Considering that HO scale (1/87), N scale (1/160) and O scale (1/48) are the most popular model railroad scales, I just want to voice my thanks to the Reel Rides gang for choosing to go with S scale (1/64) as one of the scales offered in this line.  1/64 may be a popular scale in the die-cast car industry, but it sure isn't in the model railroading industry... although its popularity is ever-so-gradually beginning to grow.  I firmly believe that the growth of S scale is partly dependent on the die-cast industry since 1/64 is so popular in that industry.  I also believe that if it were not for 1/64 being so popular in the die-cast industry that S scale would not be what little it presently is.  If you consider the low prices that popular brand die cast cars sell for in the nation-wide store chains and compare those prices to what hobby shops sell plastic model autos of other brand for, you should be able to see why I believe that the die-casters can and will play a BIG part in helping S scale model railroading to grow; the hobby-shop prices are generally THREE TIMES what the nation-wide stores want... and that's not just due to the fact that the store chains can buy more and sell for less, its due to the fact that the die-casters can produce more than the small-name, scale-specific model railroad manufacturers can.  Even the 1/87 scale Reel Rides cars sell for lesss than HALF what 1/87 scale plastic models sell for in the hobby shops.  This fact, of course, is even further enhanced by the fact that not every town has a hobby-shop, but most towns have a nation-wide chain... and availability is a super-major key in 1/64 scale model railroading.

So what we have here is a model railroad scale (1/64) that greatly depends on 1/64 auto die-casters, and a die-cast scale that stands to benefit greatly from anything it produces in 1/64 scale... "exact" 1/64 scale to be precise (but that's another discussion).  Availibility of 1/64 scale autos is one of the most common topics on the S scale model railroading discussion groups, so there most definitely is a documentable need.

So... here's to a beautiful relationship!

Big John
Scaler164

Too bad most manufactures have no idea what 1/64 is, & mis-mark the pieces as such. I've seen items ranging from 1/80, to 1/50 marked as "1/64" on shelves & is why I dropped the "scale." Kudos to "Malibu" for admitting some pieces were not truly 1/64 & saying they will stick to scale in the future.