Scale Trains

1920s woodside reefers are not what we need how about track and turnouts?

American Models deserves high praise for providing S Hi-railers a wide variety of quality locomotives as well as passenger and freight cars over the years. Unfortunately, that cannot be said about their track-related offerings. Turnouts and curved sectional track offerings have never expanded beyond the two radii originally offered; moreover, these items seem to be perennially out of stock [sold out]. The company also has trouble regularly supplying even 12-inch lengths of straight sectional track. Hopefully American Models will step up and fill the void left by Lionel [yes, Lionel's selection of curved sectional track and turnouts is also similarly limited]. This production deficiency by both manufacturers has prevented me from designing a track plan featuring realistic-looking freight and passenger yard trackage [closely spaced sidings and spurs in a relatively narrow space]- -an extremely frustrating situation which has me questioning my continued involvement with S Hi-rail.

With as small as the S scale community is these days, I would think that any news of new product would be welcome.  In so many ways, S is such a nice compromise between HO and O for scale trains yet it never quite had the traction of the other scales, pardon the pun. 

@gunny posted:

1920s woodside reefers are not what we need how about track and turnouts?

In as much as I might agree (in principal) with that, one could see where any potential S scaler (either modeler or manufacturer) might be put off by this kind of response...not helpful or even relevant to the original post.

@GG1 4877 posted:

With as small as the S scale community is these days, I would think that any news of new product would be welcome.  In so many ways, S is such a nice compromise between HO and O for scale trains yet it never quite had the traction of the other scales, pardon the pun.

This is, in my opinion, a "better" response.

Mark in Oregon

@Bob G (WNY) posted:

This production deficiency by both manufacturers has prevented me from designing a track plan featuring realistic-looking freight and passenger yard trackage [closely spaced sidings and spurs in a relatively narrow space]- -an extremely frustrating situation which has me questioning my continued involvement with S Hi-rail.

Without much effort, I have stashes of product from 3 different S track manufacturers, enough to build 3 very large layouts when I eventually get off my "couch". They are Gilbert AF with roadbed, SHS/MTH and Classic Trains which many have never heard of. All appeal to me for one reason or another but only one will be the winner. My point is, if American Models is what you desire, start actively looking for it on fleabay and the train auction sites and you just might find what you need.

AM currently has 800' of their NS flex track in stock. They have some 21"R curves but basically nothing else. Its always the same problem if the plan is to build a reasonable size high rail layout, turnouts! For a period of time Tom Stoltz was making them, but I missed that window. None of the manufacturers would commit to making them, one custom builder was sort of willing but he wanted six months and I had to provide the rail. You do not want to know what it cost to have two technicians hand build within 30 days, 45 #5,6&8 turnouts plus some shallow angle crossings.

Like FlyerRich, I have enough Gilbert track and turnouts to build an empire. I also have enough GarGraves track, old GG #5 turnouts and Right O Way Industries numbered turnouts to build a large layout.  The ROW numbered turnouts are great and work perfectly with GarGraves track. Also have a lot of SHS sectional track in all three radii plus some of their turnouts. For my permanent layout I wanted it to be scale but with .138 rail so I did not need all scale flanged equipment. Fox Valley Models made some #5's (no #6 or #8's) but sold out and is apparently not making any more. Scale America now has the .138 rail for those who want to make their own turnouts.

I re-tracked our club's S travel layout several years ago with American Models flex track for straights, MTH/S-Helper flex track for curves, and American Models turnouts.  The American Models flex track is difficult to work with on curves.  I saw the MTH/S-Helper turnouts on an S modeler's layout - they seemed better than the AM ones, but they're basically unobtainium now.  I'm hoping that Scale Trains replicates the MTH/S-Helper track line, eventually.

@FlyerRich posted:

Without much effort, I have stashes of product from 3 different S track manufacturers, enough to build 3 very large layouts when I eventually get off my "couch". They are Gilbert AF with roadbed, SHS/MTH and Classic Trains which many have never heard of. All appeal to me for one reason or another but only one will be the winner. My point is, if American Models is what you desire, start actively looking for it on fleabay and the train auction sites and you just might find what you need.

I started dabbling in S Hi-rail a few years ago and have purchased numerous Lionel FasTrack straight and curved sections and a few R20 and R27 turnouts. My planned "pike"- -a moderately wide shelf layout along three walls of my 15-ft. X 15-ft. Rec Room- -cannot be built with FasTrack [for the reason given in my original post]. Using American Models or SHS/MTH track doesn't solve the problem- -the unavailability of any shallow-angle turnouts. Having examined many different possible track configurations using SCARM software, it appears that I'll have to be content running my DCC-powered AM K4 Pacific, Budd and Gilbert passenger cars, and a handful of freight cars around a simple loop-type layout. Unfortunately, my upgraded-to-DCC Gilbert 0-8-0 steam switcher won't be engaging in any meaningful switching operations.

Bob G, same problem I had. The shallow angle turnouts are available in Code100, but most of my engines will not run on it. The rail needed to be "code"138. I also needed some 18deg crossings. Paid to have them all custom made, otherwise there would have been no layout.

The shortcoming of the SHS/MTH track system is only 20"R turnouts were ever made, no crossings were made, and the often needed 2.5" straights were never made. Fortunately it is not hard to cut the track, section it, and put the end pieces back together. No fix for the never made wide radius turnouts.

It is important to support small manufacturers like Scale Trains as they offer up reissued or new products. The deadline for pre-orders is next Monday on the wood reefers and the price is very competitive especially considering they offer free shipping over $99. It stands to reason that they would be hard pressed to consider manufacturing track if there is little or no interest in their other S offerings.

Scale Trains

FYI; For those needing S track, there is a whole bunch coming up for auction on a Cabin Fever auction, this wed, Feb,19th. I don't know anything about S scale, but they have about 12 lots of Lionel/AF Fastrack, and a couple of lots of AF switches.