# G scale help



## sjm9911

Hey g guys help me out here. I was pondering Eaither a lgb or Lionel starter set for a seasonal outdoor x mass layout. It will be on my garage roof and will need to withstand the northeast weather. Cold, snow, etc. Nothing too big a few cars is all I'm looking for. I was looking at the Lionel Christmas trains or whatever is cheapest on the bay. Can Lionel g run on lgb track? I have a lot of free lgb track. As I read the basic transformers in these sets are worthless for the size loop I'm planning, will a zw work? Do you need any special stuff ( think ground fault) for the wiring? Just curious, and would appreciate any and all Imput.


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## Don Trinko

Be aware that the track is not compatible; Lionel has a large version of their "O" scale with the pins and LGB is a large version of the "HO" stile track. 
Most manufacturers use the LGB type and are compatible. 
Don


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## sjm9911

So the track isn't compatible, but will the Lionel run on the lgb track? I do have a lot of it!


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## Don Trinko

correct; rail spacing is compatible so cars and locos should run on either but lionel uses pins to connect track. there may be adapters but I am not sure. 
ZW will not work, "G" is DC , ZW is AC. Don


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## sjm9911

K, good to know. I do have some dc power packs around somewhere?! Makes sense too.


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## Big Ed

A Christmas rooftop layout?

What have you been smoking in your pipe?


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## sjm9911

Ed, I wish I was smoking something else at this point in my life! But, I have my eyes or bids on two trains, if that falls through a friend has made me an offer, thanks for that. It's a low roof, garage actually, and I'm on a hill. I think it would look pretty cool. I just don't know yet! My brother saved a few boxes of lgb, copper track from the dumps and I was looking for something to do with it. Why not start on something new? I also thought about having the track go around my house on the 2nd floor. I don't have that much track.


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## Big Ed

Well if you set it up there and once we get a good ice/snow storm they should stay on the roof good encased in a block of ice. 
Though you might not be able to see them too good, they should stay put. 

Do you have a flat roof there or is it pitched?

Why don't you just put them under the tree? :dunno:

Are you going to put a tree up? 
For the little one?


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## sjm9911

Yea, the tree will go up right after thanksgiving like every other year. I just can't put my glass ornaments on it. Before we had the baby I finally collected all the old glass ornaments for the tree. I never got to put them up. Instead we put binkies on the tree for the baby. Hopefully this year will be different. I I figured if I ran the train through the snow storm nonstop with a make shift plow, it would be Ok. The roof is slightly pitched, I had a flat roof there but had to rip it up due to age and rot and carpenter ants. Now I by lots of ant poison. Maybe I'll install a heater around the track to melt the snow! Wouldn't be too hard.


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## Big Ed

They do sell the heated lines that you line a gutter with, just plug it in.
I used to have one.

Though I don't know if they would burn your house down sitting on the shingles.

I thought I read that you put bikinis on the tree because of the kid, and I said huh? :laugh:


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## sjm9911

Pacifiers, dam autocorect!


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## sjm9911

Just won my action. I'll post pictures when it's delivered.


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## sjm9911

Ok, train isn't in yet but I got some track. This is lgb right? Also how many curves equal a semicircle? I'm guessing six, but I don't want to guess. I have about 40 4 foot sections of track but no curves!


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## Big Ed

Not too many G men active on the site.

I wonder what the little electric thingy (capacitor/diode/resistor/...THINGY ?) is that is attached to the rails for?
Do they all have that piece?

Plastic ties? 
What brand is the track do you know?

I can't help on the curve radius but I would think that they have different sizes just like all the other scales?

Check it out some are 12 some are 16 for a circle and there might be other sized curves too.

http://www.hobbylinc.com/g_scale_brass_model_train_track


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## sjm9911

Thanks ed, I think it's lgb, not 100 percent. Yea plastic ties. I don't have any idea what the electronic do hickey thing is!?!? Yea I found out a bit of the different curves, I figure I'll buy from someone who has a complete circle or box. I think the boxes have one half of a circle as much as I could tell from eBay My bbrother has about another 20 or so sections of track. Someone was throwing them out a few years back. Now I just have to find the right spot for them. It's a bit bigger then o.


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## sjm9911

ok just bought 12 sections of lgb 1100 track to add to what I have already. e bay was too expensive. I bought it at Trainz.com for the same aution price and (I hope ) it will ship quicker. One loop was all I was going for right now and I hope it gets done before x-mass.


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## Big Ed

Is it going to go on the roof?


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## sjm9911

Yes! I finally lost my mind! On the roof.


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## Big Ed

Yes......most put a few reindeer or a Santa Claus on their roof. 

Are you going to nail to the roof?


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## sjm9911

No free standing. If it can't handle the pitch I'll cut some plywood and even it out. That's if everything comes here on time and works. Otherwise it's under the tree for this year. I wonder how those 4 foot sections of track will look in my living room!


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## Big Ed

With all that track you can run it all over the house. 
I meant the inside of the house.


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## sjm9911

Ok, so here's the general idea. My shorter neighbor can just see the too of the track. So am assuming the train will be visible. Hopefully the pitch doesn't effect the train much or cause it to roll off the roof. I still didn't get the train yet. Or a power pack. The power packs I have are for rc cars and don't have a setting for speed. Hopefully the one that comes with the train is adequate.


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## Big Ed

Well if there are any hot babes in the house next door at least you can sit on the roof and be a peeping tom legally. 

You're not going to secure it down somehow? I would be worried about a strong wind blowing it away. The pitch will make it run a little faster on the down stroke.

If it was me doing it I would want to level it up a little. A couple of 6x4's?
Better, mount it on plywood then level it out?


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## sjm9911

The funny part is I built the pitch, it was a flat roof 4 years ago!


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## Big Ed

But what about the hot babes next door!? :smokin:

The neighbors must think your nuts. :laugh:


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## sjm9911

The neighbors know I'm nuts. The hot girls next door ( the is actually 2 hot girls next door) are hot but they play for the same team.


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## Big Ed

You can borrow my sunglasses with the built in video recorder if you want.


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## sjm9911

Natural ballist!






my train still hasn't come in yet!


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## Big Ed

Wait till it snows and ices up there, you won't be able to run the train but the track will be secure. :thumbsup:

Get that acorn nut off of there, the squirrels might come and eat the plastic on the ties.

I just picked me up any old G scale tanker for my Christmas train. It looks like it has moose or reindeer on it.
I got to wait to see what I got and decide whether to clean it up and leave it as is and add some Christmas stickers. Or repaint it. 
Not bad for $25 bucks. 
Every Christmas train need a tanker, right?


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## sjm9911

Its hooch slated to be delivered to the north Pole! Santa's got to do something after Christmas! My set came in just now, I'll take stock and dry run it tommorow. Pictures to follow. If it doesn't work it will be pictures of my new scrap yard!


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## sjm9911

Pictures, the set was around 70$ shipped. Seems in Ok shape! My track is snowed in so I don't think I'll be hooking it up(we'll see how bored I get!). Do I put a bit of oil on the gears, can't hurt right! I was surprised to see that the caboose and ornament car had plastic wheels. I guess it's just a holiday train. If I like it I can upgrade.


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## Big Ed

You need a couple more cars?
You could get out there with a hair dryer to thaw out the track. 
Then the neighbors would really think your a nut.:laugh:

When you said hooch is that what you think the tanker car is labeled for?
Is that what the moose or whatever they are signify on the car you think?

Some kind of alcohol? :dunno:


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## sjm9911

I have no clue what the taker is for, but being Christmas I figured santa could use a drink.


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## Big Ed

I have to wait till I get it, maybe just give it a bath and add Moose beer to the side.

Reindeer Beer? 
Santa's Brew?


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## sjm9911

More snow forecasted for saterday! And the weather isn'tssupposed to warm up in between. I figured I'd run the train during the snow to keep the track clear. I wonder if that would actually work? I guess it helps to have the train first. Can't run what you don't have! Ed, I might just use a hairdryer on it. Or a torch! If it runs on the track and looks good, I was going to run some Xmas lights around it. The heat would help melt the snow! I Didn't buy anything yet as I don't know if the train will look good from the street!


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## sjm9911

Ok, I brushed the snow off the track to revile solid ice build in between the tracks where the water pooled up and became ice. Maybe I should have built it up with drainage! So much for a last minute project! In addition the track separated from the water getting in between the connections then freezing. The expansion completely undid the tracks. I was going to zip tie them but wanted to test it first!


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## Big Ed

Have you giving any thought on bringing it inside yet?


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## sjm9911

I have, but I can't take it off the roof till it thaws! I can just run the Lione loop or try to mate it to the lgb! Unfortunately it looks like servoguy on steroids last put together the Lionel track. The pins are bent on right angles an some are broke in half. ( no offense servoguy, I know you wouldn't do that)!


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## sjm9911

Just a little information. Lgb track is solid rail and clipped together. Lionel track is hollow and put together with pins. The two can mate pretty easily together with some extra lgb connectors. My Lionel track had some broken pins the lgb connector just slips under the Lionel track. I haven't tested it but it mates up just fine. There is no height differential in the track and it's almost perfect. My only concern is how the power translates across the two. Does it make a difference that one is solid and the other is hollow? Is the lgb connection enough to conduct the power?


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## Big Ed

Is it snowing down your way?
Is the track still outside?
It has been snowing all day up here.

Did you abandon the project yet and move it in doors?

Still waiting for my G scale tanker to get here, maybe Monday.

I got 3 mint, O scale CNJ Weaver cars in today. 
I just bought them this Wednesday. 2 day ship from Pa, Good deal. :thumbsup:


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## Big Ed

I don't know about the track. It looks like it hooks together nice.

Try it?


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## sjm9911

Ed, I know nothing about this scale, are all the couplers different, some better then others. Just curious. Yea it's snowing like banshee! I bought some old school Xmas lights, figured I'd melt the snow off the tracks with them. Then figured I should have thought of that before hand and didn't want to break my neck. Me falling off a roof is a long shot, but with my luck lately I'd rather not risk it. Yea I might just mate the lgb to the Lionel curves, and run it through the whole house!


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## sjm9911

Didn't see the last post, haven't tried it yet! Dumb me decided to get a fish tank for my daughter, free of course! didn't realize how big it was. I had tostand, stain, varnish, the base, all in one day. Now I haven't a clue how to hook up the pump system. Maybe I'll get a postage stamp train to run in there instead!  my daughter wanted a fish tank so I got the biggest one possible, it's 65 gallons. I rather be running my trains


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## Big Ed

I think the LGB are different then the Bachmann and Lionel.
They are like a hook and latch if I am not mistaken. 

I think the Lionel and Bachmann knuckle couplers mate but I am not sure.

Let me go and look.

A 65 gal fish tank!

That is a lot of work to maintain, you will need a heater unit too.


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## Big Ed

Found this.

You can read it in your spare time.

http://www.trainweb.org/girr/tips/tips3/coupler_tips.html


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## Big Ed

I guess LGB made some knuckle couplers at some time too.
So the article says.


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## sjm9911

Thanks ed, I think after all this, I'll set up some track( I still have a ton of it) , at my mom's house on the lake. She has 175 foot with along the lake! It will look cool!


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## Big Ed

You ought to set it up in your house. 
Just go room to room along the bottom of the walls.

Little Susie cutie will get plenty of exercise running after them to watch.
You will too. :thumbsup:


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## sjm9911

I cleared the ice and snow off the track, but the grade is too steep. It wouldn't go up the grade. As it's iimpossible for me to level it out, some of it is frozen too the roof. It might have to be shelved till next year. If I have an hour or so Sunday, enough scrap wood and my angle Guage I'll give it a shot!


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## Big Ed

sjm9911 said:


> I cleared the ice and snow off the track, but the grade is too steep. It wouldn't go up the grade. As it's iimpossible for me to level it out, some of it is frozen too the roof. It might have to be shelved till next year. If I have an hour or so Sunday, enough scrap wood and my angle Guage I'll give it a shot!



Cold is coming, you better hurry.
Build a cover for it while your at it.


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## sjm9911

Its probably shelved, for now! Any great construction project goes over budget and takes twice as long to ccomplete. ( at least nowadays!). As this is not a great project, I have no excus


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