Introducing myself & PIKO and LGB compatibility

Thanks for advice @tacfoley! Hum, i suppose spanish trees behaviour are similar. I suppose you referring to locos mechanisms and turnouts?.

One question, i´m thinking to buy the first tracks to make a first running tests with the Playmobil locos i have, before buy a starter set from Piko or LGB. I´m planning buy LGB track, straight 300mm tracks, metal rail joiners and curves. Curves R1 to begin? or R2 better?.
Also, any online seller recomended? or directly LGB online store?

Thanks all of you for all the help!
 
Valthaer said:
Thanks for advice @tacfoley! Hum, i suppose spanish trees behaviour are similar. I suppose you referring to locos mechanisms and turnouts?.

One question, i´m thinking to buy the first tracks to make a first running tests with the Playmobil locos i have, before buy a starter set from Piko or LGB. I´m planning buy LGB track, straight 300mm tracks, metal rail joiners and curves. Curves R1 to begin? or R2 better?.
Also, any online seller recomended? or directly LGB online store?

Thanks all of you for all the help!
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Hi Valthaer,

Generally the wider the arc the better in my view so R2 if you can or even R3. It depends on how much space you have and you track design. I suggest mapping out the space you have available then play around with a layout you like to see how much space you have. The wider the arc, the more expensive generally.

Longer straights are better as well so there are fewer joins so maybe also consider that.

Have a look in the online shops section of the forum, there are some good suggestions there. You will get a better price if you shop around or even second hand. The LGB shop sells at RRP so not cheap there.
 
The usual advice for curves is as in post #19 the bigger the better. You have quite a large garden so you don't seem to be constrained by space. If you buy a starter set they are always R1 curves. FYI LGB and PIKO R1 (600mm radius) is slightly bigger radius than playmobil plastic track curves but the same as playmobil metal track.

Don't buy direct from LGB, you get the recommended retail price. Most of the German or Dutch online retailers give 20% or more off that. I use grootspoor a lot for basic LGB purchases, and they have a large range of second-hand stuff. But everyone will have their favourite retailers.

Assuming your track is going outside you can buy second hand track. There is a another thread on this forum about this. The track is basically indestructable so no problem with straights, curves and crossings, but you have to be more careful with points as they have moving parts.
 
So over on the other side of the pond you only have Piko and LGB to choose from ?
Have you thought of flex track and installing sweeping curves with all that space ?
I'm spoiled I guess , working so close to USA trains .. I have 20' diameter curves on one of my loops , the other 8' & 10' s . and my flex track came from Train-li : https://www.trainli.com/
 
In Europe i think PIKO and LGB are the bigger manufacturers , and also, starter sets, power system etc are from that two. So to begin, i think its the best option. Here in Spain the trains hobby is uncommon, in my town there are a trains club, but all in H0. G Scale is extremely rare, so unless i go to Madrid, i think no one shop have G scale. I must go online shopping, and in that case, prefer to start with basic manufacturers.
 
Valthaer said:
Hi dunnyrail dunnyrail Anyway, my idea is begining with a small layout, with a small mix of locos and vagons that i like, no following any historical scheme.

Thanks!
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Yup that is how many of us started with an unthought out eclectic mish mash of all sorts of "I like that's". For me that is how I started then I started to do Irish but that involved too much scratch building. Then I fell in love with the Harz Narrow Gauge line and my collection has gradually headed that way thanks to LGB, Trainline with Piko and Playmobile Modified items.

By all means do your own thing as I am sure you will, but temper that urge for a while just in case a theme emerges so you do not have too much that will not fit in. G is not cheep and you can loose a lot if you sell it very quickly after buying it. Long term it pretty well holds up in value though.
 
Sean McGill said:
So over on the other side of the pond you only have Piko and LGB to choose from ?
Have you thought of flex track and installing sweeping curves with all that space ?
I'm spoiled I guess , working so close to USA trains .. I have 20' diameter curves on one of my loops , the other 8' & 10' s . and my flex track came from Train-li : https://www.trainli.com/
Click to expand...

Not at all, with PECO and Tenmille track in 32mm and 45mm gauges and up to 1.5m, as well as numerous formats/profiles for scale and not-so-scale needs, we are not short of track makers here, thanks. Train-li? Not seen any, me.

Mind you, getting either PECO or Tenmille in Spain might be a bit problematical. There's only one way to find out, right? The main problem arises when shipping long sections of track. Best, therefore, to buy a lot at the same time like I did a few years back when Aristocraft was more bargainous.

Best people, IMO, to talk to about sending stuff to the rest of the present EU is either John or Neil at Trackshack, located on the Isle of Man. Over a certain price their stuff has the same shipping costs. Tell them I sent you.

tac
 
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tac foley said:
Not at all, with PECO and Tenmille track in 32mm and 45mm gauges and up to 1.5m, as well as numerous formats/profiles for scale and not-so-scale needs, we are not short of track makers here, thanks. Train-li? Not seen any, me...........

tac
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I believe that Train-Li is the US associate/distributor/whatever of the German Trainline45......

Jon.
 
Hi, just got a call from Neil at Trackshack - they no longer send stuff out of the British Isles.

Bad news for some, I guess.

Thankfully, Trammayo, the RoI is included in the geographical region known as the British Isles.

tac
 
I'm coming a bit late to this thread, but hello and welcome!

You have a wonderful large garden for your railway. I would recommend you use LGB's R3 as your minimum curve, your trains will look much better than on R1 or R2. For my line I used only R3 or R5, with flexi track from AML.

With help from my young son, Playmobil locos and wagons were involved during construction of the railway :D
I converted our Playmobil locos to DCC.
P1010011.JPG
 
Ok, i will see https://www.track-shack.com/,my sister lives in London so no problem with sending, thanks Tac Foley!. I´m seeing there is a lot of places to buy and more brands than i suppose, i´m saving all that info to later. First i want to have a small set of tracks and do a first tests. For that, i have bought a few tracks and switches LGB second hand (from Playmobil Western Loco tracks, they are LGB and 1/2 price at second hand).

After i have more clear the layout, i will go for a Starter and more tracks, probably R3. About the layout, my garden is big, but my wife don´t like a railway in the middle of it, so i only use the sides and the under trees area. I think i will need to do earthworks first.

dunnyrail dunnyrail , yours is a good advise, temper the urge hehe. I think i like Western style locos and German locos as BR80. A difficult mix, but at least, i know i will discard english locos (if a will go for a spanish historical themed railway, is a problem, they usually have english locos hehe).

Thanks!
 
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One fast question from newbie. I have found a local second hand seller selling a lot of tracks, and he sells the "Electric Double Slip Switch, 22.5°" from LGB in a good condition and very good price. My question is, it can be operated in manual mode?. At first, i prefer to operate all switches in manual.

Thanks!
 
Thanks Slawman Slawman but i´m not sure, DCC have a cost i see, it will take a time for me to go to it. After my initial purchase of tracks and a starter set to get a LGB or PIKO loco. Also, i was thinking in use radiocontrol for near all locos. Only DC to that first PIKO / LGB loco.
So, i need to know if that switch can be operated in manual, i will have it in that mode for easily a year. Also, it´s a interesting switch, but i don´t know if its very common / useful.
 
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