Hey Alan and the S scale group;
I don't respond very often to express my viewpoints on the variety within our
'S' gauge "family", since I am strickly a scale modeler. I do respect all
aspects of S whether you're AF, Hi-rail, scale or anything inbetween. To each
their own and whatever enables you to truly enjoy this hobby. I got my start as
a child with the AF Frontiersman set and I still have it. In fact while in high
school, I as many other folks graduated into HO and tried many other aspects of
model railroading including dabbling in tinplate of different makes AND yes,
even vintage Lionel. I've been an unwaivering 'S' scale modeler since 1983.
Which brings me to the point: I was attending a prototype meet in FL a few
weeks ago and began a discussion with a scale structure vendor attending who
had a couple S scale structure kits for sale. The first thing he said before
seeing my NASG T-shirt I was wearing was, "Are you into S scale?,....(then he
noticed my shirt) oh, I see you're a Flyer guy". Then had to explain to him,
that Yes I am an S scaler but support the NASG. Why does wearing a NASG shirt
constitute immediately that I'm not a scale modeler but a AF or Hi-rail
enthusiast? I too thought that it (NASG) means ALL aspects! I mean if we (as a
group) offered a Proto64 shirt (which as a scale modeler, I'd like to move in
that direction), I probably would've worn that. In response to many of the
threads I've noticed, we can respectfully recommend preferences to these
various manufacturers and lets hope they can see the light of what we as
scalers would like to see, but at the same time I realize that they do have to
make what makes sense when it comes to a marketing standpoint. With what could
be coming around the corner from China and the perspective economics regarding
our countries, trains may not be our primary concern soon. We can only hope
that they'll at least continue to be an important way for us all to enjoy the
'get-away' from the daily grind for a couple hours a week. Let's relish what we
have. Build what we have, and enjoy our hobby while we have the opportunity to.
Mike Byers
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:17:10 -0800
Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} NASG Membership Interests: was S Gaugers in the NMRA
From: Alan Lambert Fort Worth, Texas
Tom, I agree with you. I thought Our scale was 3/16=1 foot. or 1/64th, No I'm
stopping right there. I think I just covered This subject under one roof. Can
we get along with each other, besides the word United is on the NASG patch I
have on my club shirt.
I think it covers everyone on this list that are not members of the NASG. That
is the one thing that bugs me that we will never know. "How many on this
S-Scale yahoo group belong to the NASG. Alan Lambert
From: Tom Hawley <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 8:38 PM
Subject: Re: {S-Scale List} NASG Membership Interests: was S Gaugers in the
NMRA
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob Werre
I have suggested before that we change our termonology somewhat and rid
ourselves of the AF catagory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
> > > > > > > > > > > >
I absolutely agree - but before we go charging off, what are we changing? I
just ran the NASG constitution & by-laws thru a word search in my word
processor, and neither the word American nor Flyer occur in either document.
Where you do find the term "American Flyer" is on the cover of the Dispatch.
But anyone who says S Gauge have a scale versus highrail (includes AF)
conflict has not given the matter much thought. We are a "house divided,"
but the real cleft is between railroad modelling and toy train collecting,
not differing track & wheel standards. In other words, if my prototype is
the 2013 Norfolk Southern and his prototype is the 1950 American Flyer
catalog, we are not going to have much in common.
We all need to be a little nicer to each other these days, in many ways.
And we can try to accommodate each other in our organizations. But denying
the existence of differences, or misidentifying them, will get us no where.
Tom Hawley -- Lansing Michigan
