Rapido - PRR X23 Boxcar and B&O FGE R7 Reefer

 

The paint fail effect is done lightly on this car. One can see the PanPastels are applied on one side of the roof already. The wood running boards are left looking unpainted.

Here we have my two Rapido cars being weathered. As mentioned before they are done lightly which did not take me much time to complete. Flat finish is applied first to help hold the PanPastels. The wheels and trucks are painted Vallejo rust texture. Roof is painted acrylic Craftsmart Graphite followed by PanPastel raw umber shade and red iron oxide shade. Running boards are Folkart barnwood acylic paint with a coating of PanPastel raw umber shade...George Dutka

The PanPastel colors used on the sides. I did add some chalk marks first. I had some meat reefer chalk marks I used on the B&O reefer. Placards are also added once weathering is done. 

The completed cars. The sides are really lightly weathered and the roofs too.

Out and about. 

Throwback Thursday - Serves All Canada

 

CN 72616 was present in a line of company service equipment at Komoka, Ontario on April 17, 1994.

By Peter Mumby.

The CN noodle logo was introduced in January of 1961.  That means that, by the time this company service boxcar was photographed in 1994, the green leaf logo was more than thirty years out of date.  Even the slogan no longer applied, since by the end of the 1980s CN had withdrawn from both Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.  Somehow a slogan like “Serves Eight Out of Ten Canadian Provinces” just wouldn’t cut it.  As modellers, however, we can appreciate the opportunity to incorporate outmoded paint schemes into a relatively modern setting.  

Wordless Wednesday No. 610

 

       

Cheshire Wreck

When I posted the photos and information that Ken Borg sent me last week there was a location error. I had a few followers send me a note. Kevin Smith sent me this follow-up photo and a note from Scott Whitney. I shortened the note a bit...George Dutka

As for the location, the accident happened at Walpole proper, just north of the depot. The thing here is this, the section crew was there that day. They may have been out cleaning the switches before the arrival of 5506. The train would have been travelling at track speed, 5506 did not stop at Walpole. The official blame was "on ice" but I know better. I firmly believe the section crew left the house track switch misaligned sending 6000 into the spur. It hit the derail and although usually designed to not derail. Inbound 6000 at that speed popped over the outside of the rail anyway. 

The train hit a building on the right which appears to have ice blocks scattered around. Maybe an ice house before coming to rest in the freight house. I'm positive the train is on the house track, not the main, as is so commonly discussed. The good old boys blamed ice but they are covering for each other...SJW.  

CV 8081

CV 8081 appears to be freshly painted with the safety first shop sign attached up top. I have an Atlas model of this unit which looks no were this clean. One can read about it in the current Jan 2025 RMC.

Keith MacCauley passed along another CV photo. This time it is a view taken by Bruce Curry who was involved with the CVRHS and RRHS back in the 1990's. Here is Keith's comments. Oh and by the way thanks to all that stopped by to check out the blog yesterday...it was a record day of 3265 visits...George Dutka

You mentioned CV S-4 CV 8081 a past post. Attached is a photo of CV 8081 from my sons Peter's collection. The photographer is BP Curry of Ottawa based on the photograph. The following information is from a recent Facebook Fallen Flag Railroads post.

CV8081 was built 9/1955, retired/sold to K&L Feeds 12/1987 then donated to the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum in 1997...Keith

Snapshot - January 2025

CNR 86 is one of a few of this class. It is preserved out front of the Fairground weekend market. It sure looks frosty today. Others from this group are at Palmerston, North Conway NH and Strasburg, Pa. I did not take a good look at the engine but I was just told the engine received a new coat of paint back in the fall.

A second post for today. Out and about this morning to the fair ground market. I took a photo of the CNR steam engine out front which looked frosty today. Also caught VIA 84, the Sarnia to Toronto EB via Kitchener and Stratford at London Jct....George Dutka

VIA 84 crossing Rectory St. has a frosty nose today.

VIA 84 EB at London Jct departing the Dundas Sub onto the Guelph Sub.

Weathered!

A couple of view at the South Simcoe Ry. on Oct. 6, 2024 of what prototype equipment looks like after years of neglect and weathering. Any chance you can do this on a model...George Dutka        

January 2025 - Update

This view of GP9 CV 4927 is from my son Peter's collection. Several years ago Peter was able to collect several hundred slides on-line through eBay (some he saved from the trash bin!). Not much information is found on the slide. Fortunately, the slide had the date and location included, but no identity of the photographer...Keith MacCauley. 

First off Keith MacCauley might send me posts from time to time which will help me fill in when I am running short of material or away. I will let Keith introduce himself shortly. 

I was having a stayover with grandkids yesterday and later in the day headed to Michigan for my grandson's hockey tournament. His is the goalie for the London Junior Knights...so no time for posts or even checking e-mails yesterday. Today I am at the Best Western Warren in Detroit. I hope to be home tomorrow.

I will be at the Springfield Show this year both days. More on that shortly. Posts that week might be thin as I will take a few days travelling and railfanning. 

Franklin, Ct. was a busy spot on the CV southern division mainly because of a large mill complex. I visited this location while still being switched by the CV. I have slides of the CV switching there somewhere in my collection. At one time the mill owned CV 8081 as their plant switcher. Today CV 8081 is on display at Willimantic, Ct...George Dutka

I still have this model in it's original box...my plans were to eventually finish her as #49. Don Valentine from Vermont switched out the tender for me so I could build my model closer to St. J&LC #49...Bruce Douglas.

The new Ingersoll, Ont. web camera which watches the CN mainline caught a couple ex-B&M covered hoppers on Dec 16, 2024.

Before Christmas I helped Peter Mumby move his new freezer into its new location which required us to remove a section of his workbench. There was a lot still under the workbench which we moved before the freezer fit into its new home. Peter gave me a box of this and that spray paints which was under the workbench. Much has been around for a bit but this one can really goes back. Do you remember large size Floquil spray cans?

Another boxcar getting some weathering. I added some AK rust streaks over the gray acrylic I applied...I think it will add to the final effect. I also used rust streaks on the wheels overtop Vallejo rust texture, then some powders.

Rutland power drifts past the WRD Bellows Falls station platform.

VIA 84 the Sarnia to Toronto train is east of Komoka approaching the hot box detector at Pulham Road on the north track. January 6, 2025 was a heavy overcast day just like the rest of them this month, but the photo turned out pretty good I feel.

Throwback Thursday - A Home Away From Home

CP 412536 was photographed at Woodstock, Ontario on September 11, 1994.

By Peter Mumby.

CP 412536 posed for its portrait on September 11, 1994.  The car’s primary role is 

indicated by the words

“SLEEPER

  WORK-SHOP”

as stencilled on the lower right side.  Note the roof-mounted water tank

and the words

“WATER

  ONLY”

to the left of the sliding door.  The car still has its roof walk, probably to permit

access to this tank.  A stack mounted close to this tank would seem to imply an

interior heater.  

Wordless Wednesday No. 609

 
       

Flying Yankee

Car A is seen in for repairs following its derailment in Bellows Falls, Vt. Thanks Ken Borg for sending me the photo and the notes.

The only serious accident to involve the Flying Yankee occurred on January 19, 1945 in the rail yard at North Walpole, NH. Ice was the cause that derailed the train. The train left the tracks running into a section house. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. The nose of car A was crumpled and the frame was bent...George Dutka  

3M Roofing Granules Covered Hoppers

The following was sent to me by Keith MacCauley...George Dutka  

I thought you might be interested in the type of covered hopper car 3M used for roofing granules that Peter mentioned in his recent Throwback Thursday blog post regarding Havelock.

Attached are photos of a UNPX covered hopper car that may have been leased to 3M at one time. If not, identical cars from the same series (UNPX 121700 - 121764) were leased to 3M. Not sure how many were leased to 3M at one time.

Bit of a funny story. We had some issues with the partition sheets between the compartments. On occasion a weld seam would fail and granules could bleed from one compartment to the next. 3M really didn't like mixed colours!

A bit of research turns up that UNPX 121744 was indeed leased to 3M at one time.

Green Mountain Division

A nicely weathered Rapido engine heads out from the WRJ yard on the GMD.

A view Don Janes sent me awhile back of his transformation of his layout from the 1950's to a new era. The layout's rolling stock and engines are now exchanged, some newer transport trucks are seen in some scenes, but most of the cars and pickups are still vintage, at least for now. I should mention many of the engines are nicely weathered and the rolling stock is getting the same treatment...George Dutka 

CP Storage Boxcar

CP storage boxcar. I believe this is somewhere out in Western Canada. Les Walsh photo.

I thought this view of CP boxcar was a nice way to model a leftover boxcar which has that "will not be running on the layout again feel". This also gives one a chance to use up some details. Thanks Les for letting me use your photo...George Dutka 

Pola Relay Boxes

I placed my new relay box down into one scene on the WRD. They look good anywhere I put them. An easy project that adds some interest to a scene. These structures can be found at most train shows for next to nothing.

I finished the other two Pola relay boxes a bit differently than the first two...take a look I think they look a lot better than they first arrived...George Dutka  

I began by spray can painting them Home Hardware iron gray. Some rust texture Vallejo on seams followed by a coat of MIG polished metal in center panels and an overall coating of PanPastel neutral grey shade. Any gray tone powders will work.

I like how the second two turned out.

All four in a group photo. The first two I posted about in early December.

Marmora Station - Prototype

Turn of the century view of the station.

Here are some views of the prototype station through the years...George Dutka 

I used this photo from maybe the 1940-50's to update Peter's model.

Marmora in 1977. Note it had insul brick siding in later years and the platform was removed and station lowered to an asphalt platform.

Happy New Years 2025

 

I added a bit of detailing to Peter Mumby's station module to bring it to life.

I wish you all a Happy New Years with a bit of inspirational modeling to come in 2025.

I am away starting today at a cottage at the lake. I am not sure about internet access or time for posts. I might miss a few days, but will be back for the weekend...George Dutka

Marmora Station

The Marmora station is set into a scene.

I built this model of the Marmora for Peter Mumby back in the late 1980's. Peter had measured the station which still stands today. I drew up a set of plans that I used to scratch build this model using limited building materials we had back then. I also only had a few photo Peter took of the station as it looked at that time as reference. Detailed historical railway books were just becoming available then and there was no internet. For a Christmas present to Peter this year I asked for the station back for an update. I added some signs and details we now know were on the station and built a diorama to be displayed on. Peter had planned to use it on his planned Eastern Ontario layout which never got to far, but now Marmora is all set to go as a drop-in when required...George Dutka

I built up a train order signal as was on the station.

The signs on the end I photocopied from book photos and added to the station were they once hung.

Interesting Storefronts - 1948

This is a photo looking at how Richmond St. looked near the corner with Dundas St., the main corner in downtown London, Ontario in 1948. These buildings would be torn down to make room for the expansion of Simpson's department store. 

I like how the whole scene comes together, the bay window, round storefront window, downspouts and fire escape. Something to consider with our modeling...George Dutka 

Christmas Wishes!

Randy Laframboise

A few of the cards sent via e-mail this year. Thanks guys! Since the postal service here in Canada was on strike for a month leading up to Christmas I doubt I will get any cards by mail this year...George Dutka

John Spring who models the TH&B posted this nice card this year that I thought was nice.

This photo was pass along as a Christmas wish to Ken Borg this year. He then passed it along to me, thanks Ken. Never seen a view of a DT&I Christmas caboose before.

We are visiting our daughter’s family in southwestern Quebec and on Monday I happened across a CSX freight trundling through the Quebec countryside near their home.  This is the old New York Central line that runs from Syracuse NY to Montreal QC.  I suspect that the warehouse on the left was once served by rail...Geoff Southwood