Web Site News

So far, all issues from 1981 through 2015 have been indexed. The 2016, 2017, and 2018 issues' articles will be documented as time permits.

The web site statistics have been updated (a "Members Only" feature). I normally don't report this on this page, since it is updated in the first couple of days of every month. However, with the new "secure" version of the NASG web site (https://...), the web server tracks the hits separately for the non-secure and secure version. The software used to generate the monthly report's data was only looking at the non-secure version. The reports for 2018 have been adjusted to now account for both versions.

The listing of who won which award at the 2018 NASG Convention last week has been updated.

As webmaster, I added this new page to say a big "THANK YOU" to those whom have contributed to this web site's content over the years.

The S Resources section of the web site has been reworked. The button's menu has a couple of new entries. The pages no longer show the screen capture thumbnails, and the formatting has been simplified. More details are provided with each listing, but the overall look is a bit cleaner. The top of each page has a quick-jump listing to take you to a section within the page if you are looking for a particular company. Hopefully, this will make things easier to find.

Since elections are held every other year, having a dedicated page that describes the process is worth it. That page will be updated any time something election-related is reported. The page is accessed via the "NASG" button's menu and clicking on the "Elections" option. Please submit your nomination to run by November 30, 2018 for the upcoming election.

Mike Swederska recently created this track-side view of his layout.

Photos of models that Jim recently had 3D-printed.

The public version of the July/August 2017 issue of the NASG's Dispatch is now available. Also, the members-only issue of the July/August 2018 Dispatch PDF can now be downloaded via the "Members Only" section.

We don't handle any credit card or other financial data on this web site. When you purchase something through this web site (membership renewal or hard goods), the information about what you want is added to the shopping cart. When you decide to buy the items, your shopping cart data is copied to PayPal, which is where you complete your financial transactions. PayPal is responsible for keeping your financial data secure (part of the reason why I, as webmaster, have to pay a monthly fee for PayPal's services).

So, does the NASG's web site need to be secure? Not explicitly, but nonetheless there are two reasons for why you might want to browse the NASG web site with encryption active:

1. When you log into the Members Only section of the web site, your personal information can be retrieved and shown on the site.
2. On a secure web site, no one can see what you are doing, or what you are typing into the web site's forms.

So, we strongly recommend that, even while just routinely browsing, that you use the secure version of the NASG web site. You can do so by using this address:

https://www.nasg.org/

Note the "s". With the letter s, you are visiting the secure version; without it, you are visiting the non-secure version. With the secure version, no one can monitor what you are doing on this web site, or what data you are entering.

You may want to update any links you maintain to the site, such as in your web browser's bookmarks or favorites.

The list of the 2019 train shows where the NASG's booth will be present, has been posted on the web site. If you live in the area of any of these shows, please consider volunteering to help with the booth. We need local help to make the booths a reality.

The NASG offers free publications to S-scale clubs. The listing of the available publications has been updated.

Ken had Shapeways print a speeder and Alco C420 body parts. He shares the photos of what he received.

We have new photos of the 2017 and 2018 cars (to replace the default Lionel line-drawings we had before). Check out the "Store" button's "A.F. Commemorative Cars" menu option to see the cars that the NASG still has for sale. Please help us move these cars to a good home. They would be so much happier running on your layout than sitting on a shelf or in a box in the store! :-)

Carl McAbee contributes photos of more of his vehicular constructions.

The public version of the May/June 2017 issue of the NASG's Dispatch is now available. Also, the members-only issue of the May/June 2018 Dispatch PDF can now be downloaded via the "Members Only" section.

The "S-scale Pioneers" page has been renamed to "S-scale Hall of Fame". The concept is still the same; identifying those key people who have kept S-scale modeling alive over the past 60+ years. Based on several recommendations, the page has been expanded to include more people (and, you no longer have to be dead to be listed!!!).

The NASG button's menu on the left has been updated. Existing menu options have been re-arranged to better group related ones together, separating the groups with a line. The word "NASG" has been removed from some of the menu options, because all topics on this menu are directly related to the NASG organization itself. The "Leadership History" menu option has been added. That page has been there all along, but it was only accessible from the bottom of the "About the NASG" page. Finally, a new page has been added called "Special Projects" on the menu. This page covers the various NASG-sponsored special projects over the years. That page is still a work-in-progress.

The links to various catalogs were reviewed and updated, as well as prices. Many more A.F. books were added to the page as well.

A new page has been added to the web site, which will (hopefully over time) feature several kitbashed vehicle photos. To start us off, Carl McAbee provides a kitbashed dump truck.

American Models recently rolled out a completely-redesigned web site. This broke all the links the NASG web site had to their site. These have now been updated in the Product Gallery. In the process, American Models has added more photos of their products that were previously not listed, so they were updated in the Product Gallery as well. Of note is the fact that some of their previously-listed products are now no longer on their new site, such as the 4-6-2 and the SD60 locomotives. Maybe they will add them in the future, or maybe those products have been sold out and are permanently retired.

Added topics related to Overland Models specific models.

The public version of the March/April 2017 issue of the NASG's Dispatch is now available. Also, the members-only issue of the March/April 2018 Dispatch PDF can now be downloaded via the "Members Only" section.

Ted Hamler shares his collection of original A.C. Gilbert press photo proofs for some pages of several catalogs.

The public version of the January/February 2017 issue of the NASG's Dispatch is now available. Also, the members-only issue of the January/February 2018 Dispatch PDF can now be downloaded via the "Members Only" section.

Bill Lane provides the owner's manual for this car, just in case you bought one second-hand and the insert is missing. It describes how to adjust the car to be able to handle tight curves on your layout.

Dutchman Fred van der Lubbe has recently contributed a number of photos of European S-scale products that were contemporaries to A.C. Gilbert's American Flyer. As webmaster, I put those into the A.F. Product Gallery. However, upon further review, and considering that the information related to those items is likely not to change too often, I have decided to make it into a dedicated article, accessible via the American Flyer button's "Mini Articles" menu option. The article shows what kinds of products were being produced in Europe in the 1950s that were compatible with A.F. track.

The Hartoy AHL product line uses a manufacturer ID numbering system that Carl McAbee explains in this article.

On the Extra Board button you will find the "Modeling Notes" menu option. One of its topics is called "Product Notes", where information about specific models is shared. Up until now that has been one page because we didn't have that much content. However, over time, the content has grown, to where it now warranted better organizing of the information into separate pages. Some of the pages now also have additional content, and new pages were added.

The history of S-scale was part of the main about-the-NASG page, but it has now been made its own separate page. This page is directly accessible via the NASG button on the left, and then click on its new "S-scale's History" menu option.

Don Thompson has made available the PDF document of the S-Helper Service F7 Operator's Manual. This was in response to modelers who have bought this engine second-hand and the manual is missing.

Lionel and MTH have reproduced some of the original American Flyer accessories produced by A.C. Gilbert. Even though they are not pure, original A.F. products, they are based on them, so we are starting a new section in the A.F. Product Gallery listing the Lionel and MTH accessories. Contributions are very much appreciated.

A new menu option has been added to the "Store" button, which is for paying online for a Dispatch Booster ad. If you prefer to pay online with your debit/credit card or your PayPal account, you can use this option do so. Also, if you are only paying for an advertisement, you will no longer be prompted to provide your NASG ID and/or mailing address, as neither of these are really needed for making a simple online payment. For Dispatch booster ads, be sure to contact Dispatch editor Bill Pyper first.

Ted Hamler provides some supplemental information that didn't get published in the Classic Toy Train magazine's December 2017 issue about an animated Hobo box car.

A new video about the Bill Boucher scratchbuilt circus train.

A video of an Sn2 engine pulling a long train.

The public version of the November/December 2016 issue of the NASG's Dispatch is now available. Also, the members-only issue of the November/December 2017 Dispatch PDF can now be downloaded via the "Members Only" section.

Bill Novak did a clinic presentation at the 2017 NASG Convention titled "Adding Passengers To American Models Budd Cars". He has converted the presentation into a PDF file, and it is now available via this web site. Follow the link on the left and click on the second link under "Articles". Note that this is a rather large file.

Don provides information and photos of how to identify the different versions of the S-Helper Service #3 turnout.

All information about S-scale-related reference materials has been moved to a new page on the "Extra Board" button, called "Reference Material". It covers available manufacturer's catalogs, print and online magazines, and various magazine indexes. The content from the "Scale Modeling" and "American Flyer" buttons' Magazines and the previous "Extra Board" button's Magazine Indexes have been moved to this new page.

The Product Gallery's listing of locomotives now also has a new report called "by Prototype Era". Since this was new data that wasn't being tracked previously, it will take some time to add that for the various entries, where the data can be easily ascertained. Any help with the data will be appreciated!

Thanks to a suggestion by Darby Marriott, the scale Product Gallery's listing of cars now has a new report called "by Prototype Era". Since this was new data that wasn't being tracked previously, it will take some time to add that for the various entries, where the data can be easily ascertained. Any help with the data will be appreciated!

Don Thompson shares the PDF file that shows how they converted the SHS F3 from Locomatic to QSI decoders.

The public version of the September/October 2016 issue of the NASG's Dispatch is now available. Also, the members-only issue of the September/October 2017 Dispatch PDF can now be downloaded via the "Members Only" section.

The "Modeling Notes: Passenger Car Sides" page was added to draw attention to the fact that passenger car modeling can be done by using a donor car and replacing the sides with ones that are accurate for your desired prototype.

Ted Hamler contributes a lot of photos of Plasticville structures.

Added a page with just some fun facts about S-scale. It is accessible via the Extra Board button.

The September 2017 RMC inside-the-cover ad listing has been updated.

The NASG Convention page now has a table-of-content at the top of the page, to quickly jump to section on the page that is of interest to you. Also, the Past Conventions section has been re-formatted, because the previous format just didn't look right with all the data that has been added in the past year. The other dedicated-shows Events pages will have their past shows listings updated in the near future as well.