The N&W SD50S: The Atlas/Bearden secret now revealed

[u18b]

For Your Railwire Christmas Enjoyment.

A new project by Ron Bearden @u18b
and Aaron Bearden  @chessie system fan

Hopefully it will be finished by Jan or Feb 2026

[u18b]

It was almost 25 years ago!



The year was about 2000.  I received a box from Atlas Model RR Company.   Inside, an up-and-coming young employee named Paul Graf (who is now the CEO!) had enclosed a note saying something cryptic like- “Forget where you got this.”  Unpacking the box I found an undecorated N scale locomotive shell that looked sort of like an SD50 … but yet  not like my Chessie SD50.

A while back, since I was sworn to secrecy, I reminded Paul Graf of this story and he gave me permission to share it- since he said he could barely remember after so many years! But I never forgot.

So it’s finally now time to share the story from the secret vaults of the Bearden Skunk-works.

This thread will tell the story.

[Mark5]

N&W's SD50s were built on the same frame as SD40-2s - this should be interesting. To build one is way down on list of projects. 

[u18b]

N&W's SD50s were built on the same frame as SD40-2s - this should be interesting. To build one is way down on list of projects. 

Well, you're in for a treat.

More coming.

 

[Olivani]

Hamersley Iron 

[CR4100]

Hamersley Iron 

Yes, please!

[u18b]

In the late 1990s, Atlas was in the development stage preparing to release an SD50 (finally released in 1999).  I knew this release was coming and had helped Paul with research for one of the paint schemes. 
 



And as is typical, Atlas received an unpainted pre-production sample of the SD50 from China.  Unfortunately, an issue arose in the design process and  the pre-production shell was not completely what Atlas wanted so they had to require changes (more in a future post).

That unacceptable pre-production shell was the one I held in my hands a year or two after the release of the SD50.   This shell was of no use to the folks at Atlas, so rather than trash it, Paul sent it to me.... a young N scaler with a love for kitbashing.  He said, “See what you can do with this…. But forget where you got it.” 

I’ve searched my computer and photos albums and alas, I no longer have a photo of the shell as I received it from Atlas 25 years ago.   
However, I was able to easily photoshop an image so you could see what I had to deal with.  The only portion that is photoshopped in the image below is the small blank space in front of the radiator section.



For decades, I assumed that there might be some kind of design error but had no idea what it was.  Paul had simply said there were “issues” and I never thought to ask for specifics.    However, 25 years later with the extensive help of the Internet, I think I’ve figured out what happened.
(hint-  all that you see in this roof shot is actually accurate).

[u18b]

Hamersley Iron 

That's not the one we're making.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4841989

But they are interesting.   The radiator grills are a little different (and the battery boxes).

However, you might be able to kitbash one by the time we're finished.   

[u18b]

N&W's SD50s were built on the same frame as SD40-2s - this should be interesting. To build one is way down on list of projects. 

 

[fcnrwy23]

So....
Your taking a Atlas SD50 shell...
An Kato SD40-2 chassis...

and.....


Jerry

[Mark5]

One thing that's been holding me back on this project is that Atlas has been out of stock on SD50 shells (Part #493200) for years. 

N&W specified triple clasp trucks, so ordinary HTC trucks need to be modified.

Realistically for me, this project will be on permanent "back burner" as the Gold Medal Models loco stanchions are no longer available (I failed to hoard some  ).

My "core" modeling year is 1976, so I won't cry about it - but I do have a soft spot for N&W's SD50S. I know this thread will be fun. 

Mark

[u18b]

One thing that's been holding me back on this project is that Atlas has been out of stock on SD50 shells (Part #493200) for years. 


Realistically for me, this project will be on permanent "back burner" as the Gold Medal Models loco stanchions are no longer available (I failed to hoard some  ).

Mark

I will teach you how to solve that with stock Atlas handrails.
 

[Olivani]

That's not the one we're making.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4841989

But they are interesting.   The radiator grills are a little different (and the battery boxes).

However, you might be able to kitbash one by the time we're finished.   

But they are also shorter than the "normal" SD50    68'10" (SD40-2/SD50S) compared to 71'2" (SD50/SD60). A long time ago, when the InterMountain SD45-2 where released I started to build a SD50S, the Atlas SD50 shell fits perfect on the IM SD40-2/SD45-2 drive. As we know, the Kato SD40-2 drives are too fat    I try to find the box with that project and may finish it now with your input and new found motivation 

[u18b]

The designers for Atlas (stateside or China) had used plans for an SD50 for Kansas City Southern.   But the KCS units were phase one and were a bit different from all other SD50s.   The first difference was in the roof.   KCS ordered 10 SD50s with an extended exhaust silencer.  In the photo below, you can see the exhaust is almost twice as big as the one on my stock Chessie shell above it.   This caused a change in the roof hatches as you can see below.  The hatches right behind the exhaust are shorter covering three side doors instead of four.




Following the prototype, here is what Atlas originally trying to make (the sample shell I received):
https://www.trainiax.net/drawings/55-emd/sd50-60/55-emd-sd50-kcs.GIF

Notice in this high view the extended exhaust spans three side doors instead of only two.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=62002

[u18b]

Look at this list of original owners.



Out of hundreds of SD50s, Atlas’ test model looked like only 10 of them.   Furthermore, KCS eventually added nose lights mounted in a high position (as you can see here) making them even more unlike other SD50s. 
EDIT:  though SBD System had a few with nose lights.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=10768

Compare that photo above with an early photo of the same loco shortly after delivery.  As you can see- no nose lights.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2135540774


If there was one thing actually wrong with this nice test shell, I think it would be that the test shot had the wrong blower duct.  The first KCS SD50s had the older rounded blower ducts and flat handrails on the left side.   You can see this from looking at photos of 704-713 through the years.   
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=KCS&mid=11

However, I’ve seen no other SD50s which had rounded blower ducts and flat handrails on the left side.   And based on the photos I’ve studied, KCS never upgraded the blower ducts.
Consequently, Atlas was wise to make changes and model a later phase for the general release of the SD50 since all others had the angled duct.

Here are all of the SD50s for all roads if you want to explore more (there’s 21,000 photos here!):
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=11

I know we haven’t gotten to the SD50S yet…. But I’m showing you how this started with what Atlas made and Paul sent me.

More coming.