I wonder if a factor contributing to the level of acceptance of S by the broader modeling community through the years has been the tendency for S modelers to stay 'close to the fold' rather than mingling and engaging with the larger model railroading community.? Maybe it was necessary since the scale is complicated with compatibility issues and so it's been necessary to hook up with other S modelers to get the answers.? But how many S modelers have been actively engaged with their local NMRA multi-scale clubs and operating groups...where modelers in other scales can be exposed to S?? How many S modelers over the years have been avid readers of, and contributors to, the multi-scale modeling magazines like Model Railroader and Railroad Model Craftsman?? Perhaps we've spent too much of our time talking among ourselves instead of 'mixing it up' with N, HO and O modelers so they can see first hand what S is all about.?

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And I wonder what the impact of having a national organization specific to S has had on the growth of S.? While a national S organization certainly can coordinate outreach efforts and support wonderful resources like the NASG website,? perhaps being a member of the NASG and/or local S-only clubs has replaced membership in multiscale organizations for many S modelers.? Curiously, opening our conventions to non-S modelers has never been a priority...perhaps a missed opportunity.? Modelers in the other popular scales seem content to be part of multi-scale organizations.? Yes, there's a national O scale organization, and there are N- and O-specific magazines, but to my knowledge there are no N or HO-specific national associations.? An NMRA S Special Interest Group (SIG) was tried with limited success but that certainly seems like a great avenue to both hook up with other S modelers but also to integrate S into the wider modeling community.

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Being the close-knit group that we are has been both an asset, and I would contend, a liability over the years.

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Brooks Stover