S Scale SIG - Promoting 1:64 Scale Model Railroading

S Scale SIG – Promoting 1:64 Scale Model Railroading

Welcome to sscale.org the online home of the S Scale SIG. The S Scale SIG is an NMRA affiliated Special Interest Group dedicated to the promotion of 1:64 scale model railroading. As the SIG develops, our hope is the S Scale SIG can provide a unified voice for the promotion of 1:64 scale model railroading within the larger model railroad community and sscale.org can serve as a central nexus of information for modelers, manufacturers and those interested in learning more about S scale trains.

S scale model railroading in 1:64 is alive and vibrant with diverse groups of modelers in both standard and narrow gauges. S has always been known as “the perfect size” falling between the larger O and the smaller HO. It is an architectural scale, 3/16″ to the foot, and perfect for operators, model builders and scratch builders alike.

If you are an S Scaler, this SIG is here to help you.

The S Scale Journal – The Online Journal of the S Scale SIG

The S Scale Journal is the Online Journal of the S Scale SIG. Published periodically, the Journal focuses on 1:64 scale modeling; product introductions and reviews; layout and club features; and overviews of prominent S Scale modelers and their layouts.

Read the latest Issue.

Would you like to submit an article to The S Scale Journal? We’re always looking for articles on any aspect of S Scale model railroading. Concerned your writing or photography skills are not good enough? Our editor and webmaster are here to support you in bringing your article to the S Scale community. Contact our editor for more information.

Getting Started in S – A Guide to Scale Modeling at 1:64

By now you know that S is 36 percent larger than HO, is 3/16″ to the foot, and is 1:64 in proportion to the real thing. In round numbers, S is about halfway between HO and O scales. We consider S scale to be the optimum size – with the advantages of both HO and O, but without their disadvantages.

Our friends in O scale have beautiful rolling stock filled with visible detail. However, home-based O scale layouts usually have simplistic track geometry consisting of a large circle with short sidings. It’s difficult to construct a full-featured O scale layout in the typical spare room or garage. Authentically-sized large structures overwhelm the available space. Thus, most home-based O scale layouts have only smaller structures, and use building “flats” along the walls to simulate largeness. Figure 1 shows the space requirements in both O and S for a modest 7-stall roundhouse, turntable and lead-in track suitable for a 4-8-4. Note that 81 percent more actual square feet are required for an O scale facility compared to S. How large is your garage?