# G scale price question



## JoeG

Is G scale prices close to O scale for locomotives, cars, and tracks?


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## spoil9

Not sure what you mean by "close".
I sell USA Trains, here are some price points...
Caboose: $170-$220
Reefers: $90-$110
Hoppers: $150
Tank cars: $150-$175
Boxcars or Flatcars w/ load: $90-$150
Locomotives are $400+

Track is $12+ depending on radius, length, or if it's a specialty like a switch or cross over.
Most expensive I saw while doing a super quick search was $220 for a #6 remote switch. $30 for a single 10' radius curve, $12 for a 1' straight track.

These are rough estimates of retail prices. I of course would give members of MTF a discount.
Hope this helps give you an idea of price ranges. LGB and other brands of course would be different, but similar.


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## Big Ed

JoeG said:


> Is G scale prices close to O scale for locomotives, cars, and tracks?




All depends on what you want and where you get them.
Brand new, some of the Locomotives are expensive, but that goes by what brand they are too.

Used cars, look on e bay you can pick up some decent cars from $25 to $50 bucks.
Some cheaper and some more expensive, all depends on the brand and the bidders.

I would say the G overall is more then O. 
But then again look at what some of the new O locomotives are getting.

Are you planning on a garden RR?


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## JoeG

big ed said:


> All depends on what you want and where you get them.
> Brand new, some of the Locomotives are expensive, but that goes by what brand they are too.
> 
> Used cars, look on e bay you can pick up some decent cars from $25 to $50 bucks.
> Some cheaper and some more expensive, all depends on the brand and the bidders.
> 
> I would say the G overall is more then O.
> But then again look at what some of the new O locomotives are getting.
> 
> Are you planning on a garden RR?


Well, I live in AZ and was planning on building an O scale layout because it rains 10 inches a year and is very dry, but now we are planning on moving to NJ and my wife said the climate there might not support an O scale layout outside in NJ. What do you think big ed since you live in NJ?


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## Big Ed

JoeG said:


> Well, I live in AZ and was planning on building an O scale layout because it rains 10 inches a year and is very dry, but now we are planning on moving to NJ and my wife said the climate there might not support an O scale layout outside in NJ. What do you think big ed since you live in NJ?


Most people in Jersey are moving out, your moving here? 
Have you kept up on the high property taxes here? And almost everything is more expensive. Now they are thinking about making all the interstate highways toll roads! But most likely will raise the gas tax instead to fix our crumbling roads and bridges that are ready to fall down. Or maybe the fools will do both!  
Not to mention traffic congestion nightmares. 
Not to forget the weather, blizzards, hurricanes, northeasters. We do have 4 seasons but it seems like it goes from winter to summer and skips spring and fall. 
It seems like we go from freezing antarctic weather to the hot & humid boonies, no in between anymore. Though this week is beeeutifull. :smilie_daumenpos:

Where do you plan on living here?
And if it is not getting too personal....why? 

But all in all NJ does have a lot to offer too. 
I love NJ, it is just some of the politics that I don't like. 
But I could say the same thing (and more) about how our whole country is being run, but I won't.:smokin:

My Jersey thread, 
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3808

Oh...your question. 
I think O would be out of the question here, G yes but O, I wouldn't as the humidity, rain, snow, heat would take it's toll on the trains.


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## sjm9911

Ed is mr nj , you cant tell by his post. Welcome, g is the scale for you. Id never run the o scale stuff outdoors, I did think about it once though. Welcome to nj.


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## JoeG

big ed said:


> Most people in Jersey are moving out, your moving here?
> Have you kept up on the high property taxes here? And almost everything is more expensive. Now they are thinking about making all the interstate highways toll roads! But most likely will raise the gas tax instead to fix our crumbling roads and bridges that are ready to fall down. Or maybe the fools will do both!
> Not to mention traffic congestion nightmares.
> Not to forget the weather, blizzards, hurricanes, northeasters. We do have 4 seasons but it seems like it goes from winter to summer and skips spring and fall.
> It seems like we go from freezing antarctic weather to the hot & humid boonies, no in between anymore. Though this week is beeeutifull. :smilie_daumenpos:
> 
> Where do you plan on living here?
> And if it is not getting too personal....why?
> 
> But all in all NJ does have a lot to offer too.
> I love NJ, it is just some of the politics that I don't like.
> But I could say the same thing (and more) about how our whole country is being run, but I won't.:smokin:
> 
> My Jersey thread,
> http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3808
> 
> Oh...your question.
> I think O would be out of the question here, G yes but O, I wouldn't as the humidity, rain, snow, heat would take it's toll on the trains.


Yes, I do know how expensive it is to live in New Jersey. I grew up 10 miles outside New York City. I moved to Arizona because there was a good job opportunity for my wife and I. However, now that we have kids and all our family is in New Jersey it is getting harder to be alone around the holidays. This would mean starting over after getting our careers up and running, but having our kids grow up not knowing their family would be worse in our minds. 
Arizona has been a place I have always wanted to live and I was fortunate enough to do it. I love a lot of things about Arizona much more than New Jersey and it will be a large sacrifice for me to move back. The land it beautiful, it rains half a day a year (lol), and the people are great here, also it is cheaper by far. For my wife it will be easy because this was my dream not hers. Don't worry you’re not prying I like to get as much information about what I'm doing before I do it so your helping me.

P.S I subscribed to your thread


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## Big Ed

JoeG said:


> P.S I subscribed to your thread


I will send you a bill. 

Just don't put your G scale on the roof.
sjm9911 did. 

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=20888

It might have been OK in the summer up there on the roof.
Good ideal sjm.....run them in the summer ,you can keep an eye on the girls next door while you're running the trains on the roof. :thumbsup:


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## JoeG

What I was thinking was if I built an outdoor O scale layout I would only run it during fair weather for my kids or parties


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## spoil9

On a personal note, I've always wanted a small garden railway. Was planning on O gauge just because it's cheaper, smaller, and i can fit more track in my little space. But like you, I would only run it during warm months and when we entertain. 
It's never come about mainly because we've slowed down our parties to once a year, and the rest of the summer I'm busy with gardening or work so when I have free time it's usually dark out. But I guess that's what an indoor railroad is for.


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## Big Ed

Well if you want to run O outside, stainless steel track would be a must. Regular tube track would rust pretty quick. Gargraves makes stainless steel track, http://www.gargraves.com/aboutus.html
I don't know if the switches are stainless.

And bring in the trains when your not going to run them. The rain and even the humidity would ruin them.

It can be done. Everything you make for it say bridges & buildings must be built so as they last outside. I would say Plasticville buildings should hold up nice in the weather? Marine grade wood for the bridges and buildings?

Check this site out,
http://familygardentrains.com/primer/o_gauge_outside/o_gauge_outside.htm


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## spoil9

From my gardening/landscaping experience I would say ceder is all he would need. Not too expensive, rot and mildew resistant, no chemicals added, easy to work with and stain or paint if desired.


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## Big Ed

spoil9 said:


> From my gardening/landscaping experience I would say ceder is all he would need. Not too expensive, rot and mildew resistant, no chemicals added, easy to work with and stain or paint if desired.



Smells nice to. 
I love the smell of fresh cedar. :thumbsup:


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## JoeG

The track I was looking g at and bought was atlas with nickel silver track the ties are uv resistant and the turn outs are make of the same.


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## Big Ed

JoeG said:


> The track I was looking g at and bought was atlas with nickel silver track the ties are uv resistant and the turn outs are make of the same.


You say G up there above?

I thought you were asking about O outside?


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## JoeG

Oops I didn't even mean to put that g in the sentince.


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## Big Ed

JoeG said:


> The track I was looking XXX at and bought was atlas with nickel silver track the ties are uv resistant and the turn outs are make of the same.


They say that will work too. I never had any Atlas track.
do a build thread when you start.

I took the G out above.


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## JoeG

big ed said:


> They say that will work too. I never had any Atlas track.
> do a build thread when you start.
> 
> I took the G out above.


Will do!!

haha thanks for the correction


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