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

[Mark5]

Hello Ron,

Are you planning to correct the trucks (all N&W SD40-2s and SD50s have "triple clasp" trucks  ).

[u18b]

Hello Ron,

Are you planning to correct the trucks (all N&W SD40-2s and SD50s have "triple clasp" trucks  ).

That might be an Aaron question.   

[u18b]

Modeling options:


So here is a 1989 photo.  (and this is how they looked in the 1980s)
6501 and 6504 with no ditchlights.    This would be the easiest to build and since Aaron likes Chessie era, this would fit.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=40271


6503 in 1981.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1993570


This photo of 6501 is dated 2000, so they lasted a long time.   Since I model pre-millenial CSX up to the Conrail merger, this would fit my roster also.  (part of me wonders if this photo is mis-dated since it is post-90s and still has no dicth lights).
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2698366


6500  in 1987   Norfolk Southern colors.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5737897

6500 has ditch lights in the 1990s.  This is 1996.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=6357844

 6501 mid 90s.  With ditchlights.   Mounted above the walkway.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2378765


6502, 1985, NS paint, no ditchlights.  (acquired ditchlights in mid 90s).
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=420490

6502 in a dead line in 2006.  But will be rebuilt.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=321007


In 2006, rebuilt to SD40E (first in  the group) and renumbered 6300.  A/C added and lower pilot mounted ditchlights.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2407965
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1422613


6504 rebuilt to SD40E in 2006.  Renumbered to 6301.
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2128805

Notes say, wrecked in Alabama in 2022.   The repaired and renumbered.  Now wearing 6358 as of 2025.  No photo so far.

[Olivani]

Photo of NS 6358 on FB

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1261020488803743&set=a.220944539478015

[u18b]

Photo of NS 6358 on FB

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1261020488803743&set=a.220944539478015

Thank you.

That's also interesting because the middle brakes are gone.  @Mark5

[Mark5]

re 6504:

There seems to be conflicting info - NWHS says in was retired in 2008 and rebuilt/renumbered 6301 4/1/2009:

https://www.nwhs.org/data/diesel/view.php?ID=99853

Here's a photo of 6301 supposedly on 4/1/2006 (it is likely from 2009):

https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1481155

Setting that aside, it appears that in the rebuild process, they swapped in a different set of trucks (it was still triple clasp in July 2007: https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=958430 )

Mark

[u18b]

So the discrepancy was the year of the rebuild.
Otherwise, the info is correct.

[Mark5]

Another thing as I plan out my SD50S - does the undec Atlas SD50 come with a plow?

N&W's SD50S roster was equipped with plows on the low nose end:

https://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nw/nw6501agc.jpg

[Olivani]

Another thing as I plan out my SD50S - does the undec Atlas SD50 come with a plow?

Yes

[Mark5]

Well,  last month around Thanksgiving 2025, Aaron asked me about that SD50S locomotive and my intentions for it.   Originally, my plan was to make molds of the shell and make castings so other N&W or Norfolk Southern fans could have this great model.   But with the popularity of 3D printing, there was now no point.  Someone could easily draw and print one.

Not me, while I could probably do the CAD work, I have no interest in having a 3D printer (and all the associated chemicals) in my house - old school it will have to be for me. 

Here are the remaining tasks which we hope to do over the Christmas holidays:
--Add rear jacking pads since I removed them because they were now in the wrong place once I shortened the walkway.
--Add an angled blower duct.
--Add styrene bits to the bottom of the sill at the curve of the fuel tank.  The rear curves were also no longer accurate since I shortened the walkway.
--Add a spacer to the walkway at the nose and rear so the shell would fit properly on the mechanism and the trucks would not be obstructed by the steps.   I’m placing a shell on a  mechanism that was not designed for it.  So there are big gaps at the nose and tail.  And when you currently place the shell on the mechanism, you have to adjust it to get the trucks to not hit the steps.   The spaces will center everything.
--Double check the splices to make sure all seams are hidden.  I see two handrail stanchion holes needs to be filled.   And one gap looks like it needs filling.
--Fuse the handrail splices.

I am particularly curious to see how you will fuse the handrails - looking forward to that.

@Olivani - thanks for the info about the Atlas SD50 snowplow. 

[u18b]

Handrail fusion will come after Christmas.   Aaron has the loco right now.
I’ll post the whole process. 

And actually, I already posted a thread a long time ago (13 years!)  which dealt with this. 
I created an NW2 and painted it for the Chessie/CSX Huntington shops switch in the green safety scheme.  I used the search function and could not find it.

I found the thread, but it is not very helpful any longer.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=27142.msg277830#msg277830

2 problems.
A.  That was a long time ago when I was posting photos on another service.    And those photos are no longer coming thru.   Too bad.   I now always post on Railwire and I'm thankful for the guys who host this for us.

B.  In that thread , did NOT describe what I did fully because I had submitted an article to N-Scale Magazine and it sat for years.  Finally BLI came out with a later phase NW-2 and my article was no longer useful.   Too bad.


But I'll be posting more here after Christmas.

[u18b]

For someone with the skill to try....
What I'm suggesting is...

Take a stock SD50 shell and make to cuts to remove the door just like I did and splice it back together.





Then, I'm suggesting for some of our talented 3D drawers, just draw the roof section.  Like here.





Then you cut out your engine section roof from your spliced shell and add the new printed roof.
This would have the hatches correct and extended exhaust correct for an SD50S.  In fact, it would probably look even better than the Atlas shell because you could make the slots in the exhaust stack deeper to look more realistic.




You would still have to cut and splice the walkway and handrails.

But if you have the skill, it could be done if no one were to draw and print and entire shell and walkway.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

For someone with the skill to try....
What I'm suggesting is...

Take a stock SD50 shell and make to cuts to remove the door just like I did and splice it back together.





Then, I'm suggesting for some of our talented 3D drawers, just draw the roof section.  Like here.





Then you cut out your engine section roof from your spliced shell and add the new printed roof.
This would have the hatches correct and extended exhaust correct for an SD50S.  In fact, it would probably look even better than the Atlas shell because you could make the slots in the exhaust stack deeper to look more realistic.




You would still have to cut and splice the walkway and handrails.

But if you have the skill, it could be done if no one were to draw and print and entire shell and walkway.

I like this idea. This might actually get me off my a$$ and start a new project.

[u18b]

When Aaron brings the loco back, I'll take more photos.

For example, the walkway is just an SD50 walkway.
I'll make it much more clear where I chose to make the cuts.

So more to come.

[chessie system fan]

For example, the walkway is just an SD50 walkway.

Well, not quite.  Notice that the sill is indented above the fuel tank like an SD40-2.  Production SD50s all had a narrower straight sill.