Steam Engines

I may be wrong and hope I am, but S scale may be expensive.

Last year September I attended an O and S scale show in Indianapolis.  There were a lot of friendly and helpful people at the show.  As soon as the pandemic eases, you might attend one of those shows.  The next one I know about is scheduled for Sept 17, 2021.  Sscalemidwest.com is the website.  They have a nice magazine too.  Not quit the answer to your question, but I hope it helps a bit.

Nathan Muenks

As far as I know, steam engines produced by Lionel AF do not have a scale wheel option. Most Lionel AF engines are of the larger types due to the inclusion of TMCC/Legacy electronics. The smaller steam locos in scale seem to be produced by the S gauge cottage industry in brass and they are not cheap due to detail and quantities produced.  There are much more knowledgeable railroaders on this site such as Rusty and others who seem to know what has been and is available. They can give you much better info.

Pete - welcome to "the right scale".  The NASG (Nat'l Assoc. of S Gaugers) website, here: http://www.nasg.org/ has a fairly up-to-date products listing link and it should give you an idea of what's available across the board - steam, diesel, rolling stock, etc.  If you are really hard over on everything being scale, then its not gonna be cheap (but deals can be had).  OTOH, if you are willing to back off on that requirement a bit, then some of the offerings from Lionel Flyer are nicely detailed and many have sound (dunno if its DCC compatible sound).  Flyonel made a very nice Mike (2-8-2) and Pacific that would pass inspection - though maybe not at the Southwind or River Raisin level of detail.  I haven't seen the new Legacy Berk, but there is a recent thread on this site with pictures, etc. - take a look and you could probably jump in on that thread and see how folks feel about the level of detail, etc.

American Models makes a beautiful FEF and back in the day, SHS made a very nice looking 2-8-0, which MTH never got around to reissuing.  They do pop up once in a while -- I let one in UP livery slip through my fingers once and regret it.

Speaking of magazines, here's a good one:  https://sscaleresource.com/WP/

- Rich

@Ron H posted:

I may be wrong and hope I am, but S scale may be expensive.

Is any scale inexpensive nowadays?

Between Rapido Trains and Athearn, the $100 HO caboose threshold has been crossed.

Rusty

What can honestly justify a cost of $100 for a HO caboose?

I have a hard enough time justifying that for a brass O Gauge caboose that is lighted, smoking and full interior let alone in HO.

I found some, any ideas on where to look. The first three is a must have, so the hunt is on.

1. Omnicon Scale Models 4-6-0 made in 1986

2. River Raisin Models 2-6-0 made in 2014

3. S Helper Service 2-8-0 made in 2003

4. Overland Models 4-6-2 made in 1990

5. Overland Models 2-8-0 Camelback made in 1988

6. American Models 4-6-2 made in 1996/97 & 2005

Thank you to all that responded.

@DL&W Pete posted:

I found some, any ideas on where to look. The first three is a must have, so the hunt is on.

1. Omnicon Scale Models 4-6-0 made in 1986

2. River Raisin Models 2-6-0 made in 2014

3. S Helper Service 2-8-0 made in 2003

4. Overland Models 4-6-2 made in 1990

5. Overland Models 2-8-0 Camelback made in 1988

6. American Models 4-6-2 made in 1996/97 & 2005

Thank you to all that responded.

A good place to look is the NASG Product Gallery, it's pretty comprehensive as to what's been made since the dawn of time.  Note that it covers scale products and American Flyer.

A re-issue of the AM 4-6-2 has been delayed for several years now. (It's the first time AM's missed the boat.  I haven't heard what the cause is.)  But they still have a pretty nice Santa Fe 2900 class 4-8-4 with scale wheels available.

Rusty

Pete - as Nathan said earlier, there are Scale train shows.  I don't know where you live, but the next O-Scale West show (which explicitly includes S-scale - for some reason it isn't reflected in the title) is in Sacramento (CA) in May 2021, here:  https://oscalewest.com/

Alas, one of their shows was where I let the SHS 2-8-0 get away from me (meaning I didn't wanna pop for the $500 for it).  There is an S-scale club in either northern CA or the SF Bay Area that usually shows up with a layout and lots of folks selling lots of stuff.

Note added:  The aforementioned O-Scale West show is in its usual haunt - the Hyatt at the Santa Clara (CA) convention center - not in Sacramento, which is what I said earlier (Sacramento is where O-Scale West is headquartered, not where their show is).

@richs09 posted:

Pete - as Nathan said earlier, there are Scale train shows.  I don't know where you live, but the next O-Scale West show (which explicitly includes S-scale - for some reason it isn't reflected in the title) is in Sacramento (CA) in May 2021, here:  https://oscalewest.com/

Alas, one of their shows was where I let the SHS 2-8-0 get away from me (meaning I didn't wanna pop for the $500 for it).  There is an S-scale club in either northern CA or the SF Bay Area that usually shows up with a layout and lots of folks selling lots of stuff.

Note added:  The aforementioned O-Scale West show is in its usual haunt - the Hyatt at the Santa Clara (CA) convention center - not in Sacramento, which is what I said earlier (Sacramento is where O-Scale West is headquartered, not where their show is).

I am in Eastern Pennsylvania, north of Allentown. I have my work cut out for me to find that 4-6-0 from 1986. But I believe that there is one sitting on a shelf collecting dust somewhere. I sent another message to River Raisin asking if they know of someone who might have one of the 2-6-0 from 2014. I know nothing about S Helper Service other than MTH bought everything and didn't do much with it. I am still waiting to hear back from American Models about my track request.

For Omnicon, River Raisin, Overland, Southwind, Oriental Limited and Sunset you have to search ebay and brasstrains.com very regularly. Some brass seekers do it daily.  Des Plaines also may have limited items in stock, but I believe they are trying to get rid of what brass they have and don't plan to add any.

The SHS 2-8-0 is also an ebay exercise. I think there are one or two on there now, but be sure you are getting one with scale wheels.

Also, I am not sure I have ever seen a DL&W steamer in S, so be prepared to repaint and decal whatever you find.

At the NASG convention you will find some brass, but not a tremendous amount. I suspect the other S shows such as the S Fests and the Spring Spree are similar, but I have never been. As for shows not specific to S, I wouldn't bother searching for S brass except for York.

@DL&W Pete posted:

I found some, any ideas on where to look. The first three is a must have, so the hunt is on.

3. S Helper Service 2-8-0 made in 2003

Pete,

People have probably mentioned Doug Peck at Portlines as a good source for S gauge items.  I noticed he has a SHS 2-8-0 consolidated Maine Central.  It's model 1080 and says "DCC HiRail with sound".  You could ask him if he has the scale wheels for it.

Craig

@ctomita posted:

Pete,

People have probably mentioned Doug Peck at Portlines as a good source for S gauge items.  I noticed he has a SHS 2-8-0 consolidated Maine Central.  It's model 1080 and says "DCC HiRail with sound".  You could ask him if he has the scale wheels for it.

Craig

Thanks for the tip, I just sent him a email yesterday after finding his website on NASG.

@DL&W Pete posted:

Thanks for the tip, I just sent him a email yesterday after finding his website on NASG.

The SHS 2-8-0 was the one locomotive from them that you had to specify HiRail or Scale wheels when ordering.  SHS never offered replacement wheels for the 2-8-0 to the best of my knowledge.

Rusty

Does anyone have the SHS 2-8-0 Maine Central engine, could you please post pictures of it. Or any SHS 2-8-0 with the center smokebox headlight and coal tender. Thanks....

There are pictures of all the versions of the SHS 2-8-0, including the Maine Central on the NASG website. https://www.nasg.org/SProductG...per_Service2-8-0.php

Craig

@ctomita posted:

There are pictures of all the versions of the SHS 2-8-0, including the Maine Central on the NASG website. https://www.nasg.org/SProductG...per_Service2-8-0.php

Craig

I just found that, thanks for the help.

Pete,

Check the BAY s helper 2-8-0 unlettered with DCC up there now.

Gunny

@gunny posted:

Pete,

Check the BAY s helper 2-8-0 unlettered with DCC up there now.

Gunny

I looked at all the pictures posted on the ebay listing Gunny, I can't tell where the headlight is. I also can't see all four side's of this 2-8-0, I don't have the funds yet to bid on it. Thanks for the tip...

@DL&W Pete posted:

I looked at all the pictures posted on the ebay listing Gunny, I can't tell where the headlight is. I also can't see all four side's of this 2-8-0, I don't have the funds yet to bid on it. Thanks for the tip...

A centered headlight was standard for the unlettered 2-8-0.  A smokebox front with a high mounted headlight was included in the box.

As I recall, the only 2-8-0 with a high mounted headlight installed were the B&O versions.  Lettered versions did not include an alternate smokebox/headlight part.

Rusty

Man - someone drove the price up on me on that one! 

Does anyone have the AF pacific that's in the new catalog, the tender looks odd. It just doesn't look good behind the engine.

@DL&W Pete posted:

Does anyone have the AF pacific that's in the new catalog, the tender looks odd. It just doesn't look good behind the engine.

Rusty

I have 4 of them and the tender is perfect.  Why do you think it is odd?

@Roundhouse Bill posted:

I have 4 of them and the tender is perfect.  Why do you think it is odd?

I am use to HO & O, I have never seen one in S yet.

It's that ugly pile of coal.   It'd look much better like this.   

Does anyone have the 2-8-2 mikado from AF that was released in 2005, did any of them come with gold lettering. Lionel's website doesn't go back that far with catalogs. I can replace the tmcc with ESU or TCS sound decoders.

@DL&W Pete posted:

Does anyone have the 2-8-2 mikado from AF that was released in 2005, did any of them come with gold lettering. Lionel's website doesn't go back that far with catalogs. I can replace the tmcc with ESU or TCS sound decoders.

The B&O Mike came with proper Dulux Gold lettering

As did the later B&O Pacific:

The only Mike with metalic-ish gold lettering was the Southern:

Not sure about the Pennsy version because I don't have one, but I think it too had Dulux Gold lettering.  I recall the C&O Mike had yellow lettering.  The UP and NYC Mikes had white lettering.

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

The B&O Mike came with proper Dulux Gold lettering

As did the later B&O Pacific:

The only Mike with metalic-ish gold lettering was the Southern:

Not sure about the Pennsy version because I don't have one, but I think it too had Dulux Gold lettering.  I recall the C&O Mike had yellow lettering.  The UP and NYC Mikes had white lettering.

Rusty

Portlines has a few of these, was thinking about getting one and gut the insides to DCC. He has a UP, this Southern in this picture. The other one is listed as NYC Baldwin, but has the 48043 at the product # which would be a mikado.

@Rusty Traque posted:

The B&O Mike came with proper Dulux Gold letterinG

Not sure about the Pennsy version because I don't have one, but I think it too had Dulux Gold lettering.  I recall the C&O Mike had yellow lettering.  The UP and NYC Mikes had white lettering.

Rusty

here are a couple of pictures of my one for comparison

MEC SHS 2-8-0 just listed on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Hel...e:g:dxEAAOSw6QRgFiGP

@Jerry1219 posted:

MEC SHS 2-8-0 just listed on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/S-Hel...e:g:dxEAAOSw6QRgFiGP

Thanks for the link...