New comer and needs some advice

there ARE other products in the Aster range.

for example, a very good GWR 0-6-0 pannier tank.....for a lot less.

the Evening Star IS a lot of loco for the money.....so in my eyes represents 'good value'', even if I would not dream of buying one.

to me, there are two issues in your question.

One....is there a likeing for the gauge and SCALE of the models?
Two.....Is the real issue centred on 'live steam' operation?

for the first, Gauge one, though 'expensive' [it's relative, of course]...can be had a lot cheaper, if you stick with electric operation...see GRS?
plus Aristocraft offer many relatively cheap, good quality electric locos,though mostly of USA prototypes.

for the second, why gauge one? Why not consider one of the narrow gauge scales....for example , 16mm scale, using O gauge track [for 2 foot gauge prototypes]...or 45mm gauge track....[same gauge /scale as the famous LGB products}

For these narrow gauge prototypes, there are quite a few manufacturers of live steam locos, with prices starting around the £500 mark, and rising.

These are quality products, easy to operate, etc......and equally bulky, if not more so, than gauge one [using standard gauge prototypes].....fit well with ready-made stock from the likes of LGB, Bachmann, etc.....and track may well prove cheaper to buy/lay?

QUOTE (hatakashi @ 27 Mar 2008, 17:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks to all, more websites for me to dig my head into =D

Just to clarify one thing...O Gauge trains WILL run on 1 Gauge tracks, is that correct?
Gauge 1 - 1/32 full size - 45mm gauge track

Gauge 0 - 1/43 full size - 32mm gauge track

not compatible but some G scale narrow gauge stock will run on Gauge 1 track as it uses the same 45mm gauge, some of the wheels are too coarse though and the flanges can bump along the sleepers as the Gauge 1 rail height is slightly less than G scale.

Here's a useful site
http://www.gaugeone.org/

Also Accucraft UK have announced several Gauge 1 British locos that are electrically powered and could be run off batteries, see this thread.

http://www.modelrailforum.com/forums/index...?showtopic=4107

It is certainly most confusing that a variety of different scales of locomotive are available to run on one gauge of track - 45mm. So you have one set of rails 45mm apart and a bunch of models whose wheels are 45mm apart which will run on it but built to different scales.

For example I have a G Scale (~1:22) model of a meter gauge 2-6-2 tank engine. The wheels are 45 mm apart so it runs on 45mm gauge track. I could also buy one of Accucraft's Gauge 1 (1:32) models of The Flying Scotsman because the track gauge for Gauge 1 is 45mm.

I don't suppose this helps at all

The important point for a happy large gauge life is to check how far apart the rails are and make sure you only buy locomotives with wheels that far apart.

David

QUOTE (hatakashi @ 27 Mar 2008, 19:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>That's the part which confuses me...16mm scale, is that the scale of the loco to the REAL thing? (like 1:16 scale tank etc)
I know scale and gauge are different but sometimes I do mix both up....
Model railways are a bit of a mess with this terminology.

The problem stems from the British, US and European modellers each preferring a particular way of describing the combination of scale and gauge and now with the easy accesibility of models and info on the net it has got even more confused.

O scale(UK) 1/43 - 32mm track
O scale(US & Europe) 1/48 - 32mm track
On3 scale(USA) 1/48 - 19mm track (Narrow gauge)
On30 scale(USA) 1/48 - 16.5mm track (Narrow gauge)
O16.5 (UK) 1/43 - 16.5mm track (Narrow gauge)
O9 (USA) 1/48 or 1/43 - 9mm track (Narrow gauge)

Gauge 1 (UK & US) 1/32 - 45mm track

16mm In this case means 16mm = 1 foot which is actually 1/19 scale on 32mm track

Now for the real mess, G scale!
G scale (LGB) 1/26 - 45mm track (standard gauge but compromise on track gauge)
G scale (LGB) 1/22 - 45mm track (Narrow gauge represents metre gauge)
G scale (USA trains & Aristocraft) 1/29 - 45mm track (standard gauge but compromise on track gauge)
G scale (Bachmann & Accucraft) 1/20.3 - 45mm track (3 ft narrow gauge)

I think we should pin Paul's list to the head of this section as a resource!

David

QUOTE (hatakashi @ 27 Mar 2008, 20:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>One more question...sounds like G Scale is pretty good too ... is it a "better" scale to get into than "Gauge 1"?
Better is a bit too subjective, It certainly allows a wide variety of stock to be run on the same track but it isn't really a finescale modellers area as the out of the box stuff often has relatively coarse wheel profiles and flanges to accomodate rough track in the garden .
This is a reasonable compromise if you want to run trains and many of the models are quite good scale models apart from the wheel standards. The LGB 1/26 ones tend to be shortened as well, very well done without looking silly, to go round there smallest 2ft radius track.
If you want finescale looks then your track has to be much smoother as the flanges are closer to scale and not so deep so they cannot deal with sudden dips, on curves especially, without sometimes derailing.
Your best bet is to have a look at some of these manufacturers products and decide what you like and then we can be more helpful in which is the 'best ' way to go.

I've included some manufacturers and some shops with a good selection

http://www.accucraft.com/index.php?show_aux_page=12

http://www.aristocraft.com/catalog/index.html

http://www.lgboa.com/

http://www.gardenrailwaycentres.info/shop/index.php

http://www.dragon-gscale.co.uk/locomotives-151-c.asp

http://www.asterhobbies.co.uk/