Original Heritage Hides Beneath

I took this photo of a bulk head flat on Sept. 5, 2025 in the CN London, Ont. yard. It had come in on train #509. Interesting to see the original heritage pocking out from beneath. I was also surprised to see the graffiti on the bulkhead interior. Another modeling bit to add when doing up a model...George Dutka  

Interesting to see the graffiti on the interior of the bulkhead.

An overall view of the car.

Snapshot - September 2025

East Deerfield, Ma. Jan. 24 2025

Railfanning East Deerfield

The Bay Line Transplant is Berkshire & Eastern Railway power. This engine a former Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay engine was interesting to see on my trip to New England during the winter of 2025. I was on my way to the Springfield train show. As always it is a cold place to stand for too long so the visit was short. I returned to East Deerfield this month while traveling through Vermont and saw a train come in and put their power away. This fall day both units were PanAm power with one having its PanAm painted out and a BERX added. It is always an enjoyable visit when I stop by the railfan bridge for a peek...George Dutka 

Power on the shop. Jan. 24 2025.

       

Sept 10, 2025

Sept 10 2025

South River Model Works Kit

I picked up a part-kit from South River Model Works at the Ancaster show about a year ago. It was part of someone's estate collection that was being sold off. It is the Rugg manufacturing co. In the box most of the structure was gone just the rear building and some bits and pieces that were not used in the main structure. I don't recall what I paid for the leftovers but it was in the price range of $15.00. What was interesting inside the kit was the original receipt from 1994 made out to no other than Pierre Oliver.  

So I plan on building the smaller structure and add it to my Bellows Falls manufacturing complex that is used as a backdrop structure...George Dutka 

Throwback Thursday - B&O 4809

by Keith MacCauley   

GP38 B&O 4809 was delivered from EMD in September of 1970. Prior to leaving the B&O/C&O merger family roster No. 4809 would be renumbered CSXT 2109, then CSXT 9660. Post Chessie life the veteran unit would be conveyed to Locomotive Leasing Partners and renumbered LLPX 2055. Seemingly still active, the venerable locomotive would be acquired by GATX, rebuilt to GP38-2 specification, and renumbered GMTX 2636. Coupled GP38 C&O 4828 was also constructed in September 1970. It too would be assimilated into the collective roster as CSXT 2128. Post Chessie, the unit would bounce from Indiana and Ohio (IORY 3804), to Central, Oregon and Pacific (CORP 3804) prior to being acquired by CIT as CEFX 3804. Trailing GP38 B&O 4800 was constructed in August of 1970. It too would be integrated into the amalgamated roster as CSXT 2100, subsequently CSXT 9650. Post Chessie identities include LLPX 2047, GMTX 2678 and finally PTRA 2024, with a rebuilding to GP38-2 spec along the way. C-424 CP 4210 arrived from MLW in March of 1965. Stricken from the CP roster at the end of 1998, the Montreal born unit would be acquired by the New Brunswick East Coast Railway as NBEC 4210. In a strange twist, in 2008, No. 4210 would become a Canadian National unit; included as part of their acquisition of NBEC. Of little interest to CN, No. 4210 would be sold to Allied Equities Corporation in 2009 and renumbered ASDX 4210; most likely for the purpose of parting out.

Wordless Wednesday No. 646

 

    

New Brattleboro Station

Brattleboro, Vt Sept. 12 2025

There is a new station and raised platform being built in Brattleboro just across the tracks from the current station. Here are a few views...George Dutka   

The following if from Brattleboro local news. The new train station will house a waiting area with 36 seats, a restroom, an outdoor area with more seating, and an engineers’ room. In addition, the project’s construction includes “rebuilding existing siding track and switches and a new, 345-foot-long platform set 48 inches above the rail, a feature that will allow level boarding.” Crews will also install new lighting, signs, drainage, and an “electric snow-melting system.”

The estimated cost of the new station is reported to be $7.4 million, and “Amtrak has also spent $1.7 million on track work and $1 million on design.” Jen Flanagan, Amtrak lead Public Relations Specialist has commented that “the total will be $10 million by completion.” Additionally, a bike shelter with e-bike chargers and a fast charger for electric vehicles will be installed. These will be paid for with funds from the federal Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

A rendering of how the station will look. The station will be the state’s first-ever level boarding train platform. The new station will also have both interior and exterior accessible waiting areas.

CPR Richford, Vermont Station

The CP Richford station as it looked on Sept 11, 2025.

I fear this station does not have long to go before it falls or is torn down. It now has holes in the roof and windows out. You can smell the mold as one walks by the operators bay that has the boards removed. Also the large mill in town only had one CP covered hopper on the property. A lot of trucks though are seen along the walls were loading doors are found. Not sure if they are shipping by rail these days...George Dutka 

The roadside wall and roof looks bad also.

Vermonter at Waterbury, Vermont

A photo of the Vermonter is hard to get in the dark as there are no real lighting to light up the train so I just took a photo of the headlight approaching the station and leaving. Sept 11, 2025.

The next few posts will be from my trip to New England this fall. I was away for 6 days spending two nights at Waterbury. I did get down to the station both nights for a few evening shots. Here is what it looked like. The station is in great shape. Green Mountain Coffee has left the structure a few years back but there is a new coffee shop in there but only through day hours for now. The Vermonter was about 5 minutes late both nights...George Dutka   

The Vermonter headlight comes into view approaching the station. I quickly took this shot and moved my tripod away from the tracks getting a shot of the crossing gates down and the headlight coming closer.

The Vermonter is about to depart.

The new coffee shop inside the Waterbury station.

CVRHS 2025 Convention - Stafford, Ct.

It has been a long time since I last attended a CVRHS convention. This year I put in the effort to attended. I really enjoyed myself and learned a lot about the Stafford Ct. area of the CV. I did not know it was such a big textile mill town. There were many mills in town over the years. A lot burned down as the textile industry is very flammable sensitive and many of the early buildings where wood. There still are some remaining structures which are all brick. We took a group photo at the old CV station which is now a police station. Harvey and Charlie Allen supplied some of the biggest donuts I have ever seen for the morning coffee time. The donuts are local from his home in Amherst, Mass. A nice lunch was also supplied. I spent sometime rooting through the boxes of George Corey photos that were available to purchase. I was holding back on these but came away with 8 that I will share with you over the winter.

As always I came home with a few goodies including those George Corey photos, a southern New England station books, by John Roy who hosted the convention and timetables which where give aways...George Dutka 

Group photo at the station. John Roy photo

Copies of George's book were available for those that have not purchased one yet.

Early era view of Stafford, Ct. station.

There was a large factory which made buttons from shells.

Bill Brigham brought along some baggage tags there were found in a hole in the wall of the Randolph, Vt. station. Bethel and Randolph are only 7 miles apart. And there was a lot of tags for this short distance stashed in the wall. Maybe a station to station baggage claim quota war someone was hiding. 

Laz picked up for me a copy of Jim Jones book on the Richford Sub. I am half way through it already. I did do a drive following the line while in Vermont checking out the bike and hiking trail. 

Before and After

by Keith MacCauley 

GP38 C&O 3890, an early example of the angular four motor unit, was delivered from EMD in December of 1967. Introduced in 1965, with production starting in January of 1966, EMD’s GP38 and companion GP38-2 would prove to be popular, long serving locomotives. Numerous examples are still in service, some serving past the half century mark. C&O 3890 would be renumbered CSXT 2090 prior to being retired and removed from the roster. Post Chessie life the venerable unit would be rebuilt for commuter service as GP40-2H CDOT 6697, perhaps still active. Chessie would have paid duty on 3890 in order to permit operation in Canada. No doubt operating crews would have preferred the weather in Richmond Virginia, located some six hundred miles southeast, then that of London Ontario.

Wordless Wednesday 645

 

  

Small Old Barn

A neat old bard that is worthy of modeling. Jim Sloan photos.

A message from Jim Sloan that I thought you like to see...George Dutka  

I saw your blog (as always) today and liked some of your barn pictures.  There's a small old barn on Hwy 22 just east of Sarnia that I've been having an eye on every time I go past for a few years. You may very well have seen it yourself anyway, but here's a couple of pictures you might like from last October. South side first, south and east side is 2nd, south and west side is 3rd.