The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[packers#1]

Sounds like you know what you want to do, all I would really say in selling units is take your concern of selling things you would regret seriously and only part with stuff that you’re really not worried about being able to find again.

My other thought on your concerns would be your SBD trains; if you’re happy with your layout now but want to scratch that mainline itch (even if you eventually break down to focus on the shortlines), why not build a Free-Mo module modeling a town on the SBD A line? Then you can run some hot Seaboard mainline freights on a Free-Mo set-up whenever the stars align and you go to a meet.

[davefoxx]

I didn’t even consider the Free-Mo route!  A good reason to hold on to a couple of SBD locomotives, like a pair of my beloved B36-7s.  Thanks, Sawyer!

DFF

[garethashenden]

The era of mid '60s-mid '70s is what I would consider the freight car transition era. We know that the '40s and '50s is the Transition Era because the motive power was changing, but the trains and the way the railroad operated were largely the same. By 1970 things were different. It was the nearing the end of the 40' boxcar, wooden cars were all but gone, long and tall cars were showing up, piggyback trains were big business as the railroads tried to compete with the interstates, there are more run through and unit trains, and so on. Its both the end of the old way and the beginning of the new way.

[davefoxx]

The era of mid '60s-mid '70s is what I would consider the freight car transition era. We know that the '40s and '50s is the Transition Era because the motive power was changing, but the trains and the way the railroad operated were largely the same. By 1970 things were different. It was the nearing the end of the 40' boxcar, wooden cars were all but gone, long and tall cars were showing up, piggyback trains were big business as the railroads tried to compete with the interstates, there are more run through and unit trains, and so on. Its both the end of the old way and the beginning of the new way. (Emphasis added.)

Exactly!  And, this is what is so appealing.  For example, it’s 1970 on the layout- my birth year.  The second generation of motive power are in charge of the hot trains, e.g., 30- and 40-series Geeps and SDs, as well as four- and six-axle U-boats.  However, first generation locomotives were plentiful on the SCL, inherited from both the ACL and the SAL, and they were still seen on the mainlines pulling locals.  As shown below, I’ve got some good examples of these first generation locomotives.  I relettered and renumbered the GP9, turning SAL 1900 into SCL 1053, which, on the prototype, would survive another 13 years and make it just into the first year of the Seaboard System.  It was not chosen as a candidate for the GP16 rebuild program, so, presumably, it was scrapped.  SCL F7A 405 (née ACL 405) would be retired in February 1971, but I can still prototypically run this cab unit on the layout.  This F-unit has just joined the fleet, as I received the decoder back from ESU for warranty work and installed it this week.



DFF

[CSXfan]

Hello Dave, I installed the ESU V5 in my ACWR F9A yesterday. I have the same issue with the ditch lights. I do have a LOK Programmer but I am very green with it. I tried to do what you did with the aux but I screwed it up royally. I ended up just reload the file from ESU. Can you do a screen shot of what you did to make these work. I appreciate it .

Jeff

[davefoxx]

Jeff:

The biggest breakthrough for me was disabling the PowerPack AUX Functions (I think that’s AUX7 and AUX9).  The ditch lights stopped acting wonky when that was done.  Here’s a couple of screenshots that hopefully help:





Hope this helps,
DFF

[CSXfan]

Thank you Dave!

Jeff

[davefoxx]

A decal every . . . week.    But, SAL 535 is now (finally) SCL 1406.  I even reprogrammed it accordingly.





As a reminder, here’s where we started almost three weeks ago.  I’m lazy.



DFF

[davefoxx]

I just purchased two Norfolk Southern Ry. books and am on overload, researching how the original NS used its Aberdeen branch.  Learning that the NS actually crossed over the SCL and entered A&R trackage to interchange is a game changer for how I can operate the layout.  Taking inspiration from the photo at the bottom of Page 110 in the book, Norfolk Southern Color Pictorial 1950s-1970s, and stealing the photo’s caption, “The SCL dispatcher holds the NS crew on the A&R for a southbound SCL freight to pass on track two.”



DFF

[crrcoal]

This is a cool scene!

DFF

[davefoxx]

This is a cool scene!

Thank you!  Interestingly, I just had a gentleman on Facebook explain, “Reason for crowding the signal and being that close to the dwarf. There's a short insulated track circuit just ahead of the dwarf. When we got on it we'd light up on the Seaboard dispatcher's board in Raleigh. He'd know we were ready to leave the A&R and line us up.”

It’s information like this that we non-railroaders generally never become aware of.  Definitely, a game changer for ops of the NS line.  There’s another photo in the book that I cited that shows the other end of the same NS train on the A&R’s track.  The A&R 400 and 205 are patiently resting close by on their main, waiting for the NS to finish its work and move out, once it gets that clearance from the SCL dispatcher.  I never realized there would be such coordination between three railroads for this one interchange of two smaller roads.

DFF

[Bendtracker1]

It’s information like this that we non-railroaders generally never become aware of.  Definitely, a game changer for ops

I agree Dave!  I had something similar happen.  A gentleman contacted me on FB who said he worked on The Little Rock.
He passed along some interesting information that I made use of.
Fun when that happens...

[davefoxx]

I agree Dave!  I had something similar happen.  A gentleman contacted me on FB who said he worked on The Little Rock.
He passed along some interesting information that I made use of.
Fun when that happens...

Absolutely!  That was nice of the guy to reach out.

Here’s a photo with the trains in an orientation I never imagined on the prototype.  The NS has completed its work (in future ops, I’ll drop cars on the siding closest to the aisle), and the A&R engines are waiting for the NS train to move out on to the SCL.  The SCL dispatcher will clear the NS local as soon as the southbound SCL train clears Aberdeen.



DFF

[Chris333]

What does the book say about that spigot?   

[davefoxx]

It says, “Don’t touch this handle.”  🤣

DFF