The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

I realized last night that I finally have another spot on the layout where the scenery appears reasonably complete (and isn't the same ol' trestle scene over and over).  I can use this spot to snap pictures of roster shots:



DFF

[davefoxx]

In an attempt to get more of the bare foam covered, this evening, I began by cleaning up, sanding, and painting the last road section that I fit months ago.  I then painted the foam substrate with my sandy-colored paint and applied a base layer of ground foam.  This is a wee bit of progress with instant gratification, except that the glue is sopping wet and won’t be dry until at least tomorrow morning.



DFF

[Chris333]

They should do a study on the circadian rhythm of layout progress. Cause I ain't gettin $heet done right now 

[dem34]

They should do a study on the circadian rhythm of layout progress. Cause I ain't gettin $heet done right now 

Lots to do but nothing to get done. I always get the track down then hit a brick wall of what I want to do with scenery.

[davefoxx]

They should do a study on the circadian rhythm of layout progress. Cause I ain't gettin $heet done right now 

That’d be interesting.  I was on a tear adding/upgrading to LokSound decoders and LED lights for several weeks and did nothing to the layout for months.  Now, I’ve fortunately been motivated to add scenery.  That, of course, is coming to a grinding halt, because I’ve run out of suitable SuperTree armatures, and, yesterday, I used up my supply of the ground foam I use for the base.  But, I’ve got yet another locomotive on order from MBK, so . . . haha!

DFF

[davefoxx]

Lots to do but nothing to get done. I always get the track down then hit a brick wall of what I want to do with scenery.

My story is similar.  I don’t enjoy scenery, in part, because I’m colorblind, and I’m not an artist like many others ‘round here.  Trackwork is my thing.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Since I permanently glued down the road section that parallels the yard this morning, I went ahead and also finished the last major styrene road piece on the layout: the driveway/parking lot section to the furniture warehouse on the original NS/ACWR line.  This required me to sand off a bad application of primer from when I previously tried to use an old spray can that only caused poor coverage and bad texture.

The respray of primer is dry, so I’ve glued down the styrene piece.  Eventually, I’ll use plastic filler on the joint in the styrene pieces and, since I now have the right color primer, I’ll paint the “aged” asphalt down to a more logical place where repaving would have stopped.

Also, with this piece finally set in place, I can finally terraform the hill behind the row of buildings in Aberdeen.





DFF

[davefoxx]

The first boxcar has been delivered to the furniture warehouse by the Southern Ry. since the ballasting was completed on this line (I’m running my SBD era this weekend).  Hopefully, that boxcar is loaded with doors and windows. 



DFF

[davefoxx]

Terraforming complete.

BEFORE:



AFTER:



DFF

[basementcalling]

Obviously delivering to a shell of a factory that's been bombed out since the Civil War, or after a hurricane got all the windows.

[davefoxx]

Obviously delivering to a shell of a factory that's been bombed out since the Civil War, or after a hurricane got all the windows.

Well, it’s in the Sandhills, which used to be sand dunes when the ocean level was higher, so it must have been U boats.  And not the GE kind. 

DFF

[davefoxx]

It’s 1985, and the Seaboard System RR is testing the next generation of Geeps, the GP60.  Remember, in the mid-1980s, four-axle power was still the king of fast freights here in the Southeast.  Here, EMD 7 is on the point of a SBD freight somewhere south of Aberdeen, North Carolina on the S-Line.  Unfortunately, a purchase of an order of GP60s by the SBD would never happen, because the road bought those GE B36-7s and because the CSX merger was just around the corner.



DFF

[Point353]

It’s 1985, and the Seaboard System RR is testing the next generation of Geeps, the GP60.  Remember, in the mid-1980s, four-axle power was still the king of fast freights here in the Southeast.  Here, EMD 7 is on the point of a SBD freight somewhere south of Aberdeen, North Carolina on the S-Line.  Unfortunately, a purchase of an order of GP60s by the SBD would never happen, because the road bought those GE B36-7s and because the CSX merger was just around the corner.



DFF

Ironically, perhaps, after serving  a few years in demo duty and then many more as a lease unit, what was originally EMDX 7 was ultimately acquired by CSX around the turn of the century and became their 6899. Photos show it in service at least through 2014, but sitting in what appears to be a dead line in OH in 2021.
Here it is in 2008 dressed in fresh CSX paint: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2354750

[Chris333]

It had a much broader radius to the nose edges and the cab front was rounded.

If it is still there, it was at LTEX in Lordstown OH (their newer yard) about 3 miles from me.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.174185,-80.8680467,998a,35y,39.16t/data=!3m1!1e3

[wazzou]

Sorry in advance for the drift…

I marvel how EMD, not long after producing the most successful diesel locomotive lineup up to that time, the SD-40/-2 line and also the mostly concurrent GP-38/40 and-2 lines, could so precipitously fall on their faces…?

Now, it must be admitted that the B36-7 wasn’t all that successful but it was during this time that GE began ascending and ultimately dominating the Domestic Locomotive production orders.