S Scale Introduction

S Scale Has Come Of Age!!!

"And we ain't playin' with toys no more, Hobo!"

INTRODUCTION TO S SCALE

Though I have spent most of my life as an avid and dedicated HO scale modeler, over the last few years, my eyes have been opening to the incredible and amazing world of S scale!

S scale has been around since the early 1900s, and I can remember having at least one S scale train set as a kid. But up until just a few years ago, most S scale offerings have been primarily toyish in nature and were nowhere near correct in appearance or operation. These early S scale toy trains are commonly called "hi-rail" or "tin-plate" and were produced primarily by American Flyer and the A. C. Gilbert Company.

But S scale has seen a lot of growth over the last decade or so, and new and far more realistic scale models, track and detail parts are now availible in S scale. DCC and sound equipment is now also available for S scale, and many models are now being offered with these systems pre-installed. The variety and availibility of S scale models is still somewhat limited, but with the growth in popularity that S scale is seeing, that fact is changing rapidly!

S scale is commonly heralded by its supporters as "The Perfect Scale," and is so called for a number of reasons. The cartoon above illustrates two of the "perfect" advantages of S scale over any of the other scales, but there is a bit more to it than that...

"THE SKINNY"

S scale models are 1/64 the size of the prototype. This is one of the nicest features of S scale, because 64ths of an inch are very easy to determine using common measuring tools, which eliminates the need for specialty rules in many cases. On most household and standard industrial rules, one inch is generally broken down into sixteenths (16ths) of an inch. And since 16 is a factor of 64, the inch can easily be further broken down into 64 parts by simply counting each 16th of an inch as 4 instead of 1. See example below...

Measurement Locations On A Rule

The rule above shows the locations of inches (black lines), half-inches (green lines), quarter-inches (blue lines) and sixteenths of and inch (red lines).

The expanded rule above shows the locations of inches (black lines), half-inches (green lines), quarter-inches (blue lines), sixteenths of an inch (red lines) and 64ths of an inch (dark gray lines).

Or in simpler terms...

So :

1/16" on a common rule = 4 S scale inches,
2/16" (or 1/8") = 8 S scale inches, and
3/16" = 12 S scale inches.

The following charts show some of the basic measurement equivalents for S scale :

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Basic S Scale Measurement Conversions By The Inch
S SCALE MEASUREMENT	1"	2"	4"	8"	16"	32"	64"

ACTUAL MEASUREMENT
	1/64"	1/32"	1/16"	1/8"	1/4"	1/2"	1"


Basic S Scale Measurement Conversions By The Foot
S SCALE MEASUREMENT	1'	2'	3'	4'	5'	6'	7'	8'	9'	10'

ACTUAL MEASUREMENT
	3/16"	3/8"	9/16"	3/4"	15/16"	1-1/8"	1-5/16"	1-1/2"	1-11/16"	1-7/8"

Try doing that so easily in some other scale without special rules! Simple, wouldn't you say? It just doesn't get any easier than that!

MODEL MANUFACTURERS

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Most S scale manufacturers now offer their models with both "hi-rail" and "scale" wheelsets. Though there are a few other manufacturers, S-Helper Service and American Models are the two largest;

S-Helper Service (SHS) packages their models pre-fit with hi-rail wheel-sets, but includes more prototypical "code 110" wheelsets with the model for modelers who prefer the "scale" appearance over the toy-train look. Click on the logo to the right to visit the S-Helper Service "Showcase Line" web site :

American Models offers their models custom-built to your liking. You can choose between a number of different options of how you want your model configured when placing your order. Click on the logo to the right to visit the American Models web site :

The models produced by both of these companies typically come with "American Flyer" style couplers. However, more prototypical looking and operating couplers can be purchased from, Kadee, S-Helper Service, and soon from Sergent Engineering as well.
S-Helper Service and American Models both also offer sectional track systems. The SHS track system is called "S-Trax" and comes with molded-on roadbed, and American Models offers a standard, sectional track system called "Universal Track" which comes without molded roadbed. But for a more prototypical looking track, Tomalco Track offers standard flex track, turn-outs and crossings in both code 100, code 83 and code 70.
Brass models are also availible in S scale from River Raisin Models, Overland Models (occasionally), Bill's Train Shop, Pennsy 'S' Models, Pennsylvania Heritage Models, S-Scale Loco & Supply, The Car Works, P-B-L, Train & Trooper and a number of other manufacturers. And for those of you who prefer to model in accordance to "Proto" standards, NorthWest Short Line produces precision scaled, P:64 wheelsets.
And lastly, for folks who like to do a little reading, there are two, scale-specific magazines to choose from as well as a plethora of discussion groups. The S/Sn3 Modeling Guide and the S Gaugian covers the scale in general while the Sn3 Modeler covers the narrow gauge side of things (S Gaugian and Sn3 Modeler both from Heimburger House).
All this, and much, much more in "The Perfect Scale"... S scale! So come join the fun!

S scale is promoted by the following organizations :

National Association of S Gaugers		National Model Railroad Association

More information will be added to this page as it becomes availible. So check back often!

To S Scale Page

Most S scale manufacturers now offer their models with both "hi-rail" and "scale" wheelsets. Though there are a few other manufacturers, S-Helper Service and American Models are the two largest;
S-Helper Service (SHS) packages their models pre-fit with hi-rail wheel-sets, but includes more prototypical "code 110" wheelsets with the model for modelers who prefer the "scale" appearance over the toy-train look. Click on the logo to the right to visit the S-Helper Service "Showcase Line" web site :
American Models offers their models custom-built to your liking. You can choose between a number of different options of how you want your model configured when placing your order. Click on the logo to the right to visit the American Models web site :
The models produced by both of these companies typically come with "American Flyer" style couplers. However, more prototypical looking and operating couplers can be purchased from, Kadee, S-Helper Service, and soon from Sergent Engineering as well. S-Helper Service and American Models both also offer sectional track systems. The SHS track system is called "S-Trax" and comes with molded-on roadbed, and American Models offers a standard, sectional track system called "Universal Track" which comes without molded roadbed. But for a more prototypical looking track, Tomalco Track offers standard flex track, turn-outs and crossings in both code 100, code 83 and code 70. Brass models are also availible in S scale from River Raisin Models, Overland Models (occasionally), Bill's Train Shop, Pennsy 'S' Models, Pennsylvania Heritage Models, S-Scale Loco & Supply, The Car Works, P-B-L, Train & Trooper and a number of other manufacturers. And for those of you who prefer to model in accordance to "Proto" standards, NorthWest Short Line produces precision scaled, P:64 wheelsets. And lastly, for folks who like to do a little reading, there are two, scale-specific magazines to choose from as well as a plethora of discussion groups. The S/Sn3 Modeling Guide and the S Gaugian covers the scale in general while the Sn3 Modeler covers the narrow gauge side of things (S Gaugian and Sn3 Modeler both from Heimburger House). All this, and much, much more in "The Perfect Scale"... S scale! So come join the fun!