In 1937 the Cleveland Model & Supply Company C-D) were manufacturers of wooden airplane kits, but decided to enter the
model railroad market. Their scale chosen was 3/16" to one foot on a 7/8" track gauge for a 1:64 ratio, and was marketed as
'C-D' gauge. The designation "S Gauge" originated at a National Model Railroad Association Convention held in the summer
of 1943 where names of various gauges were officially adopted by a committee. Legend has it that Al Kalmbach noticed the
repetition of S in the sixteenths and 'sixty-fourths' and suggested that "S" be adopted at that convention. As the legend
further goes, it was hot and getting late and the committee wanted to hit the tavern for a cold beer so "S" it was and the
meeting ended.
A. C. Gilbert Co. purchased the Chicago firm American Flyer in 1936 but did not use the designation until 1946 when they
introduced their two rail S Gauge line, most of which had been re-gauged from their "3/16ths - 0 Gauge" line, introduced in
1939 after most of the Standard and 0 Gauge inventory acquired from the Chicago company had been depleted. Gilbert
continued "S" production until the company failed in 1968, whereupon the Lionel Corporation acquired the name, tooling and
most of the remaining inventory. Hobby Surplus Sales bought much of the parts and unfinished inventory.
In 1979, Lionel brought out three brand new cars for AF and that re initiated AF and began a whole new era that continues to
this day. K-line also made items for AF layouts. Most of the modern day S scale manufacturers make AF/compatible locos an
rolling stock and usually provide the same equipment for the scalers.
THERE IS MORE TO COME
A far more complete history of S can be found at the NASG website (http://www.nasg.org/articles_1)
model railroad market. Their scale chosen was 3/16" to one foot on a 7/8" track gauge for a 1:64 ratio, and was marketed as
'C-D' gauge. The designation "S Gauge" originated at a National Model Railroad Association Convention held in the summer
of 1943 where names of various gauges were officially adopted by a committee. Legend has it that Al Kalmbach noticed the
repetition of S in the sixteenths and 'sixty-fourths' and suggested that "S" be adopted at that convention. As the legend
further goes, it was hot and getting late and the committee wanted to hit the tavern for a cold beer so "S" it was and the
meeting ended.
A. C. Gilbert Co. purchased the Chicago firm American Flyer in 1936 but did not use the designation until 1946 when they
introduced their two rail S Gauge line, most of which had been re-gauged from their "3/16ths - 0 Gauge" line, introduced in
1939 after most of the Standard and 0 Gauge inventory acquired from the Chicago company had been depleted. Gilbert
continued "S" production until the company failed in 1968, whereupon the Lionel Corporation acquired the name, tooling and
most of the remaining inventory. Hobby Surplus Sales bought much of the parts and unfinished inventory.
In 1979, Lionel brought out three brand new cars for AF and that re initiated AF and began a whole new era that continues to
this day. K-line also made items for AF layouts. Most of the modern day S scale manufacturers make AF/compatible locos an
rolling stock and usually provide the same equipment for the scalers.
THERE IS MORE TO COME
A far more complete history of S can be found at the NASG website (http://www.nasg.org/articles_1)
 |
 |
| A Short History of S Scale |
| All About The S Scale Penn Western |
The Penn Western began in 1952 with a set of American Flyers (4904T). The next year the 5312T set was added. In 1954, I persuaded
my dad to let me have a small layout in our West Philadelphia row house basement. IN 1960 a local hobby shop was selling their
entire stock of AF at rock bottom prices and I managed on my Western Union Telegraph messenger salary (minimum wage) to build
up quite a collection. Most of the items have been sold to provide capital for the scale items added to the PW. I did keep some of the
more common items and many of them were converted to scale using Ace parts and Kadee #5 couplers. Many S scalers did likewise
especially during those days when not much was available.
A turn in the Army from 1962-1965 curtailed my model railroading a bit. After discharge, I maintained my AF layouts until I moved to a
new house in 1981. At that point I decided to gravitate more to the scale side of S and began the first true Penn Western layout in a
1 1/2 car garage. It was a hirail layout. In the fall of 1988, Classic Toy Trains was in its first year and I got my first ever article
published in Volume 1, No 3. The article won the second annual NASG Perles Publications Award for 1989. The article was
republished by CTT in a special booklet called "Toy Train Layout Tour". Although the PW was now a hirail layout there was still a
strong AF influence which gave it an appeal to CTT.
In 1992 it looked like employment problems would cause a move, so the PW had to be dismantled. A new job guaranteed that I would
stay in my house, so the PW was to be re erected. At that point I decided to have a scale layout. I started with an American Models
FP7 and hand laid code 100 track and used code 100 Shinohara switches. The PW was featured in a cover story in the Sep/Oct 1995
issue of the S Gaugian magazine. Other S Gaugian cover stories followed in Jul/Aug 1998, May/June 2000 and May/June 2003.
Two lifelong dreams came true when Model Railroader magazine featured the PW in the Dec 2002 Trackside Photos and a feature
article in the October 2004 issue. Today the Penn Western resides in South Central PA where I'm retired and takes up a 29' X 45'
footprint in my basement. That's a lot of layout to maintain and enhance, and keeps me happily busy. I laugh at those who say that
"There's nothing available in S". I like to show the layout at various NMRA Mid-East Region conventions and show others what you
can have and do in S scale.
my dad to let me have a small layout in our West Philadelphia row house basement. IN 1960 a local hobby shop was selling their
entire stock of AF at rock bottom prices and I managed on my Western Union Telegraph messenger salary (minimum wage) to build
up quite a collection. Most of the items have been sold to provide capital for the scale items added to the PW. I did keep some of the
more common items and many of them were converted to scale using Ace parts and Kadee #5 couplers. Many S scalers did likewise
especially during those days when not much was available.
A turn in the Army from 1962-1965 curtailed my model railroading a bit. After discharge, I maintained my AF layouts until I moved to a
new house in 1981. At that point I decided to gravitate more to the scale side of S and began the first true Penn Western layout in a
1 1/2 car garage. It was a hirail layout. In the fall of 1988, Classic Toy Trains was in its first year and I got my first ever article
published in Volume 1, No 3. The article won the second annual NASG Perles Publications Award for 1989. The article was
republished by CTT in a special booklet called "Toy Train Layout Tour". Although the PW was now a hirail layout there was still a
strong AF influence which gave it an appeal to CTT.
In 1992 it looked like employment problems would cause a move, so the PW had to be dismantled. A new job guaranteed that I would
stay in my house, so the PW was to be re erected. At that point I decided to have a scale layout. I started with an American Models
FP7 and hand laid code 100 track and used code 100 Shinohara switches. The PW was featured in a cover story in the Sep/Oct 1995
issue of the S Gaugian magazine. Other S Gaugian cover stories followed in Jul/Aug 1998, May/June 2000 and May/June 2003.
Two lifelong dreams came true when Model Railroader magazine featured the PW in the Dec 2002 Trackside Photos and a feature
article in the October 2004 issue. Today the Penn Western resides in South Central PA where I'm retired and takes up a 29' X 45'
footprint in my basement. That's a lot of layout to maintain and enhance, and keeps me happily busy. I laugh at those who say that
"There's nothing available in S". I like to show the layout at various NMRA Mid-East Region conventions and show others what you
can have and do in S scale.