I buy and sell old trains if I could find them. I run o gauge on my layout but have come across many american flyer s gauge trains. I usually lube them up and clean them and then test them out before selling them. I recently just sold a nice locomotive and once I got the thing running, man this engine hauled ass and smoked like a bashee. What a nice enigne, it looked really nice. I was pondering on the idea that when I get enough space to build the size layout I always wanted how would it look if I had an american flyer s gauge section on the layout, prefferablly somewhere towards the back to use forced perspective not too make them seam too much different in size. Has anyone incorporateds the 2 scales on a lyout before? If so hows it look? Could you please post some pictures? I would love to see what some of you have done.
The American Flyer does not show up the O gauge too bad.[:-^]
Just kidding!!!
Jim
I have an “S” gauge layout that is located at the back end of my “O” gauge layout. It is an elevated modified dogbone shape. At the moment both layouts are a mess, meaning I’m in the middle of construction with stuff all over the place. When I get it more presentable, I’ll try to post a picture. To answer your question, though, I think it will look fine.
Bill
My brother owned a Lionel and I had an American Flyer that were run on the same layout back in the early 50s. The ‘layout’ was nothing more then a bare 5’x9’ sheet of plywood with a loop for the Lionel and a loop for the American Flyer. My brother and I had tons of fun racing our trains around that layout. Don’t get hung up on how things look. Obviously, it will not be scale. But if you like it, and have fun with it, then do it.
Earl
I agree with you completely that if its fun do it, but one of my favorite parts of the hobby isd to try and make it look as prototypical as I could. I dopn’t think it would look that awkward, thats why I suggested putting the s scale towards the back of the layout to kinda even out the scale difference. It would be great if I can find a happy medium where the size looks ok and I could run whatever I want at the same time.
I have had a layout I on a 4x8 sheet of plywood with four ovals, with two outer ovals with S cauge track, the center loop was O-27, and an elevated figure 8 made out of O-27.
I had not taken any photos of the layout, as it was completed about a month before I got my orders to miserable Rotten Groton, CT. I had to dismantle the elevated section prior to the move.
It worked out fine, except for the cats getting in the way and causing a 4 train pile up.
After my primary use Flyer engine blew it’s reverse unit (234 C&O GP-7), I dismantled the “Flyer Sector”, and made a separate 4x8 layout for the Flyer trains.
There is a Hobby shop in Warwick, RI (Apponaug Color Shop) that has a rather nice layout in the store that has N, HO, O, and G on it. All it is is 4 concentric ovals, but still very nice with a number of action accessories that vistors can operate.
I had intentions of making a 8’x10 layout in the back room that would have had S, O, and G on it, but the destruction of my only G scale engine, a Bachman Southern 4-6-0 (The shell is intact, but the drive components are ruined.)
I opted to just leave the 4x8 layout in the back room for S scale, and utilize the rest of the space as a workshop for my “Large Scale Tinplate Train” a ride on train that is 8 3/4" gauge.
The O gauge layout was rebuilt to have 3 loops, the outer one is O-42 and connects to the middle loop via 4 turnouts, and has a siding for the Lionel Crane I have. The center loop is just no frills to run the Marx fat-wheelers I have with no issues.
To top it off, there is an elevated end-to-end for the Lionel Gang car that I got for $20 (the guy I bought it from said it was broken, all it needed was to be pulled apart and cleaned.)
I could never choose one scale over the other. Then again, I have 6 gauges to work with. (N, HO, S, O, G, and 8 3/4")
I will post photos if anyone wants. I think the Apponaug Color Shop has a photo
I am the same way, there is something I like in every scale. Since I got back into the hobby this past christmas I started my o scale layout a 5x8, numerous tempoary rug layouts in o scale, s and ho and a small n scale layout which is 2x4 that I am very happy with the way it came out. If it werent for my urge to create somethingas realistic and possible I would incorporate all the scale I could. I seen at a show once where a club incorporated a small ho scale coal train in a mountain scene meant to simulate a coal operation. It really looked cool winding in and out of the mountain side, a small early era switcher and some ore hoppers. It looked quite good and didn’t look out of place considering tyhat a coal operations tracks and motive power would be alot smaller than a regular train. Please post your pictures I really want to see o and s side by side.
Lionel did exactly that on their showroom layout in Michigan ( now, sadly being torn down ) they put the O gauge up front and S on a elevated line toward the back of the layout. I would suggest you make the S elevated like Lionel did. Also, a fellow named Bill Loop built a layout using both O and S gauge and was featured in CTT a while back.
George
George… Hey now how do you know this layout is being torn down? Last time I looked the lights where off and nobody was home…just the layout sitting in the dark…tis so sad…
I thought I read that on the CTT website. I might have just assumed that they were tearing it down since they weren’t giving tours anymore. I know they aren’t giving tours anymore.
George
LOL… we have been waiting with baited breath for them to make an anouncement on what they will do with the layout… but for now it just sits in the room with the lights out…[:(]
If you run smaller O27 trains, I’d guess they would match up fairly well. If you’re planning on running a scale sized big boy on the layout, I’m thinking that forced persective idea would be better than having them side by side.
J White