I hope I am not perpetuating the never-ending discussion about why is
S-scale not more popular (it feels so good when you stop hitting
yourself in the head!), but the discussion has hit on a key factor:
It is clear that the one biggest factor that is holding back the
scale, and reducing the amount of actual layout-building among
current S-scalers, is the lack of truly ready-to-run turnouts
in "reasonable" sizes. By "reasonable", I do not mean #3! The scale
model railroad hobby long ago agreed that a #5 is probably the
sharpest turnout to be used, and for mainline use, at least a #7 or
#8. I believe Atlas came out with #5 and #7 scale turnouts for their
new O-scale track line.
As a group, we S-scalers are getting older, but many baby-boomers
still have a layout or two left in their life expectancy. The
questions is: why even consider S when we are still in the
1950's: "Real" model railroaders build their own track! Just look
at some of the premier layouts in HO, such as the V&O, that are being
rebuit -- the old layout may have had handlaid turnouts, but the new
layout takes advantage of ready-to-run turnouts.
Which leads me to my point -- there is nothing more important that
the NASG can do with any promotional funds that are available than to
subsidize the manufacture of truly ready-to-run scale turnouts. No
amount of advertising or other promotion will do more for the health
of the scale.
Most of this discussion on turnouts seems to ignore the obvious --
the premier manufacturer of turnouts (other than Atlas) is Shinohara
in Japan. We already have Shinohara turnouts available in #6 (or
some would say #5), as well as #8. Unfortunately, these turnouts are
not manufactured to proper gauge, and they are not DCC-ready. Note
that Shinohara, who manufactures turnouts for Walthers, re-engineered
their Code 83 turnout line to be DCC-compatible.
A proposal: let us encourage the NASG to work with Shinohara and Don
Heimburger to reintroduce the Shinohara turnouts with gauge
correction and redesigned for DCC.
This will ensure a supply of quality scale turnouts for all S-scalers
for many years in the future. And it will maximize the chance of
luring other modelers into S as they age.
Given the small size of the scale component of S, I could not imagine
that this project will ever pay for itself -- that is where all of
our NASG dues comes in.
Can we get this done?
Dan Vandermause
Ellicott City, MD
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