G scale model trains
G Scale Model Trains
If you’ve heard model train hobbyists talking about large scale model trains, they’re referring to a few of the different scales of model train available. The most popular of these larger scales with most hobbyists is G scale. These trains are quite a bit larger than the other model trains you may have seen before, being constructed at a 1:22 ratio to the full size trains they’re modeled on, meaning that they are approximately one twentieth the size of a real train.
Compare this to O scale model trains, which are also considered by hobbyists to be one of the larger model trains at a ratio of 1:48, a little less than half the size of a G scale train, which is usually about 6″ tall and 26.7″ long. This scale was first produced by the German company Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk in the late 1800s. In Germany, the company is popularly known as Lehman Gross Bahn (German for Lehman Big Train).
The origin of the name G scale comes from the nickname Garden Railroading which was applied to the trains. Due to and durability the size of these model trains, they are ideal for outdoor railroading. As with other larger scale trains, these trains are designed to run on a #1 gauge track (45 mm from rail to rail).
#1 gauge tracks are made of brass, which is resistant to corrosion and incredibly easy to maintain. An occasional wipe down with a cloth is all the tracks for G scale model trains need to remain ready for use. If you have the space, these and other larger scale model trains can also be used for indoor model railroading.
In the United States, the most popular of the G scale trains are the Bachmann and Aristocraft brands. Many parents prefer these trains, since they are more than durable enough to be suitable for small children and enjoyed by the entire family for many years to come. Unlike 4.8″ long and 1.1″ tall N scale trains and other smaller scale model trains, the larger sizes can stand up to the sometimes rough play of younger children.
Model trains have been with us for well over a century now and in this time, the manufacturers of these trains have produced a wide variety of different styles and sizes of model trains with one being suitable for every purpose and the tastes of every model train hobbyist. With the versatility that model trains offer, from G scale model trains to N scale, this is a hobby which has a strong appeal to people of any age and from every walk of life.
