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

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This was the FIRST thread I headed to this morning.

I can't wait for more.

[wmcbride]

I remember getting a DRGW SD50 from the 1999 run and being impressed at the numbers in the number boards! I even emailed Paul Graf complimenting him on them!

It might seem like nothing now but it impressive to me back then.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

This also reminds me, isn't it about time for another run of the Chessie ones @Atlas Paul ?

[u18b]

This also reminds me, isn't it about time for another run of the Chessie ones @Atlas Paul ?

Actually…. Since you say that…
In prep for this thread I checked the Atlas site.   
It’s been a while since they did a run of the SD50.
Correction.   Released in 2024 with E24 interface.

[Wlal13again]

This also reminds me, isn't it about time for another run of the Chessie ones @Atlas Paul ?

I totally agree

[u18b]

One last little tid-bit.  Atlas  still  uses this KCS SD50 phase 1 prototype in their line drawings!    For example, whenever they do mock-ups to advertise new SD50s, they use the original KCS line drawing.  In these examples, you can see that the exhaust is extended covering three side doors and the roof hatches are short right behind the exhaust.







Furthermore, if you look on the Atlas SD50 parts sheet, there is the KCS shell line drawing with the extended exhaust and the short roof hatches behind the exhaust.  Also notice the angled blower duct. This image was taken last week from the Atlas website and this is the SD50 pre-production shell I received from Paul.

[Mark5]

That's funny Ron!

[u18b]

That's funny Ron!

And obviously not that important in that no one noticed for 25 years!

[GM50 4164]

@u18b , Ron if you go back to your 4th post, with the Chessie locomotive. This was from their first release. The Chessie logo is in the wrong location! When Atlas annouced the later run with Chessie, I was able to get in touch with Paul and asked if he could get the art department to correct the location on the upcoming run. Paul was kind enough to look into it and he made it happen!

Benjamin H

[Olivani]

I remember the first run SD50/SD60. The Oakway Leasing SD60 models I got let go of the paint on the nose just by looking a bit angry at them   

[davefoxx]

Furthermore, KCS eventually added nose lights mounted in a high position . . . making them even more unlike other SD50s.

If memory serves me correct, only the first batch of Seaboard System (SBD) SD50s (Nos. 8500-8524) had nose (low) mounted headlights, because they were ordered to Louisville & Nashville (L&N) specs before the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL)/L&N merger that formed the SBD, although they were delivered in SBD paint.  The remaining SBD units were ordered with high-mounted headlights, as were the C&O and B&O SD50s that were numbered in series with the SBD units in anticipation of the CSX merger.

DFF

[u18b]

@u18b , Ron if you go back to your 4th post, with the Chessie locomotive. This was from their first release. The Chessie logo is in the wrong location! When Atlas annouced the later run with Chessie, I was able to get in touch with Paul and asked if he could get the art department to correct the location on the upcoming run. Paul was kind enough to look into it and he made it happen!

Benjamin H

Benjamin,  lol....  we were probably gently nagging Paul at the same time.   I my case, I had been trying to get them to make the Chessie vermillion a bit less red and more orange.  I think the GP40-2 was too red.   But if I remember correctly, they adjusted the color on the SD50 or the next release.

I have always found Atlas responsive.   

[u18b]

If memory serves me correct, only the first batch of Seaboard System (SBD) SD50s (Nos. 8500-8524) had nose (low) mounted headlights, because they were ordered to Louisville & Nashville (L&N) specs before the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL)/L&N merger that formed the SBD, although they were delivered in SBD paint.  The remaining SBD units were ordered with high-mounted headlights, as were the C&O and B&O SD50s that were numbered in series with the SBD units in anticipation of the CSX merger.

DFF

True.    That's a good reminder.  I made an edit above.  Thx.

But I was referring to those big fat gyralight headlights that KCS appears to use.

[u18b]

So, back to my story….

I had this secret Atlas SD50 pre-production test shell.  Paul had said,  “See what you can do with it.”   To a modeler, that’s a great invitation.



Obviously, I could have made a KCS SD50 phase 1 since that’s what the shell was.   But I’ve never been very interested in that road (no offense to KCS fans).   And in a way, that would have simply been a paint job (though, remember the blower duct would have to be changed since it was wrong).   I wanted something more.

And then an idea for a kitbash came to me.    This shell looked a good bit like an SD50S for N&W  (note the capital S in the name).  To kitbash it, I would just have to shorten the shell.

The earlier prototype SD50S and it's cousin (the even earlier SD40X), were basically an updated SD40-2.  EMD placed the newly designed hood configuration with a slightly improved prime mover on the old frame.   EMD made 4 SD40X in 1979 and sold them to KCS.   
Here is an SD40X, and this was a possibility for a kitbash with this shell:
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3129985


In 1980, EMD made a few more changes and created 6 of the SD50S locomotives which all went to the N&W.   And it’s interesting to note that all of these test units had the extended exhaust silencer.
Here is an SD50S:
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2378769

https://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=33838

And here are all the SD50Ss.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?mid=399

When EMD finally created the full production SD50, it was over 2 feet longer riding on an extended frame and has an extra door in front of the radiator section.  Consequently, the SD50S is commonly thought of as an “SD50 Short.”

Though similar, the Atlas test shell which Paul sent me was not close enough to the KCS SD40X and would require a good deal more work, but it    did   look a bit similar to an SD50S.   I thus concluded that if I removed one door section just in front of the radiator section of this shell and spliced it back together again, then I would have a pretty true SD50S.

[u18b]

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

and.....


Jerry

Not quite.... but you're getting warm.