Birth of S gauge

Having receive 'the 2 rail train' from Santa in 1949, my childhood memories were of Gilbert Flyer's catalogs and the occasional trip to downtown New Orleans at Christmas to see the train displays around town. I started with the No 310 PRR K5 and added a few pieces over the years. Never had a layout per se but used to use their 'Pikemaster' kit to draw track plans during class in school. S certainly is a good size but sadly, never really took off like 3 rail O...

I came along well after the 1937 Cleveland Models introduction of 3/16 scale trains running on S gauge track. I did get a 1950 American Flyer train set before I could walk or talk.

A couple of clarifications on timing. Gilbert purchased American Flyer from W. O. Coleman in March of 1938 and promptly moved manufacturing to New Haven. In 1938 Gilbert introduced the first "Tru-Model" trains, they were scale proportioned HO trains using universal motors so they could run on AC power using HO gauge two rail track. "Tru-Model" was adopted by Gilbert to denote scale proportioned trains, the first to be called "Tru-Model" were HO. Beginning in 1940 Gilbert replaced Tru-Model with "3/16" scale models" in the catalogs.

In 1939 Gilbert cataloged the first 3/16 scale Tru-Model trains to run on O gauge three rail track. It was the Hudson, the Northern, some freight cars and the die cast heavyweight (literally) passenger cars. Think about this for a moment. O gauge three rail track is actually 5' gauge in 1/4" scale. In 3/16" scale those new Gilbert trains were running on 6'-8" gauge prototype equivalent gauge track. Gilbert had to get those new 3/16" trains on S gauge track, which happened in 1946.

Thanks for posting the pictures of those early S gauge engines and cars.