G Scale Trains

About G Scale Model Trains

G scale model trains are the workhorses of garden railways around the world. Running on 1 gauge track, 1:22.5 G scale trains have been around since 1969. That’s when the German company Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk released its new line of brightly colored, highly durable, plastic LGB (for Lehmann Gross Bahn, or "Lehmann Big Train") locomotives and railcars to the world.

Despite its relatively recent association with LGB, garden railways were popularized in England during the earliest years of the 20th century. Precursors to G scale, garden railway trains ran on gauge 1 tracks, although O gauge tracks were also known to loop and circle around British backyards, which generally had more room for this sort of thing than the interiors of most British homes...

Garden railways did not catch on in the U.S. until the 1920s. In 1924, at the Los Angeles Fair, the Fairplex Garden Railroad was erected under a tent. In 1935, the layout moved outdoors where it has remained ever since, the largest and longest running railway of its kind in the world. In 1997, the tracks and trains were swapped out from their original scale, which was ½-inch to 1-foot or 1:24, to proper G scale.

Despite this early success and acceptance, garden railways remained a novelty in the U.S. before World War II—American Flyer promoted "Backyard Railroading" in its advertising, but never sold many trains designed for outdoor use. After the war, with the smaller O scale and HO scale trains firmly entrenched among model railroaders, the notion that big trains would ever again gain acceptance must have seemed fanciful. Which is why the introduction of the LGB G scale in 1969 was such a gutsy move.

LGB did not help its cause in the U.S. by initially offering only European trains—there’s probably only so much fun a boy in Iowa is going to have with a model train labeled "Austrian Federal" or "Rhaetian Railway." The new scale did not fare much better in England, where traditions were even more firmly established.

But in 1972, Model Railroader magazine published an article about LGB. From then on, the G scale began its rise in acceptance among an increasing number of model train enthusiasts. Today, LGB makes G scale trains for all the popular U.S. road names—from B&O to Santa Fe—all of which run on brass tracks that are designed to weather the elements.

About our sources | Got something to add?

▼ Continue reading

Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Brass Model Train Collector Dan Glasure

We’ve been operating Dan’s Train Depot, which is the parent company of BrassTrains.com, for about 11 year… [more]

An Interview With National Model Railroad Association Library Director Brent Lambert

The NMRA library’s original purpose was to focus on model railroading, but over time we’ve also received… [more]



See all 54 videos

G Scale Videos



See all 54 videos


Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Airfix Model Railways

Airfix Model Railways

Dave McCarthy's Airfix Model Railway treasure trove is an in-depth archive of the company's plastic railway kits fr… [read review or visit site]

Gateway NMRA

Gateway NMRA

This great reference site for model railroaders, from the Gateway (St. Louis) division of the NMRA (National Model … [read review or visit site]

HOseeker.net

HOseeker.net

This site is a treasure trove of HO scale model railroad manufacturer catalogs and other reference information, inv… [read review or visit site]

Tech Model Railroad Club of MIT

Tech Model Railroad Club of MIT

MIT's model railroad club, as one might expect, has one of the best websites for learning about how people play wit… [read review or visit site]


Got a site to suggest? Let us know.




Clubs & Associations: Model Trains


Other Great Reference Sites: Model Trains

Are we missing one? Tell us.

Top eBay Auctions  Help | Get weekly G Scale Trains email

Sorted by        
Nyc Hudson #5344 Aster All Brass - One Guage - 1:32$2,950 Ends Monday 3 bids 27 watchers
Lgb G Scale Orient Express Set #70685, Pullman 31655$2,000 Ends Monday 1 bid 36 watchers
Accucraft C-19 Live Steam #al-87-134 Green Boiler$1,500 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 29 watchers
New Lgb G Scale Us Mikado Train Engine Digital Sound$1,025 Ends in 20 hours 13 bids 50 watchers
Ams Accucraft G Scale Brass 1/20.3 C&s Locomotive Buy it Now$1,000.00 Ends Thursday 6 bids 21 watchers
Lgb 23872 Mikado Steam Loco, Sound - Mint$910.00 Ends Tuesday 5 bids 54 watchers
Accucraft:c&s # 59 Locomotive / New In Box Buy it Now$798.00 Ends Tuesday 6 bids 29 watchers
Bachman Spectrum K27 Rio Grande Loco Engine Sound1:20.3$695.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 10 watchers
Lgb G Scale Train Set$546.25 Ends Monday 7 bids 26 watchers
G Scale Usa Trains Santa Fe 5 Car Passenger Set$500.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 17 watchers
Mth Railking One-gauge Santa Fe F-7 A-b-b-a Used!! $425.00 Ends in 19 hours 1 bid 10 watchers
Kalamazoo Complete Reno Train Set W/soundworks #1639$399.99 Ends in 21 hours 1 bid 8 watchers
Discd/soldout Lgb22382 Xmas Streetcar W/sound & Decoder$389.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 6 watchers
Lgb C&s Steam Mogul W/sound & Dcc Kadee 23196$356.01 Ends in 13 hours 9 bids 60 watchers
Lgb 1061 Track Used 24 Pcs Of 1200mm Approx 95 Feet$355.00 Ends in 16 hours 17 bids 19 watchers
Lgb #2095n Diesel Twin Motor Loco, Mib, Brand New Wow!!$355.00 Ends Monday 16 bids 29 watchers
Bachmann Spectrum G-scale 3 Truck Shay 82498 R&w Black$327.99 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 14 watchers
Dnrg Engine 2 Pass. & 1 Obsrvtn Cars Runs On Lgb Track$305.00 Ends Monday 2 bids 14 watchers
Lgb White Pass Diesel Locomotive & W.p. Caboose Lnib!! $305.00 Ends in 17 hours 1 bid 33 watchers
Westside Lumber Co. Climax $300.00 Ends Tuesday 23 bids 33 watchers
Lgb 21382 New York Streetcar W/ Sound $294.98 Ends Saturday 9 bids 18 watchers
Lgb 22182 2-6-0 Steam Loco W/sound $280.79 Ends in 14 hours 23 bids 66 watchers
Lgb #22801 Engine Brand New Original Box$279.00 Ends in 15 hours 1 bid 34 watchers
Lgb 20420 Mob Pantograph Loco With Lgb Sound$260.00 Ends in 21 hours 4 bids 34 watchers
Aristo-craft Pennsylvania 4-6-2 Pacific Steam Loco$259.99 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 9 watchers
Lgb 2051s / 2051 S Db Diesel Engine Electronic / Sound$255.00 Ends Monday 7 bids 21 watchers
Lgb 2046 Rack Loco Furka Oberalp Fo Great Condition Box$255.00 Ends in 20 hours 10 bids 29 watchers
New Ams Accucraft Brass 0587 D&rgw Train Long Caboose$205.50 Ends Monday 7 bids 26 watchers
G Gauge - Aristo Craft Mikado 2-8-2 Stm Engine W/tender$203.50 Ends in 21 hours 19 bids 32 watchers
Aristo Craft Sd-45 G Gauge Locomotive Art-22415 Reading$202.50 Ends Tuesday 6 bids 12 watchers
Rare! Lgb 72545 Blue Passenger Christmas Train Set$202.50 Ends in 10 hours 12 bids 52 watchers
Lgb White Pass Centennial Numbered Series Set$202.50 Ends in 17 hours 2 bids 25 watchers
G Gauge Aristo Craft 12 Pc 60" Straight Track - Nib$201.59 Ends in 21 hours 14 bids 12 watchers
Lgb Train Set$200.00 Ends in 22 hours 1 bid 5 watchers
R/c G Scale Steam Locomotive Train Set - New In Box$199.99 Ends in 7 hours 1 bid 9 watchers
Bachmann Spectrum G-scale 2-6-0 Mogul Yellow Pine New$199.50 Ends in 23 hours 1 bid 3 watchers
Lgb Pennsylvania Prr 20251.1 Forney Engine$193.49 Ends Tuesday 7 bids 23 watchers
Usa Santa Fe Engine, Sd70 G-scale$172.50 Ends in 15 hours 3 bids 26 watchers
Lgb Santa's Christmas Express Train 21020 G Scale Mib$172.50 Ends Wednesday 9 bids 17 watchers
Lgb G 2019s Colorado & Southern Locomotive Sound/smoke$162.50 Ends Friday 10 bids 40 watchers
L.g.b. German Made G Scale Train Set All Complete.$162.50 Ends in 12 hours 5 bids 12 watchers
Lionel 11022, G Scale, Polar Express Train Set$159.00 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 7 watchers
Brand New Lgb G Train Amtrak Diesel Loco 21490-824$158.00 Ends in 20 hours 10 bids 8 watchers
Lgb G 2156s Santa Fe Queen Mary Series Diesel Engine$157.50 Ends Friday 13 bids 38 watchers
Bachmann 81295, G Scale, 2-8-0 Deadwood Central #5$152.50 Ends in 20 hours 8 bids 29 watchers
Lgb 2050 Tramway Steam Locomotive$150.00 Ends in 1 hour 1 bid 19 watchers
Kiss Lgb Rhb Rhatische Bahn High Side Wagon Xk 9083$150.00 Ends Wednesday 10 bids 15 watchers
Usa Trains R22366 Cb&q Burlington F-3 A Unit New In Bx$148.27 Ends Tuesday 8 bids 11 watchers
Bachmann G Scale 4-6-0 Annie Black Engine & Tender$147.50 Ends Tuesday 9 bids 28 watchers
G Scale House Lgb Usa Garden Gauge Train Track Building$145.00 Ends in 20 hours 1 bid 7 watchers
Kiss Lgb Rhb Rhatische Bahn Work Train Wagon Xbk 9098$141.50 Ends Wednesday 8 bids 14 watchers
Lgb G Scale Passenger Train Set #20301-big Train$139.99 Ends Thursday 1 bid 12 watchers
Complete Tree-ready Christmas Train Set By Lgb$137.50 Ends in 15 hours 12 bids 37 watchers
Lgb 40560 Hot Metal Motorized Dump Car Mtl Whls New $132.50 Ends in 20 hours 11 bids 21 watchers
Bachmann G Scale New Long Caboose Super Detailed 88797$131.50 Ends in 46 mins 1 bid 4 watchers
Lionel G Scale 4-4-2, A.t.s.f. Steam Loco And Tender $130.00 Ends in 19 hours 12 bids 17 watchers
4 Aristo Craft G Scale Aluminum Santa Fe Passenger Cars$127.50 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 20 watchers
Polar Express Lionel G Gauge Christmas Train Set$126.49 Ends in 13 hours 20 bids 35 watchers

»» Get our weekly G Scale Trains email
Right now on eBay



Recent News: G Scale Trains

Source: Google News

New Hobby Retail Store Opens At EnterTRAINment Junction In West Chester
Cincinnati.com, October 30th

Train hobbyists will find a huge collection of G-scale and HO-scale trains and train-related items from the top manufactures in the industry -- USA Trains,...Read more

Train show to feature Ritzville, Sprague inter-city railroad telegraph event
Ritzville Adams County Journal, October 30th

The show will feature the entire layout of the Inland Northwest Garden Railroad Society's G-scale active model railroad display...Read more

Model trains on display at Elks
Sarasota Herald-Tribune, October 27th

If the interest spreads, the whole family can construct a track that runs through their backyard with a large scale, or G Scale train set,...Read more

Events for Oct. 22-29
OregonLive.com, October 22nd

PICK OF THE WEEK: At 11:30 am Tuesday, join in the unveiling of the Miniature Train Garden at The Oregon Garden. The G-scale Southern Pacific locomotive...Read more

Trainfest 2009 delivers loads of kid-friendly fun
OnMilwaukee.com, October 19th

Trainfest will feature operating layouts from Z to G scale, and manufacturers and vendors will bring everything from starter train sets to miniature cars...Read more

Wildlife notes: Pheasant season open; brood survey shows numbers similar to '08
St. Joseph Herald Palladium (subscription), October 16th

of the Southwestern Michigan Garden Railway Club and other area train enthusiasts will bring their favorite G-scale trains to run on Fernwood's tracks...Read more

Model Trains

See also

Tools