Mike, At one time the NMRA did produce a S standard gauge track gauge.
When I was in high school I waited and waited for mine to arrive--heck
the dues were $3.50 and that included a track gauge! I'm still waiting
but if they ever found one it wouldn't be accurate anymore.
I think the lack of NMRA involvement was due to the lack of our people
joining and putting forward a large enough effort--you've got to rattle
some chains if you want some help to escape. And this has to go way
beyond just complaining.
I do think that many from other scales do have a silent admiration for
us, but it's seemingly just not enough for them to ditch what they
have. When it comes to seeing those HO cars numbers many of our local
'movers and shakers' now also model the really big stuff in live steam.
They just skipped S-G and went bigger!
Despite the fact that many embrace the new control systems, and many
update their rolling stock/engines; those same people are equally
unlikely of going too far from home by changing scales. That includes
our own scale and it's diverse nature. Over the weekend's train-show I
talked with two individuals who had the old traditional Flyer. Both
seemed totally freaked out by the new stuff whether it was SHS, Lionel
or AM. They had trouble understanding that most of their old stuff
belongs on the shelf, while the new stuff needs to be running on the
layout despite the rail size or what direction the electrons flow.
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 2/18/13 4:49 PM, Shur-Way wrote:
I was wondering why the NMRA does not have track gages like it has for
the other popular scales in S? It was during the conversation at the
end of the operations session last night of a large HO layout needing
8 or more to operate. Just a couple people knew me and the scale I
model in. During this conversation I mentioned to the HO guys in jest
that if the kept watering and feeding their trains vitamins they will
grow up. The reason for the joke was because we all were having
problems reading the numbers on the car sides during switching.
The conversation turned to what my scale was? "3/16ths". Several
asked if they could come over and check out S. So it was very apparent
that they were unfamiliar with our scale which lead me to thinking on
the way home about the NMRA (all these guys are members of), GAGES and
promotion by that organization in general for S. It seems that the
NASG is in the game all by itself. Is it because the NASG makes the
track gages the NMRA doesn't? I was just thinking that may need to
change.
Mike Swederska
