore cars

Greg Elmassian web site on large scale trains and garden railroads, cigars, and computers

elmassian.com

Greg

I can’t quite call it a “unit train” but I’m mixing and matching Piko only Ore cars as these come in several different colors and lines. A unit train by car model only.

 

[Pete Thornton]

even if it does look different.

The prototype railroads bought freight cars at different times - one batch might be one type, the next might be an improved type. It would be more usual to see several different types in a consist.