K-line and S Gauge

[Bob Bubeck]

The K-line toy trains for S gauge run counter to the great Gilbert tradition of having a line of trains tough enough for play but still thoughtfully done as a recognizable scale model (or representation). The low road was tried by the Gilbert Co. after the passing of AC with the Pike Master line – trains that did little to service the future of S gauge and gave the gauge a “cheap” label. Why bother with O gauge Lite, when one can do real O gauge and have the large selection of trains that one can get from that gauge? The K-Line sets are warmed over 0-27 trains from the 1950s and several steps backwards from my first set I received as a youngster -- a humble Gilbert 4901T. The Plymouth and Porter switchers, nice as they are as O gauge pieces, when regauged will be (roughly) On3, not S scale.

Yes, Gilbert took a few liberties from time to time, but on the whole they built during the mid-century the most beautiful line of trains intended at that time for the amusement of kids of all ages. It is now a half century later. The gross compromises offered by K-Line are not really acceptable and will not further the cause of S gauge over the long haul. Place K-Line next to an SHS product (or the Lionel reissue of the AF Brownhoist crane car) and let your eyes do the talking. This is S gauge on the real dirt cheap and it is bush league treatment of the S gauge community. If K-line wants to do S gauge, then that’s great. If they wi***o produce starter sets with track, that’s even better. K-Line should pursue S gauge with some honesty and class, however, with new tooling and not warmed-over off-scale Frankentrains.

Bob Bubeck

[Dave Farquhar]

K-Line does own the old Marx tooling, so it can slap S gauge trucks on O27 cars to enter the market very cheaply. S gaugers desperate for cheap rolling stock have resorted for years to putting S gauge trucks on O27 cars; now K-Line is saving them the trouble. I think it makes good sense.

The boxcars scale out a bit longer than they ought; whether they're too tall is a matter of religous debate. They look tall next to a Gilbert boxcar but the prototype Gilbert used was very short and squatty. Some of the cars fare better than others. They are what they are: old O27 cars that were intended to look convincing enough to keep a toy train runner happy and be affordable.

Some people will love them, but scale modelers will hate them.

[3railguy]

How do the K-Line S gauge cars compare in size to American Flyer cars? Is it possible we'll see an S gauge Big Boy from K-Line?

[Anonymous]

Nothing compares to SHS and American Models. I think K-Line should stick to O gauge. They're spreading themselves too thin unless they still own the old Marx tooling.

[cbq9911a]

I've bought a number of the K-Line S gauge cars; they're not quite right for S. Put a K-Line car next to an S Helper Service car and the toylike nature of the K-Line car is obvious.

But....retruck the cars with old Marx trucks off of junkers and you've got some really nice "new" Marx compatible rolling stock.

[ben10ben]

I just got my new K-line catalog, and it looks like K-line's made some real leaps forward in the S gauge market. Many of their O gauge engines have now been regauged and are being sold as S gauge engines! For those of us with some slight interest in S gauge, pretty much the only new traditional-type(i.e. American Flyer) products have been overpriced offerings from Lionel. K-line has bee turning out rolling stock for a while, but their new engines are reasonably priced and look to be very, very nice products.

Anyway, starting off, there are four S gauge sets cataloged. Each one has a Pacific with smoke leading two or three cars and a caboose. They all also have a transformer, reproduction American Flyer tinplate track, and American Flyer knuckle couplers. The MSRP ranges from $250-270.

Moving on, they are offering the same Pacific(long offered as an O27 engine) in B&O and Erie road names with smoke and K-lines new sound system. They retail for $150 each.

Finally, the real treat is that they're offering their Plymouth and new Porter 0-4-0 tank with smoke for $110.

I think that I'll probably be adding a few of these reasonably priced items to my extremely small S gauge roster in the next year.