S Scale

DL&W Pete, welcome to S scale! That question you just posed is one we would all like to have answered. What will happen to the Showcase Line? MTH purchased the Showcase line from SHS and except for the packaging all the track products are identical. So when searching for track search as SHS/MTH. MTH makes 19", 24" and 29" radius curves, uncouplers, bumpers, action tracks and 19"radius turnouts. They make 5", 10" and 15" straight sections. They also of course make flex track.

My layout is built with all MTH flex track. The layout is basically scale except for the .138 rail rather than code 83. I did that so I could run Lionel American Flyer engines. All the Legacy engines beginning with the Y-3 and newer will run on DCC. If you cannot find MTH flex just buy the Fox Valley flex, it has the same .138 rail height. Fox Valley also makes excellent #5 turnouts.

Since I needed a lot of #6 and #8 turnouts, I paid to have them custom made for my layout using the MTH rail we stripped from their flex track.

There are several very experienced S scalers here, some of whom have already provided information. Technically I am a High Rail operator since I have .138" rail on my layout. However I can run all but the longest wheelbase scale equipment on my layout.

Check out http://www.foxvalleymodels.com/ They have S gauge turnouts and flex track that is the same code as MTH (formerly S-helper)

@AmFlyer posted:

DL&W Pete, welcome to S scale! That question you just posed is one we would all like to have answered. What will happen to the Showcase Line? MTH purchased the Showcase line from SHS and except for the packaging all the track products are identical. So when searching for track search as SHS/MTH. MTH makes 19", 24" and 29" radius curves, uncouplers, bumpers, action tracks and 19"radius turnouts. They make 5", 10" and 15" straight sections. They also of course make flex track.

My layout is built with all MTH flex track. The layout is basically scale except for the .138 rail rather than code 83. I did that so I could run Lionel American Flyer engines. All the Legacy engines beginning with the Y-3 and newer will run on DCC. If you cannot find MTH flex just buy the Fox Valley flex, it has the same .138 rail height. Fox Valley also makes excellent #5 turnouts.

Since I needed a lot of #6 and #8 turnouts, I paid to have them custom made for my layout using the MTH rail we stripped from their flex track.

There are several very experienced S scalers here, some of whom have already provided information. Technically I am a High Rail operator since I have .138" rail on my layout. However I can run all but the longest wheelbase scale equipment on my layout.

Thank you @AmFlyer,

I have had these AM E8's for two years now, still have not been on a track or seen power yet. I love the size of these engines when you put them next to HO and see the difference with O. The size looks "just right", I am going to enjoy this new journey into S scale.

Great fleet of AM engines! I have a large fleet of AM engines as well. Three are steam engines the balance are diesels. Only 3 of my diesels are E8's but I like them. Two are Trainmasters, another favorite of mine. Some of my AM's are high rail and some are scale wheels.

@AmFlyer posted:

Great fleet of AM engines! I have a large fleet of AM engines as well. Three are steam engines the balance are diesels. Only 3 of my diesels are E8's but I like them. Two are Trainmasters, another favorite of mine. Some of my AM's are high rail and some are scale wheels.

All of the small engines are HO, O on the bottom and the two S on top.

@DL&W Pete posted:

Thank you @AmFlyer,

I have had these AM E8's for two years now, still have not been on a track or seen power yet. I love the size of these engines when you put them next to HO and see the difference with O. The size looks "just right", I am going to enjoy this new journey into S scale.

You'll be impressed. I took a momentary diversion from O gauge 18 years ago. I have 1 S-Helper and 1 AM diesel. They are smooth runners. If S had more product offering, I would have made the switch.

@Oman posted:

You'll be impressed. I took a momentary diversion from O gauge 18 years ago. I have 1 S-Helper and 1 AM diesel. They are smooth runners. If S had more product offering, I would have made the switch.

Keith,

I am making the switch too late I see, but better late than never. The quicker I can sell my O & HO, the faster I can buy the American Models engines, freight & passenger cars, track and switches. I saw some new MTH F7's that caught my eye, I might even try to get one of the legacy berkshires.

Here are a couple of pictures of engines on my layout.

@AmFlyer posted:

Here are a couple of pictures of engines on my layout.

Who made the Pennsylvania engine, but look at that track. You have a YouTube channel, I want to see your beautiful layout.

DL&W Pete:  As you know, American Models has built up a very extensive S scale product line in recent years.  Personally, I am most impressed with their locomotive line up as they offer roadnames that interest me, such as ACL, SAL, PRR, EL, RDG, to name just a token few.  Even if I were to rekindle my childhood favorites, Katy and T&P, AM even offers models painted for these famous Texas railroads as well.  Any roadname I desire that AM doesn't offer can always be custom painted as well.

Of course, there is still plenty of SHS/MTH S scale still available from private sources too, not to forget Lionel-Flyer as well.  I believe anyone who wants to model in S has a pretty good choice to begin with.  Oh yes, I almost forgot, how silly of me: S scale brass is out there too.

The best place for me to obtain information remains the National Assn. of S Gaugers website at www.nasg.org   A visit is always well worth the time I invest in same.

I imagine the former SHS product line that MTH now possesses will surely find a new owner.  I thought that American Models might attempt to work out a deal with MTH.  For the time being anyway, anything goes, however, I do believe that the MTH "SHS" will survive and that an interested party will pick it up in the near future.

Please continue to keep us posted on your entrance into S scale.

Joe

DL&W Pete, the track is MTH flex track on cork roadbed, the rail head is quite thin so from above it looks good, close to scale rail. The small PRR light Mikado was made by Lionel, I believe it was in the 2005 catalog. These were made in a lot of road names, I have six of them. A B&O version is on the track to the left of the roundhouse. Lionel also made a light Pacific that is similarly sized to the Mikado. It is engines like these that drove me to use the .138 rail.

As mentioned in the post just above, be sure to use the NASG website. I do not have a YouTube channel but I have posted many layout pictures here on the OGR site. There is also a video of my layout when it was about 90% complete linked from the NASG website.

AmFlyer: The above pix of just part of your layout are indeed, impressiove, to say the least!  I haven't really explored the S gauge section of OGR yet, however, I see what I've been missing.

Thanks for sharing.

Joe

One more post/picture about the .138 rail. When SHS introduced this track a long time ago it was marketed as a scale replica of PRR 155# rail. That prototype rail is long out of use but the picture shows it is plausible. The running rails are .138, the inner guard rails are code 125. The code 125 is not as tall but the railhead is much wider. We bought some code 125 to see if it would work. Some high rail equipment would barely run on it but most had flanges riding on the ties, it was a no go.

Wow. Really great pics guys. Great looking layouts.

@AmFlyer posted:

DL&W Pete, welcome to S scale! That question you just posed is one we would all like to have answered. What will happen to the Showcase Line? MTH purchased the Showcase line from SHS and except for the packaging all the track products are identical. So when searching for track search as SHS/MTH. MTH makes 19", 24" and 29" radius curves, uncouplers, bumpers, action tracks and 19"radius turnouts. They make 5", 10" and 15" straight sections. They also of course make flex track.

My layout is built with all MTH flex track. The layout is basically scale except for the .138 rail rather than code 83. I did that so I could run Lionel American Flyer engines. All the Legacy engines beginning with the Y-3 and newer will run on DCC. If you cannot find MTH flex just buy the Fox Valley flex, it has the same .138 rail height. Fox Valley also makes excellent #5 turnouts.

Since I needed a lot of #6 and #8 turnouts, I paid to have them custom made for my layout using the MTH rail we stripped from their flex track.

There are several very experienced S scalers here, some of whom have already provided information. Technically I am a High Rail operator since I have .138" rail on my layout. However I can run all but the longest wheelbase scale equipment on my layout.

I am ready to buy flex track, I found SHS on trainz website for 50.99 for 6 pieces which equals 20'. Will this flex track match the #5 switches from fox valley. It says 2 rail "T" track #155 rail, am I good to go.

The rail profile is identical. The difference is FVM track is plain NS. SHS track has the sides (web) of the rail pre-weathered. You will need to weather the FVM track to match if you want that effect. Easy to do with a felt tip paint marker.

@AmFlyer posted:

The rail profile is identical. The difference is FVM track is plain NS. SHS track has the sides (web) of the rail pre-weathered. You will need to weather the FVM track to match if you want that effect. Easy to do with a felt tip paint marker.

Thanks @AmFlyer I got two boxes coming. That's all they had, 12 pieces = 40 feet. Now to get some #5 switches.

Any progress is always good!