The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[packers#1]

If the trestle were abandoned I’d say cover it. But if it’s in service, what you have is good. You could try the old paint a line of white glue and put ground foam on it; the crews would keep the kudzu back.

[davefoxx]

Keep adding a little more each year to create the effect that the simulated kudzu is actually growing.

I don’t have to; it’ll take care of that on its own!  My biggest fear is coming back from a vacation, and the kudzu has taken over the basement. 

DFF

[davefoxx]

If the trestle were abandoned I’d say cover it. But if it’s in service, what you have is good. You could try the old paint a line of white glue and put ground foam on it; the crews would keep the kudzu back.

Agreed.  Thanks.

DFF

[glakedylan]

Dave, the closeup shots really show the kudzu
it is looking very good
you really are spot on with the scenery


sincerely
Gary

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Gary!

[Chris333]

Should have taken photos from a tripod as you added the Kudzu. Then you could take all the different images and made an animated gif. Just in time for Halloween 

[narrowminded]

This all looks pretty familiar, Dave.   I like it, especially the details around the water feature. 

[Vince P]

Agreed Dave very convincing oh did I see a rampant kudzo

Really liking this

[davefoxx]

Oh, hell, yeah!  Athearn has announced HO scale models of the 57' Trinity Spine Car, which is based on the 1978-era Santa Fe "Fuel-Foiler."  Wheelhouse, bitches!  Finally, somebody has released a spine car appropriate for the early- to mid-1980s.  This is perfect for my Seaboard System intermodal trains and looks a lot better on my sharp curves than do 89' flatcars.  Of course, I have seven Front Runners, and they run okay.  But, I'd rather have these spine cars.  Hell, yeah!  Must remember to preorder.

http://www.athearn.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=ATH15666



Every time I even get an itch to model another road or another era, it's this filth that keeps bringing me back to the Seaboard System in the early-1980s. 

DFF

[Steveruger45]

Sounds like Santa has an easy gift idea for you this year.😉😉

[wm3798]

And you'll only need three of them to make the train that will fit on your layout!  

Alas, we won't be seeing that car in N scale any time soon... 

So... staging tracks?
Lee

[davefoxx]

@wm3798,

Honestly, Lee, I’d probably be okay with just two or three five-pack sets.  I had just two out-of-era sets of spine cars in N scale, and I was okay with that length train on my small layout at that time.  Also, I still have the seven Front Runner cars and could tack a few more on, to fill out a slightly longer train.

Additionally, it’s this very photo that exposed me to spine cars in the first place.  I was twelve years old when I received this issue of MR, and this cover photo has been etched in my head ever since.  That’s only one ten-pack in that photo.  Even if I couldn’t fit anymore than that, I’d still be ecstatic.



I have two staging tracks that could hold the train I have in mind.  Can I leave this on the layout permanently and still run ops?  Probably not, but that’s okay.  Just like you 0-5-0 your fleet and have “all electric night” or “switcher madness night,” I put trains like this, the Amtrak Silver Star, or (if I ever get one) the Juice Train on the layout only while I’m running them.  Those staging tracks allow me to move them out of the way to run something else, but these special train don’t stay on the layout 24-7 like my regular fleet, which keeps the layout more flexible during ops.

DFF

[LKOrailroad]

Many thanks for posting the MR cover. I saw the issue contains drawings for the AC&Y diesel shops. Quickly found a copy on eBay and it is on its way. Thanks again.

[davefoxx]

Alan,

Glad to help in any way that I can.  That period of time, to me, is the golden era of MR.  Lots of memories from issues during the 1980s.

DFF

[ronw1970]

I remember and still have that issue. Also we are the same age:)  Interesting personal story on those cars . They were built by Itel. I went to work for the Iowa Interstate Railroad in 1988 at their Blue island Illinois terminal ( Chicago ) They bought the Itel prototype 10 pack to use for our TOFC service for Maytag form Newton Ia to Chicago. It was numbered IAIS 1001. We were in a cramped yard in 1988 and 1989 and had only one stub  track for TOFC to load/unload trailers as almost all our TOFC was rubber interchanged at Chicago. With our volume of TOFC  I am sure someone at the IAIS what a deal to pick up this car but boy did it become a menace at small yard with stub tracks. It was always in the train where you had to make a cut to switch the train . I left the IAIS in 1990 to go to Metra  not sure how much longer the car stayed around as the 48 foot trailers were becoming more common