NASG Dispatch Articles: Modules

2014 #6 November

26

Andy Malette

The author describes how he built the rock causeway on the module he built for the S Scale Workshop. Includes a couple of construction photos.

1995 #2 April

16

Ted Larson

This is a follow-up to the December 1994 issue's article to show the various radii used in the end modules.

2001 #6 December

10

Wayne Beachy

After initial rejections, the The Virginia Central Division of the Atlantic Coast S Gaugers were able to set up a 10'x14' modular layout in an area hospital for the children. This article covers the lessons the group learned. Includes two photos of a smaller portable layout.

1995 #3 June

7

Ted Larson

A follow-up on the October 1994 article, showing photos of the folded-legs system of the module.

2012 #4 August

7

Gaylord Gill

The Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers won a plaque for being the first place winners of "Module by Group" category of the NTS in 2012. This photo essay shows close-up photos of portions of the layout showing why they won. There is a track plan included in the article.

2017 #2 March

17

Michael Eldridge

The author describes the development of the club's modular layout, and the return loops he is building for this Free-mo-style layout. Includes photos of some of the club's work so far.

2017 #3 May

35

Michael Eldridge

The author describes the construction of the Southern Loop of the club's Free-mo-style layout. Includes several photos.

1997 #6 December

10

Eric Miller

The modular layout built for the 1995 NASG Convention continues to participate in local train shows in western Pennsylvania. It was built by the Altoona Area Train Collectors Club. Includes several photos of scenes on the layout, and a bullet-point history of the club's layout.

2011 #2 April

30

Monte Heppe

Monte shares a few photos of an area of his modular layout that has recently received new scenery (an update to his October 2010 article in the Dispatch).

1994 #6 December

12

Ted Larson

The author designed and built two half-circle modules for use at home and at train shows.

1995 #2 April

18

Denis Fortier

Simon Parent and the author built three modules to compose a corner module that has a lot of interesting track work on it. He describes how they designed and built them. The article includes a track plan and several photos.

2015 #5 September

9

various authors

A one-page photo essay of the New Orleans group's layout set up at the 2015 NASG Convention.

2021 #4 July

16

Dan Taglia

The author describes his construction of a lift-up bridge for gaining access to the interior of the rectangularly-shaped Houston S Gaugers club layout. Includes two photos.

2001 #2 April

21

Tom Robinson

The author shares his expanded version of his traveling modular layout, now measuring 5'x18'. Includes a track plan and a photo.

1997 #6 December

19

Paul Inman

Photos and a brief description of NASG membership secretary, Dody Stevens' two modules.

1994 #5 October

24

Ted Larson

The author shares the design ideas behind the folding legs of his local N-scale club, and how they can be used in S-scale modules.

2016 #2 March

20

Don Hand

The author builds a 2'x2' filler module for the Houston S Gaugers' club layout. He describes the techniques he used to make it as lightweight as possible. Includes construction photos.

1996 #3 June

5

Jeff Madden

Consider designing in operations into the continuously-circling trains on a club's modular layout at a train show.

2001 #4 August

6

Jeff Madden

The author lists the handful of truly portable S-scale layouts that are around, and suggests that the new NASG President, Roy Hoffman, spends some effort at trying to get other groups or individuals to build portable layout.

2005 #2 April

5

Jeff Madden

The author compares the S-MOD standard modular layouts to the new Free-mo standard S-scale layouts.

1996 #2 April

22

Bill Krause

This article covers how to handle modules with different rail heights (code 125 and code 100).

1994 #6 December

35

Kelvin White

A design for a set of modules that model the Finistere, New Brunswick. Includes track plan.

1993 #3 June

34

Bill Krause

Building modular backdrops from foamcore boards fastened with Velcro.

1988 #4 October

28

Don DeWitt

The final track plan of the largest S-scale modular layout built and operated up to that point in time is shown.

1986 #4 Fall

20

Don DeWitt

Don takes over from Tom Hawley to manage the standards for S-scale modular railroading. The issue covered here was the electrical connectors to be used for modules.

1988 #1 March

16

Don DeWitt

The page shows a CAD drawing of the layout/track plan of the S-MOD modules scheduled to attend at the 1988 NASG Convention. Measuring 50'x90', and consisting of 60 modules, this would be the largest such setup.

1988 #2 June

13

Don DeWitt

The page shows a CAD drawing of the layout/track plan of the S-MOD modules scheduled to attend at the 1988 NASG Convention. The layout has been updated based on responses from clubs, and it is now scheduled to measure 74'x118', 468' of track.

1995 #5 October

20

Ted Larson

While there is no standard in S-MOD for corner modules, this article present some designs for a 48-inch square corner module, with inside and outside corner "cut off" to save on space.

1995 #6 December

8

Ted Larson

This column shares the design of Jack Troxell on how the Houston S Gaugers built their rounded corner modules.

1996 #1 February

24

Bill Krause

The author shares how the Connecticut S-Gaugers club decided on the dimensions of their modules. Shows diagrams of how they did their corner modules.

1996 #3 June

10

Bill Krause

The author describes corner modules that can handle large equipment, and designing a set-up that doesn't require an odd spacer module with doing L-shaped set-ups.

1997 #1 February

8

Ted Larson

The column covers how the Houston S Gaugers shape the legs of the modules for the club layout. Includes design diagrams, and the jig used for shaping the legs.

1997 #2 April

15

Bill Krause

The column covers how the Connecticut S Gaugers hand-laid the track on their modules.

1997 #3 June

12

Bill Krause

The column covers how the Connecticut S Gaugers built their corner modules.

1997 #5 October

24

Bill Krause

The construction information about the Connecticut S Gaugers' corner modules continues.

1997 #6 December

20

Bill Krause

The construction information about the Connecticut S Gaugers' corner modules continues, covering trackwork in this issue.

1998 #1 February

8

Ted Larson

Folding legs and reducing weight, and how the Rochester Area S Gaugers do it. Includes design diagrams of a standard module for the club.

1998 #2 April

16

Ted Larson

Construction diagrams of how the Altoona Area Train Collectors Club's modules are built, both straight and corners.

1998 #3 June

20

Chuck Smith

Covers the step-by-step process that the Rochester Area S Gaugers took to install code 148 flextrack on their club modules. Includes many photos.

1998 #5 October

24

Chuck Smith

Continuing with the Rochester Area S Gaugers' module construction article, this installment covers how the club ballasts their track. Includes several photos.

1999 #3 June

22

Ted Larson

Tips on how to apply ballast using a mustard bottle.

2000 #2 April

20

Ted Larson

Photos and a brief description of the Central New York S Gaugers.

2000 #3 June

11

Dan Vandermause

Photos and a description of the Potomac Valley S Gauge Association first modular layout. Includes track plans of some of the modules.

2001 #6 December

8

Ted Larson

This column covers the perception that S-MOD standard requires heavy materials for its construction, a report on what modular railroading is being done in Alberta, Canada, and a report of modular layouts in Michigan.

2005 #2 April

13

Ken Garber

The author describes his figure-8 set-up that he used at a regional flea market show, where the engine just clears the caboose at the crossing. Includes one photo.

2006 #6 December

10

Ted Larson

Shows two modular set-up drawings of the Central Jersey S Scalers in 1987 and 1988 at the Rail Expo in Jersey City, NJ.

2017 #2 March

10

Jeff Madden

The author covers the difficulties encountered when storing, transporting, and maintaining large modular or portable layouts.

1979 #4 December

3

Tom Hawley

This Dispatch issue came accompanied by several drawings as proposed NASG modular standards.

2015 #1 January

23

Jim Martin

In this collaborative article, the author covers the S Scale Workshop's preparation for the trip to the "Salon du Train Rive Nord" train show in Montreal, Quebec. Includes photos taken at the show, and a track plan of the final Free-mo set-up.

2015 #3 May

23

Jim Martin

Using Tichy's HO-scale windows for S-scale structures. The rest of the article covers Chris Abbott's set of modules for the S Scale Workshop club, and how Paul Raham took over the modules to make a small station scene out of the original modules.

2010 #5 October

28

Monte Heppe

There being only two S-scale modelers in the all-scale club to which the author belongs, he decided that it would be better to build a portable switching layout serving six industries and a team track in a 2' x 8' space, rather than a full-blown modular layout. Includes photos of the layout, including how it folds up.

1993 #6 December

13

Gaylord Gill

The author describes how to implement the electrical standard of the S-MOD wiring standard.

2022 #3 May

10

Steve Stallings

The author describes how he built his NASG S-MOD-based module. It includes many construction and completed photos.

2003 #3 June

8

Jim Martin

The history and construction of the Southern Ontario S Scale Workshop's modular club layout. Includes a couple of photos of the layout.

1990 #2 April

17

Gaylord Gill

The author describes the Southeastern Michigan S Gaugers modular layout's Power-Pack Tether that the club uses to route power to the modules.

2017 #3 May

12

Charles Malinowski

The author introduces himself, explains the T-Trak history, building the T-Trak modules, and showing them at a Farm Toy Show in Indianapolis (introducing a whole new audience to our S-scale trains).

2001 #6 December

13

John Eichmann

The article covers the history of the Lookout Junction layout built by the Rocky Mountain Hi-Railers, based in Boise, Idaho. Includes the track plan and some photos of the layout.

1991 #6 December

22

Dave Bailey

The author describes how he built a strip of Masonite hardboard, to which he fastened 3" track pieces as a quick way to install the bridge rail pieces between the modules of his yard.

1980 #6 December

4

Tom Hawley

The basic concept behind modular model railroads. The author is willing to coordinate efforts.

1994 #2 April

31

Ted Larson

The author introduces the column that will cover topics related to modular model railroading in S-scale.

1986 #2 Spring

14

Lee Johnson

The author, at the time being a member of the Delaware Valley S Gaugers, describes how the club decided to build modules to form a layout back in 1972 in time for the 1973 NASG Convention. This article covers their construction techniques, how they handled the modules' borders, and includes many photos. In 1979 he moved to San Francisco, and the modules are now part of the Bay Area S Scalers club display layout.

1993 #6 December

6

Dick Karnes

The club's modules do not necessarily conform to the NASG's S-MOD standard, but the layout has been set-up a number of times in 1992. Includes several close-up photos.

1989 #2 April

25

Don DeWitt

This article covers how to wire a block control panel to an S-MOD module. Includes wiring diagrams.

1989 #3 June

11

Don DeWitt

In this installment, the control panel is actually designed and constructed, the switches are wired, and the module is tested.

1989 #1 February

20

Don DeWitt

This article assumes that you have an S-MOD module, and you are having electrical issues. This was in response to the majority of the issues the author observed in others' modules. It covers the basics of the wiring scheme, and how to trouble-shoot an existing system.

1997 #3 June

10

Tom Robinson

The author shares updates he has made to his traveling modular layout. Includes a couple of photos and a track plan. The idea behind the layout is to show American Flyer, but also the new products available in S-scale.

1996 #3 June

18

Tom Robinson

The author describes the modules he built for an S-scale display layout to take to local shows where no S-scale layouts were being set up. Includes photos and a track plan.

2017 #1 January

37

unaccredited

A photo essay of the club working on their modules.