The "Aligator" nose may not look usual, but that's part of what makes it look so great. I do like, and now thanks to these bums I want one. That means my little 50-60 mile long shortline is going to end up having around 10 diesels if I get all the ones I want, and I do plan on getting all the ones I want. All the planned buildings will fit easily into any time frame from the 1930's style of the downtown era into the 70's, and a few buildings I plan on making detachable so I can replace them with a newer style building. But the list:
RS1/2/3 for running older time frame
C420-430
pair of C630/636 for hauling freight
GE U23B
GP30
possible early F-M H15/16-44 with the round windows
S6
F-M H10 switcher
GE 44-tonner
pair of RSD15 for freight hauling
Mind you with the exception of pairing up the 6 axle loco's for freight hauling these engines would only run one at a time. My shortline tried to stick with Alco but then the owner decided some of his favorite engines were made by other manufactorers. The list also just happens to represent a list the shortline owner's favorite engines. At the very least the only ones I would be able to live with out would the the 44 toner, RSD15, and U23. Not even sure why the U-boat appeals to me so much, but the rest of the remaining list I have a personal connection with. More or less I've got see and touch the one's I must have, with the exception of the S6. I got a cab ride in one .
So, does anyone make an RSD15 in N scale??
Don, it took the last 18 inch turn with out a problem. Tracked well through all the turnouts, don't think I took it through the 4's on the C line yet. But if the AC 6000 can take the passing spur, I am sure the rsd-15 will.
Cuda Ken
I hate Rust
'SD's (Special Duty) were given to EMD's 12 wheeled Diesels . ''RSD''(Road Switcher Diesel) was used by ALCO' for their 12 wheeled unitits.
The "Alligator".was an unofficial nickname given to the chopped nose version, since most early Road Diesels of the period were delivered with high hoods..
CU-KEN:
Your sie-by-side comparison was excellent, but I (for one) would have liked to know how it took your 18" radius curve or #4 switches, ( not all 12 wheeled diesels do well).. Run it sloowly to see if it binds.
ATLAS 'Flextrack' is intentionally wide.to allow nore engine-access on tight curves. (Checking with the NMRA gage will tell you this) - as will Proto 87 Scale width wheels.......
It is a sweet loco for sure. Having now experienced BlueLine locos first hand for the very first time on Cuda's layout I have very mixed feelings about them. On two different occasions we have scrambled the BlueLine sound decoder inadvertently while messing with loconet cables. Obviously we should not have track power on, and in the future will make sure we don't, but still it is only the BL decoders that needed to be reset to factory settings to get them to work again. The sound however is great. Too bad they are such a pain to program and work with.
Simon Modelling CB&Q and Wabash See my slowly evolving layout on my picturetrail site http://www.picturetrail.com/simontrains and our videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/MrCrispybake?feature=mhum
IVRWNo offense, but that Diesel has wayyyy too long a nose. It might be called a duckbilled dieselpuss.
Looks about right to me!http://www.morscher.com/rr/1995/19950910_10.jpg
Thanks! Might pick up a DMIR one this weekend, and for some reason, those long noses look tough to me.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
Your inexperience is showing......the Alligator (SD-15) is a much beloved loco amongst modelers.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
~G4
19 Years old, modeling the Cowlitz, Chehalis, and Cascade Railroad of Western Washington in 1927 in 6X6 feet.
Picked up the RSD 15 about two weeks ago.
When I first got it felt way lighter than my other Blue Line GE AC 6000 and it only had one speaker where the 6000's have two.Could it pull and how would it sound compared to the 6000's?
One thing I do not like is the hand rails, look cheap and one in the front was off new in the box. Paint looks great and pretty good detail, but I am half blind anyway!
Installed a Digitrax Z scale decoder and it was tight. At first I could not get the shell back on, I had the decoder across the weight and speaker toward the rear of the engine which is the way the decoder want to fit. After I bent the decoder wires forward shell went on nicely.
Far as sound, it is as good as if not better than the GE AC 6000's I have. I cannot say the sounds are right for a RSD but the quality of the sound great. Simon 1966 was over today and he remarked how good the sound is. Start up sounds are way cool and has a playable horn. You can all so adjust the sound level with F 8.
Starting voltage seems low, at only 25 % throttle it will pull 22 50 foot cars at a good clip. Great slow speed on my Digitrax TH 400 and Super Empire Builder it starts to move on speed step 3 dragging 22 cars.
Down side are the hand rails and the sound decoder seems lets say a little temperamental if you are doing any wiring. Today while Simon 1966 was over we installed 2 UP 5's. Simon was test fitting the telephone cable both the Blue Line RSD 15 and GE AC 6000 sound decoders went nuts. Rear light stuck on, lost sound and motor decoder stopped working as well.
Resetting the sound decoder was not hard. Found the Direct Mode on a Digitrax System will control and program the sound decoder. I did cheat by pulling the motor decoder, there is a way around this but I am new to messing with CV's.
Here is the best part and I hate to post this, got it new from BLI Factory Direct on close out for $98.00 with 3 day shipping. If I had not bought the SEB, few piggy cars and the coming Digitrax PR 3 I would never posted this.
On a Cuda Ken scale I give it a 8. Only engine I have I would give a 10 is my PCM Y-6b, that is a $600.00 engine so a 8 for $98.00 is a pretty good ratting.