Mobley Library - Materials to Purchase or Borrow
Learning about Realistic Operation from the Guru Himself
Switching at Donaldson. Cars have been shunted to sand-yard trestle, meat packer's loading platform, wholesale grocery, boiler house at cannery, and box factory. The train is distributed but in the clear for an overtaking meet with No. 106, time freight due in five minutes, and No. 19, the Delta Limited.
Way back in 1944, a New Orleans gentleman named Frank Ellison wrote a landmark six-part series entitled "The Art of Model Railroading" for Model Railroader magazine. His series established the foundation for operating a model railroad based on the prototype functions of making up trains according to manifests, setting out and picking up cars at on-line industries using switchlists, and operating trains according to schedules – all with no onerous paperwork tasks. These days there exist a multitude of both manual and computerized operation schemes, but they all have their roots in Frank’s series.
Frank illustrated his series with scenes from his O scale outside-third-rail "Delta Lines," along with many tables and charts that provide both the mechanics and examples of real operation. But don’t let the oddball scale and power distribution system get in the way of learning and enjoyment. S scale’s own Frank Titman used this same system on his renowned Delaware and Western layout during his editorship of the "S Gauge Herald." You can buy your own copy of a CD of this seminal series from the Mobley Library for $2 postpaid. Two formats are on the CD: JPEG and MS/WORD.
S Gauge Model Railroading Videocassettes
Steve Blackburn of S-'n-S Trains has generously donated one five-volume set of his "S Gauge Model Railroading" videocassettes to the Russell M. Mobley Library.
- Vol. I – "In the Mountain West"
- Rich Anano's 100% AF layout, Boise, ID
- S-West III, Coeur D'Alene, ID, 1998:
- Ernie Horr's hirail "The Tinplate Road"
- Ron Tilton's scale "Rocky Mountain Western"
- Jess Bennett's scale Great Northern Pacific
- Vol. II – "Utah-Ohio Connection"
- Utah Golden Spike AF Club at GATS Show
- Jim Lindsay's AF layout & collection
- Fred Alles' AF layout & collection, Kaysville, UT
- Miami Valley (Ohio) S Gaugers mixed hirail/scale layout at 2000 Cincinnati GATS Show
- Chris Burger's AF Christmas layout, Dayton, OH
- Bob Gukian's hirail layout, Eaton, OH
- Vol. III – "Steamtown to Careywood"
- 2001 NASG National Convention, Scranton/Steamtown, PA
- Cuyahoga Valley S Gauge Association hirail/scale layout
- North Penn S Gaugers hirail layout
- Tom Robinson's hirail layout
- Bristol S Gaugers hirail/scale layout
- Neshaminy Valley AF Club's layout
- 2001 NASG Convention tours
- Bill Fraley's scale "Jefferson Central"
- Frank Titman's scale "Spiral Hill RR"
- Bert Mahr's scale "Conrail & Eastern"
- Steamtown Museum (12" = 1') & train ride
- Jess Bennett's scale "Great Northern Pacific," Careywood, ID, with excellent commentary by Jess
- Tribute to Ernie Horr, operating Jess's GNP in 1989
- Vol. IV – "Hershey Bars to Baked Potatoes
- Bill Fraley's scale "Jefferson Central," Hershey, PA
- Sam Rapp's hirail layout, Boise, ID construction sequences
- Frank Titman's scale "Spiral Hill RR," Allentown, PA
- Dave Heine's narrow-gauge "Lehigh & Western," Coopersburg, PA
- Bert Mahr's scale "Conrail & Eastern," Emmaus, PA
- Out-takes
- S-'n-S Trains' can motor project, including installation tutorial
- Vol. 5 – "From the Free State to the Gem State"
- Baltimore AF Club's 2001 shows
- Bob Davison's trains featuring kitbashed N& W "J"
- Russell Weaver's traincam
- Steamtown 2001 NASG Convention
- CN 2-8-2 #3254
- Bill Fraley's scale Jefferson Central
- Harry Kid's hirail layout with 30-car trains
- Fred Riccupero's hirail layout & collection
- Bristol club scale/hirail layout
- Cuyahoga Valley club scale layout
- Tom Robinson's hirail layout
- S Helper Service display layout
- Rocky Mountain Hirailers sectional layout, Boise Amtrak station
- Sam Rapp's hirail layout
- Steve Blackburn's hirail layout reconstruction
How to borrow videocassettes
Each tape is available for 30-day checkout for $3.00, the price of US domestic postage both ways. Each tape is shipped with a stamped, addressed return mailer. (Foreign members: You pay return postage NASG puts delivery postage on a running 6-month tab for you.)
When you request library services, please include the following information
- Your full name
- Your address (e-mail or USPS)
- Your NASG membership number
- As precise a description as possible of what you are seeking
- Your NASG membership number
- If requesting via e-mail, please place your NASG membership number in the "subject" field. This will distinguish your e-mail from viruses and spam. You will be charged 10 cents a page (plus postage, minimum of 50 cents, if ordered via USPS). A bill will be enclosed with each fulfilled USA request./li>
Send your request to:
Dick Karnes, Librarian
Russell M. Mobley Memorial Library
4323 86th Ave. SE
Mercer Island WA 98040-4124
nasglibrary@yahoo.com
Other Resources
- "Dear Ayeffe..." Tell us your problem we’ll find you a solution, excerpted from The Complete Service Manual for American Flyer Trains. Included in the manual is Setup, Operation, Maintenance, and Servicing information along with Exploded Assembly Drawings and Parts Lists.
- A.C. Gilbert's Postwar American Flyer S-Gauge Reference Manual, first edition (devoted to motors, and actuators in locomotives, rolling stock, and accessories), Robert A. Hannon, CrowsNest Publishing, Clarksville, MD, 2001
- American Flyer Instruction Book for Operating and Assembling 3/16" Scale Trains and Accessories, A.C. Gilbert Co., 1952 - copies $4.00 from the NASG Clearinghouse.
- American Flyer Trains & Gilbert Toys, Catalog #D1699, A.C. Gilbert Co., 1953 - scanned page images as requested
- A.C. Gilbert's Postwar American Flyer S-Gauge Reference Manual, first edition (motors and actuators in all locomotives, rolling stock, accessories), Robert A. Hannon, CrowsNest Publishing, Clarksville, MD 2001 - extracts as requested
