Small Scale Military Headquarters

I'm going to create a diorama in 1:32 in the near future, involving railroads. I have this cool train maintenence building and it is very close to 1:32 if not then 1:35. It looks to be about right for Lionel trains. If I wanted to convert a locomotive into a German engine of some sort. I can't find much on German steam during WWII, sadly. Is the Lionel scale 1:32, or close? I'd really love to do what I've got in my head.

I can get locos and track pretty cheap. Decals, painting, chassis mods, and god forbid I run into something with the running wheels...

If only I could use all my frickin' HO scale trains.

You might be able to find one closer, it used to be everywhere.

http://www.frontiermodels.co.uk/Trumpet ... 17059.html

At the very least it might give you some parts to use as well as an ides for the best engine you have on hand to use.

G gauge is 1/32 IIRC

I hate building plane models. But cars I have no problem. Trains, I damn well might could do. 710 pieces...

I know I can find it locally, which is good. I've always had a knack for trains, especially steam engines, I never was big into diesel or electric. I just never could afford those really nice engines, with the intricate details, my faves were the Big Boys and the Southern Pacific GS-4 in the Daylight colors...

I've had the pleasure of being around a Big Boy and they truly are massive. The drive wheels alone are taller than me with my arm up. It amazes me how much they weigh.

I always went to train shows and got the bargain stuff. Sometimes I ran across sweet stuff. I have some unique freight cars and a really cool set of Santa Fe passenger cars in the OLD colors.

What stops me from buying such a nice model and building it is the fear of screwing up. It's odd, but I can skate and not care... because I can do it again. But a model, you get one chance. It would grace the window sill in my military room so nicely...

G gauge is 1/32 IIRC

Yes, but that's the gauge of the track, the distance between the rails being 1 3/4 in. The G scale structures (buildings etc.) are another matter, these being roughly 1:20 (or 1:22 depending on who you ask) and this is why some XD fans use Pola G scale buildings for XD diorama purposes, it's reasonably close to 1:18th. The "scale versus gauge" thing can get very confusing to say the least. HO gauge is 1:87 as I recall, which makes it closest to 1:72 for military modeling purposes, but the structures are a bit on small side compared to 1:72 diorama pieces by Build A Rama and Conflix etc.


Model Railroading Scale & Gauge: http://www.thortrains.net/scale1.htm