Smokey Mountain Model Works of Asheville, NC has beautiful resin kits of the GE 44 tonner in both Phase I and IV in S scale available. I plan to purchase one for my first S scale locomotive. My proposed layout will start with the old Atlas HO scale "Simplicity & Great Plains" layout. The great thing about modeling in S scale is that it won´t take up much more room than the HO version did when I protolanced the Frisco back in 1962 after I converted from Lionel 027 to HO. The layout will later expand along my 18 foot long livingroom wall. The newly announced Alpine Division Feed and Grain Supply (their first S scale venture) will proudly occuply some real estate on the S&GP, which will be a Frisco subsidiary "Somewhere in the Texas Panhandle". Model Railroading is still fun! Joe Toth
I guess you want to have a good laugh today? The Simplicity & Great Plains was, and still is, a beginner HO scale layout that is designed for a standard 4X6 sheet of plywood. Nothing elaberate but just right for an apartment dweller like me. If you go to the Atlas HO site and bring up the Layout Packages you will find the S&GP under the Code 100 layouts listed as HO-24. Of course, if built in S scale, the size will increase accordingly but since S is roughly 10% larger than HO, more or less, it will still find space in a corner of my livingroom. I have a nice dry basement that can accommodate a shelf layout too and still use the S&GP though I wouldn´t have the 18 foot wall to expand the mainline with. I still would have 12 feet to play with which I can incorporate into the S&GP, but the 18 feet sure looks good! I sent Mike Corley a vintage slide of Frisco #6 and I need to compare the 6 spot with the Smokey Mountain model to see if it is the same phase required to model her with. At any rate, Andre Ming sold me on S scale and the product line continues to grow. The rest of "The Wall" will follow the West Texas theme. The Gulf Oil facility that was on John Lott´s Panhandle & Santa Fe in the February 1981 MR is a little industry that is a "Must" as my grandfather used Gulf to power his ´54 Mercury with. I hope I can find one in S scale! Hope this "Texas Mess" helps with your question. If not, just hit me on the side of my old head to get my attention. Joe Toth
At the risk of starting another diatribe; I will make the following comments: I like the size of S Scale and the work that Andre has done with it is outstanding. That 44 ton GE switcher is very nice looking and a good fit for a limited space layout. I have a friend in the Northeast who built an 0n30 shelf layout in his bedroom - his work is outstanding. I will try and find pics (I know I have some somewhere). He had a website, but has recently moved and my link does not seem to work - I am trying to message him for details. I very much like the On30 size too: 1/4 scale (about the same size locos and cars as S Scale), but would not work for a "Frisco" prototype - you would have the purists here screaming if you lettered On30 locos/cars for the Frisco. I might even be banned for suggesting it; however, always remember Rule 1.
I agree with you on the size of On30. I worked part time in high school for the late Chester Holley in Tampa, Florida. He taught me just about everything one could learn in the model railroading business. I still keep up with all the scales from Z to G. I plan to stay away from HO though... I imigine there are already modelers in S who have converted the Bachmann On30 equipment to S scale standard gauge. The logging camp cars should convert easy to MOW bunk and tool cars I would think. There have been all kinds of conversions over the years, many using HO locomotives to model in Sn3, On3 and now of course On30. I plan to look into this as well. I don´t remember Frisco MOW camp or tool cars in Carrollton, Texas, but the Katy had a string of them in Sloan Yellow spotted on the pass track down the line in Farmers Branch around 1952. The larger Bachmann On30 steam engines might convert to early Frisco locomotives and the nifty side-door caboose would look good too. If anyone has knowledge of such conversions or any site to find same, please reply. On another note. The Frisco probably did interchange with some narrow gauge roads or lumber and logging roads thus making possible a layout using On30 and a Frisco standard gauge connection. "Armstrong" transloading is understood here of course. Rule 1 is cool! Joe Toth
