Wordless Wednesday No 658

 

     

Rutland Ry Station completed

The model is done and here are some more photos...George Dutka   

Some of the Rutland roofs were done in a red tone of slate.

Green paint first then green tone PanPastels.

Rutland Ry Station

This is what is in the Rutland Car Shops kit.

Here are a few views of the Rutland Ry station under construction...George Dutka   

The wall that the bay window fits around had a slight warp which I had to secure a bit for the other walls to set right. Tape seemed good enough.

Squaring it all up.

To keep the walls from warping I added some styrene supports on each side of the bay window. I also added triangle pieces in the corners. These type of kits are prone to a bit of warping as time passes.

Section House Completed

A few views of the tool-section house completed...George Dutka 

I added a good amount of detail inside the door. There are boards leaning against the wall and a Monster Models tie plate by the door. 

Sometimes Overweathering is Good?

I was out on Saturday Dec. 20, 2025 by the CPKC yard at Quebec St. and came across this overweathered covered hopper. If this was a model that you did or one of your friends you would stand back and say boy that's a lot of weathering...it is just more than one expects. You do have this photo of the prototype that then proves our point...George Dutka    

Happy New Years 2026!

Don Janes revamped his workshop. He now has a nice place to sit and talk. This view is from my December visit. Note the book on the table.

Wishing you all a Happy New Years with positive outcomes going forward in life and on your layouts...George Dutka 

Don had a picture book made up for him of his visits to New England. It is kind of neat to see the places he has visited in the last 15-20 years. Many of the photos I recognize as I was standing nearby creating my own images. A real good way to organize your memories. I may just make one up of my own.

Good Bye 2025!

I recently painted the trucks on a boxcar I was working on with AK grime and dark rust gouache. It is an acrylic product that a bit of water and some of the paint mixes well and the colors blend together well. I actually applied the second color while the first color was still wet. The effect was pretty good. I plan to try it again on another car. I found this product at Otter Valley back in the fall.

I am away at a cottage till the new year so there will not be much posted going forward for a little bit. I did get enough modeling done this year although I seem to have been away a lot or out on my sailboat. Many of the projects I did want to do are possibly going to happen in 2026. Lets see what unfolds...George Dutka 

ITLA Alley Scape

Here is a view from the ITLA Alley Scape as it looked last January while I built the test kit. I was at the train show at Springfield when this photo was taken. Still had a lot to do at that time.

I visited with Nick recently prior to Christmas, he gave me the first kit produced of his Alley Scape. A thank-you for doing the test build. I gave him the test build diorama back in the fall as he would need to photograph the model for the kits ads and instructions. It is nice that he has it for a display at shows also. Thanks Nick once again...George Dutka   

The first kit in the limited edition "Alley Scape". There are many new 3-D printed details now included that I did not have when I built my model. Also some another nice details such as roof antennas are in the box.

The test kit as how it looked when I finished the build.

Bala

One of the Facebook historical society posted some interesting photos of the Bala Train Station, circa 1920. I have visited Bala in the past and it is a pretty town and the railway was right in sight of the lake.    

Bala had two railway stations, a "Winter" station (built 1906. demolished 1968) and a "Summer" station (built 1907), which was located near the steamship docks for easy transfer of passengers to lake steamers. The CPR reached Bala in 1907, and these stations served the tourist trade, bridging passengers to the area's resorts before the days of automobile...George Dutka 

New England modeling-railfanning in the Magazines

Don Janes had an article published of his layout and particular the North Bennington scene. Dec. 2025 MR.

If you have been reading the magazines this fall and winter there has been a number of article published with a New England theme...check these out...George Dutka

The December 2025 RMC had a nice article on New London, Ct. and a second feature on modeling the station.

The CV/B&M Rocket was featured in  Classic Trains Winter 2025.

Great Model Railroads 2026 features Bob Van Gelder's layout. Don and I stopped in to see Bob a couple of years ago to see a lot of progress on the layout since his retirement from South River Modelworks.

Another Christmas Wish!

Bill Gill sent me a nice wintery view from his layout that I thought I would share with you over the Christmas holidays...hope you all are having a great Christmas day! George Dutka

Merry Christmas 2025!

The WRD crew, Don Janes, Keith MacCauley and I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I hope there are some nice modeling treats under the tree again this year...George Dutka    

View From the Green Mountain Division

You might want to take a second look at yesterdays post I added Geoff Southwood's Christmas wish to the post. His view has a bit of comment with it. 

Don Janes posts regularly on Facebook. This is one of his Front End Fridays which views some of his CV equipment by the White River Jct. coal tower...George Dutka 

Christmas Messages 2025!

I was in Otter Valley this month and got this nice Christmas Card from Loren. A nice touch to his customers.

Here are a few of the Christmas Messages that I received this year that I would like to share. I have a few more but can't find were I put the files, sorry guys. Hope you all have a great holiday season...George Dutka

A view sent out by Mike Evans.

Photo by Geoff Southwood. This shot was taken in the mid sixties of a four car Canadian Pacific RDC inbound at the former location of the Pointe Claire station on a grey winter day.  It was likely Train #254 from Hudson on a Saturday.  Those who railfanned the Montreal area in that era will remember that RDC-2 #9116 was a fixture on the commuter runs from Windsor Station to the Lakeshore and beyond.  I did not ever see it assigned to long distance service.  CPR 9116 started life as Lehigh Valley #41 in July 1951 and was sold to the C.P.R. in August 1958.  

On the Green Mountain Division

One of Don Janes photos he posted recently on a Front End Friday for Facebook...George Dutka   

Section Shed

The roof is being added to the structure. Lots of little details to be placed around also.

I have been working on the section shed the last bit. It is on and off, but more off these days with Christmas activities happening...George Dutka   

The door is colored using red and bright orange chalks. The walls are done with PanPastels reddish tones.

I added some signs and colored the window frames first with Bragdon dust bowl but it need to be lighter so a coat of PanPastel neutral gray is applied. Green powders are added to light shade. Roof is next.

Rutland Car Shops - Station

I recently finished a model of a Rutland Ry. standard style station. I actually had purchased this model back in the 1990's then sold it some years later. I found it at last years Springfield RPM meet again and decided to purchase it and built the model. I made sure it was near the top of my list of projects but still was a year before I began the build. More on it shortly I see I have one support to correct in the corner...George Dutka  

Throwback Thursday - OSR 378

 by Keith MacCauley

GP7 OSR 378 was built by EMD for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railway, otherwise known as SOO LINE, in March of 1951. Ontario Southland would acquire the venerable unit in November of 1999 and decorate it in their attractive maroon and cream scheme. RS-18u OSR 182 was originally constructed by MLW for the Canadian Pacific Railway as RS-18 CP 8764 in April of 1958. Unlike 378, as part of their comprehensive RS-18 refurbishment program, No. 182 was extensively rebuilt by CP in 1980 and renumbered 1801. Ontario Southland would add the low nosed unit to their roster in November of 2004. In similar fashion, 182 would also receive the eye pleasing maroon and cream paint scheme. Incredibly, both units are still active and have an amazing combined one hundred and forty-one years of service. While 378 still calls SW Ontario home, 182 along with sister 181 are reported to reside in ‘La Belle Province’, having been sold to Sartigan Railway. 

Wordless Wednesday No. 657

 

 

   

MORE December 2025 - This and That

Here is a cropped photo from the MEC in Bangor, Maine in 1984. I built a model of this structure here is a look at one end of the yard office. Windows appear to be black and maybe aluminum. Also note the brick and mortar looks to this end. I think this photo will help one model this structure better. Dane Malcom photo. 

I had a few more photos and topics to cover for this month that I felt you would enjoy...George Dutka

A paint job someone did to honor musician Gord Downie. Found this on Facebook.

I visited the Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas, Ontario on Dec 13, 2025. They have set up the museum into a Christmas Card event. There are hundreds of Christmas trees and animated scenes. This is my granddaughter Nela looking out a coach window at the overall scene. 

CN 5700 hides behind all the decorations. It is very cold inside...I think colder than outside, so visiting requires mitts and hats.

I visited Don Janes on Dec 12, 2025. He worked on programming an engine for me while we chatted. Don's wife Jane took this photo of us behind the large module Don is building for a more contemporary layout he is planning in another room. We had a good visit which will be the last till he is home from Arizona in the spring.

Winter is well underway here in London, Ontario. I took this photo from Egerton St. looking towards the track that is used to store the local power. Dec. 13, 2025. The week was full of snow events.

The power that switches the frame cars in and out of the plant is seen on the weekend at Format in St. Thomas. 

Bruce Douglas sent me this neat photo of IC 50456 at Chicago May 23, 1971 Photo by George W Hamlin.