The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

Could call it the
“ Control, Reclamation And Preservation” Car,  perhaps 🤔

Hmm, it would be a crappy job. 

[davefoxx]

Yesterday, I caved in and made a trip to my LHS, Yankee Dabbler, where I saw @VonRyan and purchased a ScaleTrains HO scale SD45 with DCC and sound.  Holy cow!  ScaleTrains, like Rapido, has stepped up their game!  This thing came out of the box with an ESU LokSound 5 decoder and a Power Pack (keep-alive)!  The Power Pack was a pleasant surprise that I have not seen factory installed until now.  The only modifications that I needed to make were to (1) install Sergent Engineering couplers, (2) remap the decoder to run on the ProtoThrottle, and (3) patch the SCL locomotive for the Seaboard System (SBD).  Fortunately, many SD45s remained in SCL paint until several years after the SBD merger, and some survived in this scheme through the CSXT merger.



DFF

[Chris333]

Just in time to fill in that motive power shortage 

[wazzou]

Wouldn't they have been dirtier by that point?   
In all seriousness though, would you mind posting a video, if you're able to of the sound in any of your locomotives?
I'm just curious how the sound is in an HO locomotive verses what we are able to produce in N Scale.

[davefoxx]

Just in time to fill in that motive power shortage 

Gotta keep up the inventory, if I’m going to model Larry’s Truck and Electric.  As they always say, the correct number of locomotives in your fleet is what you own plus one. 

Seriously, this locomotive is the sh!t.  I’m damn tempted to buy another, and if ScaleTrains were to offer one in SBD paint, I’d jump.  The plan is to sell a couple of locomotives in my fleet that don’t fit the bill anymore, e.g., an IM L&N SD40-2, IM SBD SD40-2, and a ScaleTrains NS C39-8.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Wouldn't they have been dirtier by that point?   
In all seriousness though, would you mind posting a video, if you're able to of the sound in any of your locomotives?
I'm just curious how the sound is in an HO locomotive verses what we are able to produce in N Scale.

Yes, they would have been.    I’ll try to come up with a video in the near future.  Surprisingly, N scale sound is not far behind.

DFF

[amato1969]

Looks great @davefoxx, I am pretty jealous of those Sergeant couplers!!!

  Frank

[mu26aeh]

Let me know if you need some LTEX decals, or want a unit painted.  I'm getting good at them



Just don't ask for that damn angled LTEX logo, the MS sheet only has 1 set on them, and YorkRail managed to get 2 of them with that logo, so had to buy 2 sets of decals

[Point353]

Yesterday, I caved in and made a trip to my LHS, Yankee Dabbler, where I saw @VonRyan and purchased a ScaleTrains HO scale SD45 with DCC and sound.



DFF

Rumor has it that the Seaboard Central crews are already eyeing that SD45.
They're making discreet inquiries about the ability of their bridges to handle a loco that weighs 100,000 lbs more than a GP9.

[Vince P]

Looks great Dave

[davefoxx]

I love when I find my thread on Page 2, because it means you ’s are working on your layouts.    I’m trying to get to some tree construction, but that project first required:

1) Painting some track on the Seaboard Central line, because it will be difficult to get the spray bomb in there once trees are installed;
2) Cutting up some Scotch-Brite pads, per Cody Grivno on MRVP and our own @Chris333, to fill in behind what will be a shallow stand of trees behind the SC line; and
3) Spreading some Scenic Express “Forest Floor“ under the area where trees will be planted (the glue is still wet in the photo below).

Ignore the abruptness of the tree line at left (I haven’t decided what I’m going to do, if anything, behind the staging yard) and the gap in the tree line at right (where a highway will cut through).



Stay tuned (a tree every night),
DFF

[davefoxx]

The first eleven trees are on the drying line!



DFF

[Chris333]

Nice work! and now you can take the next 10 nights off   

[davefoxx]

Nice work! and now you can take the next 10 nights off   

Yay!  See you then! 

DFF

[davefoxx]

The first batch of trees are installed.  I’m pleased as to how well the scuff pads hide the bright blue backdrop through the trees, yet the pads aren’t blatantly apparent.  Or, at least, they won’t be when I’m finished.  I still need to add the underbrush at the forest’s edge, which will also disguise the skinny SuperTrees trunks.






DFF