# lots of S specific questions



## dave and a train (Jan 26, 2012)

Ok I live in Columbus, Ohio and there is actually a decent model train store specific shop in town, but they admittedly deal in very little Flyer stuff. I have a good client who claims to have literally every Lionel O scale product ever made (i've seen his basement, it's nuts), but never collected any Flyer stuff except some nice buildings. So anyway I have a couple trains now and am hopefully going to set up a fun layout in the basement but have a bunch of silly questions as I shovel boatloads of cash at Ebay.

Is there a source for plain unpainted generic S scale box cars and hoppers?
I want to have my neighbor who is a professional designer artist type guy do a bunch of true to life graffitti covered cars for me.

What books show decent tear down and repair procedures? Are there any books with good flyonel era pictures?
I currently have Doyle's Standard Catalog of American FLyer Trains and Hannon's S-Gauge Reference Manual as well as the reference manual CD sold on Ebay that is seemingly a bunch of scans from older Gilbert paperwork.

Is there any computer software with S gauge "specs" for laying our my track setup ahead of time?

I am hoping for a modern train look and am wondering if multiple similar diesel style engines give more pulling power for a long line of hoppers, or am I better off getting multiple dummy engines with one powered unit?

I know purists seem to look down thier noses at flyonel stuff but for my engine I think I want to use them, are there any models I should look for that are inherently "less flawed" than others?

I am thinking of a 12'x4' (maybe 12' x5') area.

Thanks in advance and I have spent most of today reading tales of S gauge glory (when the landlord stopped Reckers' step by step build with photos, I was ready to hurt somebody 

Dave


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

S / AF source info in this thread ...

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=2567

Several canned track software packages should have S / AF track. Check out:

www.anyrail.com -- you can download a starter version for free

www.scarm.info -- freeware. developer is a member here

TJ


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Every Lionel ever made?

Ask him to sign on here.:thumbsup:

Nothing wrong with S, wait for the S crew to sign on to answer your S questions.

That is a nice size your planning. I am sure the modeling will be great with your skills.

Post a thread of your build.:thumbsup:

I have been checking out e bay and see a bunch of S selling there.
You could check your local area for S on Craig's list too.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

dave, welcome to the forum! TJ provided you our in-house list of reference material on American Flyer: for starters, the http://myflyertrains.org/gallery/GilbertFactoryManual address will give you a lot of manuals for your older equipment. Anyrail is an excellent track layout program...I highly recommend it.

There are a companies that make new S scale cars, and you can also find a lot of Flyonel and older S scale AF on Ebay. I'm admittedly a person who favors the 1940's and '50s era AF, but there is nothing wrong with running Flyonel if it appeals to you. Bottom line is that on your layout, yours is the only opinion that matters. Everyone else---including me---is a benighted idiot if they disagree with you on matters of your own layout. Incidentally, I'm currently working on a 12 x 5 layout. If you intend serious scenery and topography, let me recommend the 12 x 4 size. I like the extra room mine offers, but it can be a reach to do anything challenging in the middle of that 5' width.

Best wishes on your layout, and keep in touch, we'd like to hear more about it!


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## Nuttin But Flyer (Dec 19, 2011)

Hi Dave -- 

Welcome Aboard !! (No pun intended.) I am a Flyer collector too, having just joined this forum only recently. However, in the short time I have been here, I have received numerous tips and suggestions, as well as good old-fashioned help to answer my questions. You don't know something? Ask here and someone will get an answer to you or recommend a place to get it. If you have questions about your Flyer collection or just want to show it off, everyone here is ready to look at it. Look forward to your postings.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

big ed said:


> Every Lionel ever made?
> 
> Ask him to sign on here.:thumbsup:
> 
> ...



Dave never came back?


Whoops, sorry Dave when I posted the above, I had you confused with Daveinthehat. (When I said the above in red.hwell

I hope you did not take offense to the above.

Welcome to the site anyway.


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

And Ed, welcome back to S Scale Land!


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## dave and a train (Jan 26, 2012)

no offense taken Ed though I was a little confused by your remark 
I spent yesterday reading every thread in the "S" section, though I did resort to some skimming on topics that didn't grab me. 

The links were helpful though I have managed to find a bunch of resourses online. I gave the anyrails system a tryout, it's nice but I wish there were more of the accessories I plan to use in my layout specifically the end bumpers.

I will probably go pretty slow in building the layout, I am still designing and acquiring pieces and deciding how to rearrange my basement to use the space best.

I'll try to put together a rolling stock list and pictures if ther is interest and of course I am a long time user of Ebay as a buyer and seller.

If anyone has any end bumbers they want to sell I am looking for 4-6 of them and would certainly look at prices for diesel engines and box cars, especially quantities.
there are a few S-helper pieces on the bay right now that are really interesting
Dave


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Yes sorry Daveinthehat is someone else.hwell:

Dave's speed shop,

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=9225


What some don't know is that some of Lionel's smaller engines of the O/27, are almost S scale size. I believe they are around 1/50 or 1/55, where S is 1/64.



True O is a bit bigger then O/27 trains.
There is O track and O/27 track. 
The difference,








Most all of O/27 trains can run on O track, but not all of O trains will run through O/27 switches.
Some of O gauge rolling stock is larger then O/27's rolling stock but both can run on either track, though like the engines some will have problems on the O/27 switches.


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## flyernut (Oct 31, 2010)

dave and a train said:


> no offense taken Ed though I was a little confused by your remark
> I spent yesterday reading every thread in the "S" section, though I did resort to some skimming on topics that didn't grab me.
> 
> The links were helpful though I have managed to find a bunch of resourses online. I gave the anyrails system a tryout, it's nice but I wish there were more of the accessories I plan to use in my layout specifically the end bumpers.
> ...


You can get repo end bumpers on line. They're fairly cheap, and actually, a nice product.


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