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.
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.
2024 Allentown First Frost Train Show Video
An attendee of this show takes a nice tour of the North Penn S Gaugers's club layout. The layout is featured at the beginning of the video.
Oldest Running S-scale Steam Locomotive?
Carey Williams seems to be able to find those rare pieces of model railroading history and then show them actually still operating on his layout, via his YouTube channel. He recently added a video of a Cleveland Model & Supply Milwaukee Road (MILW) streamlined 4-4-2, a model from 1937. To put things into perspective, this was the same year that A.C. Gilbert bought American Flyer. This is an 88-year old model still running, today!
Sn2 Free-mo Set-up
David Keith took photos and provided a write-up of the 2024 National Narrow Gauge Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. A group of Sn2 modelers brought their modules to the show and set up a very nice layout. On his web page, click the photos to see a larger version.
O Scale West
The "O Scale - S Scale - Narrow Gauge West" annual event on the west coast has been taken over by the original founder of the show, and he renamed it back to just "O Scale West". However, on the web site he explicitly states that both narrow-gauge and S-scale will continue to be a fundamental part of the show. If you are in or near Santa Clara, California in late May 2025, be sure to attend the show.
RRPictureArchives.net
While not directly related to S, the web site rrpicturearchives.net has been down for a couple of weeks now. This web site was a valuable resource for prototype photos. It turns out that the physical server that was used for storing the web site's content was damaged. The owner is in the process of rebuilding. The linked-to page is his temporary page indicating the current status.
Paul Vaughn
Paul Vaughn, of Graham, Washington, and owner of Precision Vintage Classics (PVC), passed away on November 27, 2024 due to heart failure. Over the years Paul had bought Berlyn Locomotive Works' Sn3 product line, and the original Tomalco parts division only (not the track division). PVC produced S and O narrow-gauge kits and parts. We offer our condolences to Paul's family and friends. Photo shared by John Agnew, taken when he met Paul in 2018. It's been reported that Paul had an Sn3 layout in his basement.
Leroy Wallace Jr.
We were notified that 20+ year NASG member Leroy Wallace passed away on August 25, 2024 at the age of 89. Leroy lived in Fairfield, California.
Merle Rice
Merle D. Rice, owner of Model RR Warehouse based in Indiana, passed away in May 2024. Under this company name, Merle bought the Wabash Valley Lines product line from Omnicon and released their own version of the S-scale Enhorning F units. Model RR Warehouse, under the brand name Wabash Valley Lines, also produced brass engraving kits in S-scale for electric locomotives, troop sleeper cars, and a number of freight cars (box, stock, and heavy flat cars in various figurations and for different prototypes). If anyone has any leads as to what happened to the Wabash Valley Lines product line, please contact me at webmaster@nasg.org. Merle got seriously ill in 2020 and closed up his web site at that point in time, and so there has been no communication since then.
2025 NMRA Calendar
The 2025 NMRA calendar has a photo of Trevor Marshall's current adventure into S-scale modeling, on the September page. Trevor is currently building an S-scale layout based on the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway, which involves various freight motors that ran with trolley poles.
If you want a photo of your S layout in next year's calendar, get yours in before July 15, 2025. You must be an NMRA member to do so. Click the first link below for more details.
American Models Owner Remarries
Joe Calamia, of American Models, shared a Facebook posting showing Karen Bashista, owner of American Models, tying the knot. Her name changed to Karen Bashista Hanger. Her new husband is an S-scale modeler as well.
The A.C. Gilbert Video by Thomas Barker
Well-known A.C. Gilbert repair guide author, Tom Barker, has released a professionally-made video about his journey into American Flyer repair. The video is entertaining to watch, with lots of back-story details into A.C. Gilbert, historical photos and videos, a rare interview, and Tom's own models. Even if you are not into collecting A.C. Gilbert American Flyer equipment, this video provides some historical background to how S came about.
November 2024 Model Railroader Magazine
If at all possible, check out the November issue of Model Railroader magazine which contains many pages featuring S.
National Toy Truck 'N Construction Show
The 2024 National Toy Truck 'N Construction Show, held in Indianapolis this year of course features quite a bit of 1:64 trucks, trailers, construction equipment, and loads.
Robert Disse
We received notification that Robert "Bob" Disse Jr., of Washington, Missouri, passed away on November 9, 2023. He was an NASG member for 20 years. Bob served in the Navy where he retired with the rank of Commander. He then worked as an airline captain for United Airlines until his retirement. We offer our belated condolences to Bob's family and friends. His family indicated that his model trains were donated to the Iron Spike Museum in Washington, MO.
Ray Farrell
The South Jersey S Gaugers announce the loss of their club member Ray Farrell. Ray, from Medford, NJ, passed away on August 7, 2024. The photo was taken in 2001 standing by the SJSG layout of that time.
Shane Lambert's Layout Web Site
Shane has created a new web site dedicated to his home layout, the CNW Waseca Sub, set in October 1980 modeling Owatonna, MN to Waseca, MN.
2025 Sn3 Symposium Registration Opens
You can now register to attend the 2025 Sn3 Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah on April 24-26, 2025.
Cliff Baxter
We were notified that Cliff Baxter, of Otis Orchards, Washington, passed away on March 17, 2024. Cliff started in the hobby of model railroading in 1948. He enjoyed collecting A.C. Gilbert American Flyer as one of his hobbies (the others being sailing, fishing, and camping). He served in the Navy, during the Vietnam era, where it is believed he was involved in Naval Intelligence. He joined the Inland Empire S Gauge Assn. of the Pacific Northwest in 1976. He did not have a home layout, but he was very involved in working on and setting up the club's layout at local train shows. Over the recent years, the club has suffered from old-age attrition, and it is believed that Cliff was the last remaining member of the club, so it is no more. Vic Cherven, who knew Cliff well, contributed the information posted here, and it is his photo we are sharing here.
John Pauly
John Pauly, of Jackson, Wisconsin, passed away on June 27, 2024. He had been an NASG member for over 20 years. We offer our condolences to John's extended family and his friends.
Robert Marchbank
We have been notified that Robert F. Marchbank passed away on May 20, 2024. He was an NASG member for over 30 years. We offer our belated condolences to Bob's family and friends.
Bill Young
William (Bill) Pier Young, of St. Helena, California, passed away on July 25, 2024. He was an NASG member for over 20 years. He and Dick Karnes were good friends, and so Dick recalls the following. Bill earned his civil engineering degree from Stanford University in 1963 and was a general engineering contractor until he retired. He wintered in St. Helena, CA, and summered in Mt. Shasta, where he had his layout. It is not really a surprise, given his background, that Bill's first love is bridges. His layout was designed as a showcase for bridges. In the winter he would build equipment for his layout; in summer he would install it. Bill's work has been published many times, including the NASG Dispatch, S Gaugian, Model Railroader, and two BASS (Bay Area S Scalers) calendars. His three-track bascule bridge, with sound, won first place at the 2011 NASG Convention. Bill leaves behind his wife Paula, two daughters, and four grandchildren. We offer our condolences to Bill's family and friends.
NMRA National Train Show
The Southern California S Gaugers Club had their layout set up at the NTS in Long Beach, California. The linked-to video is a full walk-around of their layout.
Michael M. Jackson
We have received word that Michael M. Jackson, of Wooster, Ohio, passed away on July 1. He was an NASG member for the past 11 years. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Vietnam War, and retired as a commander. We offer our sincerest condolences to Mike's family and friends.
Terry Dwyer
We were informed that Terry Dwyer, of Owosso, Michigan, passed away on June 10, 2023. He had been an NASG member for over 30 years. We offer Terry's family our belated condolences.
Philip Howe
We have been notified that long-time NASG member Philip S. Howe, out of Grayslake, Illinois, passed away on April 11, 2024. In addition to serving in the Air Force, he also served the public, and he was a past president of the Lionel Operating Train Society. We offer our belated condolences to Phil's family and friends.
Another Different Kind of Layout
On YouTube, a gentleman with a channel named "Tabletop Railroad", has been working on a method by which he can build a small, highly-configurable, and highly-modular layout. He is a freelance modeler, but chose to use Sn2 as his preferred modeling scale. He has developed an interesting way to build small modules that can be placed together to form a larger layout, while still being individually storable in a small space. This might be a great solution for those of us with limited space for layout construction and layout set-up.
Karen Bashista Running a Train
Joe Calamia, of American Models, shared a photo of Karen Bashista, owner of American Models, running a train on an S-scale layout. Details and the occasion are unknown.
Some Vintage Steam
Leonard Williams shares several videos of recent additions to his collection of S-scale steam engines.
Gary McCullah
Gary McCullah, of Farmington, Arkansas, was an NASG member for over 30 years. He passed away on April 19, 2024. We offer Gary's family and friends our belated condolences.
Jim Spice Describes His Sn3 Layout
Jim describes his "Denver & Cat Canyon Western" Sn3 layout in this video.
RMC Article by Trevor Marshall
Trevor Marshall has an article in the June 2024 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman in which he details his last project he did for his former S-scale layout.
A Different Kind of Layout
A gentleman by the name of Mick Timber has used the software application "Templot" to 3D-print track components to build a large, circular S-scale layout (the blue line in the track plan shown below is the track, while the black lines are the edges of the round tables). Templot is based in Britain, so you will find British-style track and engine, but the concept can be used elsewhere. Templot is not a track-planning software application, but rather one that allows you to design various track components (predominantly turnouts) by using templates and real-world data, if desired. So, theoretically, one could model track components that match the exact track plan of the prototype, but scaled down to the modeling scale. The idea is that once you have designed and tweaked and tuned your desired track component, you can send that design to your 3D-printer. The result will be a track component, into which you can slide rail to complete the assembly. There is a lot to Templot, so if this is something that you might want to explore further, I would highly recommend going to their web site and spending time reading through it and learning more about it. The software is available for free, and there are tutorials available on their web site. There appears to be quite a community behind the application, even though it was created by and is being maintained by one retired gentleman.
The Story of EMD (as told in S-scale)
Terry O'Kelly produced a fantastic video detailing the history of EMD. He uses a mix of prototype and S-scale models to narrate the story.
Russell Sanford
Russell L. Sanford, from Ridgecrest, CA, passed away recently. No obituary was found, but it does appear that he lived to be 96. He was an NASG member for 30 years.
James Larson
Long-time NASG member Dr. James "Jim" Larson, of Roscoe, Illinois, passed away on May 31, 2024 at the age of 78 of natural causes. He was a retired physician. We offer our condolences to Jim's family and friends. Jim was a long-time member of the Stateline S Gaugers club, where he served as a president and a director in years past. He religiously attended the local S Fest and S Spree events, and was an avid kit-basher and collector of A.C. Gilbert American Flyer.
Bruce Lazarus
Long-time NASG member Bruce Lazarus, of Woodland Hills, California, passed away on May 22, 2024. We offer our condolences to Bruce's family and friends.
John Vanacore
Long-time NASG member John Vanacore, of North Haven, Connecticut, passed away on May 22, 2024. He was very active in Connecticut-area train shows selling American Flyer products and parts. We offer our condolences to John's family and friends.
Sn3 Symposium Photos
Bill Winans contributed a couple of photos taken at last week's Sn3 Symposium in Mesa, Arizona. More photos to follow in the near future.
David Whitworth
David G. Whitworth, Jr, passed away on April 16, 2024, at the age of 78. He was a long-time member of the NASG, and a member of the Baltimore Area American Flyer Club. He had built a 30' x 40' layout after renovating the attic of his home.
CP and KCS Merge
While not S related at all, but we have a lot of CP and KCS modelers, the Canadian Pacific and the Kansas City Southern have merged, to form the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railroad. To celebrate, the company has created the Steam Tour, which left Calgary, Alberta, Canada on April 24, 2024 on its way through the U.S. and to arrive in Mexico City on June 4. A single trip through all three countries. The train is pulled by the CP's Empress #2816, a 4-6-4 Hudson, which was restored in the late 1990s and converted to run on bio-diesel.
Be sure to see all, or other, products announced over the past year via the main News page.