G scale train help needed

[samyshane]

Hopefully someone can help me.  I just found "The Fast Mail" G Scale train set that my mom used to use that hasn't been used in at least 10 years.  Those are the only train cars that I have and would like to add more.  I tried to look on the site for additional cars but am a little confused.  Can I just get a car that is characterized G Scale ?  Some look to me to be different sizes but say G scale.  Any information would be helpful.  Thanks

[Chuck N]

There are 5 or more scales that run on "G" gauge track.  Your set is a Big Hauler line from Bachmann.  They have many cars in that line suitable for your train.  The scale is 1:22.5/24.  They also make Spectrum series which is 1:20.3 scale.  It would not be an appropriate fit with your Big Hauler rolling stock. In my mind the Spectrum cars would look too big.

Since this is Bachmann's site, I won't mention other manufacturers who make suitable cars in your scale.

Chuck

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi Samy,

Bachmann makes many cars to a scale of 1:22.5 which is what your Fast Mail train set is.  Click on the link below to get to the Big Hauler line of products and accessories that match your train scale the best. 
http://shop.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=879_718
There are many mail order companies out there besides the online Bachmann Store, and some are discount stores.  Since you are new I suggest Robbie at rldhobbies.com .  He answers all calls personally and you can be sure of not only getting a good price, but also the kind of advice that can prevent you from making expensive purchase mistakes.  There are other great dealers as well, and if you can find a current copy of Garden Railways magazine they have a lot of great ads from dealers who sell Bachmann Products. 

Have fun with your new find!!

Loco Bill

[samyshane]

thanks chuck very helpful

[RkyGriz]

Building on what our fellow enthusiasts have already said, I've been in the G Scale hobby for 11 years myself and I've always found everything I need on Ebay. There are some terrific deals and you can save a lot of money and time buying your trains from Ebay sellers. Bachmann is only one of the many various makers of G Scale trains. You will find virtually every maker of G Scale trains products there for sale and it's a lot easier than searching through various websites on the internet to find what you need/want. Type in G Scale in the Ebay search bar, press "enter" and select G Scale Trains from the left side category list and you'll see so many great items I can almost guarantee you that you'll find what you're looking for.
Have fun!
Andrew

[Loco Bill Canelos]

While there are often good deals on Ebay, there can be a lot of problems as well.  Recently a friend got some Bachamnn freight cars where the seller changed the original metal wheels to plastic wheels and there were also some missing grab irons hard to see in the photos.  Since the friend did not notice the plastic wheels and the seller said nothing about the wheels or missing parts he was flat out of luck as the cost of doing a return did not make it pay for a return.

When buying a used Big Hauler 4-6-0 it is often likely that the one for sale/bid is an older version with the older less reliable chassis and drive train.  If a buyer wants one with the reliable version 5 chassis, they may not get it unless in the know and understand what questions to ask the seller. 

[RkyGriz]

All very true, Bill.You have to be smart about it and  look carefully at the pics and ask the seller any questions that you might have about the item. Every train item I own was purchased on Ebay, with the one exception that I sent back to Bachmann for repairs(they replaced it even though the issues I sent it back for were only cosmetic)I've never had a problem buying train stuff on Ebay. Far better than buying from a high priced hobby shop or online retailer in my humble opinion. Oh well, to each his own!
Later.
Andrew