What is G scale?

G scale can mean many things to different people.

If you're a musician it can have nothing to do with trains..... :albino:

What does it mean to you and what scale if any do you model to?

As far as I am concerned I model nominally in scale IIm which is 1:22.5 on 45mm gauge track representing metre gauge.

I think it's more a gauge than any particular scale.

To me it just means 'large scale with a track gauge of 45mm or thereabouts'. I guess I nominally model in 1:22-ish, but to a large extent the true scale is governed by the track gauge of the prototype being modelled. Scale that down to 45mm, and there's the scale for that particular model! Because I run a mish-mash of stock from different origins and I guess track widths, then the scale will vary. Not that I care over-much - the enjoyment of my hobby is definitely at 1:1 scale.

I am not pedantic about scale or gauge but do believe that G cannot really be a scale if it can be 1/32, 1/29, 1/22 or any other variable ratio we care to model in.
It is however a constant 45mm gauge which I thought was gauge 1?

Here is the verdict according to Mikey HeHe

Gauge refers ONLY to the space between the rails
Scale is the size of an object in relation to the prototype. With me so far?

EG; When modelling G scale narrow gauge railway the gap between the rails is 45mm representing either one metre, continental, OR three feet UK/USA) These are all gauges.

If 45mm= 1 metre (39 inches) then your SCALE is 1/22.5 (13.5mm to the foot)

and so on..The interesting thing is that unlike a smaller scale layout which is all contained before you, a garden railway being more spread out can carry models and people of 1/20.3;1/22.5;1/24 without looking out of place

When modelling standard gauge (4 ft 81/2 inches or 1435mm), because of the bigger GAUGE being represented by 45mm the scales are proportionately smaller ie 1/32

there ya go clear as mud!

Mikey

further to the above which in fact complicates matters is that LGB who the first proposers of 1/22.5 do not make all their narrow gauge models to the same scale, the differences may be slight but differences they are.

Mikey

I often say to people - newcomers to the hobby, that 'G' is not a gauge or scale it is a concept or idea.

It's flexible and varies in length like....

string.

Carl Hibbs wrote:

I often say to people - newcomers to the hobby, that 'G' is not a gauge or scale it is a concept or idea.

It's flexible and varies in length like....

string.

Bloody Hippy

Carl Hibbs wrote:

I often say to people - newcomers to the hobby, that 'G' is not a gauge or scale it is a concept or idea.

It's flexible and varies in length like....

string.

Sorry Carl but G as a gauge reference i.e. 45mm is a perfectly valid and definable term !

G Scale is of course totally anomalous and we should all stop using the term.

For the record I've both 1:18 Edrig and notionally 1:22.5 LGB running on my layout but it's MY RAILWAY and I'll do what I want to, if it looks right it is right!

oooh Brian that sound just like GSM!

mikey

mikeyh wrote:

oooh Brian that sound just like GSM!

mikey

Bloody Hippy go and wash your mouth out for mentioning GSM

mikeyh wrote:

oooh Brian that sound just like GSM!

mikey

If my post was GSMesque so be it!

I think "Rule 8" was one of the truly useful bits of info I gathered from the other place, I know you purists really stick to period and scale, but I just like playing trains

Purist moi? pense pas

mikey

nonsense is a wonderful concept but it is sad that such a rule has to be stated in a hobby which should not have any rules other than one should enjoy ones self.
I do not stick to any rules about gauge or scale, I simply wanted to establish that G is not a scale. I believe it is derived from the LGB days as a piece of marketing.
You are all absolutely correct in what you say about your part of the hobby, no issue with any of that.
We all run trains of various scales on 45mm (gauge1) track, fact!

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this 'rule' for not having rules...Bit of a contradiction.
And an invention by people justifying something that doesn't need to be justified IMO.

Just don't have any rules (or as many as you want), full stop.

It's your gaff, your money and your time so do what you like, no need to put a label to it.

Grammatically 'G scale' can be used as a description in the same way as 'Large scale', 'Small scale' etc., if the 'G' represents something like 'Garden'.

Thus the description 'Garden scale' is a perfectly acceptable (and used) adjective to describe something that is appertaining to a product ideally suitable for use and enjoyment the garden. It has no exact mathmetical signification as such.

G as a gauge is strange too as in the early eighties when more people starting seriously modelling in the garden 'G' was also a fledgling term used to describe 32mm track.
In this explosive (literally) infancy there were many 'Garden' gauges and many 'Garden' scales nobody really knew what to call it as it was outside of the established norms of Gauges 1, 2 and 3 etc. And I think that is how it all began and where the misnomer came from.

So in my summary 'G scale' is just a descriptive term where 'G' means Garden.

So then.... that's 'J scale' in French.

Vive la "J"

pjti wrote:

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............

Sgt that mans asleep put him on a fizzer

Carl's definition of G = Garden works for me.

paul stainz holt wrote:

Carl's definition of G = Garden works for me.

But that's not a definition! It's not definitive!

Again what is G SCALE ???????

I think in modern parlance it is difficult to say what is right or wrong if there is even such a thing.

Really it's what we perceive as G scale and this perception is constantly changing with the progress and development of 'trains in the garden' of all scales and gauges.

I think it was very popular a few years a go to use the expression 'G gauge' for everything on 45mm and avoid the scale issue but can that be true now?.

How for instance does one explain the following, Gn15?
It is an accepted current term.

Can one say the G is for gauge then? Then if so G means more than just 45mm - or less in this case.

GWhizz wrote:

paul stainz holt wrote:

Carl's definition of G = Garden works for me.

Again what is G SCALE ???????

The terms G scale or Gauge are meaningless, a term invented by LGB, and as Carl points out simply imply Garden Railway.
This is really sloppy English but who cares these days!

G

GeoffW wrote:

G

There we all are at last.

G = Geoff scale

Carl Hibbs wrote:

GeoffW wrote:

G

There we all are at last.

G = Geoff scale

LMAO I am number 45 who is number 1?

Jeremy Dragon is number 3 (T scale, or was it Guage?)