To the Brothers and Sisters-if any-in S scale,
Life is uncertain at best. This banal truth extends to S and indeed to the
most beloved HO and to all modelers in any gauge. The uncertainty of life--and
of economics--make the availability of kits, parts, and whatever else may be
necessary more difficulty than the situation was just five years ago.
At this time, I have no hobby shop to which I can go to find parts, some of
them HO parts, such as lift rings, and be certain they will be there. I live
just 30 minutes north of South Bend, Indiana, and there is just nowhere to go.
Notice that I said "go". Yes, I can call Des Plaines, but to be sure I need to
order something worth at least fifty Dollars so that I can get my HO lift
rings. I would not want to trouble Ron simply for lift rings which I use to
put into one side of a hopper car body so that I can thread the air line
through them. I also use them for threading coupler lift bars and may find
additional uses in the future.
Hobby shops have been disappearing lately. Hobbyland down in South Bend
continues to survive, but I wonder whether the traffic through there is what it
was thirty-two years ago when I moved to the area. Hobbyland experimented with
S back in 1987 or so and sold nothing. They stashed the stuff in their back
room, and through a generous discount from them I switched from collecting
LIONEL to S scale. I never was much of a collector because I always wanted to
make the Lionel more prototypical. I have absolutely no interest in collecting
but enjoy S scale immensely.
Lately I have inquired of friends on this list and have purchased or traded
items with them for what I need. This is a good group, and I appreciate the
continued interest.
A few people much younger than I are in the scale and for that I am thankful.
Just wish we had more, but I do not know how to make converts. In fact, I have
only a few friends in HO. Things just are not what they once were. After all,
the youth have aliens to kill and Grand Theft Auto to play.
Tom
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> 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/
