This and That - October 2024

One of Peter Mumby's older engines that was build many years ago that is for sale at local train shows. He has a good collection of engines to sell at the shows.

Just a mix of railfan and model photos that you might enjoy viewing...George Dutka  

Another one of Peter's engines...not sure why he modeled Conrail at one time.

On October 19, 2024 just east of Komoka I caught CP EB train 528, the hot shot Ethanol train. It has one unit on the head end, then a spacer-idler car the loaded tanks another spacer-idler car and a locomotive pushing.

The tail end.

Looking east toward Frank Lane the NS pusher is working pushing the train loaded with Ethanol. 

Last week I traveled to Pt Dover and then over to Burlington. I visited a few stations still standing and also a couple of hobby shops. I had not been to Dundas Valley Hobbies in a long time. Although the train selection was thin I found the largest paint display I have seen in a hobby shop. Nice to know I can get almost anything I want in paint there.

This is just over half of the paint supply in this view. There is a nice selection of brushes, glues and styrene. 

Steve was at the Woodstock train show yesterday with a good selection of Peter Mumby's engines for sale.

Peter's VIA units which were built years ago, but well detailed.

A ceramic version of the North Conway NH station was for sale at the Kitchener train show a few weeks ago.

A well worn CN 40 foot boxcar logo on the grounds of the South Simcoe Ry. Oct. 6 2024.

Looking west along the CP Lovekin siding towards Newmarket from Lakeshore Rd. 

Looking at the Lakeshore Rd bridge over the CN tracks from the CP mainline at Lovekin. This is one of a number of bridges near Newtonville that are great to railfan from.

I took a few shots of my rooftops using my cell phone. Here is my Accurail CV boxcar.

Another cell phone view of the Ertl boxcar that Peter Mumby gave me awhile back that I weathered and detailed. I vary the looks of each of these roofs.

CNR - Washago

Ian Wilson produced a book of this location during the 1952 era which looks a lot different than what one will see today if one visited.    

This summer I stopped twice at Washago, Ontario just north of Orillia on my way to Muskoka. Once on purpose as I had not been there before and was wondering how it was laid out. The second time was by chance as my GPS took me through town. Although I did not see any trains I did have a chance to take a look around at the VIA and old CNR station still standing. The coal and water tank are still in place although the water tank looks a lot different that in the photos I have seen. The tracks to Atherley and Orillia are gone although a piece of the east end of the old wye is still there not attached to the main but has railcars on it...not sure what that is all about.   

The CNR station looks different than in photos from the past. The roofline overhang has maybe changed a bit. A CN trailer now used as a work crew office is set between the two stations...George Dutka  

The current VIA station and water tank which is different than what was once used by the railroad, but same location.

The old Washago CN station.

Station signs still in place on the old station.

Looking down towards the old coal tower.

Weathered Milk Car

Although this model is overweathered I think it still looks good and maybe something to consider for a model or two on ones layout. 

I saw this well weathered milk car at the Kitchener train show a couple of weekends ago. It was interesting to see the roof completely rusted and well steaked down the sides. Although I feel it is overdone it actually still looked good. One does not want too many models on the layout looking this way but one or two would really stand out...something to consider going forward...George Dutka  

As a milk car it would not have had those roof hatches.

Snapshot - October 2024

The Lakeshore Rd. bridge was a good place to be standing on October 7, 2024. I was able to catch a EB CP and CN freight at the same moment passing by...a rare occasion.

I was away to eastern Ontario or at least east of Toronto for a few days. I spent two mornings at an old wooden bridge near Newtonville. The location is Lakeshore Rd where the CN goes under a wooden bridge and the CP crosses at grade in the middle of CP's Lovekin siding. 

A railfan friend John Allen who travels east of Toronto a lot told me that there is not a lot of CP action in daylight in this area so I felt really luck to catch a CP EB and a CN EB at the same time on the Lakeshore Rd bridge. The CN train had a BC unit leading to boot. I doubt I will see this ever happen again. It was great to see. The CP freight had a extra unit at about the middle of its train.

The lighting at this location is great for eastbound trains but really not great shooting to the west, but from the bridge you can kind of shoot down at an angle.

There were two others that showed up at the bridge for a photo of the BC unit...they already knew it was coming. They went down below to get a shot of the train coming under the bridge but I am too old to be crawling down those banks. They actually missed the chance to catch both trains crossing at the same time. I found it interesting that both were quite young, the one seen in the shorts was 17 who took the morning off school using his moms car to get here for this photo. He also was a modeler...good to see youth interested in model trains. He wants to be a heavy equipment mechanic maybe working on locomotives at some point...George Dutka

The CN EB this day had a BC Rail engine leading.

The two railfans that joined me on the bridge before the arrival of the train. They both headed down below for a shot of the CN EB coming through the bridge. Once the freight train was gone so too was the railfans...guess they see their fill of passenger trains.

Throwback Thursday - Crew Transporter

ONT 462 was parked at Temagami, Ontario on August 29, 1990.

By Peter Mumby.

Locomotives, rolling stock, trackwork, structures, scenery………….vehicles.  For most modellers, vehicles are probably not too high on their list of priorities.  They do, however, help to set the scene and/or establish an era.  ONT 462, featured in today’s photo, was photographed in the parking lot of the Temagami station, not far from where a small crew was working on some minor track maintenance project.  As a potential modelling project, in addition to the retractable rail wheels, don’t forget the roof-mounted antenna and the power winch at the front bumper.  This scene dates to August 29, 1990.   

Wordless Wednesday No. 599

 

    

Fixer-upper Boxcar

I used two of my new craft paints on the roof and running boards, charcoal grey and barnwood which both worked well after my Tamiya flat finish was applied. These models come with some heavy weathering on the lower areas which I repainted with Floquil boxcar red.  

Peter Mumby brought over a few cars that needed some loving that he did not want anymore. The first one that I tackled was an Ertl 40" boxcar. At first it looked as an easy go with the weight and roof needing to be attached, but a close look at the model found some grabs missing, couplers off,  the brake wheel and staff in the box with no platform to be found. Nothing that was hard to correct just a bit of extra time. I used a Tichy platform adding Kadee No. 158 true scale couplers on the model but clipped the pins. RH-0307 rubber air hoses and Detail Associates # 6215 uncoupling levers.

I painted the wheels Cinnamon brown with black Bragdon powders applied. The running boards are painted Folkart barnwood which looks really good as weather beaten wood. I used my usual PanPastel raw umber shade and red iron oxide extra dark on the roofing. The sides are left lightly weathered with some PanPastel colorless blender to fade the sides down a bit and raw umber shade on the doors and lower areas. PanPastel Paynes grey extra dark (almost black) highlight areas of the doors, roof edges and side ladders...George Dutka

PanPastels used on this project. The PanPastels really tone down the roof tones.

The Ertl boxcar is ready to hit the rails on the WRD. The 

The finished model with lightly weathered sides and a well worn roof.

October 2024 - Road Trip

When in Michigan I always like stopping at Hobby Lobby to check out the craft paints and brushes. I realized Anita's paints are not here anymore but I found some interesting colors to try.

I have done a couple of road trips this month. One to Michigan to drop off the creamery I built and another east of Toronto to visit a few places I have never been before railfanning along the way. On the trip out east I built in time to visit with my friend Paul Hurly and stop by the Kitchener train show and South Simcoe Ry. on day one. On my way home I stopped in at George's Trains which I have not been to in maybe 10 years. I also visited Credit Valley hobby shop as it was not far off my track. A well rounded trip I think with a good amount of railfanning, visiting train museums, a station art gallery, a train show and hobby shops. More on my stops throughout the month...George Dutka 

At Credit Valley they had these Rapido boxcars drastically reduced in price...so picked up two.

Did not know that Tichy had work car decals...I think these might work out well on some of my work train fleet...found at Credit Valley.

My day started with an early morning visit last Sunday morning with Paul Hurly. Over a cup of coffee Paul showed me his layout which is double decked and will reflect operations on the TH&B.

I have not been to George's train in the Toronto area in a decade. 

I noted they carry Scenic Express ballast which I normally can only find at Springfield. Good to know it is in the area as the ballast works well. They also had a nice selection of used still to be built craftsman railroad kits in stock at a reasonable price.

George's Trains is a stone throw from Rapido trains office and warehouse.

Athearn - North Stratford Ry Boxcars

I purchased a three pack of North Stratford Ry boxcars during the moving sale at Credit Valley Hobbies. There is not a lot of details on the car which is in their lower cost line of cars, but a nice model to weather and add a few details to. They are found in Athearn's "ready to roll" category. The cars have steel wheels that I colored acrylic cinnamon brown with Bragdon dark rust dusted on. The trucks, couplers and underbody are painted AK winter streaking grime.  

The roof is weathered up using AK dark rust deposits and Vallejo rust texture. I then gave the roof a light coat of neutral gray. Micron 03 black is added to the sides as streaking rust spots. The doors sides and ends are given a coat of raw umber shade then chrom ox green shade.   

The model was finished I thought till I took a good look at it. I realized by added a couple of details it could look a lot better. I decided to add rubber flexible air hoses from Hi-Tech Details #6038. I then added Tangent TSM-204 cut levers which come in a 5 pack which makes this detail a bit more better if you are cost conscience. I am happy with the added details and I feel the car looks a lot better...George Dutka 

The weathering is about to begin.

The two products applied before the powders are added.

The roof is done.

The roof which is modeled after running boards were removed during rebuilding can be rusted up a bit to add some extra character to the model.

A prototype view from one of Peter Mumby's books.

A New England consist for the era is seen rolling along the WRD. I have this type of train staged and hidden in one back track to run on occasion. 

Some lighter PanPastel green is applied to the side panels to fade them down. A placard scrap is still on the board.

Rochester and Genesee Valley RR Museum - part 2

 Restored Equipment on the Upper Level....by Don Janes

     We continue our tour at the upper shop area where there were a lot very well restored pieces of equipment on display.  These included several cabooses, locomotives and other rolling stock.  If you ever get a chance to visit this great museum it is well worth the trip.  The staff is very friendly and welcoming.   

One of the more interesting locomotives at the museum was this RS-3 with a high short hood, which housed a steam generator, and was referred to as a "Hammer Head".  I believe there were only five built. This unit has been re-engined with an EMD prime mover 

Another interesting locomotive was this Fairbanks Morse switcher.  I have never seen a FM engine before.  This engine is operational and is occasionally fired up

The musrum owns several really nicely restored (both inside and out) cabooses, one being this Penn Central transfer caboose

This is a very nice looking Lehigh Valley caboose.  Fully restored inside and out.

This BR&P wooden caboose is in great shape.  

This display of various signal and interlocking devices was housed in an old RPO car that sat beside the shop.  I found the interlocking machine with all the handles very interesting

This old ALCO S-2 is in good shape and I believe it is operational.

I found this old Erie milk car interesting as some of these cars ended up on the B&M in milk car service