CNR - Georgetown, Ontario

A couple of postcard views of Georgetown, Ont. I have not been there in years. I am thinking maybe a trip might be in order to check out the station area and railfan too as the CN Halton sub can get busy at times. The junction with the Guelph sub is also located just west of the station called Silver...George Dutka          

Caboose Office

The last of three cars Peter Mumby gave me that needed some work is completed. This MEC Life Like caboose had too many issues to get it back to operating condition. I decided to make it a yard office. I began by adding some graffiti in the form of calk marks which would have been the normal in that era.

I also added a lot of detail to the ground around the caboose and some additional things on the roof. The caboose was missing two steps and some of the handrails which are on the other side of the model which is OK as it will only be viewed from one side...George Dutka   

The caboose has a lot of rust included and trash around the base. All is glued to the model making it a drop-in scene. 

Some ground foam and weeds are also included in the mix.

ITLA Outhouse - Updated

 

t normally take me some time to get back and add a bit extra to models I just completed. But this one was an easy chore. I added a tarpaper roof made from construction paper and stained the walls brownish with PanPastels...George Dutka  

Peter Mumby

Peter back in 2016 when we visited George's F&SM during the Fine Scale Expo.

Peter Mumby one of my best friends has passed yesterday morning at the age of 75. We have been friend for over 40 years. We have railfanned, modeled and attended family event over the years. His wife and mine have been in sorority and dinner clubs also through the years. I really miss you Peter. 

Peter has also helped me out throughout the years I have been posting on this blog. His Throwback Thursday was a weekly event. We also since I retired in 2009 till Covid in 2020 had our Monday afternoon workshops which where really fun. Sometimes we would work on something, other times we just ran a train or looked at photos on the computer.

I put together some photos I had taken of Peter over the years. Some have been on the blog but nice to visit again as a group telling a story of the fun times we had together...George Dutka

We has setup some scenes to photograph back in 2015.

Our local club layout visit to the WRD in 2019. Peter has his CV tee shirt on for the occasion.

WOD-NMRA "make and take" meet during 2012. We were building a Hunterline tunnel portal.

One of our Monday afternoon workshops back in 2016.

At the 2017 Rapido Dealers BBQ

June 2017 on our way to the Rapido dealers BBQ. We took our time doing a bit of railfanning.

The two of us during the 2016 Expo visiting George's layout.

A visit to Jim Sloan's home and layout during April 2019. We then hit the road railfanning around town and catching the Sperry Car on the spur downtown.

Peter doing some weathering to a boxcar at the Paris train show, we were working the WOD craftsman's corner booth 2020.

This was the last train show Peter's Trains was at before retirement at the end of 2019. It was the Kitchener show in November. Many of you that live in SWO or eastern Ontario would have seen Peter at the shows since the late 1970's. With Covid happening a few months later, and Peter's health being an issue after Covid he was not able to attend any more shows after March 2020.

A visit to Don Janes layout during 2017. Always nice to get a group photo.

Peter is holding up the mile post at Syracuse NY in March 2016.

Peter and I stopped by the Guilford PanAm yard in Portland Maine in March 2016.

Napierville Junction Cabooses

NJ 36 caboose at Rouses Point NY on July 29 1975 David Hamley photo collection of Gordon Smith.

Gordon Smith a retired CP Dispatcher allowed me to publish his collection of Napierville Junction cabooses. I have a 3-D printed model kit of the view seen above which someday I hope to assemble...George Dutka 

NJ 38 at Rouses Point June 24, 1978. Gordon Smith collection.

NJ 39 at Rouses Point June 23, 1978. Gordon Smith collection.

Wordless Wednesday No. 619

 

Stephen J Hoyle photo Gordon Smith collection   

 

Snapshot - March 2025

VIA 84 EB toward Komoka, Ontario on the CN Strathroy Sub. This view is taken about a quarter mile west of the CN-CP diamond on March 10, 2025

Now as it is getting warm I have been out a bit more taking a few photos trackside. Here is what I saw last Monday morning including two new VIA train sets...George Dutka  

A very short train of tank cars has passed Komoka, Ont. heading toward London on March 10, 2025. 

VIA 72 EB crosses the main road through Mt. Bridges on CN's Chatham Sub. on March 10, 2025. I was surprised to see new equipment on this train that day.

This view of VIA 84 gives one a better view of the surrounding's from the lead in photo of this post. If one was to model a road crossing this might work. By having the road grade travel up a hill into the backdrop such as what is seen here could work fine. What do you think?

ITLA - Outhouse

A handout at last years WOD-NMRA meet in Chatham was ITLA's outhouse. I put it together last week in no time at all...neat little build...George Dutka   

I painted the toilet seat white.

The roof I modeled as removable.

A BEST figure has found his home.

Check the size!

The size of O scale is evident in this view next to the ITLA back alley scene.

I have an Atlas 60' O scale boxcar sent from Atlas to me for a White River Productions special O scale issue. When I placed it on my desk behind the ITLA back alley scene one can relate to the size of O scale. I definitely do not have room for O standard gauge layout here, but narrow gauge yes...George Dutka  

Modeling Milk Can Question?

Here's a photo of a mini scene I made on the NEB&W of a farmer loading milk cans. You can readily see the handles on the white metal cans...Bill Gill

Hi George, I like the color you posted of your well used Tichy milk cans. I have a question about Tichy's milk cans (I've emailed Tichy about them, have yet to hear back). His cans don't have any handles for lifting, Is there any kind of prototype for that? 

I ask because a while ago someone gave me a sprue of them and I'd like to mix them in with some of the white metal cans I have on a milk stand, but it would be near the front edge of the layout and the lack of handles on the cans is very obvious. I've considered the possibility of adding a pair of tiny styrene strips for handles before painting the can, but getting them all evenly located seems really challenging...Bill Gill.

The Tichy milk cans details are slim...I like the Jeneco milk cans and their details much better, but they are hard to find. I see you used some Juneco milk cans in your truck. The details are nice.

I don't think it is worth the effort to add details to Tichy milk cans as like you mention they would be hard to line up. One might consider actually figuring out a way of cutting grooves into the cans exactly in the same location as handles...some sort of jig...the indentation would look kind of like a handle when grouped. a handle on the lid is also needed. I don't mind the look of the Tichy milk cans as-is especially when grouped on a loading platform...George Dutka

Throwback Thursday - Peter Mumby's Photo

Peter Mumby photo from the collection of Peter and Keith MacCauley.

Keith MacCauley passed this view of brand new GM units ready for delivery in the CN yard here in London, Ontario. They are on the track 6-7 lead just west of Egerton St....George Dutka

Wordless Wednesday No. 618

 

      

Palmer, Ma.

 

A very long CV freight at Palmer in 1968. Theodore W. Bossert photo. CVRHS collection.

A view of Palmer in 1968 with a CV northbound in view at the station. Not sure what the structure is at right side of photo...George Dutka   

CN 52’ – 8” Combination Door Boxcar

Keith's kitbash is in the foreground while the Rapido car is at the rear. Peter MacCauley photo

by Keith MacCauley. 

Keith put together this article on some modelling he did some 30+ years ago. Apparently he had a lot more time on my hands back then. Keith's son Peter took the model photos while he shot the prototype (Peter was only a one year old back then!).

I have long been a devoted Canadian National modeler and over the years tried to replicate some of the equipment unique to the railway. My model era is confined to the 1980’s and a common sight in my area from that period were CN’s 557000 series combination door boxcars. Built by National Steel Car (NSC) in the early 1970’s, CN rostered several hundred, employed predominantly in lumber transport.

Unfortunately, at the time there was no accurate ‘ready to run’ model available. The alternatives were to either accept a so called ‘foobie’, or kit-bash a correct version from available models. I chose the latter. To begin the process, I first sought out an actual CN557000 series car to measure. Fortunately, a nearby lumber distributor received deliveries by such cars on an ongoing basis. With camera and a one-hundred-foot tape measure in hand I spent a couple of weekend afternoons documenting the real thing.   

Next step was to sort out the needed model components. Key to the accuracy was correct roof geometry and end design. NSC employed raised panel roof segments with a single central rib, also used by Pullman Standard. Model wise the roof style was available on a fifty-foot boxcar produced by Robins Rails. The characteristic NSC rolled rib ends were a bit more of challenge. At the time small, cottage type industries were beginning to pop up and I was able to secure custom made resin ends from a fellow modeler. The unique length meant that two fifty-foot shells were required; with the appropriate roof splice. The combination door geometry (ten-foot sliding/eight-foot plug) was relatively straight forward, although the plug door had to be cut down from an available ten-foot version. Paint and lettering was accomplished with Floquil boxcar red and CDS dry transfers. Kadee couplers and 33” diameter Kadee wheel pairs rounded out the construction.

The outcome was very rewarding. Not only did I have an accurate CN boxcar, but I also won the Railroad Model Craftsman Magazine January 1993 Kit-bashing Award. I cannot recall the award monetary amount, but I still have and use the Dremel Flex Shaft Rotary tool.

As a follow up to the story, last year Rapido Trains produced a highly detailed version of the very same car. Known as the ‘NSC 5304 Boxcar’, their version of the uniquely CN boxcar is of the quality and excellence current modeler have come to expect. The Rapido creation features dozens of separately applied detailed parts with door hardware and full underbody mounted brake piping/rigging. Nevertheless, I believe my version holds up very well by comparison. Besides, the differences are really only noticeable, if you run the cars upside down!

Keith's kitbash

Rapido model

1990's Ballast Dumping - GMRC

August 1992 Kevin Smith photo

By Kevin Smith

The prototype photo is how GMRC received track ballast. Frank Whitcomb Corp. (FWW) would truck the ballast over from their N. Walpole, NH facility.

Using the old coal dock, they'd dump directly into our ballast cars.

We'd spot one bay, they'd fill it, then we'd shove down to the next bay.

This was done on what's known as the Pocket Track, adjacent to the Patch Track, just across the canal bridge at Bellows Falls.

Pic was taken from the engine on the Main.

My HO model is obviously inspired by the real truck.

It's an Atlas Ford LN, cut down to 6 wheels with a modified Mini Metals dump body & extra details

Kevin's Truck model

CV in Montreal

June 1982 Dave Clark photo in Montreal.

A Dave Clark slide I scanned of CV 4924 handling a train from and too Vermont in Montreal. Ian Stronach gave me these comments as to the location as I don't know Montreal at all...George Dutka

The photos of the CV 4924 appear to be crossing the remnants of the bridge over the Lachine Canal next to what was Wellington Tower on the southern approach to Central Station.   The remnants of the catenary for the electrics between Central Station and Pointe St. Charles are evident...Ian Stronach.