Sunset SD40-2's

Rich Battista posted:

I just ordered a couple 2-rail Chessie SD40-2 from Sunset.  These are my very first true 2-rail engines.  I hope they get enough orders.  I've got time though, I'm planning to tear down the Black Diamond Railway and rebuild a new 2-rail layout with one 3-rail upper level.   I'm working on the layout design now.  

Rich,

Are you demolishing the Black Diamond or are you going to sell it? If you are demolishing will you use most of the buildings, etc. on the new project? When do you think you will begin the project? The Black Diamond is such an inspiration to us 3-railers. 

I'm sure your new project will be just as inspirational and am glad you plan to document everything.

Dave

SPSF posted:

Daniel Raible posted:

Out of curiosity, do you know if the Sunset offering would be an accurate representation of the W&LE prototype?

 

I see those units periodically in Medina.  If I were to place a reservation it would likely be for one of those.

Since all 51 W&LE SD40-2 units are hand me downs from various Class I Railroads, it's not really feasible to make an "accurate" version as there would be 51 variances.

W&LE Roster

Not all units are unique. It would be easy to make some with ratcheting nose brakes and others with a brake wheel. That's about the biggest difference aside from fuel tanks (3,200 vs 4,000). The ditch lights and horns are all the same.

A W&LE SD40-2 would be no more difficult to make than any other railroad's version.

Rich Battista posted:

I just ordered a couple 2-rail Chessie SD40-2 from Sunset.  These are my very first true 2-rail engines.  I hope they get enough orders.  I've got time though, I'm planning to tear down the Black Diamond Railway and rebuild a new 2-rail layout with one 3-rail upper level.   I'm working on the layout design now.  

This may be "the shot heard around the world"!!

Whatever is done, I'll be watching too. This is another one of the people that just have the talent way above the average person here. ( I think a certain mag should cover this build.)

So.... What size curves? 

SPSF posted:

Daniel Raible posted:

Out of curiosity, do you know if the Sunset offering would be an accurate representation of the W&LE prototype?

 

I see those units periodically in Medina.  If I were to place a reservation it would likely be for one of those.

Since all 51 W&LE SD40-2 units are hand me downs from various Class I Railroads, it's not really feasible to make an "accurate" version as there would be 51 variances.

W&LE Roster

Look at it this way: If there are 51 prototype variations out there, there's a better than average chance what is produced will match one of them. 

Simon

Simon Winter posted:

SPSF posted:

Daniel Raible posted:

Out of curiosity, do you know if the Sunset offering would be an accurate representation of the W&LE prototype?

 

I see those units periodically in Medina.  If I were to place a reservation it would likely be for one of those.

Since all 51 W&LE SD40-2 units are hand me downs from various Class I Railroads, it's not really feasible to make an "accurate" version as there would be 51 variances.

W&LE Roster

Look at it this way: If there are 51 prototype variations out there, there's a better than average chance what is produced will match one of them. 

Simon

Very good point, and thank you SPSF for the awesome roster link!  Great place to get educated.

Rich Battista posted:

Mike DeBerg posted:

Rich, Are you going to make any videos of the construction like you did for the black diamond?  

Mike,

   Yes!  That's part of the fun.  I'm excited because it has been a long time since I got to work on and build a layout.  I will definitely video as I go and try to document the whole thing from the beginning unlike my last video series where I got the idea to make the videos after the platform was done.   I'll probably even have a time lapse of the whole thing from tear down to rebuild.  This will be years in the making though.  

Rich

Fantastic Rich!  Looking forward to it! 

luvindemtrains posted:

Rich Battista posted:

I just ordered a couple 2-rail Chessie SD40-2 from Sunset.  These are my very first true 2-rail engines.  I hope they get enough orders.  I've got time though, I'm planning to tear down the Black Diamond Railway and rebuild a new 2-rail layout with one 3-rail upper level.   I'm working on the layout design now.  

Rich,

Are you demolishing the Black Diamond or are you going to sell it? If you are demolishing will you use most of the buildings, etc. on the new project? When do you think you will begin the project? The Black Diamond is such an inspiration to us 3-railers. 

I'm sure your new project will be just as inspirational and am glad you plan to document everything.

Dave

Dave, I would echo that comment, but would just add you don't have to be a 3-Rail guy to really appreciate the accomplishments that Rich and crew put into that railroad! 

Daniel Raible posted:

Very good point, and thank you SPSF for the awesome roster link!  Great place to get educated.

Check out this youtube channel. There are lots of excellent videos of the Wheeling & Lake Erie in action.

I would be completely OK if Scott offered a 2-rail DC model provided the cost was lower. Maybe by offering a 3-rail TMCC version and a 2-rail DC interest will pick up. I would just add my own decoder (LokSound) and speakers. I suspect most 2-railers would be OK with that.

luvindemtrains posted:

Rich Battista posted:

I just ordered a couple 2-rail Chessie SD40-2 from Sunset.  These are my very first true 2-rail engines.  I hope they get enough orders.  I've got time though, I'm planning to tear down the Black Diamond Railway and rebuild a new 2-rail layout with one 3-rail upper level.   I'm working on the layout design now.  

Rich,

Are you demolishing the Black Diamond or are you going to sell it? If you are demolishing will you use most of the buildings, etc. on the new project? When do you think you will begin the project? The Black Diamond is such an inspiration to us 3-railers. 

I'm sure your new project will be just as inspirational and am glad you plan to document everything.

Dave

Dave,

  I honestly don't know what I'm going to do with my layout yet.  Its likely I will just disassemble it and use what I can then sell the rest.  If anyone is interested, I may remove the urban section (elevated subway) and make a smaller layout from that and sell it.  The problem is I would like to use most of those building in the new layout since some of them are very nice and hard to find.  It really depends on the new layout design.  I plan on designing the layout completely on the computer before I start any construction so I will know what I'm will keep and and sell.  Here is a sneek peek of the layout.  I'm thinking I'll put a large road and buildings in the front left area so it will take a while to work out.  I'm guessing I will not be done for months.  This screen shot is from SCARM.  The cool thing is that I can run simulated trains on it.  I can operate the layout and see what I like and don't like long before I start construction.   Notice I'm going to remove the wall and doorway so I can double my view of the layout.

I can even see what the CP Rail SD40-2 looks like on this new layout!

Rich

So.... What size curves? 

Joe, thanks.

   The curves will be min 54" radius.   I'm guessing these Sunset SD40-2 will require min 54" radius.  With that I can barely get three loops turned around on the narrow end of my layout.  Like the first layout though, I will try to hide those "smaller" curves and have much larger curves in the visible areas.  The SD40-2 in the pics are coming out of 90" radius curves. 

Rich

So the next question for Rich is DCC or DCS?

Would you prefer models that are DCC ready?

I bought a couple of MTH older EMD models (SD45 and SDxx?) to convert to 2 rail when there wasn't many RTR available. Of course right after I bought them, a bunch of RTR 2 rail versions were available. I really wish the MTH sound sets had more turbo sounds in them when appropriate.

Rich,

Thanks for the simulation. I like the idea of you keeping the upper level for your 3-rail equipment. That bridge scene is to die for. I have just the opposite set up. Since I started my 3-rail before I knew 2-rail existed I have mostly that with an added small section of 2-rail. 

I'm glad to hear you will try to keep as much of the equipment on your new project as possible. I watched your DVD's and how you modified those buildings, etc. and there's no doubt they will look great on any layout. They're very impressive. 

Will you still have your "helpers" or have they grown out of helping dad with trains? You might need to start another thread, lol.

Dave

I have admired Rich's work for years.  Except for the track, his layout was among the most realistic.  I often wondered how he overlooked the track - now I know he didn't.  

I even saved a photo of his PRR Decapod, because from the side view it truly looked realistic.

Rich,

Hopefully you keep this scene on your layout.

This picture made me start looking into 2 Rail.  Sorry, I cropped it up.

We need a new topic for this announcement.

I would order a pair of Chessie engines for a 2021 delivery date. I need them to come in after the EA/EB engines.