It Took Over $8000 Worth Of Track To Make This Huge G-Scale Model Train Layout!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2024
- I decided to create my largest model train layout of all time, which required about 1000 feet of G-scale track in order to lay down 3 parallel sets of tracks all the way around my back yard. Thankfully, I had enough track on hand to get the job done... but only just barely! At current prices, this amount of track would actually sell for about $8,500.
Running on the layout in this new model train video is the Santa Fe Super chief passenger train, the Coca Cola Train, and a BNSF freight train.
In the voiceover, I mention that the model train equipment shown in this video cost in excess of $10,000. That was actually quite an understatement, given the fact that the Santa Fe Super Chief (including all the rolling stock) cost about $2000, the Coca Cola train was almost as expensive, and the BNSF freight train with all the freight cars was probably not too far behind that. So, the trains alone cost in excess of $5000... 1000 feet of track sells for about $8500... and the control system and power supply cost somewhere around $500. So, the actual cost of the model train equipment was probably more like $14,000!
This video was shot and edited in 4K, except for the short clip I used at the :30 second point of the video... which was shot with an old GoPro that maxed out at 1080p. For highest quality viewing, watch the video on a big screen, if possible... and be sure that your TH-cam playback resolution is set at 4K.
If you appreciate the work and expense involved in making this video, consider becoming one of my patrons. For as little as $1 a month, you can help me continue making quality videos like this one. Visit / jimzim for details.
Video Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:36 First Loop
4:08 2nd Loop
7:39 No Talking!
13:46 BNSF at 100%
15:17 Aerial Ending - บันเทิง
Hello jim, I lost the TH-cam I was watching , a tour of your 2023 backyard and front Yard. So I'll put my comment here. Fabulous, fabulous, backyard, I'm so envious Jim. Just breathtaking to me. Unexpected burned bushes. Well, you got right in there and took care of that. It looks great. It makes me feel like I wanna come over and just hang out for the day with a Ice tea. And the hot tub so inviting. Your strawberries look award winning to me. I can go on but you get the point I sure enjoyed the tour.. Thank you for sharing a part of who you really are. And blessings to the spouse.
i love watching model trains go round and round all day
Thanks for sharing with us Jim. I know it took a long time to build. Much appreciated.. We enjoyed the garden update with commentary and fantastic footage as always. So pleased to see this. Garden is looking absolutely beutifull. More of this, more often please🙏
I can’t believe your house is now 3 years old !!! It still feels like yesterday you were planning the yard
It's fun for me to go back and look at some of the videos I shot out in the yard in years past. Everything still has a lot of growing to do to fulfill the vision I have in my head of this yard's full potential... but it has grown up considerably since when I planted everything!
@@JimZimJim you are my favorite TH-camr and keep up the model train content.
worth every penny!!!!!!
Wow! Impressive train layout and impressive yard! Love to watch. So much better than watching the news! 😉
I love train s and I love your videos
Really appreciate your candid and honest review of the amount of work and cost outlay involved in this hobby. It requires passion and dedication. Naturally unaffordable for youngster with little income unless their parents indulge them. I myself started at the age of 50 a few years ago with a small in-house set-up with only a 1 track outlay around the hall. Now I have only 4 G-scale, second hand trains and still the one layout. The cost is prohibitive not to mention the space needed. Well I still derive joy from seeing them run and preparing them ever so often. Also the hassle of cleaning the oxidation from the track every now and then because I stay in Singapore where the humidity is high. As of now just running DC still unsure how to install sound decoders into my old trains. Always pleasure to see your videos. Thank you.
Great Video... Big fan of G Scale!
Well it looks like retirement is suiting you will Jim keep having fun with your trains and thanks for sharing 👍👍
Huge back yard! Must be the Pasco/Tri-Cities area. 👍🏻
Love your layout
Awesome! The new layout is real nice-this time, thanks for making another train video. I love your videos your a real inspiration to me thank you Jim!
Great job 👏
Very cool trains
Another fun video! Thanks for posting! =)
Amazing
Hi. Yes, it's very nice. I was able to get four different G trains for a song but they're the Eztec, plastic track variety. It barely fits into the living room of my apartment, but I put lego-type scenery around them.
how awesome!
There is a railroad layout museum that I went to a few years ago that has a masterpiece layout just like this, and over 1 mile of track there
I like this set up nice very nice!
Nice layout for your G scale model trains using three parallel sets of tracks and it looks like you are going to do a four track version though!
JIM!!! Greetings, you should consider doing a Time Lapse video of the set up of this layout and the take down of the layout. I'm sure that video would be a winner (like all your videos)!!!! Best Wishes from the East Coast.
Who! Hallelujah! Holy ship wreck man! That is a ton of track! Love the video!
Hi Mr Jim !!! So happy i found you 💓
Beautiful work sir! All the best from 🇨🇦
Its a bad day today *sees jim uploaded* my day is the best
I'm glad I was able to brighten your day!
I live in Jacksonville FL. So CSX is my main railroad. But we have Norfolk Southern as well. In fact my house is closer to the NS mainline, while the CSX mainline is behind my house. Mostly my neighborhood. Still a reference of NS being in my front yard, and CSX in my backyard. Also truth about me and trains, I prefer steam engines. Especially on Large scale layouts. However I’m more a rail fan and enjoy the modern diesels of CSX, NS and Amtrak. So far my large scale collection is mostly steam engines. Especially ones that run in real life.
I love it
Thanks for sharing
All that flat grass and the trees planted in one single row though... You could plant all sorts of different bushes and flowers, make elevated flower beds to wind the tracks through, build bridges over them, etc.
It's not just more interesting to look at, those flowering plants would also be good for insect diversity.
nice video
Wonderful video!!
G scale works well outside and it is so much work to pick-up all that track. I've wondered why you don't leave it set-up outside at least during the months when the weather is nice?
The longer it sits outside, the more conductivity problems you have with the rails.
Awesome i like model trains
Love the video 👍👍👍👏👏👏.
I just discovered your channel. This is the first of your videos that I watched.
Really cool yard 👍👍👍. Must be really nice to walk barefoot on that perfect lawn.
The trains are really cool. Love the BNSF and the Santa Fe 👍👍👍👍👍. A steam locomotive would complete the trio.
Thank you so much for this great video! All the best!
P.S.
You said if you maintain we your brass track. How do you maintain it? Thanks! Just beginning to learn about the hobby.
The most important thing that helps me keep my track in good condition is that I do not leave it outside any longer than necessary. It takes me a day or two to set the tracks up, then a day or two to shoot a video, and then I put the tracks away again so that they are not exposed to the weather any longer than possible.
Also, in the process of wiggling the track sections to separate them from each other during disassembly, the little metal pieces that join the tracks together can get bent... and this makes them loose the next time you use them, which can compromise the electrical connection between two track sections. So, when assembling a layout, if I notice any joints that are a bit loose, I have a tool similar to a pair of pliers that I use to tighten up the connection.
Finally, as the track sits out in the weather, even for just a few days... and as the trains roll over the rails over a long period of time... the top of the brass rails can get corroded or gunked up a bit. This can interfere with the electrical connection between the trains and the top of the rail. So, if I see trains having electrical troubles, I can clean off the brass rails with either an abrasive pad or a very fine sandpaper.
If you DON'T do those kinds of things, the expensive track sitting outside in the weather is not going to go very long before you start having lots of electrical conductivity problems.
As you can see with what I was able to do with 1000 feet of track in this video, if you take care of the track, it all works well.
Did you know that G scale has different scale ratios? 1:32 is prototype scale of standard gauge 1:24 represents 4ft gauge 1:22.5 represents meter gauge and 1:20.3 prototypically scaled to 3ft narrow gauge railroad. If you ever compaired N gauge track with G gauge track. the tie spacing and rail height will look pretty much similar. a 1:32 scale G gauge train is basically magnified version of N scale trains. I have the marklin 45mm gauge track which the rails are much thinner and the ties are spaced closer together to match the prototype of the scale which it is 1/32 I know for N scale they have two different ratios 1:160 US standard gauge 1:150 European meter gauge. Most European trains are meter gauge which it is their standards.
Yes, in my collection I have trains of different scale ratios... but all run on the same gauge of track.
Looks amazing I have G scale on my deck
I was just going to comment on their speed thanks for showing the difference
❤
Nice video!
How many trains are you planning to get up to like 1000 or 205?
Jim, I would name a station where you grow fruit and vegetables: Healthy Station if the 3 trains go pass by it
This is awesome, if you have a big enough radius of curve would you ever consider getting a big boy?
I'm kind of running out of room for storing trains. I don't really see myself adding a Big Boy to my collection.
Wow 8 grand in track alone! Looking good in the backyard, your trees are beautiful and getting bigger. How long till the ones along the back wall will block that big garage? Thanks for sharing Jim.
The trees get bigger each year, and I enjoy watching them grow... but I figure it's probably going to be 10 years or so before they start doing much to block my neighbor's big shop.
@@JimZim I asked because I remember you being upset about them building it. Anyway looking good!
What's not to be appreciated? I loved the "No Talking" segment best of all. I was watching but not listening to you properly afterwards, because I was distracted by the steam engine with the Coca Cola train. The steam engine was the only model that stopped me complaining. One steam engine running is better than none at all. Also, I've said this goodness knows how many times, steam rules supreme.
While I've got the tracks set up, I'm going to shoot two other shorter videos using some of my other trains. Those videos will have very little (or maybe no) talking in them. And I think at least one of them will focus primarily on a steam train. You'll see them at some point in the next few weeks or months... sprinkled in with some other videos about other (non-train) things.
Nice 3 track mainline
Yeah, I like it a lot! Kind of makes me want to do a 4-track version, though!
@JimZim so you could run 4 trains at once, 2 facing in each direction? I'd be interested! It would be nice to see a 4 track version to resemble some of the more busier rail lines around our country, especially the Northeast Corridor from Washington DC to Boston
ouch, i can't imagine what this would cost me in Llagas Creek track.
I love the trains and your new place! Do you ever cruise anymore??
Definitely! You can take a look at www.jimzim.net/CruiseHistory.html and see the list of all the cruises I've done, including the recent ones. I did four cruises last year. So far this year I've done two already, and have two more booked. I'm cruising a lot with American Cruise Lines these days because they have been having me come aboard at their expense, to shoot photos and videos for them. So, a free cruise is never turned down! But I have also cruised with Carnival and Celebrity recently, at my expense.
@@JimZim That’s awesome! You can’t beat a free cruise!
Jim, how do you get such good conductivity in you track, with only one feed source? What size of power pack for each loop? Great video, and nice yard.
The secret is to not leave the track sitting out permanently. I spend a day or two building a layout, I shoot a video for a day or two, and I put the tracks away the next day. Also, when putting the layout together, I tighten any fittings that are noticeably loose. But the key is to keep the track put away about 340 days a year or so... where it stays in good condition for the 25 days a year I play with the trains.
Awesome Video’s Jim. Curious what app you use on your iPad to control multiple loco’s. And whose DCC.
I use MRC DCC, which is excellent for people that want to control everything from a tablet. You can plug their $100 WiFi transmitter in to any compatible MRC Prodigy power supply and you're good to go. The software for iPad people is called WiThrottle and for Android people it's Engine Driver.
The bnsf train the Santa Fe super chef and the coka cola train were close to each other
You should set up a permanent layout outside, but have switches so you can set up not permanent layouts
First
I love your g scale trains
Edit: i saw a gopro on the side of a cadoose but i never saw a recording on the side of the coboose 13:42
Yeah, I shot all sorts of video I didn't end up using. During the editing process, I reviewed everything I shot... and used only the best stuff in the final video. The GoPro attached to the side of the train just didn't look that great to me.
I've been a subscriber since I saw your Kid train vid ever since
By The Way Great Video
The BNSF engine is an EMD SD70ACe
Santa Fe super chief is LGB right! And the Coca Cola train? What manufacturer made the BNSF freight one? The SD70mac.
The BNSF was manufactured by MTH Trains, and the other two by LGB.
@@JimZim very cool!! Doesn’t MTH make O, G, HO, N and S scale locomotives, steam and diesel?
They make other scales besides G scale, but I'm not sure of exactly which one. I only pay attention to the G scale stuff.
@@JimZim oh ok! My favorite are O, G, HO and N scale!! Those four only! Don’t really like the S and Z ones!! They are ok but mostly refer to the first four!
@@alternative890 (long reply follows :D )
--MTH sold off a chunk of its tooling when its owner decided to retire and couldn't find a buyer for the whole company:
--The HO and S scale line went to ScaleTrains
--AtlasO bought most of their Premier line tooling for modern-era locomotives, passenger and freight cars (but produces it in MTH's factory since Atlas was having difficulty getting its O scale trains made with its existing builder, who had little experience and motivation to pursue O scale projects).
--MTH never made N scale.
--Lionel bought some Premier and some RailKing tooling but unlike AtlasO, never announced which ones--they just mixed it in with the rest of their catalog (at a much higher price, naturally). Pieces I know of are some RailKing buildings, Premier 19th century 60' passenger cars, coil-steel cars, SW-1 switcher. There may be others, but again, Lionel never announced which ones they bought and I haven't really studied their most recent catalogs.
--MTH says they've retained about 80% of their tooling portfolio. Their long-time officers continue to run the re-structured company from a smaller facility in a less-expensive part of Maryland (see the "York show" trip video by 'CountryBunker's Trains' for a peek inside their new headquarters), and maintain both a parts store and a technology developer (in Michigan) for their DCS control system hardware, which will be marketed by AtlasO. Their VP of marketing established a spinoff company, "Prime Mover Communications" which handles marketing for both AtlasO and MTH.
--MTH continues to produce RailKing and their steam-to-transition-era Premier line, but no longer put out catalogs, instead putting out email newsletters 2-3 times a week (which are also archived on their site) with new product announcements that are either regular-issue product that their dealer network will carry, or special runs commissioned by individual dealers as additions to regular production. You can subscribe to the newsletters at their site. Post-reorganization RailKing and Premier items can be spotted at the retail level by the box ends, which omit the pin striping around the edges
--Large Scale (like the BNSF loco in this video) and Standard Gauge tinplate trains remain in MTH's possession, with intent to produce at least some RailKing One-Gauge product, at some unspecified time in the future.
(copy-pastes this for future replies to ppl asking what happened to MTH :D )
Definitely a Hghball freight , thanks for sharing .
What was your firstG scale locomotive?
It was a Christmas set, which I no longer own. I ended up giving it to a friend of mine a few years later, because the locomotive was analog and I was trying to go DCC. You can see it in my very first model train video, which is a Christmas video. th-cam.com/video/6wo5jjDkpLI/w-d-xo.html
how many laps is a mile? it's kind of like a cruise-top walk/jogging track!
I should try to figure that out someday!
I jokingly tell people that when I get REALLY OLD... that cement track is where I'll get my exercise pushing my walker.
Love you Jim do they still make these trains
They still make G-scale trains... and there's a new version of the BNSF train that is essentially the same as the one I have... but the Santa Fe Super Chief and the Coca Cola train are no longer manufactured. They are collector's items now.
That's an interesting aspect of the G-scale model train hobby. The manufacturers usually only make a particular model for a year or two or maybe three... and if you don't buy one during that window of opportunity, they become very hard to find once they are no longer manufactured. Sometimes you can find models on eBay that have been out of production for a while... but the best thing to do if one of the G-scale manufacturers comes out with something you like is to buy one in that first year of production... because it may not be long before they go out of production.
Have you ever gave any thought to railpro? It gives you the option to switch to battery power,,, its worth a read, i just got into g scale, its what i went with and i see no other way given the benefits
It wouldn't make any sense for me, since I have so much invested in DCC equipment already and have a system that works perfectly well. Plus, I don't like to tinker with electronics... tearing stuff apart and installing modules. I like stuff that simply works right out of the box... which is the way DCC works when you buy locomotives that have factory installed DCC.
Would you sell any track? I could use a lot
Foamers.
What in the world did you do for a living to make so much money?
All the train stuff was paid for with advertising money from the TH-cam videos. It was all added a bit at a time over the last nine years. I had quite a bit of track when we lived in California, but I definitely bought a lot more when we moved here to this big house in Washington.
Nice set-up BUT trainsdon't go that fast in real life. The speed should be G-scale as weel . Also, trains don't have horns -- moose do. Trains have whitles. Just sayin'
In the United States, diesel locomotives have horns and steam locomotives have whistles.
Yes its the same in the uk
If you had trains going scale speed it would take ages for the trains to go round
that's awesome wow thx for the share,New sub.😊😊😛😛😛👍👍👍🚝🚝🚝🚞🚞🚞
Awesome video would you have 4 main track looping around the back yard ? 🚂👍🚅
I would love to do four, but...
To do three tracks around the yard used all of the long track pieces and all of the gentle curves that I own. So, to do four would require me to spend about $2800 for additional track. I don't really want to spend that kind of money just to be able to do four tracks around the yard. If this video were to make $2800 in advertising revenue, I'd probably do it... so, we'll just wait and see how the TH-cam algorithm treats this video in the coming months.
Amazing