The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

DFF

[packers#1]

Looking really dang awesome DFF; I’ve pretty much standardized on the Scale Sound System speakers, they sound absolutely incredible and really are a perfect drop in, especially for the Athearns when you’re replacing the weight.

[davefoxx]

Looking really dang awesome DFF; I’ve pretty much standardized on the Scale Sound System speakers, they sound absolutely incredible and really are a perfect drop in, especially for the Athearns when you’re replacing the weight.

Thanks, Sawyer!  So far, I’ve added Scale Sounds Systems speakers to ten locomotives in my fleet.  I estimate that’s just under 20% of the fleet.  I’ll continue the upgrades as time and budget allow.

Along with that speaker for the GP40-2, I ordered dual speakers for both of my Rapido E8s, so they’ll go into the shop next.  That should be quite the upgrade with two speakers and enclosures in each E-unit!

DFF

[davefoxx]

This is what the layout might look like, if I considered changing the locale of the layout to the Memphis-Birmingham line of the SLSF (Frisco):



Nah, of course, I’m not changing the layout.  Instead, what this Frisco GP35 represents is run-through power from the SCL-Frisco interchange in Birmingham, Alabama, that continued on to Hamlet Yard in North Carolina.  Frisco power was also seen from time-to-time on trains between Hamlet and Richmond, Virginia (horsepower-hour balancing?), so, as something that I have long wanted to add to the fleet, this Walthers GP35 was purchased this week.  It’s perfect timing, as I am changing the layout’s era to the mid-1970s this weekend to bring out the bicentennials for the 4th of July next week.  As an aside, that means the layout is running the SCL, Aberdeen & Rockfish, and the Southern Ry.

Here’s an example of Frisco power on an SCL freight train in Petersburg, Virginia:



SCL GP40 No. 1539 is standing by to be MUed to No. 728, once the GP35 is speed-matched to fleet standards.  It’s already received its Sergent Engineering couplers and had the programming remapped on its LokSound V5.0 decoder.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Happy 4th of July!



DFF

[davefoxx]

This really “plain Jane” GP38 needed something to spice it up.  So, . . .

Yes!  That’s my favorite R.E.M. song, “Driver 8,” coming out of this Geep!  And, this is my favorite version- recorded live at The Olympia in 2007.  About six years ago, I added The Cars’ song, “You Might Think,” in place of the dynamic brake sound file on Aberdeen & Rockfish GP38 No. 400.  I had long forgotten how to do this, so, today, I was determined to figure it out.  You may notice that No. 2007 also lacks a dynamic brake.  So, when I press the dynamic brake button on the ProtoThrottle, I get this!

To fit an entire song on even a LokSound V5.0 decoder, I needed to save significant memory space.  First, I loaded a V4.0 sound file for a GP38, which takes up a lot less memory.  For this basic Geep, that’s little sacrifice, and this is key to making this work.  By also deleting sounds that I wasn’t using, e.g., dynamic brake, coupler sounds, and flange squeal, I managed to get just enough space on the decoder.  You can hear the prime mover, bell, and horn at the beginning of the video.  They sound fine, even from a V4.0 file.  Oh, and because this a V5.0 decoder, I still get perks like adjustable bass and treble settings and better brake settings for a functional independent brake.  That brake is needed when you ramp up the momentum for ProtoThrottle use.

Perhaps there’s some irony that Michael Stipe is singing about “Locomotive 8, Southern Crescent” coming out of this particular Geep, because NS No. 2007 later became under the ownership of the Southern Ry., after the road absorbed the original NS in a merger around 1974.  It even got a high short hood!

DFF

[eja]

Dave, that is just plain "cool" .

Well done.

Does Ally want a song in one of her trains too ?

ed

[davefoxx]

Thanks!

Unfortunately, none of Aly’s trains have LokSound decoders, and she’s a teen now with much less interest in model trains anyway.  Her N scale layout was packed up a year or two ago and is currently stored on its end under my layout.  We needed to make room in the basement for her other interests.

Hmm, maybe I need to test her knowledge and see if she remembers how to use the ProtoThrottle and use basic horn and bell warnings. 🤔

DFF

[Dave V]

Thanks!

Unfortunately, none of Aly’s trains have LokSound decoders, and she’s a teen now with much less interest in model trains anyway.  Her N scale layout was packed up a year or two ago and is currently stored on its end under my layout.  We needed to make room in the basement for her other interests.

Hmm, maybe I need to test her knowledge and see if she remembers how to use the ProtoThrottle and use basic horn and bell warnings. 🤔

DFF

I know how that goes... My boys are in their 20s now and model railroading didn't stick. I still have Jacob's N scale stuff for him if he ever comes around again on that.

[davefoxx]

Now, this is just getting stupid putting music on decoders.  But, consider this a warning to all locomotives in my fleet that lack dynamic brakes. 🤣

That said, we’re 🎵 “goin’ down South on the Seaboard Line!” 🎵

DFF

[davefoxx]

I know how that goes... My boys are in their 20s now and model railroading didn't stick. I still have Jacob's N scale stuff for him if he ever comes around again on that.

Wow, I’m coming to terms with the fact that I have friends and siblings that are empty nesters.  Depressing.  So, to get my mind off of that . . . back to stupid train tricks!

DFF

[Dave V]

Wow, I’m coming to terms with the fact that I have friends and siblings that are empty nesters.  Depressing.  So, to get my mind off of that . . . back to stupid train tricks!

DFF

Yeah, we've been empty nesters (other than a border collie) for 2 years now. It's actually pretty great. But at the same time, I'm beginning to really understand why--at every Thanksgiving and Christmas--my grandfather would talk about how blessed and thankful he was to have the family together at the dinner table. Both boys have serious girlfriends now, so that means we're sharing them with other families for the holidays as well. But, now Patricia and I have quite literally been traveling the world. Just got back from Greece and are headed next month to Bora Bora for our 30th anniversary.

[davefoxx]

Let me send an early congratulations to you and Patricia on thirty years.  That’s great!  Me being in my second marriage and going fifteen years before getting married to Cynthia puts me behind most people my age.  Tyler (my stepson) is in college, but Aly is still in middle school.  I’m enjoying watching her grow up, so I’m in no hurry to be an empty nester yet.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Okay, okay, this is my last one, but it may be my pièce de résistance.

🤣🤣🤣

DFF

[Dave V]

If you don't use this clip, I'll be sorely disappointed: