Standard Scale Model Trains
The S Standard Scale is never to be confused with the regular S scale. The regular S scale is measured at 1:64 with rail spacing measured at .884 inches. The Standard scale on the other hand, refers to a scale introduced by Lionel during the early 20th century. It was introduced by none other than Lionel’s founder, Joshua Lionel Cowen in 1906. The design was pretty crude during that time but it made up for its size which was quite remarkable. The standard scale model is measured at 1:26.59 which is quite large for a model scale train. Unfortunately, production costs have made this product expensive for public patronage. When the Great Depression started, production slowed down during the 30s. The standard scale was completely stopped by Lionel in 1940.
The standard scale however, has paved the way for the creation of true to design model trains. Because of its large size, an actual replica of the train could be created along with the right track. Lionel influenced other companies during its time to follow suit but it was called Wide Gauge. Because of the resurgence of the popularity of model trains, the standard scale trains or wide gauge are coming out again but they are often identified with G Scale, today’s largest model scale train.