The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

The first passenger train has pulled into and backed into the staging track multiple times successfully with no derailments.  Just need to touch up the paint on the track, ballast, and tidy up some wires under the layout.  Those two feeders are part of the reversing circuit, so I had to spend a little more time under the layout than I preferred.  But, all is good through any route of the adjacent wye.



I think I have just enough ballast to finish the job. 

DFF

[davefoxx]

Like it never even happened:



DFF

[davefoxx]

Okay, this took many weeks, but I finally finished the decaling project on this U-Boat.  As a reminder, this old Life-Like Proto2000 U30B was decorated for the Seaboard Air Line (SAL).  I decided to reletter this locomotive to reflect its new ownership under the SAL’s successor, Seaboard Coast Line (SCL).  In my defense, I accomplished a few other tasks that caused some of the procrastination.

But first was deciding how to finish the numberboards.  I had painted a basic white background but wasn’t satisfied with the finish.  I did get white decal backgrounds to stick to the white paint, though, where they would not stick to the clear (unpainted) insert before.  I also pulled the headlight lens and interior shields over the cab to upgrade the lenses.  I had some Athearn clear replacement lenses that I used, which look much better.  While I had the shell off the frame, I installed two train line hoses that I randomly found in my stash of parts.  A dab of silver paint marker dressed them up.  The front air hose even fit into a factory provided notch through the plow.  Perfect!  Interesting that Life-Like provided that clearance in the plow but omitted the train line hoses from the final product.

What was SAL No. 806 is now SCL No. 1710 (just like the renumbering on the prototype).

BEFORE:



AFTER:





DFF

[John]

Good looking engine .. HO is a great scale for detailing

[davefoxx]

A good weekend’s worth of progress.  Part of the results are now that I have two unique models of the SCL’s split image scheme: one from the SAL’s decades-old Pullman Green scheme and the other being the SAL’s Jolly Green Giant scheme that was adopted about a year or so prior to the SCL merger.  These models are unique, because I relettered both of them from SAL units, renumbering them just as the prototype did, i.e., U30B No. 806 became No. 1710 and GP9 No. 1900 became 1053.



No. 1053 would just survive into the Seaboard System years, being retired in September 1983.  Unlike many GP7/9/18s, it would not be chosen to be rebuilt into a GP16 as a part of that SCL program.

No. 1710 would survive through the SBD and just barely into CSX, being retired in February 1987 as No. 5527.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Broadway-Limited Imports is really growing on me.  After some experience with them in N scale about ten years ago, I avoided them until they recently started selling “stealth” models without the Paragon DCC decoder onboard.  I’m exclusively ESU on this layout, so I didn’t want to waste money paying for and ripping out a Paragon decoder. Fast forward to just a few months ago, and I purchased (and love!) the ACWR F9 that BLI produced.  I easily added a LokSound decoder and Scale Sound Systems speaker. 

Now, I randomly came across a pair of BLI hoppers decorated for the SAL.  They are nicely done with freestanding grabs and a train line hose.  That they were on sale for only $19.99 each was all the incentive I needed to give them a shot.  Very pleased.



DFF

[davefoxx]

I rolled the clock from 1972 to 1973 on the layout.  That allowed me to bring a couple of freight cars back onto the layout, and I removed a similar number to try to avoid gridlock.  One more calendar year allows the addition of a little more Phase I to my Amtrak train and just a little less rainbow era.

I was running my bicentennial unit today, which would still be less than two years old in the first half of 1973.



DFF

[davefoxx]

I finally bought some ground foam to start the base layer of scenery on the last bare section of the layout.  I was doing great until I ran out of white glue.  Oh, well, it’s a start, and sometimes that's the hardest part.

Trees will line the top of the hill to hide the backdrop (hence, the green ScotchBrite pads to provide fill in the tree branches) and to ease some of the visual shock of the sewer pipe.  The N scale building in the corner will be just peeking out from the trees for a forced perspective.  But, I am concerned that the trees will not be as dense as I would like where the curve comes close to the backdrop behind the water supply line, I may consider more kudzu here.  I really didn’t want to do more kudzu, because I didn’t want too much of a good thing.  You know, it could become too gimmicky.  I’ll make a decision as I scenic this area.

I probably need not be too concerned, considering that I will NOT conceal that shut-off to the water line.  That particular shut-off cuts the water to the entire house.  The water meter is just below.  Since, the water company replaced the meter several years ago, adding a wireless way to read the meter, there’s no concern about the meter being under the benchwork and behind the layout’s skirt.



DFF

[packers#1]

FWIW I would be too worried about adding more kudzu in that corner for two reasons:
1) it would moreso tie that corner in with the other, with the repeated elements creating the impression of a cohesive whole.
2) that stuff is everywhere in the rural areas, so having more as you leave downtown Aberdeen to head off towards Fayetteville is going to help tell the story of a train leaving development to head off into the rural Sandhills

[garethashenden]

The water pipe, up at least as far as the valve, should be covered in kudzu. Its a vine, vines like climbing vertical things, everyone will think its funny.

[davefoxx]

“I gotcha!  I gotcha!”  It took a while, but I finally found an original Norfolk Southern Ry. caboose in the correct scheme for the late-1960s to the early-‘70s.  The light gray is the final scheme of the NS Ry. before the Southern Ry. bought the railroad in 1974.  Since I’m still running the 1973-era on the layout, this is perfect.  It was a tough find, because the Atlas caboose was released in April of 2015 and is almost eleven years old.

You may recall that I just found NS GP38 No. 2007 last year, after another extensive search that had gone on for a few years.  This Atlas locomotive was released in August of 2001, so it’s coming up on twenty-five years of age and is older than my children!  No. 2007 has already been gutted with a LokSound V5.0 decoder and LED lights added.  It’s next on my list of candidates to get a Scale Sounds System speaker, which will be great, because this Geep plays an R.E.M. song when you hit the dynamic brake button.



DFF

[davefoxx]

Oh, no!  Carpetbaggers!



DFF

[basementcalling]

Oh, no!  Carpetbaggers!



DFF

You should make that into a dirty carpetbagger.

[davefoxx]

You should make that into a dirty carpetbagger.

I will eventually.  I have never been satisfied with my weathering skills on motive power and rolling stock.  Bridges?  Structures?  No problem, but I can’t seem to translate that over to the trains.  I need to invest in an airbrush, because weathering powders and panel liner alone just don’t do it for me.  I’ve ruined a couple of shells in the attempt.

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

An Amtrak consist for the 1971-72 era (the rainbow era):



Consisting of:

Amtrak (former Seaboard Coast Line) No. 593. I have photographic evidence of the prototype locomotive still in full SCL livery at Broad Street Station in Richmond, Virginia, on March 12, 1972. It was even still carrying its SCL herald on its nose.

Former Seaboard Coast Line 10-6 sleeper, “Miami.”  This car eventually became AMTK No. 2701 and survived until retirement in September 1981.

Former Penn Central 10-6 sleeper, “Octoraro Rapids” (No. 4350).  This car is an Amtrak foob, because the prototype car didn’t go to Amtrak.  Unfortunately, none of the decals included with this Walthers sleeper were for cars that went to Amtrak.  I chose the “Octoraro” name, because of the local ties to that name.  Both the Octoraro Creek and the PRR’s Octoraro Branch aren’t far from here (that line is now used by the East Penn RR).

Former Union Pacific Club-Lounge No. 6202.  This car eventually became AMTK No. 3370 and received the blunt arrow Phase I scheme.  It would remain on the roster until July of 1981.

Up next, I’ll show and describe my Amtrak train in Phase I livery for the mid-1970s era.

DFF