| Revision as of 14:21, 21 August 2006 editCrocon (talk | contribs)31 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Revision as of 17:06, 20 September 2006 edit undoBissinger (talk | contribs)3,134 edits added sourcesNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| {{sources}} | |||
| '''S gauge''' is a scale in ]. Modeled at ], S gauge runs on two-rail track with the rails .883 inches apart. S gauge is sometimes confused with '']'', a large-scale standard for toy trains in the early part of the 20th century. | '''S gauge''' is a scale in ]. Modeled at ], S gauge runs on two-rail track with the rails .883 inches apart. S gauge is sometimes confused with '']'', a large-scale standard for toy trains in the early part of the 20th century. | ||
Revision as of 17:06, 20 September 2006
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "S gauge" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
S gauge is a scale in model railroading. Modeled at 1:64 scale, S gauge runs on two-rail track with the rails .883 inches apart. S gauge is sometimes confused with standard gauge, a large-scale standard for toy trains in the early part of the 20th century.
1:64 scale trains first appeared in England in the early 20th century. The first trains marketed as S gauge appeared in the 1930s when American Flyer marketed a 1:64 scale train that ran on 3-rail track similar to that of Lionel. Following World War II, American Flyer introduced an S-gauge train running on two-rail track for greater realism, and S gauge entered its heyday, which ended around 1959. However, during that period, Lionel outsold American Flyer nearly 2 to 1. American Flyer's parent company went out of business and the brand was sold to Lionel in 1967.
Lionel reintroduced S gauge trains and accessories under the American Flyer name in 1979. Another manufacturer, American Models, entered the marketplace in 1981. S-Helper Service, another major S gauge locomotive and rolling stock manufacturer, began operations in 1990.
The National Association of S Gaugers serves as an organization to promote all forms of S Gauge model railroading.