Thanks, Dave Engle, for your historical perspective. My catching up with model rail magazines is still in 1945 and I do not by any means have a complete set, although I'm getting closer. I bow to your knowledge of what MR decided around 1952. However, from my reading of the earlier issues I found the following: shortly after NMRA declared S as an official scale at its convention in 1943, both Albert Kalmbach and William K. Walthers (who heavily supported Kalmbach, almost never advertised in the competition) stated in Model Railroader, editorially and in advertising, that they saw no point to establishing a new scale and could not support the NMRA's decision. HO and O were all that were needed. (OO was on life support by then despite an effort to revive it after the war.)
Meanwhile, just as the war was ending in 1945, Model Craftsman, an all-hobbies magazine that was the forerunner to Railroad Model Craftsman. started an S Scale Q&A column. The column was always accompanied by a monthly advertising feature by the "Associated S Scale Manufacturers", the group that got S SCALE (underline the "scale") rolling. Not much doubt why MC started the column. Interestingly, the Associated Manufacturers also advertised in Model Railroader, sometimes with a full page ad subdivided into sections for each of the manufacturers. The December 1945 MR announced the first post-war S Scale locomotive, a USRA heavy 2-8-2 by Nord. Cleveland Models were reviving their prewar PRR 0-6-0 and a ten-wheeler but these items weren't available yet. Miller Labs advertised a new form of drive train. There were several other manufacturers. The Associated Manufacturers had started advertising in 1944, but their ads could only be about their plans for after the end of the war. However, some pressboard passenger and freight car kits were available before the end of the war -- non-essential materials, you know. I'm sure this is old news to most of you. By the way, if you want to know what goes into a magazine -- any magazine -- just study the ads. As they drilled into us relentlessly when I was getting my journalism degree, the articles support the advertising (which themselves are based on the magazine's demographic), not the other way around. I note MR almost never says anything truly negative about its advertisers' products any more. Of course, when MR stopped being critical in Trade Topics, its advertising base zoomed. Gee, I wonder if there's a connection. [What? Me cynical?] regards ... pqr [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] To REPLY to the list, use REPLY ALL; to reply to the sender, use REPLY. For those of you on DIGEST mode, all REPLY messages go to the list (remember to edit the SUBJECT of your message). To use our CALENDAR or LINKS, change message settings, view shared files or photos, view the list archives, GO TO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
