February 2020 Update

At Springfield this year Peter and I found a really nice display with many well detailed vehicles in the 1/87 group area.

Just posting a few view of projects to keep one up to speed with what I have been up to this winter. I have been asked how the WRD rebuild is going. It is on hold for the moment as I want to have it judged for a couple NMRA merit awards. This is taking a bit longer than thought. Probably will begin looking at the rebuild during the summer or fall. I actually have a few structures and scenes I had planned on changing on the WRD a few years back. Adding these might happen even if it only is used on the layout for a short time. The Bellows Falls sand house is one of the upgrades being added.

A recently completed Kadee PS-1 boxcar I picked up last fall at a train show for a few dollars. A great deal. I went very lightly with the weathering. The other GTW car is also a Kadee car that someone weathered up quite well. Another few dollar find at another show.

On this car I applied two coats of flat finish. One did not seem to give good tooth for the weathering products. The roof got a coat of inda ink-alcohol mix and some burnt umber rust spots. I used my AK pencil gun metal on the seams and on the edge of the doors, ladders and corner seams. I really like how this product works. Lower car got a coat of PanPastel raw umber shade and the sides and ends are faded down a touch using PanPastel colorless blender.

I also found out I have a health issue to deal with sometime this year. Nothing to worry about I hope, but an operation will put me out of commission for a month or so. Also now that I am over 65 travel to the US is an issue with health insurance. I am not covered if medication changes happen. I have to wait for a period of 3 months before traveling. After a doctors visit this week new meds are on the horizon for me so no trips are planned for the winter or spring unless it happens in the next two weeks. The upside is this gives me more time for train rides on VIA across Canada and longer stints in the basement...George Dutka

Looking down into the scene of the Springfield 1/87 scene. Some great looking trucks.

My workbench is a mess near the end of January with way too may project started.

I had FOS bring the second group kit-of-the-month offerings to the show which saved me postage and taxes. I have already finsihed one...will cover that later.

I picked up two books at Springfield this year for $25 each. These are books I was missing from my MEC and Maine collection.

Another CP International of Maine boxcar added to the WRD modern fleet. It is an Intermountain offering from years ago that I did minimal weathering to.

Kevin Smith sent me this great looking photo of his CV truck. It is coming down the hill towards WRJ on his Woodstock RR connection layout. It is an out of box Riverpoint F150 Hyrail. He added CV decals from a Highball Graphics MoW set & threw a bunch of detail stuff in the bed. He plans to add a headache rack, beacon and oxy-acetle set.

This Bev Bel covered hopper kit I purchase from Peter at the Woodstock train show. Nothing like purchases made from the tables I shared with Peter. I decided to rust up the roof and leave the sides fairly clean. I changed out the wheels with Rapido metal wheels and Kadee couplers. The ladders and stirrups are thick as it is an older kit. I just left these details as is. I added an ACI label and lube plate as seen in a photo I have of a similar car.

I took a walk through old Montreal last month during my train trip to Montreal and Ottawa. There is a lot of modeling inspiration there. Note the outline of some old buildings that once were attached.

A bit of size comparison between a DPM kit and a FOS Kit-of-the-month offering. Both have uses in different settings.