Seaboard Central - July 2024 Layout Update

[@ThomasKlimoski]

It made it up the hill! The new locomotives and the weathered freight cars look great.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Tom!

[@pm8302]

Tim as a fellow railroader there are 3 things that you can appreciate. 1.) Being safe at all cost. 2.) A Conductor that can see moves ahead of time and keeps things simple and straight forward. And an engineer that doesn’t let the slack run back on his switch person. 3.) An Engineer that can keep its train momentum up a step grade. More notches after 6 may not be best if it will create will slip. Sometimes more power is not the best. Loved the video!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I appreciate it. Stay tuned. The next three videos are going to cover a lot of prototype information that most modelers aren’t aware of or perhaps have made false assumptions about.

[@PennCentral99]

hey Tim, nice update! The weathering of the locos and rolling stock is spot on. The run up the helix, along with your play-by-play calling, was awesome, got a chuckle out of that, but those are the real life conversations between engineer and conductor in real life. It appears a DPU is in order for helper service on the helix. Thanks, Terry

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Terry! I’ve got some upcoming videos this month on tractive effort and also DP operations. Stay tuned!

[@briansandberg4627]

Love those SC boxcars. Looking great Tim!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Brian! Hope you are doing well.

[@georgiasunbelt]

I think I can…i think I can…top notch weathering by all

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@rimodeler7963]

Appreciate the update, Tim. The equipment weathering is top notch and units #281 and #286 look and sound fantastic. Your model railroad is truly a gem. Keep up the great work! Mike

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thank you so much!

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Nice units. Congratulations on your article in Model Railroader.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@houseofrandomness]

Great video! I thought i saw the conductor put his paddle out the window to help get up the grade. 😊

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I thought for a minute he was going to have to get down and push. 😂😂😂

[@25mfd]

another nice vid tim... and that's a good pulling test you did with those SDs... EVERYONE needs to know how many cars their motor/s can pull... not knowing this can negatively impact your operations... "todays" (post DCC) locos are MUCH lighter than some of the older non DCC locos... some of those older pre DCC locos, the manufactures would fill up all that extra space in the shell with one giant heavy weight... some of the heaviest non DCC locos i owned were two kato C44-9Ws and a walthers proto GP18... those were some super heavy locos... the DCC locos of today have the decoder and extra wiring and speaker in there that takes up space where extra weight USED to be

[@SeaboardCentral]

This is true.

[@NeshaminyValleyRR]

Nice progress on the layout, I am looking forward to the local making it to Ragland. It was nice to see the SC in Model Railroader although it took me a little to figure out where you were working until I caught one of your older videos

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I’m looking forward to reaching the upper level too. I have a couple more articles that will be coming out so be on the lookout for them. Since I wrote them a while back you can see how my layout has transformed since then.

[@tracksidemike]

Nice job on the weathered cars👍🏻 awesome haul on the helix great video Thanks for sharing. Have a great day and enjoy those trains 😎🚂🫵TSM

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@ChristopherPalmieri]

You have got some great looking cars on the railroad!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Especially the Homeshops cars! :-)

Great video Tim , I enjoy your work. That you can back a train down the helix without issue, is testament to the quality of your trackwork.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Good thing I didn’t get a knuckle. 😁

[@motorTranz]

Beautiful modeling 😍 Thanks for sharing!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thank you!

[@JasonTrew2018]

Another great video, Tim, when doing the video on dynamic braking, don't forget to mention SP 7551 East that derailed in 1989

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I plan on making a video on scenarios when I would use the dynamic on the prototype but I will mention the rules that must be followed to prevent a derailment.

[@conrailfan6277]

Very nice rolling stock and Locomotives Tim, a definite thumbs up on your trackwork thru the Helix, being able to back a long train down it is Impressive for sure!!!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[@154Colin]

The part where you showed the two GPs fighting to make up the grade made me think of the old opening scene (less the visuals) where they said "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat."

[@SeaboardCentral]

It reminded me of the train I was on yesterday which was 15,000 tons. It was all I could do to get it to pull up the grade as well. :)

[@154Colin]

@@SeaboardCentral 😱😱15K tons? Bet you had at least 3 head units and a mid-train DPU?

[@SeaboardCentral]

@@154Colintwo AC units up front and one on the rear. I just needed to move it a few miles from where it was tied down at back to our yard.

[@David-yo5re]

Hey Tim, Everything looks amazing. The weathering, the graffiti is so realistic. You definitely have a Van Halen fan doing some of the tags. And those locomotives are beautifully done. Your layout is gonna be epic. I can't wait to see what comes next.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yeah that’s right. Huge Def Leppard and Van Halen fan here.

[@David-yo5re]

​@@SeaboardCentralsame here. My new favorite band is Nightwish they're a Finish Symphonic Metal Band. They have had 3 singers, all female. The latest is Floor Jansen. She's amazing.

[@thecnwmondovilinepaulscota7304]

Another fine update video! Really like the weathering!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@JohnB9474]

That's one good way to clean the wheels! 😆 I was rooting for 281 and 286 all the way.

[@SeaboardCentral]

They were definitely spinning.

[@ShawnCalay]

Just got a Athearn RTR SD40R this morning...cant wait too strip it, redetail and repaint....i got the athearn U-C sideframes a few months ago for this project ...the railway i model has 2, with GE trucks....

[@SeaboardCentral]

That’s interesting. I’ve never seen one with GE trucks. Very unique.

[@williamdavid9333]

Great video, thanks for sharing this with us!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks for watching!

[@1621billw]

Nice job of weathering. Thank you for sharing the update. BTW the helix looks great.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@KraigSickels]

Excellent work on the freight car weathering 👍👍 !! The track side scenery helix looks great 😊 ….. my brother and I just finished building the same type of helix form Joe !! We are going to wire the track and test it this month !!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Yes, it is a much easier way of building a helix.

[@Fred-x4w]

Tim, great to see the helix is progressing, really enjoy your proto typical operation. Look forward to your videos each week. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and explaining all the details as in your past videos.

[@craigcorson1235]

Thank you for showing the continuing improvements on the SC. I really like the "dull" faded paint on 281 and 286. They look like they have spent a lot of time working out in the weather. I am intrigued by the amount of rust on the Washington Northern box car door. I'd almost be afraid to try to open it for fear something would break. If the engines had stalled on the 1.8% grade, could a helper engine push from the rear without derailing cars on this type of layout?

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! My goal for the units was creating a sunbaked fade that shows time. There’s definitely a lot of rust on that door. I would imagine it would be getting replaced with a new door like what was on the SC car very soon. Answer to your question about stalling is yes, the yard job could push from the rear. You are in luck. The end of this month I’ll be doing a video on distributed power operations where I’ll show how it works. Stay tuned!

[@montananorthern]

Fantastic video. You have come such a long way.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Thomas! I appreciate it.

[@CentralVirginiaRailProductions]

Great video! I have always loved your layout, whether it is watching it here or reading it in MR magazines, it is always great! Question: Why does SC 287 and SC 286 have a side mounted E-bell, but the sound file doesn’t have the e bell sound?

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Yes, I need to find the correct bell for that unit. I need to see if the sound file it has gives an option for an e-bell.

[@205004gs]

Awesome update, and spectacular Model Railroader Magazine article! 👏👍

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks Gene! Glad you liked it.

[@gp3829]

Hi, I'm in the UK - which edition of MR was Tim's article published in. I will try to get a copy.

[@205004gs]

@@gp3829 August

[@205004gs]

@@gp3829 August

[@SeaboardCentral]

@@gp3829the August 2024 issue of

[@AMPProductionsVideo]

Great Update!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks!

[@timstonecipher2453]

"Pullin' the Helix"!... That was Great Tim! What's the radius on that inside helix track? That's an unusual consist too... nice! Weathering nice too.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Inside radius is 30” outside is 33”.

[@raykiefer5137]

Really liked the power on the head end up the helix. Big helix! How big is your room? BTW I asked a fellow club member who had worked for B&O and CSX in their trackwork and quality departments about alpha/numeric designations for industries. His response was that he never worked on the trains so he didn't know. I still have another friend from a different club to ask. Stay tuned!

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! Phase 1 of the layout I am currently working on is 19’x12’ although I’m not using all of it for the layout.

[@jaydigshistory36]

Is your Helix made out of Foam Core? That is so cool if it is! Also very wild seeing the locos and the train in the helix together.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! This is a helix kit offered by TracksideScenery.com and it is made of Gatorboard.

[@greatnorthernrailwaytother4711]

Love the weathering Tim. Is your helix built from laminated foam board? Cheers Peter from downunder.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! It is a kit offered by TracksideScenery.com made of Gatorboard.

[@gp3829]

Hi Tim, thank you for the update. I wouldn't want to cook my Loco Motors that way, but it was interesting to watch. When your layout is further expanded, will the Locos be able to take a run at the Grade? I have a 0-12 voltmeter and a 0-3 ammeter wired into my Control Panel. I find it useful to be able to keep check on my (mostly Bluebox) DC Roster, which are upgraded to Jim Fuhrman's "Five-Wire System".

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks! No, typically I won’t be pushing them that hard. Just wanted to see if they could handle it. These two will end up being consisted to a GP40-2LW and will normally pull between 18-22 cars up the hill. I’ll go into more detail about how I’ll factor tonnage ratings in an upcoming video.

[@gp3829]

@@SeaboardCentral Thanks for your reply. I look forward to it, since I recall your Proto/Model Loco equivalents vid. Also thanks for the MR August Issue info. It will be at least a month before it is at my local Newsagent.

[@154Colin]

It's either a acute optical illusion, but it appears that at TS 14:16 there appears to be a sever dip it the grade.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Yes, it is not a perfect continuous grade but I’m okay with it because neither are prototype grades. As a matter of fact, when you’re running the real thing, a dip in the grade is a welcome sight when you’re giving it all you got to keep it moving.

[@154Colin]

@@SeaboardCentral Adds to operations. Gives you a reason to call it a "helper district."

[@pm8302]

No need for helpers or DP if that’s going to be timetable max. Remember Seaboard Central has bigger power if need be.

[@radionut4422]

Were the spacers I saw on the helix added at the top to reduce the % grade from the original design of the kit?

[@SeaboardCentral]

No, the kit needs the spacers. It is a pretty simple kit.

[@rogerthomas9017]

Assume that the outside helix track will feed the connection to Ragland. That will be a big event. Do you have a way to measure the drawbar pull in ounces? Micro-Mark sold one, but no longer available. Some of my newest 6-axle units pull over 4 oz.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Actually there will be a turnout at the top of the helix where it will go back to a single mainline. The track to Ragland will be accessed by one leg of a wye like the prototype. I have an upcoming video on tractive effort. Stay tuned!

[@PaulFotschky]

What is the grade of the track on the outside track of the helix?

[@SeaboardCentral]

1.8%

[@ChessieSystems1973]

What did you kitbash to make ADM?

[@SeaboardCentral]

A number of the Walthers Flour Mill kits.

[@What_If_We_Tried]

What is the curve radius of your helix?

[@SeaboardCentral]

The inside radius is 30” and the outside radius is 33”.

[@What_If_We_Tried]

@@SeaboardCentral Thank-you.

[@joshwalton133]

I hope the next update and still take his time that it will complete the Helix and connecting all the way up there so we can start in the next update I bring a free cars turn the next level and where it connects to the cement plant

[@SeaboardCentral]

My goal is to have the Benchwork completed and trackwork connected to the upper level by the October update. I know this is longer than everyone would like but I have a full time job with the railroad that keeps me very busy. I hope folks can understand. Thank you for your patience while I continue the work on the layout. My next big project is actually building the wall for the backdrop and what will hold the actual benchwork. Stay tuned!

[@joshwalton133]

@@SeaboardCentral I am very sorry guess I'm hoping just whenever you get close to it the finish the Opera I understand trust me I do

[@bittyboy721]

Gotta dust that spider web off of 281! The mechanical union doesn't have cleaning in the contract I guess.

[@SeaboardCentral]

Yes I didn’t notice it until after I published it. Guess the shop building has a new resident. 😂

[@n644620x]

VAN HALEN graffiti! 🤘🏼

[@SeaboardCentral]

Right on!

[@Monroeking-g8q]

❤

[@SeaboardCentral]

Thanks