I received the roof hatch boxcars from Brian at Legacy Station.  The hatches open and the side doors do not open.

Neal Jeter

POsted these elswhere the other day; couldn't find this thread. But, as it is a SOU loco - almost - here thye are again.

Lionel; ex N&W Y-3; now SOU Ls-class 2-8-8-2; correct(-ish) tender from Lionel USRA 2-6-6-2.

Details "Southernized": new smokebox front and rectangular number board (some Ls had these), scratch headlight, pumps moved to fireman's side, scratch-bashed SOU pilot, ex-MTH front/rear trucks to eliminate the N&W spoked wheels.

Steve:

Will you be attending the TCA train show at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds next Saturday?

Neal Jeter

I posted a separate thread about this one, but let's keep this thread going:

A Williams 2-8-2 turned into a "Group I" Ms-4, with details appropriate for this loco on the Washington Division.

                                                   Side doors open on mine...

Neal, it was nice to meet at the show. Hope you did well!

Another friend said his doors did the same thing. It turned out they were stuck due to excessive paint. I posted the finished car here on the Southern thread.

Steve, it was nice meeting you.  I did well at the show selling several personal items and a lot of our HO club's excess inventory.  I didn't try to force the doors open but it's good to know that they will open on the roof hatch cars. 

Newest addition.

@SouthernFan56 posted:

Newest addition.

I received my set today and am very happy with it.  Especially the the boxcar.  I have been looking for a 40 foot southern boxcar with the "Southern gives the green light to innovations" marking and the O filled in with green.  When I ordered the set, I assumed the car would be just like the individual cars with roof hatches but am very thankful it is different.

Nice job Lionel!

Don

@Lionlman posted:

I received the roof hatch boxcars from Brian at Legacy Station.  The hatches open and the side doors do not open.

Neal Jeter

Interesting how Lionel does things. The CofG cars are definitely after Southern control, but have 58 weigh dates, well before Southern control. The Southern cars are dated 81, soon after the ACI labels stopped being used. One car has the label, the other doesn't. Will be interesting when I get my set and look over the date codes for those cars.

Good catch Larry. I generally notice things like that but have been very busy.

GG is marked 58, so ACI would not be there. Southern is 81, Monon is 69. These are customer cars. I have one C.G.  The last CNW -Miller grain car is in route.

From all the real photos I checked, none have any ACI's. Best to remove them.

Removed ACI on my C.G. 6165 using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and re-coated with Krylon clear flat.

Much better. Thanks again for pointing that out.

Photos of the Southern set recently released.

Neal Jeter

Nice set!

Looks like a 3rd version of the Southern roof hatch box car too! This ones the GREEN LIGHT car.

@Lionlman posted:

Photos of the Southern set recently released.

Neal Jeter

I think Lionel got hold of the Southern freight and passenger color guide. The hopper, boxcar and caboose are pictured in the book with those exact numbers. The lettering and data match almost exactly. The book has a photo of gondola 62878, complete with the covers. Only issue I see is the caboose needs solar panels, as all local assigned (yellow bay) cabs had them. Might can scratchbuild those parts.

@SIRT posted:

Removed ACI on my C.G. 6165 using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and re-coated with Krylon clear flat.

Much better. Thanks again for pointing that out.

The CofG was absorbed by the Southern in 1963, same year these roof hatch cars were developed. I think Lionel used a photo of 6161 from the southern.railfan.net site, that appears to have the 9 58 weigh date and an ACI label. The date is covered with phosphate, so could actually be 68, which would be more correct for the label. Not sure how often these cars were reweighed. Since the ACI label was first used in 1967, your car is still correct without one. These cars probably lost the CofG lettering, replacing with Southern (and relegating the CofG to subsidiary status) in the early 70s. Same happened with the locomotives. Either with or without the ACI label, they are nice cars to have.

Southern GP7 and L&N GP30 running on the layout this afternoon

really pretty trains there Lionlman, especially like that SOUTHERN covered gondola!

I recently acquired this handsome Lionel RPO from Mr Jones here on the Forum. Had not seen these 'in person' before - Nice piece!   Thanks again Don.

I received The Train Loft's custom run of Atlas Premier 50' Gunderson High-Cube boxcars in Southern, Norfolk & Western and Norfolk Southern in a 40th Anniversary Merger set.  Jeff did a great job on this exclusive run.  The crisp painting and car details are typical Atlas.  Enjoy my personally taken pictures out of the box.

Nice cars.  Hopefully mine arrive on Monday.

Neal Jeter

Thanks for the posting on anniversary cars. I will be sending Toy Train Loft a request. Cool cars.

I'm going to start by stating that I am not a big fan of fantasy paint schemes, but to each his own.

I have two, but with some fact to back them up.

First off is Winston Salem Terminal Company SW1 #1.

Now even though this engine didn't exist, there is actual fact behind it.  Winston Salem Terminal Company did exist as a legal entity jointly owned by Southern, Norfolk and Western, and Winston Salem Southbound.  The company did have one mile of terminal track that was in their name.  Southern was the majority owner and user so it follows that if there was a locomotive it would have likely been painted as above.  Kudos to Christine Braden for the paint and lettering work.

Next is for all the Southern Steam fans, I will admit that the 4915 never existed,  Southern's highest numbered Ms4 was 4914.

The story of the 4915 is that early on in the days of decisions of future motive power Southern made a study of motive power.  A modernized dual service steam engine vs the diesel (yes Southern routinely used their newer Mikes on express and secondary passenger trains).  A Ms4 was shopped, updated with more modern boiler appliances, a new Delta cast trailing truck with a booster engine, and a 14000 gallon tender to reduce water stops on the road among other things.

Alas the best efforts of the Southern Spencer shop was no match to EMD's FT and Southern was an early convert to diesels.

The story  is an embellished version of what Bill Purdie described when Southern finished the restoration of Kanawha 2716 in the 1980s.  He envisioned what a newer dual service steam engine would have looked like if Southern had pursued steam instead of diesels.  Freight black with the big tender numbers, but passenger striping for class (we all KNOW Southern always had lot's of class).  Check out the following RailPictures.Net Photo: SOU 2716 Southern Railway Steam 2-8-4 at Charlottesville, Virginia by Doug Lilly for a picture of the 2716 in Excursion days as the basis of the paint scheme.

This was kitbashed from a Lionel Heavy Mike with parts from a donor Ps4.  My paintwork with Scalecoat black and K4 supply decals.

Gray Lackey

Fairly recent train show finds. Not bad for $10 a piece.

Recently shipped from Lionel 50' flat car with fire truck.  I received it Friday from Brian at Legacy Station.

Neal Jeter

Southern Railway GP7

Here is a recent purchase from The Train Loft.

I was comparing my recent purchased MTH double door box car with a similar model from Pecos River.

While both box cars are similar, they are very different. Things like color, doors, support frame, logos, logo placement, trucks and couplers.

Net result, I like them both! I think they both have some character. I think that they would look great behind a Ms4 or a F3 AB set of locomotives.

Tom

Hey guy's I know it's been a while since I've posted but I'm glad to see this post is still active. Well I added another thoroughbred to the fleet so now I'm waiting for my Lionel 630 from Legacy Station to come in. Still wish I could get 3rd rail Southern 610. So now I'm left to customize my Weaver 2-8-0 Boston & Maine into Southen 722. I hope to have all the primary steam locomotives used during the Southern Steam Program as part of my collection.

@Southern Railway Sean posted:

Hey guy's I know it's been a while since I've posted but I'm glad to see this post is still active. Well I added another thoroughbred to the fleet so now I'm waiting for my Lionel 630 from Legacy Station to come in. Still wish I could get 3rd rail Southern 610. So now I'm left to customize my Weaver 2-8-0 Boston & Maine into Southen 722. I hope to have all the primary steam locomotives used during the Southern Steam Program as part of my collection.

Hey great find Sean and thanks for sharing!  Now we gotta see a photo of your whole steam fleet!

The only locomotive in my collection that's not displayed is MTH Gs-4 American Freedom Train 4449, Weaver Southern Tennessean 1380, and Weaver B&M 2-8-0 to be repainted into Southern 722.

@Southern Railway Sean posted:

The only locomotive in my collection that's not displayed is MTH Gs-4 American Freedom Train 4449, Weaver Southern Tennessean 1380, and Weaver B&M 2-8-0 to be repainted into Southern 722.

Sean I thought you had the Lionel Hi Nose GP30 #2601.  Also no Train Mater?

Ron

Hey Ron,

No, I don't have the Lionel Trainmaster but I do have the Williams version from 2000.

My Lionel Southern GP-30 was a must-have since I was able to operate that locomotive as a father day's gift. These shoots are just a small part of the rest of my diesel collection.

I didn't realize you had that much stuff Sean! Most of my Southern diesels are Atlas O GP35 or SD35 units. I do have the Lionel GP30 2601 as well, and a Southern 11103 PS-4 (with the green roof). Also have several Atlas O, Lionel and MTH in ACL, SAL and SCL.

Larry,

I have more stored at my parent's house.

Atlas O: Southern GP35 and SD35, A-B set of Passenger F3, another Southern F3 in tuxedo

Williams: FM Trainmaster, GP9 and GP38-2 all painted green

MTH: Southern SD24 in tuxedo and green, A-B-A Passenger F3

MTH/Railking: Southern NW-2 with NW-2 calf, Southern Alco PA A-A, Southern Ps-4, Alco RS3.

Lionel: Southern 0-8-0 #6536

Weaver: Southern RS-11

plus motive power for ACL, Seaboard, CSX, Atlantic & East Carolina, and NS

Fresh off the FedEx Truck I just got my Lionel limited edition Southen 630 from Legacy Station. This version is the same as the earlier release with some extra added details.

Well I don't have too much but I am trying to catch up!!  I found my first Southern road type diesel over last weekend at a train show in Austin Texas.  I have posted a few pictures of her but I thought I might show her here as well.

She is a Lionel U 36B from 1979.  Here she is leaving the station with her first train on my layout.

Here she is working with her sister, a WbB GE 44 ton .

Best wishes and happy Labor Day

Don

Sean you have a great collection! Beautiful!👍🏻

The green is too light on the new Southern Railway Atlantics.

Received this from Brian at Legacy Station this week.  Custom run of MTH Southern Railway bay window caboose.