Southern Ry. Saluda Grade

[davefoxx]

Wow.  I just noticed that MBK posted these gems as available: Fox Valley Models N scale Silverside Coal Gondolas decorated for the Southern Railway ("SOU").  Between this and the impending Intermountain SOU high-nose SD40-2s coming, it's really tempting to design and build a layout based on the hill at Saluda, North Carolina.  I railfanned this stretch of former SOU mainline in April 1994, so I have long since been interested in mountain railroading.  I watched two brand new SD70s triple the hill with a manifest, and I saw a huge coal train with mid-train helpers and a radio control car tiptoe down the mountain.  Good times.

Heh, don't worry, I'm not really starting a new layout now.

DFF

[Kisatchie]

Hey, check out Brooklyn Loco Works... they have more Fox Valley Southern gondolas than MB Klein has, and cheaper too, especially the 20 gons I cancelled the order for LOL.


Hmm... that's Kiz. Always
getting into trouble...

[Dave V]

Wow.  I just noticed that MBK posted these gems as available: Fox Valley Models N scale Silverside Coal Gondolas decorated for the Southern Railway ("SOU").  Between this and the impending Intermountain SOU high-nose SD40-2s coming, it's really tempting to design and build a layout based on the hill at Saluda, North Carolina.  I railfanned this stretch of former SOU mainline in April 1994, so I have long since been interested in mountain railroading.  I watched two brand new SD70s triple the hill with a manifest, and I saw a huge coal train with mid-train helpers and a radio control car tiptoe down the mountain.  Good times.

Heh, don't worry, I'm not really starting a new layout now.

DFF

By my reckoning you still owe us an On30 Tweetsie layout...

[Chris333]

Heh, don't worry, I'm not really starting a new layout now.

[GaryHinshaw]

I'm a huge fan of mountain railroading as well (of course).  A Saluda layout would be awesome!



P.S. And if you don't build it, I'll have to move this thread...

[crrcoal]

Go for it Dave!!! Be neat to see if this can be done on a HCD

/>

[davefoxx]

Go for it Dave!!! Be neat to see if this can be done on a HCD

/>

This video is exactly what I had in mind when I suggested the Silversides and the SD40-2s.  But, this route can't be done on a HCD.  To do Saluda grade justice, this needs to be an around-the-room shelf layout that can allow for a lot of variation in elevation.

DFF

[PiperguyUMD]

Then there's possibly for the best stack talk ever.  I grew up in Hendersonville, I was nine years old at the top of the hill that day!

[Cajonpassfan]

Awesome whistle, too!
Otto K.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Dooo it.

[pdx1955]

Heh, don't worry, I'm not really starting a new layout now.

DFF

Too bad...a Saluda layout would be really hot! Hi-hood SD-45's, screaming dynamic brake sounds , realistic runaways lol

[davefoxx]

realistic runaways lol

Yes, a timing section and the runaway track in Melrose would definitely be included.

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

It could be pretty simple too. A bunch of shelf brackets, some luan and foam.

Keep it simple, keep it steep, cover it in Kudzu, build it in a month.

[davefoxx]

Keep it simple, keep it steep, cover it in Kudzu, build it in a month.

^This.  You know, I did raise some funds by liquidating a chunk of my fleet recently, which could be used to start finishing off the layout room.  How much do you think I could get for the Seaboard Central? 

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

^This.  You know, I did raise some funds by liquidating a chunk of my fleet recently, which could be used to start finishing off the layout room.  How much do you think I could get for the Seaboard Central? 

DFF

Not as much as you'd hope, but hopefully enough to start such a project.