Two words, “American Flyer”:  

This line of locomotives has entered the hall of fame of toy locomotives.  Nostalgia explains a lot.  American Flyer’s s gauge trains had their hey-day right after World War II when the baby boomers were starting to sprout up.  This was in large part an attempt to challenge Lionel who was the king of the roost through the 50’s. S scale is an “inbetween” scale, way huger than HO but smaller than Lionel’s O.  S scale is one 64^th the size of a real train whereas Lionel’s O scale is one 48^th the size.   These are still pretty substantial trains but not so much so that you would have to have them only outside. These locomotives are a lot of fun to color and weather.

S gauge is not common:  

Since American Flyer pretty much created s scale and then went out of business shortly after, you don’t stumble across it much.  A.C. Gilbert, who ran American Flyer at the time, manufactured this gauge as an attempt to make a line of trains that would keep up with Lionel by producing high quality locomotives that weren’t interchangeable with Lionel locomotives. That means there are not that many vintage s scale American Flyer trains.   Because of the law of supply and demand, American Flyers brief life span has increased the demand for their parts and sets.   The nature of this devotion has just made the trains that much more valuable.

American Flyers are about to enter the market again:  

American Flyer’s arch-enemy Lionel bought them out in the 60’s and is now looking to resurrect both brands by re-introducing the vintage 1950’s toys that are so cherished by collectors.  The fantastic success of these releases has driven Lionel to commit to reproduce the s scale locomotives that avid fans are so in love with.  It might not be long before we have to make room for s gauge as yet another main scale in the model training world.

Now’s the instant to put your chips down if you want to cash in early on this tip.  If you want to say “I told you so” to your model train friends you should jump in now.  Don’t say I didn’t give you a heads up later on. It’s like the coffee house fad of the early 90s.  And you said no one would ever pay more just for some coffee. 

Here is more information on Model Train Scale. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Model Trains.

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The layout of the model train is very important in order to create a realistic look. This is possible with G scale model trains because you are able to use actual live plants as part of your layout. The large size of the model train allows you to be able to run the model outside in most any weather. The only thing you need to be careful for is that there are no fallen leaves or twigs on the railroad track. Most model railroaders who use the G scale wipe down the track before using them in order to clean off any excess dirt or debris.

Being able to build outdoors allows you to do things not possible indoors. You can use your G scale model trains in order to create a layout which includes water towers and grain elevators that work. You can then build such things as a train wash and fill stations for carrier cars, which will fill the cars with gravel or dirt. You would not want to do this indoors as it could get quite messy if anything spilled onto the floor. Many have created something similar with smaller scales, but without the ability to use actual material to dump into their cars.

Many clubs have been established for those who enjoy G scale model trains. This size is very popular for a lot of different people, and they like to get together to discuss their models. Local clubs will often rotate where the meetings are held so members can show off the trains they have built and the layouts they travel through. Those just getting started in with G scale would be advised to attend some local meetings of a G scale club in order to get some design ideas and tips for creating a great layout.

Museums like G scale model trains because of their size. When creating displays that need to look as real as possible, the larger the train, the better. It is possible to create a more vast display with a smaller scale, but too often detail of the display is ultimately lost. In order to keep the maximum effectiveness of their display, the museum will use the G scale along with real plants in a controlled environment. They are also able to create displays in which rain is a part of the display as the train can handle it.

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The most popular model train scale, which is commercially produced, is the HO scale. This scale is characterized by being almost exactly half of the 0 scale which was made popular between World War One and World War Two. As more homes did not have the space to be able to accommodate such large trains, the HO scale was a much better option. The scale represents a 1:87 ratio which is still not popular in most of Great Britain even thought there is a 1:87 Scale Society which was established in 1994 to celebrate the scale. The bulk of the HO scale models are sold to model railroaders in Europe and North America.

For homes with very little space like homes in Japan and apartments in New York, the N scale model has become very popular. This model train scale has become very detailed by the manufacturers in order to meet the exacting demands of the model railroader. With the popularity of this scale growing, it is becoming easier to find the accessories you need in order to create a highly detailed layout. American companies are leading the charge in creating the best N scale model trains available on the market today.

Many model railroaders live in a home with an outside garden they would like to be able to put a model train in. For these people, the G scale has become the most popular model train scale because of its ability to operate in most any kind of weather. The scale was made popular by the German manufacturers who actually came up with the name of the scale. The G scale was named because the German word Gros means big. Most call these train’s garden trains and believe this is why they are called G scale trains.

The smallest model train scale is the Z scale model. Being the smallest scale in commercial production has allowed it to be favored by those looking to create large layouts in a small amount of space. It is not a practical train for many private modeler railroaders because it is on the expensive side. The other drawback of the scale is it does allow for many details larger models have on them. The details Z scale trains are able to boast are painstakingly won, which accounts for the high price for such a small train.

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If you have a very limited amount of space at home, then you might need to choose the N scale, as you have no other options. The N scale is actually the smallest of the four possible model scales that you can select and build with. However, the small scale can actually work to your advantage.

For example, the small scale means that you can fit a larger amount of track into the same amount of space. This means that you can run more trains, add more track and also create more scenes within your railroad layout. If you are keen to have a big network of track, then the N scale is perfect for you.

There is really no point having a large-scale train set if you are only able to display a small section of it. This does not make sense. You will have much more fun with the N scale when your space is limited.

There are also many advantages to the smaller model trains. The N scale model trains are detailed in a much more realistic way. Many people comment on how the N scale trains have the most detail from any of the model train scales. The finer aspects of the real trains are transplanted to the model trains when you buy from the N scale.

In fact, it is for this reason that many experienced model train hobbyists like to collect the N scale. They want to have their model trains as close to the real thing as possible so they choose to run and collect the N scale. This is a huge advantage to you if you enjoy having strong detail and realistic trains on your track.

The next advantage of the N scale is that it is very practical and easy to construct. It is much easier to put together than many of the other model train scales. It doesn’t require a lot of skill, as the track sections are very small. This means that you can quickly create different track layouts and redesign your current railway line.

The effect that is produced from the N scale model train track is also fantastic. Because the track layout is so small, it gives you a bird’s eye view of the train network, which is something the other scales do not offer.

So, if you are a beginner, then the N scale makes sense. You can get started right away, don’t need much space, and you can do everything yourself as it’s very simple to put together. This means that you can have all you want with the N scale, so don’t worry that your space is limited.

As you can see, the N scale model train makes perfect sense for hobbyists at all levels of the skill scale. Experienced people and beginners will really enjoy it.

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Z scale – 1:220 ratio N scale – 1:160 ratio HO scale – 1:87 ratio S scale – 1:64 ratio O Scale – 1:48 ratio G Scale – 1:22 ratio

When selecting a scale, you should keep in mind the following three factors:

1) How much space do you have? For small spaces (like apartments), the N scale may be best. You need to consider the size of your bench-work when making this decision, as it is the primary limiting factor for the scale size you select.

2) How much selection do you want? The “HO” scale is probably the most popular train scale used today, and because of this there is a wide variety of scenery and trains to choose from and the competition keeps the prices fairly affordable. You may find the selection for the very large and small sizes a bit more limited. You also are more likely to find used model railroad and scenery elements for HO and N sizes for sale on eBay and in classified ads, if that is an important consideration for you.

3) Will the model train be used indoors or outdoors? If you are considering building a outdoor exhibit, you may want to consider the largest size (”G”) as the trains and scenery elements will generally be made for outdoor use and be suitable for use in nearly all weather conditions.

Once you have selected the model train scale you are going to use for your layout, you will find there variety of clubs, shows and publications dedicated to the model you have chosen.

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