Hello all, this is my first post on the forums and hope you all can help me with a few questions. I am returning to the hobby after being away from it for a great many years. I am interested in doing a layout that deals with the Seaboard Air Line and Seaboard Coast Line. My grandfather worked for Seaboard for 54 years starting in 1917. I have fond memories of this railroad and Living in Hamlet NC just makes you a part of its history. What i need to know is the diffrent engines and rolling stock that was used during the period of 1951 to 1971. I plan on having the “Silver Meteor” as part of my layout as well as having the Hamlet Passanger station and the switching yard. If you have any idea where i can find this info or you have some of the info please feel free to let me know. I will be checking at the local library and hope to go to the rail road museam here in town as well. Any info would be great. Thanks again.
I am not in particular a Seaboard Air Line fan but I had a chance to acquire this book at a very reasonable price and it is filled with great color photos that you would find useful.
Morning Sun Books, Seaboard Air Line Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment by Paul Faulk .
Once I read the book I realized it did pertain to my layout – the SAL had some special boxcars in captive service to Wisconsin to ship air conditioners down south and those cars likely would have gone through my modeled home town - so suddenly I needed to buy some SAL boxcars!
There are also some SAL color shots in Morning Sun’s book Trackside Around Atlanta. There might be more. Morning Sun’s website organizes their books by region so check out the south entries here:
http://www.morningsunbooks.com/southcat.html
The Seaboard Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line fans have created an Historical Society. For anyone with your kind of deep interest in a particular railroad, joining the historical society and acquiring back issues of magazines is vital. Website: http://www.aclsal.org/
Just as an example their website mentions a new publication that sounds right up your alley:
Another new release is Railroads of North Carolina, by Alan Coleman. This photo history covers all the state’s major lines, including of course ACL and Seaboard. The 128-page softcover book is one of the popular Arcadia “Images” series. It is full of vintage photos and also inc
Just doing a web search on “Seaboard Coast Line” will bring up many links. You’ll probably be interested in joining the ACL/SCL RRs Historical Society too. They can probably guide you to reference / historical books that will have much of the info you need.
However, as with any model railroad project, there isn’t one “guidebook” that will answer all your questions. Many folks continue to learn new things about favorite railroads, even after several decades of research!!
If you model in HO, you’ll have to get one of those Broadway Limited, SAL Centepedes! I would be partial to the later scheme rather than the current one they offer (if they come out with the later scheme later.) Fortunately for you the SAL had quite an ecelectic roster of first generation diesels including EMD E and F units and just about all are available in HO though a few might have to be painted and decaled. Unlike some other roads, the SAL lashed up the centepedes with other locos in the same consist. Genesis F units can be had for good prices on ebay as SAL and ACL are not as popular roads. If you model steam, your choice is rather limited and you might have to some kitbashing or scratchbuilding. I don’t think brass steam was very common for the SAL and ACL. The ACL did acquire some second hand NYC H-5 mikados though. Hopefully, someone will do those some day otther than the brass from long ago that was not good quality.
There is a definate satisfaction in modeling something you are familiar with but not as common like PRR and NYC. I know because I model the Wabash.
Great Info Dave, Thanks Jim
Thanks Stix i’ll be looking at the site.
Thanks for the information my friend, i didn’t relize that the roster was so varied lol. thx for replying.