I am a long time HO modeler of SAL circa 40's and 50's. I have not been able to find any commercially produced SAL lettering and numbering, in yellow, for MOW equipment. Also, MOW equipment was in pullman green, and the herald was "see through" red and yellow- on the pullman green background. I tried making my own decals with both a laser and ink jet printer, but the yellow color is too transparentand the experiment was a failure. So I'm having a set made by Rail Graphics. It is in RR Gothic, and includes road names, numbers, letters, and heralds for two cars. The set includes the alphabet for SAL's MOW car types. The set also includes the phrases "Safety First" and "A man alert seldom is hurt". The set can be used for all MOW plus flats. The cost for 25 of the sets is $ 72.00. Would anyone like to get in on this with me? I'm not in the decal business but would simply like to share the set with other modelers. I will be happy to email a copy of the decal set to interested parties. I am also trying to in locate any photos of SAL steam derricks circa 40's. Best regards, Gabriel Benzur

-- Gabriel Benzur (benzurphotography@comcast.net), December 23, 2004

Answers

Hello! I am glad to hear someone ELSE besides me is interested in the SAL mainenance cars! I have about 12 of the HEAVY Athearn metal 200-ton WRECK CRANES that I plan to put together with other SAL cars and make a LIGHTED MW four-car consist that is at least, somewhat interesting and close enough to the Seaboard cars that once rode the rails. I grew up in Lakeland and Auburndale, FL, so I also plan to model the Auburndale SAL depot, Auburndale Lumber Co. and the US 92 'X' switching area where the IC City of Miami switched from the JAX-TPA ACL tracks onto the SAL WILDWOOD-HIALEAH lines going down to Hialeah yard terminal. My former father-in-law was SENIOR ENGINEER down there.

But, I AM VERY interested in going in with you for the MW SAL decals. I also plan to put together some ACL maintenance cars that I once saw in the old Lakeland yard. I had the opportunity to ALSO watch the ACL consist use a WRECK CRANE and its consist in 1957 to reset cars back onto the tracks by our Auburndale egg farm. I never forgot that. I know the ACL MW flats were SILVER with black lettering, also black with white or silver lettering; whatever the maintence guys could find handy. Please let me know more about the rail and bunk cars the SAL used. I want this project to get off as correct as is possible. Yes I am interestd; please get back with me. VW

-- Vince Wells (microquest@hotmail.com), January 02, 2005.