For three years in a row now I have gone to the Harper College train show in Palatine, IL. Every time I come away thinking the S gauge trains were the coolest. Heres what I see.
Nice detailed locomotives. S-Helper has a beautiful Mogul with incredible detail, sound, DCC, etc.
Rolling stock - great detail and scale sized. The wheel flanges arent oversized, Kadee couplers.
Best looking track - S-Helper has a really nice track system with switches with lit switchstands.
The overall size is just a little smaller than traditional O gauge. Gives the impression of a larger layout in a similiar space. Yet the size is big enough so you can see everything.
If I didnt have so much invested in O gauge I’d switch to S in a heartbeat. Anyone else see the advantages of S? For someone with limited space but still wanting trains you can see, S just seems to have it all.
With the current emphasis on scale 3 rail O, DCC, and the high-rail look, I would think more and more people would be turning to S scale. Detail and scale sized rolling stock is just the norm in s gauge. Dont shoot me here, but S gauge uses 2 rail track , just like the real railroads. The layout I saw was a simple oval with a couple of sidings. It was great. I’m really thinking of making a change to the middle scale.
Honestly, I think you are right. When I look at the accessories and a lot of the cars and engines, I think the design and engineering was more advanced than the other products. Its to bad that they were “lost”.
Well, they certainly seem to have nice stuff. Only problem (as far as I see it) is that there doesn’t seem to be an entry level niche in S gauge, and oddly enough someone was complaining about the $$$ of this hobby not to long ago. [;)] The entry level for S looks like it is around the mid-to-upper O gauge $$$ range, which puts it out of reach. Nice to look at, but, I think I’ll keep my O.
Paul welcome as a new convert…Can you “S"ay S i"S” be"S"t S helper has some nice starter sets. But if you want a low cost train try Putt trains diesel switcher or thier trolleys. They also have the tooling for the old rex locomotives.
I started out collecting flyer and then flyonel and the guys at the COSG central Ohio S gaugers introduced me to American models I bought the President pacific passenger set.
I’ve yet to see any model train scale that has it all because what “all” means is something different to different people.
I’ve never modeled in S gauge/scale, but if I didn’t have a ton of trains around here in other scales, and was starting over, I would certainly be willing to give S a serious look.
You might be right, Paul. But for an electrically challenged person like me, 3 rails make things so much easier. Then there is the heft factor. Pick up a post war 2056 or 736. It’s heavy! I get a kick out of asking my kids to pick one up. And visitors are always amazed when I place one in their hands. They are very substantial, if you know what I mean.
I solved that problem by building a small 4x6 layout for my AF postwar trains using S-Helper track. “S” does not “have it all” for me, however, since I like a large selection of 1950’s era diecast cars as well as detailed buildings and animated trackside items for my layout. The selection of steam is also limited.
One of these days I am going to force my mom’s hand and ask for my grandfather’s 1947 AF set (all original boxes too). He had a boat load of track and that set would look real nice in the distance on my big layout! I would even look into purchasing a logging engine and cars for it… no smoke in my grandfather’s engine so that makes it a perfect canidate for a distance engine!
I am diehard “S”, but it was not due to research as much as it was the scale I was introduced to. The size as you mentioned IMHO is perfect, as big as an HO layout, but as easy to work on as O. So as I see I got lucky in the front end.
I have not ventured into the modern “S”, as a trainaholic, if I maintain my focus on original American Flyer, it keeps me out of financial trouble with my bride. As far as entry level, used AF stuff is within reach of someone wanting to get into the hobby. Often complete simple sets go on the bay for under $150.
Hi Paul! One of these days I’d like to get a loop of S Gauge Track & a couple of Flyer sets & give it a try myself. They are nice trains. The prices aren’t too bad on older Flyer either & the neat thing is that our museum in Mentor has a Flyer Layout also & The accessories Flyer made look neat on a O gauge layout as well. Take Care.
Unless you are using Pike Master curves by American Flyer the curve radius is 42 inches and up!! So I see NO advantage in going with S gauge trains far as size of the track, H.O. has same problem! NO space saved with S gauge track!!!
S Helper track needs adapter pins to work with A. F. or GarGraves track in S gauge.
S Gauge may have more realistic detailing and price wize is about the same as O gauge.
American Flyer trains run on A.C. just like Lionel and others in O gauge.
I have some S gauge and have been trying to find new track that will work with my A.F. two rail and so far I happen to like GarGraves track in S gauge, no adapter pins when used with A. F. track. GarGraves track pins can be used on any GarGraves track from S to Standard gauge.
Uh, I think that should be 42" diameter - 21" radius (some manufacturers get down to 20"). Not quite as compact as Lionel O27, but then you go with what works for you.
Okay, so I had the words mixed up but you got the point! S gauge takes about the same size or more sometimes than O gauge track. Not tyring to beat anybody over the head but just want to set some facts straight.[8D]
I made a brief foray into S gauge before returning to O gauge about 7 years ago. I purchased an SHS starter set with a Seaboard SW-1 and their track which is similar to Fastrack or Realtrack. I also received a fair amount of American Flyer from a friend who died from cancer and left some of his trains to me.
I agree the size is great - larger than HO, not quite as big as O scale. Plasticville buildings are closer to S than O and 1/64 vehicles are plentiful. The downside is that there are far fewer S dealers and the selection of newer items is limited compared to O. Yes, SHS, American Models and even Lionel have offerings in S, but I went back to O for the more plentiful offerings, especially among steam engines. And, yes, O-27 curves allow for a smaller layout than you can get with Flyer or other S track.
Still, S is a great choice for many and there are some outstanding S layouts out there!
Again I see how spoiled we are in Chicago with an abundance of hobby shops. DesPlaines Hobby, just a few miles from me, has a huge selection of S gauge, as they have their own line of S gauge rolling stock. Hundreds of cars in stock along with S-Helper and American Models.
Speaking of Des Plaines Hobby, Its a wonderful place to go for detail parts, kits, and all the stuff thats hard to find. Went there yesterday and had a great time looking at all the goodies. Worth the trip if you are Chicago bound, just minutes from O’Hare.
“I’ve yet to see any model train scale that has it all because what “all” means is something different to different people.”
Allan, who knows… one of these days we may meet and have a lot to talk about. I do have an uncle (a die-hard collector, non-operator) who says he knows you. But he and I are miles apart on how we approach the hobby. On the other hand, I always find you and I are pretty close to being on the same wave length on many topics.
The only thing that truly annoys me about those who partake in this hobby are the annoucements that one way is not only better than the others, but in fact the only way. The thing that turned me off so much from the OGR forum were the statements about how semi-scale stuff shouldn’t even be made, how 027 track should be dropped immediately, that if you aren’t running with DSC or TMCC (dang, take yer pick) you can’t ever have fun with the trains, or the worry that “toy” trains will take away from more scale ones being made … it’s all nonsense at the least and intolerance at the worst.
Even here on this forum, the hobby is differing things to differing folks. For example, I’m not a die-hard postwar guy, but I admire what Frank53 is doing on his layout with the photos he’s posted. And theough Jaabat and I have argued in the past over the merits of FasTrack, that’s a pretty nice layout he has and I like what he’s done with the FasTrack.
What we all have in common is far greater than what we don’t have in common: the love of trains. “S” gauge and “S” scale is cool and I too have admired some of the new recent products that have been introduced. But they, like many of the new 3-rail products are out of my price range. So I make compromies and still have fun and still have some pretty unique trains to boot.
I do though have other one thing in common with some of the &q
The abundance of 1:64 vehicles is a big draw for me. I finally decided to just go halfway. Since I’m running O27 anyway, virtually all of my O27 is 1:64 or, at least, much closer to 1:64 than to 1:43, and all my buildings are traditionally sized in that no-man’s land in between 1:64 and 1:48, I switched to 1:64 vehicles on my layout and I’ve just bought my first batch of 1:64 figures.
All that said, If I ever run across a quantity of AF Pikemaster track at a low price, I probably won’t be able to resist the temptation to buy it and either build a small S scale layout or put a loop of S on my O27 layout. I could get an AF 21160 cheaply enough and I have a couple of S gauge cars I could run.
