A Quickly Dieing Scale
The SAD Truth About S
Scale
A truth, as it applies to me, that I've descovered during my recent
few years in S
.
I have recently decided that I am no longer going
to be modeling in S scale. This is due to the very sad fact that there
is so very little in S that suits my needs that I cannot even build enough
of a collection to enable me to build a layout. There simply are not
enough models produced in S that accurately, or even closely-enough represent
the prototype equipment that was operated by the various southeastern railroads
that I want to model.
Being a scale modeler and having no love whatsoever
for archaic American Flyer TOY trains, I have determined that S scale is
no place for any modeler who cares whether or not a model is an acceptable
representation of anything that ever actually existed... especially equipment
operated by southeastern railroads. I still love S scale, and I firmly
believe that it is "the perfect scale" for modeling in as far as what can
be done in it goes... just not necessarily what has been done
in it to date by its supporters and manufacturers. If and when S scale
manufacturers ever see fit to produce models that southeastern scale modelers
like myself can actually use without having to spend days upon days cutting
and gluing to make it into a suitable representation of what we want, I intend
to buy them and store them away in hopes that S will somehow manage to actually
grow (as opposed to maintaining the status quo) enough between now and the
time I retire so that I can justify returning to S and actually have enough
models to build what I want... that is, assuming that S doesn't die off with
its rapidly aging, American Flyer (TOY train) support base before I retire.
But until that happens... I'm done with S!
I have been a very strong proponent of S since
I came into it, and I've been told by quite a few other S supporters that
in the few years that I've been in S, they have seen me trying to get more
done than "most" others ever have. If that is true, it is very sad!
But I thank everyone who shared my vision and got on board the 'new
S train' in an effort to help. Unfortunately, this 'new S train' has
been derailed by the archaic, worn out and poorly maintained roadbed that
supported the track that it was trying to run on. So for now and the
forseeable future, I'm done proposing projects, I'm done trying to encourage
those in S to support new projects and directions for the scale, I'm done
trying to encourage modelers outside of S to come into the scale, I'm done
pushing the few projects I had managed to get going, I'm done trying to get
people on the S train, I'm done hoping the train will reach the station...
and I'm done wasting my time and energy trying to stoke all the cold, burned
up 'clinkers' in the S firebox who refuse to warm up to anything new...
or even to so much as grease the engine's wheels! To put it simply...
AF fans can have S scale back... and take it to their graves with
them.
Dusgusted and disillusioned as
hell...
John Degnan
.
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