Gauge 1

[Thomas]

Wondering if anyone is using this scale? Thinking of moving to it. 

[Georgeconna]

25 minutes ago, Thomas said:

Wondering if anyone is using this scale? Thinking of moving to it. 

The German stuff is spectacular in this scale but way above my pay scale. 

[Horsetan]

1 hour ago, Georgeconna said:

The German stuff is spectacular in this scale but way above my pay scale. 

Ah, you're thinking of KM1. Exquisite stuff, but you can buy a decent, if old, used car for the price of some of their models.

[Georgeconna]

 

any really. Even the marklin stuff with working reversers, Steam cocks . could watch them all day long.

 

 

 

[DJ Dangerous]

Lots of scope for 3D-printed bodies and parts in Gauge 1, but you need a fair bit of space:

 

 

[WRENNEIRE]

 

Its sitting on my O Gauge track

[Northroader]

July, 2024, and I went to Larkrail, to me quite a special model railway show in Bath suburbs. One line really caught my interest, a small gauge 1 branch line terminus, by a guy I regard as a mate.

You’ll see it’s pretty well a standard arrangement excepting everything just a little bit bigger, and to me more attractive as a result. Discussing it with its builder, and I mentioned expense, and he laughed and picked up a Terrier 0-6-0T. All the superstructure was made from cardboard!

This aroused my interest enough to go along to the gauge 1 association do at Swindon steam that summer. The bulk of the show was, I admit, bloody scary when you looked at the price tags, but the association admission desk were selling white metal castings for standard axle box/guard/ spring units at very reasonable prices. Slaters do wheelsets, plus loco wheelsets at fairly normal prices. I would say if you can do fairly simple scratch building, you can put together a basic branch line arrangement without breaking the bank, and be able to fit it in along one wall of a room. If you go for RTR items, a win on the football pools would be a help. Me? I’m very tempted, it’s just there’s a lot of 0 gauge tracks in my railway room, and a layout in a different gauge would be a bit too much of a good thing.

[murrayec]

Class 500 G1;-

Slieve Gullion 171;-

 

 

[Galteemore]

Wow. The 500 is striking but that S class takes the biscuit. Simply stunning 

Edited December 6 by Galteemore

[murrayec]

2 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Wow. The 800 is always striking but that S class takes the biscuit. Simply stunning 

Yes, one of my favorites.

Eoin

[Thomas]

The idea is to make a portable layout and bring it to shows. 

[Georgeconna]

4 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

 

Its sitting on my O Gauge track

 

I cant unsee those wincy front

buffers....

[Northroader]

Well, the photo I gave says it all, really. You can make a simple layout based on microlayout design and take it to a show. If you do a search for gauge 1 kits, you’ll find there is stuff available which is a realistic price. Remember that the layout shown is managing quite well on a limited number of models, and because of their size, each one gains a personality and individual interest which you cant get with smaller scales.

[DJ Dangerous]

Bowaters Models have 1:32 Gauge 1 Irish stock:

https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/12800-bowaters-models-irish-range

121, 141 and 181 Class locos, a G Class, and coaching stock:

https://shop.bowatersmodels.co.uk/collections/coras-iompair-eireann

The 071 is not yet available to order.

You can also scale up from 1:32 to 10mm, which is about 1:30,5.

[WRENNEIRE]

On 6/12/2025 at 7:38 PM, Georgeconna said:

 

I cant unsee those wincy front

buffers....

Should have gone to Specksavers.....

 

 

 

 

 

[Mayner]

I once thought of modelling the Irish Broad gauge to 8.57mm scale on Gauge 1 track to run on my Large Scale(1:20.5) scale  garden railway (45mm gauge). Like Sam Carse moellers of the NZ 3'6" gauge tended to chose a proprietary track gauge and vary the scale to acheive the correct scale/gauge ratio. With few kits and an absence of any broad gauge Irish RTR Gauge 1 is essentially a scratchbuilders scale for the G1 modeller.

One of the main differences between modelling in larger scales like Gauge 1 and the smaller scales is that large scale modellers tend to bring locos/stock to run at club/group meetings and each others railways https://www.g1mra.com/joining-g1mra/local-groups/.

In the end I did not pursue the idea of modelling the Irish Broad gauge in 8.57mm as I already had more than enough 4mm modelling projects than I could manage and instead decided to focus on American 3' gauge using proprietary 1:20.3 scale in the garden. At the time I would probabably scratchbuilt or used etched brass/laser cut ply to produce locos and stocks, these days I'd probably use 3D printing for chassis, bodies and mechanisms similar to some 9mm Scale NZR modellers

[Thomas]

What voltage is suitable to run gauge 1 ? Also wondering what controller would one utilise? 

[murrayec]

3 hours ago, Thomas said:

What voltage is suitable to run gauge 1 ? Also wondering what controller would one utilise? 

Voltage:-

12 to 24 volt.

Controllers;-

DCC

Roco Z21XL 12-20v  6amp.

One needs high amps for some Gauge 1 models so you need to buy high end stuff, the Roco Z21XL is a good starting point but you will need accessories if you plan a large layout or multipal locos - the controller starts at €380 and cost goes up depending on what you add to it.

 DC

Gaugemaster GMC-10LGB5F  up to 20V. 5amp. Cost = £280

This could handle 2 small locos! But as per analogue running style a separate controller would be required per track to run multipal locos.

Eoin

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 23:00 by murrayec

[Mayner]

3 hours ago, Thomas said:

What voltage is suitable to run gauge 1 ? Also wondering what controller would one utilise? 

I used an LGB 22 Volt 2 amp combined controller and power unit while running analogue power before converting to DCC using a mid level Digitrax (Empire Builder) command station on the 5amp setting. I have used battery RC control for the past 10 years locos powered by pairs of 7.2v 3000ma NiMH batteries (14.2V). Unlike DCC radio control systems are produced by cottage industry suppliers such as RCTrains https://www.rctrains.co.uk/, probabably best to contact the Gauge 1 Society or Garden Railway groups if your looking at usingb battery RC.