In the model railroading hobby there are various scales to which models are built. Currently HO (1:87) scale is the most popular with N (1:160) and O (1:48) following behind. One of the rarer scales today is S scale. S scale is built to specifications of 1:64 scale and is about halfway between HO scale and O scale in size. S scale is not an easy scale for beginners to get into today however if one is persistent it can be very rewarding.
In spite of its current rarity, S scale once was one of the more popular scales. Right around World War II A.C. Gilbert released its American Flyer line of model trains in S. These trains were smaller than the then dominant O trains of Lionel. These trains were, much like Lionel, meant to be toys however unlike Lionel they were usually built close to scale (some Lionel trains were somewhat under scaled to fit its O-27, 27′ radius track). The track was mostly made out of tin plate as was Lionel’s however it had two rails rather than three and could be made to look more prototypical. While American Flyer never overtook Lionel it was always a close second in the post-war era. American Flyer trains sunk in popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s and S scale vanished apart from a niche hobby. Most collectors for a few decades primarily focused on collecting old American Flyer trains and few new S products were released. Today, Lionel owns the American Flyer brand name and recently MTH announced that they will begin to produce S scale trains. With the arrival of MTH on the scene the S scale market will see new products in 2013.
S scale has numerous challenges. There just isn’t that much ready to run material out there. What exists is often relatively expensive because of its rarity. Much of the affordable S equipment is old American flyer material. Old toy trains are rugged and with a little bit of cleaning can still run well however it is incompatible with the digital control and more scale look preferred today. S scale thus tends to be more of a scratch builders scale. This being said with the advent of the Internet S scale products are easier to obtain than they have been at any time since the 1960s. In the past one had to scour hobby shops in order to find only a few S scale products, today this is no longer the case. Additionally, 1:64 scale is a common modelling scale in and of itself (apart from trains) and is one of the more popular scales for model cars. As such there is a lot of other 1:64 equipment from other hobbies than can be used on S scale layouts.
The greatest advantage that S scale has is its size. HO scale is often known as a compromising size however it is still quite small and fairly difficult to work with with limited skill. It is very practical to build from scratch in S scale, much more so than HO scale. S scale trains show a lot of detail. However they are smaller than O scale. It is possible to build a moderately sized S scale layout featuring a lot of action. While it will require more space than HO scale it will require less than O. Even if it is only 25% smaller than O this makes up a lot of difference particularly when it comes to curve radii. It is possible to build a basic S scale layout on a 5 x 9 sheet of plywood. This is possible in O scale, but it looks very packed. S scale is a very moderate size.
I am a big fan of S scale. While there is no such thing as a “best” scale I have been very impressed by the few S scale layouts I have seen in operation. At times I have found myself tempted by an old used American Flyer set. Even as an HO scaler who has also worked in O I find S scale’s primary temptation in that it gives the extra “heft” not present in HO while still taking up less space than O. While not recommended for beginners, for somebody who is at an intermediate level and who is willing to put in the time to find equipment S scale may be worth a try.
