G scale
G scale or G gauge, also called large scale (45 mm or 1+3⁄4 inches), is a track gauge for model railways which is often used for outdoor garden railways because of its size and durability. G scale trains use a fixed track gauge of 45 millimetres (1.75 in) to accommodate a range of rail transport modelling scales between narrow gauge (~1:13‒1:19‒1:20), metre gauge (1:22.5), Playmobil trains (~1:24), and standard gauge (~1:29–1:32).
| G gauge | |
|---|---|
| Scale ratio | 1:22.5 |
| Standard(s) | |
| Model gauge | 45 mm (1.75 in) |
| Prototype gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge |
G-scale LGB (Lehmann Groß Bahn, "Lehmann's Big Train") was introduced in 1968 by Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk in Germany. LGB products were intended for indoor and outdoor use; so the "G" became interpreted as "garden scale".
Most track is made of brass which can remain outside in all weather. Track can also be obtained in less expensive aluminium as well as oxidation-resistant, though more expensive, stainless steel.
Like other scales, large scale is sometimes used for model trains that run indoors on a track mounted against the wall near the ceiling.