Trains.com

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Scale Trains HO SDL-39, They Finally May Get Me

4422 views
16 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Scale Trains HO SDL-39, They Finally May Get Me
Posted by mlehman on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 5:08 PM

Scale Trains puts out a bunch of really nice stuff. Good thing it's mostly prototypes I have no need for, as finances have been tight recently. However, they may now have me, even without an actual need for an SDL-39, because I'm a big fan of the model, as small a group as it was.

I even already have a SDL-39...

I built this one from a Kaslo Shops kit. It was a bit fiddly, but gets around pretty good once tuned. It would sure look good with a nice, orange Milwaukee Road sister, even though the MILW is a tertiary modeling interest. I've just got a soft spot for the SDL-39.

I sort of missed the announcement about a month ago, so need to get with it if I'm sure I want one. This is very tempting and will come in Museum Grade goodness.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 5:37 PM

It looks like it will be a mind-blowing model.

I had never heard of this locomotive until I read about it on the ScaleTrains website.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • 716 posts
Posted by trwroute on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 5:40 PM

I bit the bullet and ordered a Milwaukee Road SDL39 with sound.  I'm thinking about patching it for my home road, but we'll see.

Absolutely one of my favorite locos.

Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 6:19 PM

trwroute

I bit the bullet and ordered a Milwaukee Road SDL39 with sound.

I did too.  The are so cool I couldn't resist.  May have to resort to rule #1 for my RR.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 6:29 PM

The more modern Wisconsin Central repaint has ditchlights.  I haven't ordered one since I have enough new stuff and a lot to play with now.  And not a huge fan of ESU.  But I'll probably regret it.

 

- Douglas

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 8:22 PM

OHH man! this is tempting, either SOO bandit or the WC.

Mike.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 8:54 PM

SeeYou190
I had never heard of this locomotive until I read about it on the ScaleTrains website.

It was in the weekly MR News and Announcements for Feb. 11. I missed that but my NMRA Magazine arrived today and there it was on the inside front cover. Yowzah! Wasn't expecting that, but I like it.

The MILW is a home town (Terre Haute, IN) road, so that's going to be my excuse. Doubt one ever showed up in Terre Haute, though.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, March 11, 2021 8:12 AM

From what I've read, EMD built them for the MILW. for use on branchlines with lighter track and bridges.

I'l leaning more towards the bandit scheme.  

Mike.

  • Member since
    October 2011
  • 273 posts
Posted by MARTIN STATION on Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:29 AM

Mike L. wrote; The MILW is a home town (Terre Haute, IN) road, so that's going to be my excuse. Doubt one ever showed up in Terre Haute, though.

My favorite part of the MILW/SOO, Terre Haute to Louisville. Through some of the best parts of Southern Indiana.

Ralph

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Thursday, March 11, 2021 10:28 AM

MARTIN STATION

Mike L. wrote; The MILW is a home town (Terre Haute, IN) road, so that's going to be my excuse. Doubt one ever showed up in Terre Haute, though.

My favorite part of the MILW/SOO, Terre Haute to Louisville. Through some of the best parts of Southern Indiana.

Ralph

 

Agreed.  I spent 25 years of my career driving through southern Indiana for business reasons.  Know most rail lines and the history of the towns. I loved the mix of flats and hills, farm fields and woods.  Great setting for a layout.   

IIRC, The MILW meandered south from TH turning east to Bedford, IN, and terminated in a little town called Westport in eastern IN (for no apparent reason).  If/when MILW trains went to Lou-uh-vull, it did so via trackage rights from the MONON at Bedford or PRR at Seymour.  

As another has said, I doubt the MILW SDL-39s made down to that obscure branch/division of the MILW.

- Douglas

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: SE. WI.
  • 8,253 posts
Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, March 11, 2021 11:58 AM

Now that I have taken a close look at the bandit scheme, the bandit paint-out looks more like a dark green?  Everyone I've seen, while trackside, it was a faded black.

Mike.

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, March 11, 2021 1:43 PM

The bandit scheme is kina cool looking.  The advertised deadline for pre-orders is March 1 but it appears on the site you can pre-order still.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    December 2008
  • From: Heart of Georgia
  • 5,406 posts
Posted by Doughless on Thursday, March 11, 2021 2:14 PM

mbinsewi

Now that I have taken a close look at the bandit scheme, the bandit paint-out looks more like a dark green?  Everyone I've seen, while trackside, it was a faded black.

Mike.

 

ST undoubtedly used old photos to get the schemes and details, which may have caught the light differently because of finish. I'm sure SOO used a different run or brand of black than what MILW used at the build date.

There are different hues within colors, and one application of black might have an embedded hue that gets revealed in sunlight, or can be seen when placed side by side.

I'm sure there are photos where the blacks might look dissimilar.

Pic here of 582 the patched black actually looks more black than the original black, patch kind of has a bluish hue to me.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4643939

slightly greenish maybe.  583

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4643940

 

 

- Douglas

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Thursday, March 11, 2021 2:54 PM

The info on ST website says the snow shields that came on the first order were removed in the 1970's.  Does anyone know when that was?  I ordered 586 which is from the 2nd order that were delivered in 1972 without snow shields, but curious about the first order.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Saturday, March 13, 2021 9:28 PM

riogrande5761
The info on ST website says the snow shields that came on the first order were removed in the 1970's. Does anyone know when that was?

I consulted Fallen Flags http://rr-fallenflags.org/milw/milw.htm and they were off of 585 by late June 1977. A small sample, but that narrows it some.

I found a pic of 581 in September 1974 and they were gone on it then.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5447671

Then there's a pic of 582 trying to use the turntable without the bridge being aligned. It's ugly, but she still has the snow shields. I couldn't manage to find any reference to the accident. Perhaps someone recalls? The cars visible on the left of the pic mark it as 74 or 75 in my mind. If you take 581 as representative, they were gone relatively quickly.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/167338649@N03/49443327116/

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 10,582 posts
Posted by mlehman on Sunday, March 14, 2021 6:41 AM

mlehman
Then there's a pic of 582 trying to use the turntable without the bridge being aligned. It's ugly, but she still has the snow shields.

Found the metadata in the pic of 582 going pit diving. It was taken in Aug 1976,  so it had its snow shields at least that long.

Mike Lehman

Urbana, IL

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Quebec City, CA
  • 262 posts
Posted by Martin4 on Sunday, March 14, 2021 9:34 AM

The colors in this picture https://donsdepot.donrossgroup.net/dr0600/wcl583.jpg

seem to be an almost exact match.

Subscriber & Member Login

Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more!

Users Online

There are no community member online

Search the Community

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Model Railroader Newsletter See all
Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox!