>dave said:
>S scale is the scale of the
>future.
Mr. Dave....I've been waiting for S's future to arrive ever since 1969
when I bought my first S scale kit. So far, I have not seen anything
like what you are suggesting in terms of growth. But miracles do
happen..... Maybe the application of Miracle Grow would help?
>As the boomers age a lot of the O scale crowd will realize
they need to go to a smaller scale if the want to build a reasonable
sized layout in a retirement sized house
Mr. Dave...The O scale guys around here don't quite see it that way.
They like O scale as much as we like S scale. Switching scales is a lot
of work and expense.
>the HO guys will want to go bigger as their eyes and dexterity fail
Mr. Dave...Again, the HO guys around here don't see it that way. Too
much is invested in HO to make the change. Plus, all their buddies are
staying in HO. Just like we S guys do not move up to O or down to HO as
we age. We cannot leave all our buddies behind no matter what we feel
about the trains.
>S is the sweet spot in the size range
Mr. Dave....We sure do agree on this point.
>so it's only a matter of time.
Mr. Dave...Have fun waiting. But holding your breath could be hazardous
to your longevity. I remember the days before G scale was invented.
Lookit the growth in that scale. Wow! And N scale has been invented
and grown immensely also. G and N scales achieved mass popularity
during S scale's dormant period. And I am not sure that is going to
change anytime soon. Being old and bald, all I can say is I've been
waiting 38 years for the growth spurt in S that you are predicting.
Have yet to see it. Remember, Overland Models exited S. Sunset Models
exited S. Lionel refuses to make scale wheels for an otherwise nice
steam engine. I fail to see how MTH, Weaver, AtlasO, or any similar
company will find S scale attractive. I'm afraid I am not prepared to
wait any longer. Gotta get on with the layout and build what I have
now.
>Which ever of the big companies that takes the plunge will have an
advantage. <snip> they could build the S scale market like bachman
built the on30 market.
Mr. Dave...Ah yes, but the On30 market did not even exist prior to
Bachman came along. Talk about taking a leap of faith. And, the On30
track system was fully developed and in stock in all hobby shops --
since HO track is used. In the S world, we do not really have a SCALE
ready-to-run track system even today. SHS and others have great
systems, but they are all geared toward the high-rail crowd. Also, the
supposedly impending new big company will have to compete with SHS, AM,
Des Plaines, etc., etc. and all the rest. They will certainly not have
the market all to themselves as Bachman did with their On30 effort.
>The S market will not always be the poor step sister,
it's on the verge of going to the ball, you can't fight physics!
Mr. Dave....We agree -- physics cannot be fought. But this is more a
matter of economics than physics. If S was going to go big time with
big corporations developing major S product lines, it would have already
happened long before now. Thank goodness for our cottage industry guys
or we'd really be up the creek -- without an S scale paddle to boot.
Anyway, speaking as today's wet blanket, I think the best expectation
for S is slow but steady growth with new products coming from small guys
and gals working for love of scale as much as for love of money. People
like Jettie Padgett, Charlie Sandersfeld, Jim Kindraka, Dan Navarre, Don
Thompson, Ron Sebastion, Bill Wade, Bill Banta, etc., etc., etc. to name
some of the recent fellows. Not to forget folks like Frank Titman,
Claud Wade, John Bortz, Bob Blois, Walter Graeff, etc., from a couple of
decades ago. Just an opinion, of course.
Sincerely....Ed L.
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