Skip to main content

Reply to "S-Gauge 89' Autoracks...You asked for it!"

One thing about S.  Gilbert trains were never cursed with undersized trains like O27 in O.  Sure, the passenger cars were compressed in length out of operational necessity, but every thing else was built to 3/16" proportion.  (Even HO companies like Athearn, Penn Line, Varney and Mantua all had shorty passenger cars...Athearn still offers them. The N Scale companies like Arnold Rapido and Aurora/Minitrix also had them.)

Only in the last years were oversized trains introduced (Franklin, old time passenger cars, Casey Jones 4-4-0's and F9's) so there is something in the global memory of even the most die-hard scaler who grew up with Flyer about S being scale proportioned and not O27ised.

So, that brings the quandary of compressed length freight cars.  I suspect they would do well with the Flyer/HiRail folks if compressed properly and not just a S-clone of an O27 car.  Depending on how well and how much, they might even attract a scaler or two.

The recent Flyer waffle sided boxcar has some potential, I just haven't figured it out yet.  Doesn't seem like they've been selling real well anyway.

Lionel really could have made the waffle side boxcar car full 50' length and height, still be suitable for R20 curves, switches and look good behind the SD70's and ES44's.  Instead, the boys at the Circle L Ranch decided to make it visually compatible with traditional Flyer.  I suspect this is going to be the way the next car "with potential" will be.

Rusty

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

×
×
×
×
×