Seaboard Central - August 2024 Layout Update

[@theCLEcyclist]

great update! The tower really pops, parking lot looks great, the SD80MAC was an awesome surprise and would love a whole video just on that and your experiences with it, and can't wait for the series on the loco roster. I've been wanting this and didn't even know it. Cheers

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks for the kind words. Stay tuned!

[@K-Rail]

Really building up a fleet of weathered equipment! looks great Tim!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I have a lot more to do.

[@mikepenrod544]

I love watching your layout every week.The 80macs were something to see. I'm from the Johnstown-Altoona Pa area, These huge locomotives were mainly used on the South Fork branch servicing different mines and the Cresson ,Portage area as well. They would have 3 units on the head end and 2 on the rear. That way when they are loaded , The 3 could shove the loaded trains up the grade back to South Fork. Those were great days.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I appreciate it. I bet they were something seeing them working the coal trains.

[@mikepenrod544]

@@SeaboardCentral They were, When Conrail was around , They would use 8 GP 38-2's, SD40-2, or SD45-2 to move the coal to the yards in Johnstown or Altoona,Then the MAC attack came and wow, Trains went down to 5 units and when they moved so did the ground, I really miss those days

[@conrailfan6277]

Great update Tim, I got a great first hand look at those Conrail SD 80 MACS, I grew up 1 block away from the Big 4 Dow Line which was NYC/ Conrails main North/South line from Anderson Indiana to Elkhart yards, Conrail did their crew changes here and the guys let me get up close for a awesome look see!!!! With these Jack Wagons now derailing Trains the Railroads are cracking down on Railfans!!!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yeah, that’s crazy. I wouldn’t get too close to the tracks. The engines are all equipped with cameras and a lot of the crews would contact the dispatcher if they see someone trespassing on property. Most of the time it is people walking on the tracks.

[@conrailfan6277]

@SeaboardCentral Yep, I get to train watch from my Semi now, I deliver auto parts from Indiana down to the Toyota plant in Madison Alabama everyday and get to see a set of leased GP40-2S assemble an autorack train full of new Toyota's and swap with NS loaded autoracks for empties!!!!!

[@205004gs]

Spectacular update and the iconic SD80MAC!👏👍

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Great update.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@georgiasunbelt]

Lots of great looking rolling stock and power added to the SC…your weathering guys do awesome work…you too😊…

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@davidbrown4823]

Years ago I was taking pictures of hopper cars in the Port Saint John Potash Terminal yard when one caught my eye. it had been own by two railroads and 6 leasing companies. great update.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yeah they can change hands a lot.

[@calvincurtiss2490]

I'm all caught up now. I've been busy working on my layout. Great work!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thank you!

[@michaelricks1618]

Great prototype info and insights. Marvellous modeling and weathering. Love the 'Big Mac' 80 super-power! Terrific weathering on it, too - it looks real. Thanks so much for sharing.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[@thecnwmondovilinepaulscota7304]

Thanks fore the update, Tim! Love those NS locomotives, as well as the pavement work you did.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@Killbuck.Southern.Railroad]

80 macs are now just in the history books. The last two were at cp, and I believe they have been cut up. Got to use a few taking trains from Conway to Altoona and seen them regularly at Cresson engine house, which is also now closed.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Yeah I heard they thought about rebuilding them retaining their original engine but the PSR folks killed the idea. They were the engines that convinced NS to embrace AC technology though after the Conrail acquisition. I do know this.

[@scaleffect]

I love your layout, so envious!

[@SeaboardCentral]

I really appreciate it!

[@ohiorailfan124]

Awesome work Tim! Love the layout.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@kevinbohnenblust5844]

Great progress and beautiful modeling!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@williamdavid9333]

Great video, thanks for sharing this with us!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks for watching!

[@nicksanto882]

Great progress!!!! I enjoyed!! You enjoy too!!!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Nick!

[@garynugent4400]

Awesome sir! -Gary

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@kinnywolf2862]

Great video

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thank you!

[@johnwhatmore163]

Great video, love the detail, weathering and the sounds. Thank you. Got any plans to extend the mainline ?

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yes, you can see my plan for the layout in my earlier videos.

[@25mfd]

nice update, some really good progress has been made... @ 12:21, you mentioned the idling of the engine for the air compressor... with OLDER locos it was suggested, to prevent traction motor stall burns when pumping up the air brakes with the engine in the 4th notch, to pull the generator field switch first... also when starting a heavy train, if in the 4th notch, if the amperage gets to 1100, throttle should be reduced immediately... our general orders book said it takes only a matter of seconds to seriously damage the traction motors... what's NS's policy on this... also does it apply to the newer locos like the SD80

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Never pulled the Gen Field switch while throttling up. I’m more worried about spinning the wheels pulling high amperage in lower notches.

[@SeaboardCentral]

@TPW900GP35for older second gen units you can drive the shaft on the air compressor faster while in neutral moving the throttle to notch 3. I don’t think it makes a difference in higher notches. Third gen units you can do in notch 1 but most third and fourth gen units will do it automatically.

[@25mfd]

@TPW900GP35 *I would think that as long as the reverser was in neutral the traction motors wouldn’t receive power* here's the direct quote from the general order book... "stall burns are the primary cause of traction motor damage. stall burns are caused by high electrical currents passing through a traction motor while it is standing still"

[@25mfd]

@TPW900GP35 *They must be talking about first generation or early second-generation power* yes you are correct... this general order is from 1983... the locos on the CNW roster at the time were the GP7, GP9, SD9, GP30, SD40, SD40-2, SD45, MP15, GP15, GP35, GP38-2, SD38, GP50

[@gp3829]

Hi Tim and thankyou for the latest Update. Good to see the Loco Pad and Tower. The SD80MAC looked and sounded fantastic, both prototype and model. The desire to have a particular model on your layout is always very strong. I'm a fan of BNSF SD70MACs because of the 'Executive' livery. How can I justify one on my freelanced N. Indiana layout? And then I spotted an Athearn PRLX 9554, which I believe NS leased for a while. That was good enough for me.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Sounds like a great reason to

[@conrail4129]

Excellent update! I do have a question for you. If you’re able to succinctly in a YT comment give someone advice who is looking to get into modeling a fictional railroad. What suggestion would you make on where to start?

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! My advice would be to start small. You can always build it out to show its history. If I was starting from scratch I’d build a simple shelf layout that would contain a small interchange track with your favorite real railroad. I’d use a couple of four axle switchers for your freelanced railroad to get started. I would have the layout serve two or three industries and I’d make sure at least one was a simple Team track to serve as a Bulk Transload facility for off line customers. I would also figure out what time period you want to model and stick with it. For example, my layout is set in 2015 so that means I can’t include locomotives or cars built after 2015. I also don’t include cars built before 1975 either. So it keeps me contained and makes it more plausible. Good luck and be sure to tune in to the next three videos as I’ll go over my thoughts on how I came up with the SC locomotive roster.

[@dennisbailey6067]

You seem to like ESU over other brands.What do you like about them,and do you adjust operating CVs youself?

[@SeaboardCentral]

Yes, I prefer ESU LokSound decoders for their Drive Hold feature and ease of programming with the LokProgrammer. I am able to reproduce what I believe are more realistic results. I have a couple of videos on the channel where I show how I do it.

[@dennisbailey6067]

@@SeaboardCentral Thanks,will check them out.

[@gp3829]

Hi Tim, I've just been re-running this update and I noticed when you discussed the new Gadsden Tower, that the Sand Silo and one of the Waste Tanks had been swapped over to opp. sides of the Pad. I wondered if it were possible to retain the Silo in its original position and move the small Buildings to suit and also to just move the Waste Tanks a bit farther along (in towards the Shops) to allow for the new access road? I realise that these things always happen to a Layout, but you have modelled the Pad very convincingly.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yes it was a trade-off I had to deal with. I actually like the way I set it up now. It has a better flow to it. My excuse is the piping for the sand tower is underground. I plan on adding a radio tower next to the yard office and I have to make sure I have space for it. Stay tuned for the next update and you’ll see what I mean.

[@gp3829]

Hi, thanks for your reply. I recently got my hands on a Walthers Modern Diesel Pad and this totally changed my Layout. I have been using your Pad Layout as a point of reference and so I look forward to the next update. I must admit that I hadn't even considered a Tower for my own Yard. Now I am.

[@rogerthomas9017]

Was surprised to note that the ES44DC had a full inverter cabinet. Guess that the cabinet was the standard body style since most 44s were AC. What type of crossing warnings will you use for that new crossing? Just simple "x"s on poles? Maybe with a big stop sign under the X? One time at Cresson I saw TWO SD80s handling a 15 car local, one at each end,. Felt that train was a bit overpowered. Looking forward to the loco series to find the logic behind such a diverse collection. Does seem to make some sense for the size and prototype you are modeling.

[@SeaboardCentral]

The crossing will get just standard crossbucks since it is a lightly used crossing. Probably have a stop sign too. Stay tuned!

[@kudewald]

That SD70 looks good. Is the 80mac a Kato? I have 2 and they run great

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! The 80MAC is an Athearn Genesis.

[@thisoldgoat3927]

Tim, I'm not sure if you can answer this question but since you are a locomotive engineer can you explain why there are no 4-axle locomotives made anymore? The last purpose-built 4-axle was EMD's GP60 which ended production in 1994.

[@SeaboardCentral]

The GP60 was the last four axle and it was designed for lightweight intermodal trains back when there was still a lot of TOFC on spine cars. Today most of the intermodal is shipped in containers or COFC and double-stacked which in turn makes for heavier trains which the six axle units are better suited for. The reason you haven’t seen any new four axles is that the older units keep being rebuilt for local service that requires a four axle due to trackage constraints where six axle units are prohibited. However, the four axles that are in use are at the ends of their careers and I do believe you will eventually see some kind of hybrid four axle unit to hit the market to fill the void.

[@thisoldgoat3927]

@@SeaboardCentral - Thank you for the reply, Tim.

[@f14aplusfl]

Time machine travel forward so the Seaboard Central purchases the remaining SD80MACs from NS upon retirement?

[@SeaboardCentral]

The SC is set in the spring/summer of 2015. Be sure to watch this upcoming series where I’ll go into explanation about the entire SC roster and the reason why it is made up of a diverse mix.

[@f14aplusfl]

@@SeaboardCentral Great work as always! Looking forward to this next series.

[@southern207hobbies]

Please do a steam program just for fun

[@SeaboardCentral]

I’ve often thought about having a visitor from the TVRM to make a special fan trip someday. If only I could get ScaleTrains to make the 4501. :-)

[@southern207hobbies]

@@SeaboardCentral ah reachout to them they probably will ;)