Happily I am [at least currently unless the economy tanks even more) able to add some S scale without unloading the O scale to do it. I intend to let my heirs sort it all out, ideally twenty or thirty years from now.
"size matters" had better stop appearing in the subject line--it is too like some of the spam I receive. Jace Kahn General Manager Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co. > well, you guys are talking size. apparently, "size matters". > I was at the Indianapolis 2 rail O show recently selling off a good bit of my > O scale. > In every case, as I was selling, I told the O scalers I was not a dealer, > just going to > S scale. > Without exception, every comment I heard was, "it's the perfect size!". > Followed up immediately > with..."I have too much invested, etc". I do too. But...it didn't stop me. > but then, I never did have good sense. > John A. Albee > I tend to agree. As I've made no bones on the list, after thirty-five years > or so in O scale (twenty in HO before that) I have accumulated a massive > collection, far more > than I am ever likely to actually use if I ever get around to laying track > (and still buying more, although at a somewhat slower rate); there is no way > in the world I am > going to REPLACE all that with S scale. S scale is a secondary interest, > although I do envision building a modest switching yard and single-track > branchline when I finally > retire and settle some place permanently. Although I've bought five or six > brass cars, including a gas-electric, I have yet to buy a brass locomotive in > S scale. It is not > that I couldn't, it is that I don't choose to; unless it were my first > commitment, the prices are just more than I can justify. My general rule of > thumb, as I recently wrote > another list member, is that I am willing to spend equivalent amounts on S > scale to what I am used to paying for comparable O scale items: e.g., the SHS > EMD switchers > retail for $200; Atlas SW units (Don Thompson actually offers more types than > Atlas does) list at $225 (or at least they did without the subsequent > electronic gadgetry). > Or the AM diesels are very similar in engineering and design to Weaver > diesels in O scale; although economies of scale in the much larger market > resulted in substantial > discounts for the Weaver RS-3, GP-38, and FA-2, the list on them was still > originally $200--and that was twenty years ago. Atlas freight cars still list > for more than SHS > is charging for theirs, and AM again can be compared to Weaver O scale ones. > My point is that price alone should not dissuade anyone beginning or with > relatively little > investment in O scale from considering S scale seriously. Right now, as > others have pointed out, the major problem is supply, and without reliable > supplies of what passes > for mass-market goods, the distribution network Ii.e., hobby shops and other > retail outlets) suffers, and tire-kickers just don't see enough real S scale > to tempt them. > > On the other hand, S scale brass locomotives as a whole are priced about > twice the cost of comparable O scale brass ones. The one minor exception is S > scale brass > diesels, as the going rate for even second-hand O scale brass is now around > $500 per, with more desireable ones going even higher. Another limitation is > that there > have just been fewer offerings of prototype diesels in S scale, just as there > have been far fewer choices for steam. I was quite tempted twenty-five years > ago when > the Omnicon imports arrived, as the owner wisely chose smaller locomotives, > of which there have been only a handful in S scale. I might add here that Don > Thompson > chose wisely in the B&O E-27; the comparable mass-market non-brass O scale is > a freelance junker also built in the PRC and listing for $500--without DCC > and sound. > It has been a problem in O scale going back to Max Gray almost sixty years > ago that it costs almost as much to manufacture an 0-6-0 switcher as a > 2-10-4, but the > psychology of the market is that people are less willing to pay nearly as > much for smaller locomotives as large prototypes, so importers--who need to > at least earn back > their investment--build what will sell. This seems to be the same situation > in S scale... > > Jace Kahn > > --- In [email protected], "richgajnak" <rustytraque@...> wrote: > > > Unfortunately, the most common response from folks in HO and O you hear > > > after seeing the advantages of S is "I've already got too much invested > > > in..." > > > > > They say that then they go and spend twice as much over the next decade. > > Don't worry they'd buy S if it is easy to buy. I've seen the same thing > > happen many times, 4 track tape, cassettes, vinyl records, Cd's, 5.25 > > floppy disk, tube TV's ,etc. People move on once they can get a better > > product at a do-able price. Stock a train store with N, TT, HO, S and O > > stuff all of the same quality, quantity, and relative price based on size > > and see which scales are the winners.My money would be on S and TT based on > > the ergonomics of handling versus space required....DaveBranum [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: [email protected] [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/
