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Weekend Photo Fun 9-6-13-??

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RW Rick WrightOGR Forum Member

Southern's Detroit-Atlanta auto parts train, the "Sparkplug" was a mainstay of my photo efforts growing up in Cincinnati.  First with Dad driving, and later when I got my license, we photographed the "Sparkplug" over several years crossing the Ohio River at Ludlow, Kentucky, followed the train up Erlanger Hill to Crescent Springs, and then raced to Walton to shoot it flying over the Louisville & Nashville's Cincy-Louisville main line.

 
I have recreated this train on CONUS Lines, complete with the Locotrol unit which allowed unmanned helpers to operate deep in the train, a significant technological advance of the time, precursor to today's Distributed Power Units (DPUs).  The Locotrol unit was built from a resin kit produced by Dave Friedlander.  It was fun to build, paint, and decal, but resin remains a challenge for me to work with.
 
Images were taken at Mid-Grade on CONUS Lines.  The "Sparkplug" is powered by a pair of MTH SD35s up front, and a SD45 operating via remote control deep in the consist.  All units are powered.  The auto frames car is a combination of an MTH 60 ft flatcar, modified Lionel auto frames, and scratchbuilt framing and bracing.  I built this car from an Emery Gulash photo of an auto parts train in Detroit in '65.
 

In an era of dismal financial profits in Eastern railroads followed by the debacle of Penn Central, Southern, and its "Sparkplug" were bright spots on the railroad scene, and gave meaning to Southern's slogan of the time: "Look Ahead, Look South."

Sparkplug, wb, Mid-GradePS

Auto frames on PRR 60 ft flat, wb, Mid-Grade

Locotrol Unit #905909, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade

Locotrol Unit, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade

Sparkplug, wb, mid-train SD45, Mid-Grade

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  • Sparkplug, wb, Mid-GradePS
  • Auto frames on PRR 60 ft flat, wb, Mid-Grade
  • Locotrol Unit #905909, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade
  • Locotrol Unit, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade
  • Sparkplug, wb, mid-train SD45, Mid-Grade
A AMCDaveOGR Forum Member
Originally Posted by Rick Wright:

Sparkplug, wb, Mid-GradePS

 

 

Locotrol Unit, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade

Sparkplug, wb, mid-train SD45, Mid-Grade

Great job capturing the 'Southern' look and feel of the era. I lived in Charlotte NC and often went to Newell to watch SRR trains on the ATL DC mainline.  I still to this day think the SRR Tuxedo scheme and high noses is a classic look that we've lost. Nice work!

One Q? Shouldn't the lead unit be running long hood forward?? I know most units were marked long hood 'F'.

RW Rick WrightOGR Forum Member

AMC Dave, thkx!  Re the SD35, I have pictures of both the short- and long-hoods leading on the trains of this era, climbing up out of the Ohio River valley.  Since MTH put the crew facing forward over the short hood, when the 35s lead, so does the short-hood.  When I reconfigure my train with SD45s on point, the long-hood leads, because that's the way MTH set up the crew.

 

And I agree with you re high hoods.  I love them, and think they work particularly well in SR's "tuxedo" scheme.  I've got three SD24s and a GP35 also with the high hood/tuxedo scheme.

 

In the summer of '71 I spent a broiling day, in Navy whites, photographing the action at Salisbury, North Carolina.  If I wasn't a Southern fan before, those eight hours in Salisbury would have made me one.  Multiple trains all roaring through with both long-and short-hoods forward, Locotrols on all but two freights, locals, FPs on the "Asheville Special" and E8s on the "Piedmont."  What a day...what a railroad!

FM Former Member
Originally Posted by Rick Wright:

Southern's Detroit-Atlanta auto parts train, the "Sparkplug" was a mainstay of my photo efforts growing up in Cincinnati.  First with Dad driving, and later when I got my license, we photographed the "Sparkplug" over several years crossing the Ohio River at Ludlow, Kentucky, followed the train up Erlanger Hill to Crescent Springs, and then raced to Walton to shoot it flying over the Louisville & Nashville's Cincy-Louisville main line.

 
I have recreated this train on CONUS Lines, complete with the Locotrol unit which allowed unmanned helpers to operate deep in the train, a significant technological advance of the time, precursor to today's Distributed Power Units (DPUs).  The Locotrol unit was built from a resin kit produced by Dave Friedlander.  It was fun to build, paint, and decal, but resin remains a challenge for me to work with.
 
Images were taken at Mid-Grade on CONUS Lines.  The "Sparkplug" is powered by a pair of MTH SD35s up front, and a SD45 operating via remote control deep in the consist.  All units are powered.  The auto frames car is a combination of an MTH 60 ft flatcar, modified Lionel auto frames, and scratchbuilt framing and bracing.  I built this car from an Emery Gulash photo of an auto parts train in Detroit in '65.
 

In an era of dismal financial profits in Eastern railroads followed by the debacle of Penn Central, Southern, and its "Sparkplug" were bright spots on the railroad scene, and gave meaning to Southern's slogan of the time: "Look Ahead, Look South."

Sparkplug, wb, Mid-GradePS

Auto frames on PRR 60 ft flat, wb, Mid-Grade

Locotrol Unit #905909, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade

Locotrol Unit, wb Sparkplug, Mid-Grade

Sparkplug, wb, mid-train SD45, Mid-Grade

I live in monroe n.c. a town a few miles from charolotte n.c.In monroe seaboard is the railroad now csx.When I was a kid seaboard would run trains with mid train helpers.But seaboard would only do it during the summer.I know some body will say I,m wrong about this.But I am not wrong on this.Anyway southern used to do it to.Now seaboard did for a few years then quit.Southern did a few years more but quit also.I do agree this is southerns best paintsceame.I used to call this hooking two trains together.I would love to see somebody come out with a southern high nose sd40-2.I mean any body mth lionel atlas bachmann.

SIRTSIRTOGR Forum Member
Originally Posted by DaveJfr0:
Originally Posted by SIRT:

COKE....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve, this turned out great.  I really like the job here.  For coke, is that just large size ballast spray-painted a dark gray?

Crushed carbon pellets used for fish tank filtering   

Natural colors, no paint needed.

Check your local PETSMART.

 

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