The beauty of the S-MOD system and those who love and adore it is that even if
you don't like the standard, you can build a converter that allows you to do
what you want to do 99% of the time. If you decide to connect with other S-MOD
modules, (which some people never do...) then you are simply responsible for
showing up with your converter thingy.... such as Tom Hawley's 3 inch rail.
Bill Lane missed a point however... shudder... by forgetting about the
electrical interfaces for mainline track power. But again, if you want to do
something else, you can show up with a converter box or harness.
That also goes for rail size. Some groups use code 83, or 100 or 125/6 or 148
and we have managed to connect them all via cute little bridge rail dual height
converters.
There are so few times in which a large number of modules from all over the
country are joined. The S module world has evolved into regions surrounding a
few active clubs. They should do what works best for them, and not lose any
sleep over what the rules say.
A flexible attitude is my best advice.
People who stand and shout about how their way is the best way are usually not
being flexible... and are obviously not having as much fun as they might. And
they are also decreasing the smile index for others who are happy doing
something a bit different.
S scale isn't HO or N where 100s of modules exist and are brought to large
layouts. We tried that back in the late 1980s early 1990s but it faded out.
Standards are primarily created with the view that folks will gather together.
That seems to only be happening on a regional level, so the best advice is to
figure out who you might connect with on a realistic frequency. Someone in
Wisconsin is very unlikely to bring their module out to Boston for a module
gathering. It has happened but it is unlikely to happen very often now with
the price of gas (assuming it will go up again) and the financial mess we are
in now. So find out what the Wisconsin region S module operators are doing and
decide if that works for you ... and then build your module and join in the fun!
If you are building a shelf layout, but never plan to transport it to a S-MOD
or Free-MO group, then it doesn't really matter what you do. It is your hobby
and you should have fun! Fun is hard to find these days, so no one should be
intimidated or feel left out.
And now back to your regularly scheduled program.
(While I go back to grading exams.)
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