Is any one here interested in southern railway history? I’m looking to get started on a southern railway model…
this model railroad will be a two story contiuous loop lay out that will cover an area of about 25X 20 feet… I might be able to extend in the future… i’m not smart enought to use track cad… But i’ve been drawing layouts… This Model will include four cities and yards at each city! it will include SPENCER, WINSTON SALEM, ASHVILLE, and GREENSBORO, The lay out will be of western North Carolina and There will all ways be work done on it, even when it’s “COMPLETE”,…
I will be modeling the 40’s through the 50’s, maybe 60’s, not sure yet! I’m Looking for the layout to be E shaped but this is subject to change aswell! The towns will be on the wings of the layout along with the industries! The middle peninsula (sp?) will be senic… on both levels… There will also be a third staging level at the bottom of one of the wings… and over ashville a grade will be added that takes you around a bend and outta sight (maybe up into the roof of the room)… The engine will go through a loop where it will wait for a while and then bring the same load back down,… So the lay out will have two main levels… and then two other levels… I’m just sharing my Ideas with every one! Has any thing like this ever been done?
Also is there any one in the Piedmont area of NC who want’s in on this deal? i think it will be a very cool prototypical layout when finished! at least thats what i’m shooting for!
ANY COMMENTS?
Good or bad i’ll Tak’em… it helps me think about stuff…
Hope you do well. I model mostly SCL and New Haven, but am also a fan of the Southern for several reasons.
Southern continued to run passenger trains, even after Amtrak took over in 1971. The Crescent was indeed a beautiful train. There are plenty of photos showing her being hauled by 3 or 4 E units. Graham Claytor, Southern’s president for a number of years was a pretty colorful executive and strong supporter of passenger trains.
Southern sure like High Nosed EMD and GE diesels, which I also like. A number of Southern’s old U-Boats survive today on the Georgia Central Railroad. I saw a batch of them hauling a long freight train in Vidalia GA, back in 2004
They had several classy looking (IMHO) paint schemes, with my favorite being the black and white penguin “Tuxedo” scheme. (Though the E units were painted in the geen and white for passenger service.)
A least two Southern E units and two FP7s survive today painted in the Green and White schemes.
One of my favorite railroad freight car slogan’s was their 50ft Plug Door Boxcars:
Southern Gives A Green Light To Innovations.
As a teen in the 1970s, I saw these cars “Everywhere”, now that scheme is gone.
You’re modeling a very classy railroad. Keep us posted with your progress!
If you’re going to be modeling Southern in the steam era, Richard Prince’s book “Southern Railway Steam Locomotives and Boats” is a must-read.
There are a lot of models out there that you’ll be able to use. The soon-to-be released USRA light 2-10-2 was used on the Southern (Ss-1 class), as was the USRA 0-8-0. Precision Scale is importing a 2-8-8-2, OMI has made a Ks class 2-8-0, and just about everyone has imported a Ps-4 Pacific at some point. All of these loco types got a lot of use on Saluda Grade, as did the Ts-1 mountains - I think Bachmann made a USRA light 4-8-2, but I can’t say off the top of my head.
But I strongly agree with Antonio - the Southern was a great railroad. I road a lot of SRR steam excursions out of Alexandria, VA as a kid, and even met Graham Claytor once on the platform at Charlottesville - how many CEOs would take the time to talk to a nine year-old?
And I’m JUST old enough to have seen those green, gold and cream E units on the point of a passenger train at Fairfax station…
There are several internet sites dedicated to modelling the SRR. One of the best is as follows http://www.sourwy.railfan.net/. I am also a SRR modeller but I live in Orlando, Fl. There is also a YAHOO group dedicated to modelling the SRR. Good luck on your adventure.
LOL… Yeah im digging so hard that I actually found those both a couple of days ago… I’m really looking forward to this!.. Part of it sould get rolling soon!!!
Thanks guys…
I don’t meen to be a hassel to ya… but can you direct me to some links of the loco manufacturers you speak of… OMI? im not positive i know that one… I might… prisission scale… im unfamiliar with too… Reason being is I have just recently decided to do Steam… I have always loved it but… I was looking to save a bit of money… but now I figure what the hey… i mean look at how big the layout is gonna be… lol… I’m familiar with Bachman… and BLI… and gennisis… USRA? i need some insight there too… Can you help…
I model it in 1957 with those lovely green diesels. Gotta love those F units and RS3’s, the Southern had lots of them. In '57, the “Green light” scheme was still in the future, they used the round SR herald, which, IMO, is just as beautiful, if not more so, than the “Green light” scheme. I model North Georgia, so C of G and L&N units do sometimes show up as “lease” units.
I’m actually thinking about doing only steam… I’m Still brain stormin… I might do past and preasent as the areas im’modeling haven’t changed much… I can acheive this for club meets… by switching some land marks out!! We’ll See!!! Thats a long ways off though!!!
Saluda is the grade between Melrose and Saluda NC, just north of Tryon. Located between Spartanburg, SC & Ashville, NC on the old A&S line. This is the steepest mainline grade in North America. The grade itself is 3.5 miles long but it rises at an average of 4.9%. There are places on the grade that are as steep as 5.1% and as flat as 4.3%. The grade line is currently closed and in railbank, meaning its still there but the track has been cut at Landrum SC, and just south of Hendersonville NC. To give you an example of how steep it is, the N&W’s 611, made a run at the grade in 1994 with 5 passenger cars. It stalled just below the crest. It tried it the next year with only 4 cars and made it.
While it was open I used to take trips there and spend a day or two chasing trains over the mountain. I can only imagine what it was like in steam days, but it had to be something!. The last time I was there and it was still active, trains with 3 SD-50’s on the point would pull into the siding at the bottom of the grade at Melrose, uncouple the first 20 cars, and take them up the hill. Even though the throttles were wide open, you could walk faster than the train was going up the hill. It would park the train at the siding at the top of the hill, and go back down to get another part. Depending on the train length, it could make as many as four trips up and down the mountain. Most RRer’s there called it the “Saluda Shuffle”. I still have some great vid I took of this operation in 1997. I think I remember the grade being shut down in 2001. Rumors persist that NS management, due to traffic limits on other lines, will have to reopen the grade soon. But we’ve heard these rumors for at least the past two years and nothing has occurred.
I also model Southern Railways As a kid at my Grandpa And Grandma In Pine Knot Kentucky They lived less than 40 yards from a double track used to love watching those high nose black Diesels pulling long loads of coal and automobiles. My Grandfather worked in the coal mines in Kentucky And three of his brothers worked for Southern Railroad. Rembering standing out back with my Grandfather and watching those trains what great memories i will always cherish.
I believe I have Heard something about saluda before now that you mention it… Saluda Shuffle sounds familiar… But wow what wonderful insight Carey, Good stories to guys… Thats why I like this line it seems that every one i meet has a story about it!!!
This sounds like an ambitious project but the Southern makes an excellent subject. I’m in Hickory, NC, and 99% of my locomotives and rolling stock are Southern or Norfolk Southern. I have a small layout so I am unable to model any real locations but I can run those trains!
Two places worth seeing if you haven’t already are the North Carolina Transportation Museum in Spencer and the Piedmont and Western Model Railroad Club in Valdese, NC. The Museum has tons of old Southern equipment sitting around and a wealth of Southern books in the Gift Shop. Also, across from the museum is a great hobby shop- The Little Choo Choo Shop.
The Club has an excellent layout of mainline Western NC in HO and they also have a bit of railroad memorabilia.
Both have websites, just Google them (I don’t have them bookmarked at work).
Good Luck!
Glad to hear from some folks modeling that wonderful Southern! I’ve on my second Sou8thern-related pike, this one modeling the Southern in the WNC mountains in the 1950-1960 era. My first one was 12 x 16, but this one is somewhat smaller, perhaps due to my advancing age. All of my locos (20) carrying Southern colors as does most of my freight and pasenger rolling stock.
My biggest problem is finding any fellow model rails in the Greenville, SC area. There’s only one hobby shop worthy of the name and the nearest club is too far away in the Clemson-Seneca area.
I’d like to organize an operating group called “The Southern Six”, to help with building, scenicing and operating a DCC-equipped pike. The number six comes from the fact that that’s the maximum number we can cram into the layout room!
The Southern Railway Historical Society is an excellent source of modeling info. They are carrying on the traditional Southern magazine, “Ties”. There is also a similar group called The Southern Railway Historical Association.
I’d love to hear from anybody in the Upstate South Carolina area who’d like to vkisit or join forces. I can provide navigational aid for visitors.
The Southern was a truly uhnique railroad and IMO, there’ll never be anything quite like it!
and SPENCER IS MY FAVORITE SPOT ON THE PLANET… MY MAIN YARD WILL BE SPEMCER… Oh i love that place and the Little Choo Choo shop… I cant wait to model spencer in HO it’s going to be huge… It won’t be exact but You’ll see the simularity! I’m building this lay out in mostly 2X4, and 3X4, If I were to put my spencer yard on one sheet… and one module it would probably amount to about 6’X15’, possibly larger… I wan’t spencer to be almost completely acurate. I will fudge the others… Ashville should be pretty close to acurate as well… It will be fun!!!
LOL… money? whats that… oh yeah thats what i need to buy all of this syuff… well Spencer yard is what im going to build first!.. the rest of the modules will kinda take off outta the ends of the yard… THIS IS DEFINATLY LONG TERM LOL… “I’ll PROBABLY BE DONE WITH IT THE DAY BEFORE I DIE”… LOL… OK I’m gonna send the collection plate around lol… Just kidding…