Sgaugian posted:If you're new to S, there's plenty to explore, grab onto, hunt down, and enjoy. Knock yourself out. But honestly if you've been in it any longer than 10 years, S stands for starved. Starved for variety. In fact I can't help but think manufacturers like Lionel, MTH, and AM are in awe of how S-gaugers aren't bored to death. We get excited about re-release after re-release with a tweak here and a tweak there of the same meat and potato engines that we've had and been fed for years at a time while scads of engines enjoyed in other scales are completely missing from our radar and likely outlook.
I've been giving Dave's post some thought and can't say I disagree with with his conclusions in general.
We have our heads in the proverbial S-and.
No argument here, I've noticed it's been that way since I got into S in 1985. A fair S folks in general seem to not want to have anything to do with the outside world.
So much fun model railroading passes us by in the process. S by comparison is like looking at the real and model railroad worlds through a straw. I still have S and the majority of the track on my layout is S, but I sold about 98% of my S locos and rolling stock. Since then I've discovered why that was easy. Even though I delved deeply into S for over 21 years (postwar, modern, conventional, TMCC, Legacy, DCC, by L/AF, AM, SHS, BLM, AHR, and others including custom conversions for myself and customers), there were very few to none of the great engines I really have a passion for because of their design, designer, color scheme, uniqueness or all four and none of them were in sight. Examples include the American and British streamlined steam engines of the 30's and 40's, but it doesn't end there. Do yourself a favor and save a search on eBay -HO, locomotive, steam, most recently posted -- and get an alert for that on a daily basis. Give it a week. Wow. Just look at the amazing range and variety out there.
Don't really need eBay for that, all it takes is to walk in to any hobby shop or look around in the rest of the real model railroading world.
The reason I went so deep into S was where else is there to go? You can't go wide. You're hemmed in. In fact, now that I can get a hold (literally) of almost any one of the greatest engines ever made, I find that I'm happy just running them on DC -- no sounds, no smoke, no impersonations of that stuff -- just what any model train engine can truly represent of its 1:1 big brother -- motion forward, motion backward, and maybe a headlight. But man, do they look great! ATSF Blue Goose, NYC 20th Century Dreyfuss Hudsons (all varieties) , M-Road F-7 Pacific, SP 4449, N&W 6XX, LMS Coronation Pacific, etc. and others like the LV John Wilkes and Frisco Firefly that I never knew existed but now aspire to someday add to my line up.
The ATSF Blue Goose, LV John Wilkes or Frisco Firefly are highly unlikely to ever appear in S, unless someone like River Raisin chooses to offer them at caviar pricing. These also do not have a continuous presence in HO or O. However, I am surprised the N&W J or SP GS4 (although Overland offered a brass one waaaay back when) has eluded the non-brass manufacturers. Same for the likes of the SD40-2.
They're amazing. I honestly can't believe how much wider my vision of and appreciation for what incredible steam engines there have been throughout history and are available in miniature since taking off my S blinders. Try it. You might like it too.
I personally have a small collection of what I consider desirable HO and N. They reside safely in their boxes as I have currently no place to run them.
No disrespect, but the 2019 Lionel AF releases are so boring. The third release of Berkshires now with some applied details and enhanced electronics inside is something get excited about?
The Berks are a re-cataloging of the cancelled 2018 Volume 1 run, albeit at a slightly higher price. Given the CAD drawings Dave Olson posted last time, about the only thing they have in common with the FlyerChief versions are the frames and wheels. These appear to be new tooling otherwise. As long as they come out to be equivalent or better to the Y3's in detail, yes they are something to get excited about.
Really? A tweak on u-boats that have been out for years?
It's interesting that the ones in the new catalog are already on the water, according to Dave Olson. This indicates to me the preorders for the V1 U-boats were low and and rather than cancel, these V2 ones fill out the needed production quantities.
For that matter, an oil tender version of AM's Pacific for hundreds of $'s more than virtually the same engine released over 10 years ago?
I think this explains the AM Pacific pricing best:
It's not 1997 (when the Pacific was released) anymore. Even AM's FP7 no longer sells for $129.95. Also the omnipotent Athearn HO F7 of my youth is no longer $12.95. (The last time I checked it was $89.95.)
Get out of the rut. See how much more there is to have fun with.
I still cherish and enjoy the S that I kept and friendships from that, but realize now how limited S is in terms of what it affords you to enjoy about real and miniature railroading. I wish it were different, but don't foresee that changing.
Dave
S has always been a tough scale to get into, even during the "glory days" just before Sanda Kan fired their customers. I know some folks have come and gone in S over the past decade or so. I've even given a thought of going back to HO a time or two. However, it appears I'm one of the fortunate few that the current variety of S products pretty much fulfills my model railroading wants and desires.
Would I like to see more variety outside of my personal interests? In a word: Yes.
Rusty
