The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[C855B]

You'll be racing trains in no time. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Such a mensch.

I'm having you over when it's time to lay track on the Reading Cluster...

[davefoxx]

Such a mensch.

I'm having you over when it's time to lay track on the Reading Cluster...

@Ed Kapuscinski,

Thanks, I'll be there!  But, you've got to buy a house first.

DFF

[Philip H]

some mighty swanky track work there @davefoxx. Now, for fun, tear it all out and relay the exact same geometry in scale sectioned code 40. 

[seusscaboose]

Yeah Dave does good track work

He relaid Tucker @ my place

Works great!

But to be honest Dave

I love your trees the most....  period end of story best fall colors on Super Trees I’ve ever seen

Oh yeah
And your kudzu!



Your technique rocks!

EP

[davefoxx]

Thanks, EP!

Oh, and that marathon to rebuild Tucker was a good day.  I hope to be able to find the time to do something like that again.  Good times!

DFF

[davefoxx]

@Ed Kapuscinski,

Well, I went and did it.  As we discussed on Sunday, check out this filth!  Sweet Southern Ry. goodness- a high hood GP38-2.  Long hood forward!



This will be the power on the former original Norfolk Southern Ry. line from Aberdeen to Star, North Carolina (the branch on my layout).  I'm altering history slightly, since the SOU actually abandoned the line sometime after it bought the NS Ry. in 1974.  The line was bought up by the Aberdeen & Briar Patch Ry. that operated it from 1984 to 1987.  The Aberdeen, Carolina, and Western Ry. has owned and operated the line since 1987.  I love that Southern tuxedo scheme, so I've stretched history.

Oh, and you should hear this Geep- it's heaven to my ears!

DFF

[Missaberoad]

The line between Star and Aberdeen wasn't abandoned by NS until 1983.

Cant find many post NS pre A&BP photos however...

Here's a neat shot from 1969

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1637826

and one in Aberdeen from 1974 you should enjoy

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/39/6d/91396d97b470d2db7cb0039837617f49.jpg

[wazzou]

@davefoxx - the one thing about modeling in HO, the fact you don't weather locos and rolling stock is now on a starkly larger canvas. 

[davefoxx]

The line between Star and Aberdeen wasn't abandoned by NS until 1983.

Cant find many post NS pre A&BP photos however...

Here's a neat shot from 1969

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1637826

and one in Aberdeen from 1974 you should enjoy

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/91/39/6d/91396d97b470d2db7cb0039837617f49.jpg

Awesome pics, Ryan.  I've seen the one in Aberdeen with the A&R and SOU power.  I think it's in my A&R book.  It was literally the inspiration for me buying the SOU Geep.  If the line wasn't abandoned until 1983, then I'm only cheating about three years (I model 1983-86).  I can live with that.

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

@davefoxx - the one thing about modeling in HO, the fact you don't weather locos and rolling stock is now on a starkly larger canvas. 

Yeah, I know.  But, I'm very early in building a layout, so aesthetics aren't important yet.  Plus, I would like to break in all of this new rolling stock and motive power before I risk screwing them up with a bad weathering job.

DFF

[Chris333]

Want to see you make that side door caboose!

Did you double track the whole loop?

[davefoxx]

Want to see you make that side door caboose!

Maybe someday.  I have a sweet foobie A&R caboose that will probably push that task down the list for years.

Did you double track the whole loop?

Not yet, but, hopefully by the end of this weekend, if all goes well.  Stage 1 was completed, which connected the two passing sidings at one end of the layout.  Stage 2 will connect the sidings at the other end.  Stage 2 requires me to fill back in where I cut out for the lake to make room for the second track.  I will also have to move a single track bridge to allow for a different double track bridge, remove three turnouts, and install two new crossovers.  This is a little more involved than Stage 1 was.

DFF

[davefoxx]

Here's how far I've gotten on the double-tracking project so far this weekend; Stage 2 has begun.  I forgot to take a "before" shot, but, in short, I pulled a curved turnout that was the north end of the passing siding in Aberdeen.  I added a crossover and the small siding at left in the picture below.  I think this track was for reversing moves in the wye on the prototype, but I'll make it a team track to add a destination for freight cars. 

You can see where the second track will head out of town, where the cork is extended beyond a turnout.  I'm sure that someone will point out the unwanted S-curve coming into that turnout, but trains will be slow in the crossover to access the yard.  While I would have preferred to avoid this situation, this is the result of poor planning.  And, I've got worse S-curves than that, and the trains run fine. 

Before I can work on the second mainline track, I'll need to move the layout to get back in there. 



DFF

[DKS]

Not sure if you're too far along to try this, but one way to eliminate the S-turn at that far crossover is to move the foreground switch further aft, and replace the lefty connected to it with a righty, so that the straight leg leads into the foreground switch, and the right leg leads into the track it's on. (Let me know if that doesn't make any sense, and I'll sketch it out.)