Hi Ken and everyone, best Holiday wishes to all!
Now to three point track gauges!
I read in a NASG Dispatch that someone inquired about producing three point
track gauges for S, and that Billy Click new of the whereabouts of the original
sand casting pattern board mold for the three point track gauges (My old
information was that the pattern board had been damaged and that it had been
lost /destroyed a long time ago). The sand casting mold was originally created
and built by Peter Loeb of Loeb Investments, Houston, Texas.
This was my firm and was sold to Billy Click and Gale Hall before I left
Houston, Texas. The pattern board mold also contained patterns for S 3' narrow
gauge and dual gauge track gauges. All the sand cast three point track gauges
were machined to NASG/NMRA standards for code 172,148,125/6, 100. (83 not
common at that time) 70 and for narrow gauge code 55, a few were custom cut, if
memory serves me.
Before Loeb Investments was sold: All the (very precise) machining was done by
Jack Troxell, who asked for and recieved minimal compensation to keep prices
low for S gaugers. All the other work: creating, designing, making pattern
board... to casting, cleaning, stamping code on gauge, advertising and
marketing was done by me. My track gauges were distinguished by a streamlined T
design with a vertical centered fin, heavy durable construction and very
precisely machined rail head guides. The gauges were sold all over the world
and to a number of hobby shops around the country, amongst them "Caboose
Hobbies" in Denver, Co. This was never a "money maker" and was done more in the
spirit of a paid service to S gaugers of ALL types and interests.
The same was true for my S coupler height gauge..the first ever made for S
gaugers...which I created, designed and manufactured. The "Master Pattern" was
machined by Jack Troxell according to my specifications an technical drawings.
Silicone molds were made from the masters, and then the plastic castings were
made (designed originally for converted HO Kadees)... this has been improved by
injection molding and "S" Kadee's and is now offered by the NASG for sale. This
might be (possibly) the route to get a "three point track gauge" back on the
market.
Since I joined the S online groups, I have recieved several inquiries/requests
for brass three point track gauges. Is there really any interest in these
gauges? It would take hundreds to thousands to justify doing a casting
production run!!!! Then one would have to find a willing machinist to machine
the brass blanks to the various code widths and precise gauges. In addition
there are the costs of tooling, fixtures and jigs and milling cutters (which
were frequently destroyed by sand inclusions in the cast brass). It was a labor
of love fraught with constant price increases and expenses, not to mention the
cost of advertising in all S media and traveling to train shows/conventions...
Now a few other words on 3 point track gauges...some old Mid-Gauge brass track
gauges are still around, also occasionaly a Loeb Investment gauge shows up,
also there was a series of lost wax castings made by Kemtron/Cal-Scale (not
machined) that were shaped like a U yolk with a centered leg and vertical rod
with a screw on top. They had cast in place gauge pins on the bottom and were
made for O, On3, S, Sn3, HO/HOn3. The S std ga was made in various code rail
head widths, I believe.
There is/were also several makes/code sizes of a cylindrical roll track gauges
made. Some of which should still be around in hobby shop inventories. You would
need at least three to help with laying rail...the three point is a great
design as it won't roll away or shift latterely. In addition the three point
gauge spreads the outside rail/gauge ever so slightly in curves, a good thing.
If I can help in any way I would be glad to do so, best to all
Peter Loeb
----- Original Message -----
From: ken garber
Subject: {S-Scale List} Re: [SSTOT] S Scale Gauges
> 1. Are there "ANY" track gauges of any kind, size, shape, color,
> style and/or standard available in S scale?
".... have one shaped in a T-form (cast-brass?) and another that's a
bar of machined brass. I don't recall where I got them. One may be BTS.
They're both Code 100"
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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