News: Our Community
S-scale has a relatively tight-knit group of people, where a lot of us know each other via local clubs, train shows, e-mail, discussion groups, or various forms of social media. This page covers information about specific individuals, clubs, train show reports, personal web site updates, etc. Click photos to visit the web sites.
Bob Board
Apparently Bob Board, owner of Bart's Pneumatics Corporation, and the very large "All Aboard Railroad" American Flyer layout, has passed away recently. The layout page on his web site disappeared a month or more ago, and now his web site's home page states that his property is up for auction in March. Bob's 24' x 46' all-AF layout featured A.C. Gilbert and GarGraves track and tons of trains. It was a fully-scenicked and detailed layout that had just a bit over two thousand feet of mainline track! He opened the layout during each Christmas season for all to enjoy. Classic Toy Trains recently put together a downloadable book called "S Gauge Masters of Hi-rail", which is a compilation of some of their S-scale hi-rail layouts they have featured in their regular magazine, which included Bob's layout. So far, no known video of the layout has been found. A visitor in 2022 shared a couple of photos on the OGR Forum web site (see second link).
Stuart Gordon
Long-time member of the NASG, Stuart Gordon, passed away on December 26, 2025. We offer our condolences to Stuart's family and friends.
Brian Nicholson
As reported to us by fellow Canadian Jim Martin: The S Scale Workshop is saddened by the sudden loss of valued member Brian Nicholson. In addition to being an expert modeler (see the March/April 2017 NASG Dispatch), Brian was a talented musician who enjoyed entertaining locally in the Montreal area pubs. A long time employee of Pratt & Whitney Canada, Brian was an aviation buff, golfer, outdoorsman, birder, and expert nature photographer. Brian appeared hale and hearty when most of us saw him this past summer, but he was taken from us in early December by a rapidly moving cancer. Among his last words to his social media friends: "I've had a great life! I'm still positive and continue to find joy every day. Enjoy every day. You just never know." Rest in Peace, Brian. We offer our condolences to the Canadian team of S modelers and to Brian's family.
Alan Loizeaux on Off The Beaten Path
Alan Loizeaux, of Empire Trackworks, walks through the various custom turnouts and trackwork that he offers. He does both scale and hi-rail, anything from code 55 through code 148 rail.
Bill Morris
William Charles Morris, 73, of Rutland, MA, passed away on November 27, 2025. Bill ran NE Prototypes, which offered a large number of S-scale decals for various types of freight and passenger cars, as well as for the Divco milk trucks. Bill bought the official rights, tools, inventory, and parts of Kinsman Scale Models from Don Heimburger in 2009, so he continued that product line of kits and kit replacement parts. We offer our condolences to Bill's family and all of his friends.
Matt Covington Presents His Layout
Matt Covington shares his background, interests, and his Sn3 logging layout in this YouTube presentation. The video has great still shots of his layout, and covers his plans for expanding it.
National Narrow Gauge Convention Review
The co-chairs of the NG Convention share their observations of the event. The presentation shows the models that won in the contests. Of note are Jeff Boock's S-scale steam donkey (~9-minute mark), Warren Judge's Sn2 module (~10:10 mark), and Jeff Boock's Hyde Tannery structure (12:50 mark).
Paul Riley
Life-long member of the NASG and the Bristol S Gauge Railroaders club, Paul Riley of Peabody, Massachusetts, passed away on October 19, 2025. He was a co-founder of both DMK Scale Models (wood/resin hopper kits) and Modern Models (brass extended-vision caboose). Dick Karnes recalls that Paul was into S-scale modeling already while in High School at around the age of 15, producing quality track work for his home layout. We offer our condolences to Paul's family and many friends.
Chuck West
Jim Kindraka informed us of Chuck's passing: Charles R. Wielosinski, a.k.a. Chuck West, passed away on October 15th. He was 83 years old. Chuck's name wasn't widely known, but to modelers, pilots, hobby shop owners and railroad aficionados all over the Chicago area and upper Midwest, for close to 30 years every Saturday night his well-built S-scale layout was a homey, friendly gathering spot. Countless people were exposed to S-scale at those basement gatherings, operating and repairing models at Chuck's layout and workbench. "Fixing things" was always in Chuck's blood. He helped all who asked get their models running flawlessly on the unofficial "Des Plaines Valley" layout. Chuck was one of those few truly good people, who made model railroading and indeed life, much richer. All who came in contact with him are better for having known him and have lost a decent and true friend. He will be sorely missed. Chuck was a long-time member of the NASG. Photo courtesy of Jim Kindraka.
Memphis Model Railroaders Club
The Memphis Model Railroaders is a new club entry added to this web site after learning from one of its members that this multi-scale club has a very nice S-scale layout. The club occupies the second floor of a manufacturing facility (AZO). They have layouts in every scale, including an S-scale hi-rail layout set up on hollow-core doors. The layout uses S-Helper Service track and turnouts and (new for 2025) Empire Trackworks turnouts. Locomotives are by S-Helper Service, Lionel, and American Models. The U-shaped layout features several loops and a large staging yard. The bottom of the linked-to web site has two videos that give a good overview of the layout. If you right-click (Windows) or control-click (Mac) on the videos, you will see a menu, one option of which states "Full Screen", which enables you to see the video much better. If you are in the Memphis, Tennessee area on November 22, 2025, they have an open house on that day from 10am to 3pm. The club has TCA and NASG members. The club is open on Saturdays to members of the club to work on the layouts. If you are interested in attending on a Saturday (to lend a helping hand or to run an engine), contact a member well ahead of time, as the gates to the building are locked. There is no admittance to the layouts on other days.
Connecticut S Gaugers
The Connecticut S Gaugers announce their newly-designed web site for their club.
Joe Scales
Joseph Scales III passed away August 8th, 2025. He lived in Ridgeway, Virginia. Joe was one of the guys who had a major impact on S-scale in the days following the demise of A.C. Gilbert, when the future of S looked bleak. He was a member of the NASG from 1982 through 2001, which is presumably when he switched modeling scales from S to O. According to Jim Kindraka, Joe's property in Virginia was right on the border with North Carolina, adjoining land owned by the Miller Brewing Company's Eden, North Carolina brewery. Jim states that Joe spoke with a wonderful, soft Virginia accent but he was not soft spoken! If you met him, you likely wouldn't forget him soon, there was never any question when Joe was in the room! He was a fan of, and modeled, big steam locomotives, and his favorite railroads were the Southern, N&W, and the Virginian. When Overland Models came out with their E3/6 diesels, Joe painted one in Southern's green & white almost immediately (somebody may have that one in their collection). He was also involved in "live steam". The obituary web site has a couple of photos. The second photo shown below has Joe teaching a young man how to run Joe's "Big Mike" Southern live steam locomotive. Jim recalls running into Joe over the years at local O-scale meets where Joe was still "Joe"; always available to help people learn more about the hobby and his favorite steam engines. Joe was instrumental in some of the drive design features when Dan Navarre and Jim built the River Raisin Models' C&O 2-6-6-2 locomotives, especially, the mechanism to re-center the longer boiler after the locomotive went around a curve. Joe was part of the group of guys who created patterns for Claud Wade's S Scale Locomotive & Supply venture to provide scale modelers with parts. Joe was a former member of the Connecticut S Gaugers, when he worked in Connecticut as a gunsmith. We offer our condolences to Joe's family and his many friends for their loss.
Charles Rider
We were recently notified that NASG member Charles D. Rider of Disney, Arizona, passed away on November 10, 2024. We offer our belated condolences to Charles' family and friends for their loss.
Grant Mears
Grant Mears of Sioux City, Iowa passed away on August 31, 2025. He was an NASG member for the past 15 years. We offer our condolences to Grant's family and friends for their loss.
Rolf Johannessen
We were notified that Rolf J. Johannessen, of Meridian, Idaho, passed away on February 2, 2025. He was an NASG member for the past 10 years. We offer our belated condolences to Rolf's family and friends for their loss.
Scratchbuilt SW Diesel Engine
Carey Williams found an old scratchbuilt EMD SW switcher engine, and shares a video of it running on his layout.
Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers Layout Video
Jeff Schultz, of Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine, took a tour of the Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers' club layout set up at the recent NMRA National Train Show. As a fellow exhibitor, he took the video before the doors opened to the general public, affording him the opportunity to record the entire layout.
The Great Northern in S-scale
Terry O'Kelly has made another fantastic presentation, this time presenting a brief history of the Great Northern as showcased using S-scale models.
Jerry Brewer
The Houston S Gaugers morn the loss of Jerry Brewer, one of its founding members. Jerry passed away on July 5, 2025 after a long battle with Parkisons disease. He lived in Katy, Texas, and was a long-time member of the NASG. Jerry was a professional model builder. Yes, they do, or more accurately, did, exist. Back in the day, he was commissioned to build scale models for various enterprises. Needless to say, his S-scale models were beautiful, many of which he showed on the Houston S Gauger's public modular layout. Jerry was in the Vietnam war and was quite a story teller. He had a great sense of humor, and even joked about his Parkisons disease, as he stated that he was now available to help other modelers with their model paints, as his heavy trembling hand functioned great as a paint bottle shaker! Photo is by Peter Vanvliet, taken during one of the Houston S Gaugers' layout set-ups at a local show. We offer our condolences to Jerry's family and his many friends, and we'll miss his jovial presence.
Ed Loizeaux
Alan Loizeaux informed us all of the sad news that his Dad Ed Loizeaux passed away on June 24, 2025, after complications of a dog bite and a compromised immune system. He was 84. Ed was one of the most well-known names in the "S" community. He served as the NASG's president from 1985 through 1989, and as the western vice-president from 1976 through 1983. In 1989 he started the 3/16 'S'cale Railroading magazine. In 2012 he was the principle leader to start the NMRA's S-scale SIG, to help promote S-scale modeling to the rest of the NMRA's membership. Ed was a prolific author, having been published in his own magazine, the NASG's The Dispatch, Railroad Model Craftsman, 1:64 Modeling Guide, S Gaugian, and S/Sn3 Modeling Guide. Ed was involved in creating the NMRA's DCC standards. Our condolences go out to the entire Loizeaux family for their loss. The photo is courtesy of Alan Loizeaux.
William Weissman
Bill Lane recently discovered that William Weissman passed away on April 29, 2023. William was an S-scale modeler (and an NASG member the last year of his life) from Holland, Pennsylvania. William had a layout in a basement that he dug out from under his house.
Milinda Griggs
Scott Griggs, owner of Trainz.com, announced that his wife passed away due to an accident while on vacation in New Zealand. Milinda was a partner in the company. We extend our condolences to Scott and his family for their unexpected loss.
Kent Singer
Through the grapevine we learned that S-scale modeler and NASG member Kent L. Singer, of Norristown, Pennsylvania, passed away on November 23, 2024. Kent won the NASG's Bernie Thomas Memorial Award in 1991. In the 1980s and early 1990s he was the NASG's Contests Chairman. Hoquat Hobbies commissioned Kent to design their pickle vat car kit back in 1986. From the 1980s until the early 2000s, Kent wrote numerous articles for the 3/16 'S'cale Railroading, the S Gauge Herald, and the NASG Dispatch magazines, covering a wide variety of topics from beginner to advanced. We offer our belated condolences to Kent's family and his friends.
Shelburne Museum Photos Added
Chris Monje provided two photos he took of the S layout at the Shelburne Museum in Shelburne, Vermont.
If you are planning a trip to another part of the country, you may want to check the "Permanent Displays" sub-header of the main "Clubs" section of this web site. We've documented all known long-term S displays around the country.
Sn3 Symposium Report by Toy Man Television
Toy Man Television attended the 2025 Sn3 Symposium in Sandy, Utah in late-April. The couple shows the contest models at the Symposium, and they then visit Gil Bennett Sn3 "Lost Creek Branch" layout (the visit starts at the 6:30 mark).
The West Michigan S Gaugers Club
Austin Birkey visits with the West Michigan S Gaugers club.
Frankie Merson
Robert Frances "Frankie" Merson passed away on February 24, 2025 while attending a train show in Allentown, PA. He owned American Flyer Depot, based in Clements, Maryland, which focused on repairing A.C. Gilbert products, as well as buying and selling parts. He was a recent new member of the NASG. We offer our condolences to Frankie's family and many friends.
Mike Millar
We have been informed that Donald "Mike" Millar of Atco, New Jersey, passed away on October 12, 2024 at the age of 90. He was an NASG member for the past couple of years.
Midwest Narrow Gauge Show Report
David Keith shares photos and videos taken at the March 20th through 22nd, 2025 Midwest Narrow Gauge Show in Salem, Ohio, where they had their Freemo Sn2 layout set up.
Visiting Steve Russell's Layout
James Ingram visited Steve Russell's 28' x 40' layout. The layout has an impressive walk-in lift bridge, a model of the Altoona curve, day/night operations, and multiple trains running simultaneously.
Craig Wright Presents his Sn3 Layout
The Narrow Gauge Off the Beaten Track YouTube channel added Craig Wright's presentation of his Sn3 layout.
David Keith Presents his Sn2 Modules
The Narrow Gauge Off the Beaten Track YouTube channel added David Keith's presentation of his Sn2 modules, which were shown at the recent National Narrow Gauge Convention. The Sn2 group's layout is set up using the FreeMo style.
Jesse Bennett's SP Cab-Forward Running
Carey Williams was able to obtain one of the rare scratchbuilt Jesse Bennett locomotives, a Southern Pacific Cab Forward, and shares a video of it running on his overhead S layout.
Kelvin White
Kelvin White, owner of Whiteoak Models based in North Hinksey, Oxford, United Kingdom, passed away on March 3, 2025. Fellow countryman John Prior notified us of this sad news. Kelvin was an NASG member for 25 years. John mentioned that Kelvin modeled in a variety of scales over the years, but he did include North American S-scale, building at least three switching layouts based on U.S. prototypes in S. Whiteoak Models produced S-scale turnouts, primarily intended for sale to U.S. customers. These were actually produced by Marcway Models. When the cost of shipping and other fees became too high, Kelvin stopped having them made.
Ogden, Utah Train Show AF Layout
The YouTube video link below starts at the correct spot where the show visitor starts the The Golden Spike American Flyer Club layout feature, at the recently-held Hostlers Model Railroad Festival in Ogden, Utah
Robert Merson
Robert "Frankie" Merson, of Clements, Maryland, passed away on February 24, 2025. He was an NASG member for over ten years, and a member of the Baltimore Area American Flyer Club.
Static Grass Modeling by Warren Judge
The Narrow Gauge Off the Beaten Track YouTube channel added a presentation by Sn3/Sn2 modeler Warren Judge about how he applies static grass.
James McQueen
James Godfrey McQueen, of Lawrence, Michigan, passed away in October 2024. He was a long-time member of the NASG. We offer our belated condolences to his family and friends.
Leroy Woodwell
We were informed that NASG member Leroy Woodwell, of Groveton, New Hampshire, passed away on May 21, 2024. We offer our belated condolences to Roy's family and friends.
S History: Toy Trains International
As part of the continuing edification of your webmaster's knowledge of S' history, Clay Buckage (of Dave's Twacks & Twains) and Doug Peck (of Port Lines Hobby Supplies) informed me of the prior existence of Toy Trains International. Sometime in the 1990s to early 2000s, the husband-and-wife team produced S-scale freight cars which were manufactured in Bulgaria. At first these were direct copies of cars that A.C. Gilbert had produced (complete with the A.C.G. text on the underside of the cars, and then later "A.C.G." scratched out) with the same road number, then later with new road numbers, and again later with new road names. They eventually created new molds that were slightly different from the A.C. Gilbert originals. While they might be mistaken for A.C. Gilbert originals (as I was with one entry previously marked as an A.C.G. original), they can be identified by the scratched-out "A.C.G." text on the bottom of the car, or marked with "Made in BG" or with the letters "BG" decorated on the side of the model. Of course, using reference guides such as the Greenberg's will help you determine which car is which. Clay Buckage has taken a good number of photos, which are now available in the Product Gallery section of this web site. Doug Peck indicated that he still has some of these cars in stock. He stated that somewhere between 30 and 50 different cars were produced, so our Product Gallery listing is far from complete.
Bob Yahnke
Al Clapp announced that Bob Yahnke passed away January 25, 2025. He was a long-time member of the Cuyahoga Valley S Gauge Association and a founding member of the Northern Ohio S Scalers.
Marc LaChey's Sn3 Cripple Creek & Tincup Railroad
Marc LaChey recently did a walk-through slide-show presentation of how he constructed his Sn3 layout.
Alan Evans
After a couple of years of serious health issues, Alan Evans, of Gahanna, Ohio, passed away on January 22, 2025. Alan was well known within the NASG and within the S community. He was a relentless promoter of the scale. For many years, Alan was responsible for managing and showing the "NASG Switching Layout". He was not involved in the initial creation of that layout, but he took it over at some point in time. The nearest we can tell from photographic evidence is in 2006. Alan retired in 2017 and also retired the layout at that time. Alan was the NASG president from 1993 through 1997, and ran the NASG's "Special Projects" program from 1989 through 2015, during which several unique models and kits were produced for NASG members. Alan received the NASG's "Bernie Thomas Memorial Award" in 1998. Alan was also a member of the Central Ohio S Gaugers and of the NMRA. Alan and his wife Pat ran the Rocky Fork Printing company in Gahanna, Ohio. We offer our condolences to Alan's family and his many friends.
(photo taken by Peter Vanvliet at the 2013 NASG Convention, where Alan (blue cap) helps a youngster run a train on the NASG's Switching Layout)
Richard Phillips
We have been notified that Richard K. Phillips, of Howell, Michigan, passed away on September 16, 2024. He was a long-time member of the NASG. He was an avid collector and also a member of the TCA and the NMRA. We extend our belated condolences to Richard's family and friends for their loss.
Mike Rosenberg
Long-time NASG member, Michael Rosenberg of Milburn, New Jersey, passed away on December 5, 2024. Mike was an avid AF enthusiast and could often be found at the York and Springfield train shows. We offer our belated condolences to Mike's family and friends.
Free-Mo S Scale Web Site
Shane Lambert has started a new web site through which he hopes to build an online community centered around the Free-mo standard for S-scale.
S In The Movies
Back in 2018, Trevor Marshall's previous S-scale layout was recorded as part of an upcoming short movie. The 15-minute film was released in 2019 and after making its rounds in the various film festivals (and winning some awards), it has now been made available for the public to see online. The film is called "Buzzard". It is a drama (with some light humor) dealing with depression after a loss. It is well-acted and well-made. Trevor's layout is featured in this film. I enjoyed watching the movie, but if you just want to skip to where Trevor's layout is featured, fast-forward to about the 7-minute mark.
William Gilliland
We have received word that Bill Gilliland, of Port Royal, Pennsylvania, passed away in August 2023. He was a relative new member of the NASG at the time of his passing, but a long-time member of the TCA.
Be sure to see all, or other, products announced over the past year via the main News page.