What is "S" Gauge Model Railroading?

"S" Gauge is modeling in 1/64th scale.  That is, one foot equals 64 feet in real life.  In other terms, 3/16 of an inch represents one scale foot.  When comparing to other scales, it falls directly between O's 1/48th scale and HO's 1/87th scale.  It combines the best qualities of those two sizes by being small enough to allow for large layouts, yet large enough to provide excellent detail.

The history  "S" goes back more than fifty years.  It was first manufactured by CD Models Company of Cleveland.  After World War II, the A. C. Gilbert Company popularized "S" Gauge when it began to mass-produce electric trains under the famous name American Flyer.  When Gilbert went out of business in the Sixties, devoted "S" Gauge enthusiasts picked up the reins and kept the scale alive.  Today, there are over fifty producers of "S" Gauge products.  Lionel even resurrected American Flyer to complement its "O" Gauge line.