OK, "O" is from the number 0, HO is half 0. But where did the term "S" come from?
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Originally Posted by Dominic Mazoch:
OK, "O" is from the number 0, HO is half 0. But where did the term "S" come from?
Legend has it from the S in Three-"S"ixteenths.
Originally "Half-One" in the UK.
In the US, it was originally it was called "C-D" scale, for Cleveland Design due to Cleveland Model and Supply being the first US company to produce kits in 3/16" scale.
Read all about it, the US portion is about 1/3 the way down:
http://www.s-scale.org.uk/history.htm
Rusty
"Something else"
Pay no mind to Rusty. He clutters things up with facts.
Everyone that's in S scale knows the S stands for "S"uperior.
End of discussion.
Andre
And if you don't mind me adding more facts to the clutter. At the 1937 NMRA convention, it was decided that 3/16 scale would become S scale as this scale contained the letter "S", not only in Three-Sixteenths, but in the ratio of One Sixty-Fourths as well.
IMHO, S scale would had caught on much sooner if there was an "Athearn-type" company making scale trains after World War II. But even then space would still be an issue, which is why HO won out at the time.
Robyn (CarolinaRail)
Originally Posted by CarolinaRail:
And if you don't mind me adding more facts to the clutter. At the 1937 NMRA convention, it was decided that 3/16 scale would become S scale as this scale contained the letter "S", not only in Three-Sixteenths, but in the ratio of One Sixty-Fourths as well.
IMHO, S scale would had caught on much sooner if there was an "Athearn-type" company making scale trains after World War II. But even then space would still be an issue, which is why HO won out at the time.
Robyn (CarolinaRail)
From what I can remember of a speech given by the late Ed Packard (Pachasa) owner of Cleveland Designs at the NASG convetion in Chicago back in the 80's, he received little support for S from either Kalmbach or Carstens publications during the postwar period. They took his advertising dollars, though.
A. C. Gilbert aside, apparently the powers of the hobby back then thought O and HO were enough or didn't want the competition, so there was be little incentive for anyone to mass produce S Scale trains. You still here rumblings about conspiracies to squash S from time to time today.
But, there were a few brave souls. These are a few I can think of: S Scale Locomotive & Supply (brass steam loco kits,) Kinsman (wood freight and passenger car kits,) MidGauge (hybrid metal/wood/cardstock freight car kits,) Nixon (Flyer conversion wheelsets) plus a few others I can't think of right now.
Conspiracy theories aside, S just won't go away!
Rusty
Marx was into "wide gauge" 3/16: S items on 3R O track!
