# New to G scale



## Pappaw (Aug 2, 2009)

Just getting started with my first G scale setup and have a few questions. First, my goal is to have a small garden layout and was wondering if you put multiple electric connections around like you do on Ho or n to have equal supply or just the one supply to run it? 2nd, on the wiring of switches, how is that done, I don't see any wiring on the layout videos I watch. I gather the switches are in the big looking boxes(yellow) I see on EBay. 3rd, how is the track anchored down?


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Pappaw said:


> Just getting started with my first G scale setup and have a few questions. First, my goal is to have a small garden layout and was wondering if you put multiple electric connections around like you do on Ho or n to have equal supply or just the one supply to run it? 2nd, on the wiring of switches, how is that done, I don't see any wiring on the layout videos I watch. I gather the switches are in the big looking boxes(yellow) I see on EBay. 3rd, how is the track anchored down?


We have a few G men who come and go here, there are some threads here, did you search through them?

I think ( I don't know) that the switches run off the track power?
I don't have any outdoor G trains.
I would say it can't hurt to have multiple power hook ups.

I found this on track laying, just like the real RR's do. 


There are many, many ways to lay track outdoors, none of them right or wrong. I prefer using a method similar to that of full-size railroads. 

Dig a trench 2"-3" deep along the line where you want your track to go. Fill the trench up to the level of the bottom of the ties with crusher fines, decomposed granite, or some other crushed rock. Do NOT use pea gravel or squeegee. This is river rock, and the stones are round. They will roll against each other and against the track, and are unable to securely hold the track in position. Crushed rock has "teeth" and, when tamped, will lock against itself and the track. 

Tamp the ballast with a stick or a brick to seat it and level it. Place the track in position, level it up, and fill the trench with more ballast. The top of the ties should be even with the top of the trench. Tamp the ballast around the ties until it is firm. Do this with a stick, and take your time. It will take a while to properly ballast and tamp, but this is time well spent. 

Track will change with the seasons. It will contract in the winter and expand in the summer. The ballast method allows the track to move freely, eliminating the buckling rails and broken ties of track rigidly fixed to a wooden or concrete base. Also, if you live in the frost belt, frost heave will move the track around, perhaps necessitating a once-a-year realignment. Ballasted track makes this an easy operation.

That is from here,
http://grw.trains.com/en/For Beginn.../Large-scale track questions and answers.aspx


Maybe a true G man (or woman) will come on with more info.
Show some pictures of your progress we all love that no matter what the scale. :thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I can't imagine you'd want just one power connection, just because it's a different scale, the characteristics of electric current don't change.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

If using LGB switches, they have to have switch motors built in, and you need a switch controller box which controls 6(?) switches. You connect the box to a transformer and then two wires to each switch motor from the desired control button. You can connect multiple boxes to each other if you have more switches than one box can handle


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## Pappaw (Aug 2, 2009)

Thanks so far to those that have responded. I do not intend to just have one power source, I was wondering just how for sure it was done and thought all along it should have multiple sources. As for the switches, did not know if they were remote or hard wired, being the scale is much larger, more options could be implanted verses small scale and switches had to be hard wired to work. So much to learn and plenty of time to do it!:thumbsup:


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

I have limited knowledge when it comes to whats available in G scale. My grandpa has LGB track and switches to run his collection on, and up until a couple years ago we had never hooked the switches up to a controller. It really is simple if using LGB power supplies as you simply match the colored dots on the controller to those on the power supply and the ones on the switch terminals.


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