Hi Raleigh, I too knew John Bortz, having visited him at his home and meeting at several national conventions. I also knew about most of the products he made, including "the only, at the time" S coupler made by lengthening the trip pin on Kadee #5 couplers. But I do not recall any coupler height gage made by him. Was it machined brass? I have seen a few one-off hand made gages over the years that were made from machined brass. There was nothing offered at the time in S to "gage" the coupler height of a Kadee coupler of any kind. I and several other S people checked extensively at the time, OK!
The "Loeb Investments" coupler height gage, as invented by me, was a new, unique design and offered "new" advantages and qualities that no other height gage did in any scale at the time ...and still does not. Coupler height gages have been around since couplers existed, a properly sized block of wood will do, so whats your point? I made mine out of brightly colored plastic to be easely seen and to avoid shorts on live powered rails. The current NASG gage IS the same design and general apearance (an exact copy) of my design, except that the NASG produced gage was modified to accept a Kadee #802 coupler. I was into producing a number of S items under the name of "Loeb Investments", in Houston, Texas... and I believe was involved with this from mid 1960's to mid 1970's. When I sold "Loeb Investments" S products, my railroad only hobby shop, known as "Pete's Switch Stand", and S scale layout (Houston S Gaugers 1st. operating layout) in my garage (Layout was later featured on the cover of Model Railroader after being purchased and added to by another S gauger). Dr. K. Loeb, (Peter) "Loeb Investments" Manufacturer of a variety of S scale kits, precision brass 3 point track gages in S standard gage, Sn3/S and Sn3, coupler height gage, and other items for S enthusiasts. (aprox mid 1960's -1970's) "Pete's Switch Stand", Houstons premier, railroad only hobby shop, and home to the best scratch building supplies and prize winning modelers in HO, Sn3, S and O scales around anywhere. Check out the beginning of my web/blog site at http://www.trains-4-u.blogspace.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
