Seaboard Central 2.0

[crrcoal]

Nice how you slipped-in the Laurel Valley cars.

And lots of coal hoppers to boot! Love long coal trains!

[Rich_S]

More progress with the construction of the original portion of the enginehouse.  Keep in mind, for the ease of painting, none of the windows or doors are glued in and the addition is not yet glued to the original enginehouse yet.  In case you can't tell from the photos, the original enginehouse is brick with corrugated roofing and the addition is all corrugated siding and roofing.



DFF

Dave, You nailed the engine house, but the suspense is killing me. Where are the photos of the painted and weathered engine house    Also I second the pat on the back for the folks at IM. The new shell looks fantastic.

[Bendtracker1]

Looks damned good Dave!
I think it looks better in this scheme and I agree with you, Don't patch it!

I received the shell today, and this locomotive is definitely becoming one of my favorites.  While I should patch it for the SBD under the cab, I really like the "Pulling For You" slogan and will leave it alone for now:


Hey, Allen (@Bendtracker1), look at your old SD45-2 now!  HAHA!

DFF

[davefoxx]

The Seaboard Central's newest acquisition: an N scale Bachmann 2-10-2 decorated for the Seaboard Air Line.  I've been wanting a steam locomotive on the roster and had once considered the Bachmann N&W J, but this 2-10-2 had popped up on MBK's website a few weeks ago on sale for $129.99.  I'm glad I hesitated, because I found it at TrainWorld for $99.00!  Unlike the J, this already has DCC on board.   While the J would not have been an anachronism on my layout (excursion service in the 1980s) but this locomotive is, I'm still happy with my purchase.

I'm pleased with it right out of the box.  I need to check the wheel gauge to minimize some "hopping" through Atlas Code 55 turnouts.  But, I'll continue to break it in first, as there's been no derailments caused by this.  It runs well, and the working factory reverse light on the tender was a pleasant surprise.  Someday when the "new locomotive" smell is gone, I may add sound.

DFF

[Rich_S]

The Seaboard Central's newest acquisition: an N scale Bachmann 2-10-2 decorated for the Seaboard Air Line. 



DFF

Dave, That's how it starts, first a steamer, then 40' boxcars and 50 ton hoppers, then before you know it, it's wood sheathed cabooses, automobiles from Mini-Metals and trying to squeeze in a turntable someplace.     The new locomotive looks great.

[Dave V]

Dave, That's how it starts, first a steamer, then 40' boxcars and 50 ton hoppers, then before you know it, it's wood sheathed cabooses, automobiles from Mini-Metals and trying to squeeze in a turntable someplace.     The new locomotive looks great.

Exactly my thought!  I smell a dual-era layout...

[davefoxx]

Exactly my thought!  I smell a dual-era layout...

@Rich_S and @Dave Vollmer,

Don't think I haven't thought about it.  You started it with the Juniata Division, Dave.  There's no way that I would abandon the 1980s era, because it's what I grew up watching, but the 1950s era also has some appeal.  You may recall that I already own this E7 (and a purple Atlantic Coast Line (ACL) baggage car and two ACL sleepers purchased after this video was made):

However, if you're paying attention, you see the problem I have.  I am a big fan of the ACL, but the Seaboard System (SBD) tracks that I model (the line from Hamlet, North Carolina north to Raleigh) are the former Seaboard Air Line (SAL) line.  In the 1950s, the ACL and the SAL are rivals.  To do it right (with this layout), I would have no choice but to model the SAL.  However, if I had to choose one or the other road (ACL versus SAL), I would prefer to model the ACL.  I don't know how I would justify both the SAL and ACL on the same tracks, unless I model the Seaboard Coast Line (SCL) merger.  But, that's 1967 and at least ten years beyond the era I would want to model. 

DFF

[Dave V]

Yeah, but you know, after years of being anal about that sort of thing, lately I've fallen back toward Rule 1.  I say if you like ACL and you want to run ACL trains on your layout, they'd still look at home.  It's not like you're trying to run Pennsy GG1s across Monument Valley.

If you were to visit the Juniata Division today you'd note several deviations from 1956 Middle Division in terms of both timeframe and divisional assignments.

[davefoxx]

I'm also finding that the hobby is much more enjoyable, if I lean towards Rule No. 1.  Up to now with the few exceptions, I've done a pretty good job at sticking to my 1980s era, which really has helped control the spending.  For that reason, it's probably more realistic at this point to just build a couple of 1950s-era SAL and/or ACL trains and just run them now and then between the 1980s SBD trains, rather than trying to repopulate the entire layout (and the A&R line!) with appropriate 1950s rolling stock and motive power.  Besides, I have to remember that Atlas is bringing all of that wonderful SBD goodness out this fall (B36-7s, GP38-2s, SD35s, etc.), and I need to watch my pennies.

I tell you what I would really like to model: a 1950s streamlined Florida passenger train, i.e., the ACL Champion or SAL Silver Star.  Drool!

DFF

[basementcalling]

Dave, how about just saying ACL had track issues, wash out, wreck, or some such, and trains were detouring that day or week?

[davefoxx]

Dave, how about just saying ACL had track issues, wash out, wreck, or some such, and trains were detouring that day or week?

Very plausible.

Thanks,
DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I tell you what I would really like to model: a 1950s streamlined Florida passenger train, i.e., the ACL Champion or SAL Silver Star.  Drool!

DFF

I would also like to see that as well!

[davefoxx]

Back to modeling.  I was watching videos on Model Railroader's Video Plus page today and came across a video using Woodland Scenics tree armatures to represent dead trees.  I don't recall seeing this product before, but I found some available at MBK:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Woodland-Scenics-TR1125-Pine-Tree-Armatures-4-6-p/woo-tr1125.htm?CartID=1

On the MR video, the trunks actually came out looking okay with spray paint and dry brushing.  I'm wondering, if I could use these armatures to try to build some of these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_palustris#/media/File:Pinus_palustris_UGA1.jpg

If anything, they seem like they could work well as inexpensive and quick armatures for background trees.  Thoughts?  Should I possibly waste $11.29 the next time I place an order at MBK?  I also need to figure out what to use for foliage before I place that order.

DFF

[Blazeman]

@Rich_S and @Dave Vollmer,


 However, if I had to choose one or the other road (ACL versus SAL), I would prefer to model the ACL.

Champ Summers is smiling up in heaven. ACL would be my preference as well, reason being my first long train ride, Wilmington, Del. to Ocala, December, 1957. Still remember the purple set of diesels pulling the train into Ocala for the ride north. One other memory is passing a yard full of soon-to-be scrapped steam in Virginia.

[Philip H]

Back to modeling.  I was watching videos on Model Railroader's Video Plus page today and came across a video using Woodland Scenics tree armatures to represent dead trees.  I don't recall seeing this product before, but I found some available at MBK:

http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Woodland-Scenics-TR1125-Pine-Tree-Armatures-4-6-p/woo-tr1125.htm?CartID=1

On the MR video, the trunks actually came out looking okay with spray paint and dry brushing.  I'm wondering, if I could use these armatures to try to build some of these:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_palustris#/media/File:Pinus_palustris_UGA1.jpg

If anything, they seem like they could work well as inexpensive and quick armatures for background trees.  Thoughts?  Should I possibly waste $11.29 the next time I place an order at MBK?  I also need to figure out what to use for foliage before I place that order.

DFF

So I have a bunch of these in baggies from earlier layouts.  You can use them effectively for some conifers, but to model those ubiquitous southern pines (which I need as well since Louisiana is thick with long leaf pine) you have to remove the lower limbs from the tree armature.  The western and northern pines they are actual models of do, in fact come to the ground.  SO I'd be worried that if you use the taller ones to do your versions (which if I remember correctly are called yellow pine and lodge pole pine) you'd have to do some carving of the plastic trunk to both remove the lower branches and add some bark texture to the cut areas.  I think its doable, and I agree that the trunks can be made to look good with some basic painting.  I use their 3-5 inch deciduous tree armatures for oaks - by adding individual branches of WS fine leaf foliage clusters (http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Woodland-Scenics-Fine-Leaf-Foliage-Medium-Gre-p/woo-f1131.htm) after dry brushing the armatures first with 3 or four colors of brown and grey.