Thoroughbred Line; Delaware & Hudson

[Deleted]

Okay guys I thought it was time I did a formal introduction for my freelanced railroad as I have had decals designed at Highball and will be looking to finally get it rolling this year, starting with locomotives and rolling stock.  Some of you may have read the re-written rail history that RoyalBlue72 and I published a while back, I thought I would divulge things in a bit more details now I have finally given myself the go-ahead so to speak.

Thoroughbred Lines is my version of the modern NS.  It was an amalgamation of Southern and NW, incorporating D&H by way of it's ownership through NW holding company Dereco.  The story goes that NW/NS remained in control of D&H beyond 1976 and even absorbed parts of the bankrupt Erie Lackwanna wthin NY state, thereby creating a competitor to Conrail in the Northeast.  Unlike the real tale of the D&H, lots more money and resources were invested by the parent company to make the D&H a much more profitable railroad, part of a bigger system with all the advantages that go with it but remaining independant to a point.

As such, I have drawn up a locomotive roster: this was the most important part of freelancing for me, it is where the real benefits come, along with placing the image of a certain roadname in a different part of the country.  I have tried to be realistic and am very much aware that the 1988-1992 period that I model featured many lease units on the D&H so I have not added too many new units, those that I have, have followed NS patterns.  There is only one locomotive model I included that I didn't actually want and that was the GP60.  I did so as it is much easier to model a GP60 than it is a GP59 so I placed a few of both on the roster (including ex-demonstrator units for variety) to allow me to get up and running more quickly.

So here it is, the D&H roster of 1992 per my history (Some notes: SD39-2 though not produced is included because I have one made up in my collection; SDP45's and SD45-2's were re-powered with 16-645F and 16-645E series prime movers):

Model		Road		Heritage		Owner		Quantity		Number Series		HP		Dates		Dates Join
												Rating		Built		Roster
SD39		D&H		IT		Dereco		3		2964-2966		2300		1969		1982/1984
SD39-2		D&H		IT		Dereco		1		2967		2300		1973		1982
SD40-2		D&H		SOU		SOU		10		3244-3254		3000		1975		1991**
SDP45		EL		EL		Dereco		12		3635-3636, 3638-3653		3500*		1969		1969*
SD45-2		EL		EL		Dereco		6		3675-3681		3000*		1972		1972*
U23B/B23-S7		D&H		D&H		D&H		16		3884-3899		2300		1968		1968*/1989-90
GP38-2		NS		IT		NW		4		4160-4163		2000		1977		1981**
GP50		D&H		D&H		SOU		8		4200-4207		3500		1981		1982
GP59		D&H		D&H		Dereco		16		4208-4223		3000		1987-88		1989
SD50		D&H		D&H		SOU		8		6526-6533		3500		1984		1984
GP38-2		D&H		LV		D&H		12		7314-7325		2000		1972		1976*
GP39-2		D&H		D&H		D&H		20		7601-7620		2300		1976		1976*
GP60		D&H		D&H		Dereco		24		7621-7644		3800		1991-92		1991-92
C32-8		D&H		D&H		Dereco		12		8200-8211		3200		1988		1988
RP-A4		D&H		D&H		Dereco		12		9742-9754		0		1960		1976*
RP-A4D		D&H		D&H		Dereco		8		9755-9762		0		1952		1975-76*
U23B converted B23-S7 in 1990-91
GP60 #7621-7623 ex-demonstrator EMD #5-7

Feel free to throw your two cents worth in if there is something that doesn't look right or could look better.

[MitchGDRMCo]

Did Sou or NW ever get SD50s? I know NW had the SD50S but I'd believe the D&H likely would have gotten the much more reliable SD60 (or 3300hp 12-710 SD59?). Other than that it looks good.

[Deleted]

NS had a batch of 20 SD50's owned buy Southern numbered 6506-6525. I picked SD50's because the build dates matched a period when D&H disposed of some power and would have been in need of more. I did debate whether to have SD50's or SD60's, still not 100% sure.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[MitchGDRMCo]

Didn't the SD60 begin production in 1984?

[Deleted]

It did, and NS began buying them in 1984 but I was thinking that D&H would get new loco's after NS if at all.  I'm dabbling with the idea of re-built U33C's as well so I might not even need the SD50's.  Also bare in mind that I have taken the portion of the EL in NY state between Jersey City/NY to Buffalo.

What do you guys think?

[royalblue72]

Good concept my friend.

[ncrail95]

sounds good! doing research before planning a prototype freelance road always helps. also-just my 2 cents-some ex NS/NW/SOU GP35s or GP30s would be cool. You could have some rebuilt in to GP35R/GP30Rs etc, similar to the ones that were sold to Guilford in the late 80s/ early 90s

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2013 23:53:02 GMT -5 ncrail95 said:

sounds good! doing research before planning a prototype freelance road always helps. also-just my 2 cents-some ex NS/NW/SOU GP35s or GP30s would be cool. You could have some rebuilt in to GP35R/GP30Rs etc, similar to the ones that were sold to Guilford in the late 80s/ early 90s

I had considered this but NS went on a major purge of fuel hungry units so the 30/35/45 series disappeared reasonable quickly.

I had considered GP39E's like BN did using 30/35 series geeps, I've chosen to re-build tie U23B's and SDP45's and I've de-rated the SD45-2's so maybe I should include more rebuilt units on the roster. I suppose if NS was looking to save money on a subsidiary that wasn't particularly profitable it would make more sense?

Hmmm, may have to think about this.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[Deleted]

Feb 21, 2013 23:53:02 GMT -5 ncrail95 said:

sounds good! doing research before planning a prototype freelance road always helps. also-just my 2 cents-some ex NS/NW/SOU GP35s or GP30s would be cool. You could have some rebuilt in to GP35R/GP30Rs etc, similar to the ones that were sold to Guilford in the late 80s/ early 90s

What did Guilford do to those geeps to make the GP30R/GP35R's?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[MitchGDRMCo]

Here's an idea to incorporate what you asked in the GE rebuild thread, maybe use U30Cs as the base for C32-8 rebuilds?

[Deleted]

That's a good idea. How do I make it feasible. Would it look like a C30-S7 or something between them all??

This would work similar to tie CM40-8 in Australia.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[MitchGDRMCo]

Probably a U30C with a -8 style radiator section? Maybe frankenstein in a -8 dynamic brake section in place of the U boat part and that should do it. A FDL12 should easily fit and give the 3200hp rating.

[emd16645]

Feb 22, 2013 5:46:32 GMT -5 @thesd80macbeast said:

Feb 21, 2013 23:53:02 GMT -5 ncrail95 said:

sounds good! doing research before planning a prototype freelance road always helps. also-just my 2 cents-some ex NS/NW/SOU GP35s or GP30s would be cool. You could have some rebuilt in to GP35R/GP30Rs etc, similar to the ones that were sold to Guilford in the late 80s/ early 90s

What did Guilford do to those geeps to make the GP30R/GP35R's?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

Guilford bought 18 GP35s from NS, mainly ex-NW hi-hoods (15) and three low hood units (one of which is ex-NKP heritage).  They were numbered 200-217 (low hoods were 209 and 214, the ex-NKP unit was 212).  As far as I know, Guilford did practically nothing to those 18 engines, except patch them back together to get them in service.  No rebuild to them whatsoever, just their usual throw whatever secondhand parts at them until they would run (sort of).  In fact, Guilford picked the ones they wanted based off of how much fuel was in the the tank.  Somehow a few last in service up until the last few years.

Guilford's MO when it comes to locomotives is to buy whatever is cheapest, and then they squeeze a few years of life out of, although they seem to have been shifting on this a little recently.  Most engines are bought at or near scrap value.

[Deleted]

Feb 22, 2013 10:08:23 GMT -5 MitchGDRMCo said:

Probably a U30C with a -8 style radiator section? Maybe frankenstein in a -8 dynamic brake section in place of the U boat part and that should do it. A FDL12 should easily fit and give the 3200hp rating.

I'm working on some ideas in my head but I'm not sure quite where to go. I hava spare atlas 8-40B shell and a C32-8 shell as will as some C30-7 shells.

If you follow the dash-7 progression to dash-8 then the DB box would be a start, maybe keep the dash-7 cab but I'm not decided about the radiator yet. Maybe represent the U30C's with replacement dash-8 style radiators but keep the larger dash-7 style radiators on the U33C's?

I've decided to convert the U23B's to B23-S7's so Im not wondering if I should do the same with the six-axle units? I could have a C33-S7 or a C32-7E and have it look like a super 7. But part of me thinks that's not as interesting...

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[chessie77]

:)I like your ideas for a NS controled D&H.  You mentioned the CM40-8 from Australia, why not have a few of those using ex CR/PC C636s or ex BC Rail M630s or even ex N&W C630s. Some of the C636s were still around waiting for buyers ( a few were shipped to Australia for the Cm40-8 builds) during the era you're modeling and the C630s had been retired by NS in '85 or '86 and the M630s were just being retired. Or just have some C636m-7s/C630m-7s/M630m-7s. GE rebuilt one M630 from BC Rail with the m-7 mods. Of course tha would mean having Alco 251s on the roster and they would be loners so that might not be appropiate, but the Cm40-8s would. Just my two cents worth.

[MitchGDRMCo]

If it's not as interesting to you then no need to do it for the sake of doing it

[Deleted]

At the time of the NS merger there were a few ALCo's still on the NW roster but they didn't last long. D&H had ALCo's until 1993 so I guess I could revisit this whole roster. I don't mind a few 251's, especially if I can install the sound in them

What I meant was the six-axle Super-7 doesn't interest me (not sure why??) but the idea of re-built U33C's does, just got to figure out what form they'll take?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[MitchGDRMCo]

Alright, I've come up with this. I call it the U32C-8 and it's a D&H U33C rebuilt with new internals, the radiator section of the Dash-8 and the dynamic brake section from the Dash-8.

[Deleted]

You've just gone and done all the hard work for me! Lol thanks. You know I was trying to avoid adding Dash-8 radiators but the first thing I said to myself when I saw this is; 'I have all the parts for this!'

Now to go tweak my roster...

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[MitchGDRMCo]

Haha no problem sir. If it were me I'd just straight swap the C32-8s for these rebuilds, it'd save the D&H money as they're simply rebuilds of units they already own.