Union Flag Station

June 10, 2025 looking north at the Union Depot between Pt. Stanley and St. Thomas Ontario on the PSTR.

The Union, Ontario flag station on the PSTR (Port Stanley Terminal Railway) is kind of a neat concrete structure that has survived through the years when most flag stations had not. Sylvan produced a model of the structure which can now be purchased at the Port Stanley station when boarding the train for a ride. It is a simple structure that is typical of Sylvan builds. I hear the PSTR sold a lot of these kits this spring with more being ordered...George Dutka

A built model on display inside the station.

What one gets in the kit. I also picked up one to build.

The station has a number of L&PS memorabilia. 

Snapshot - June 2026

A EB passes Amsterdam, NY station on the morning of May 28, 2026. There really was no sun on this day but the light was still good. It began to rain before we left.

This months snapshot is of Don Janes and I visiting Amsterdam, NY. This is a nice place to sit and watch trains at the depot with a nice view of the river when trains are not in the picture. The station was open on our visit which is a newer style of structure with washrooms available. There are a couple of nice benches to rest on right on the platform. Here is what we saw in a short visit both going and leaving the Springfield RPM...George Dutka  

The Amsterdam, NY station is a smaller structure but well kept. Note the flowers out front trackside. May 28, 2026.

There are two Amsterdam signs one can maybe get into a photo.

During the later afternoon an EB comes around the curve as the west end of the station. A nicer lit shot would be in the morning looking this way.

There are two benches on the platform. Don and I spent sometime on our way to the RPM sitting on them waiting for trains. What we got was some rain so we had to leave.

The EB Maple Leaf arrives at the station. Note the stepping boxes that are in place all the time.

Throwback Thursday - Peter Mumby Collection – Fallen Flags

by Keith MacCauley 

I came to know Peter over the years at the local Train Shows. He always had an amazing variety of kits and model railroad supplies at more than fair prices. In addition to model wares, Peter always included photo albums with prints of his own material for sale. Knowing Peter’s interest in freight cars, I would usually look through the albums before the kits. On occasion he would also bring a few pages of slides. Later on I came to know that Peter’s personal slide collection was substantial, diverse, and like many railfans, included traded material. A sampling of so called ‘Fallen Flag’ or defunct railways from his collection as follows.

BN 164

Built 4/1957 as Great Northern GN 31. Post merger, subsequently BNSF 3547; retired/sold to Burlington Junction Railway. Note the Flexicoil style trucks.

CBQ 953

Built 5/1962 by EMD. Renumbered BN 2230. One of my favourite paint schemes.

CNW 404

Built 12/1966 by Alco, renumbered CNW 4258 in 1982. Relatively fresh paint.

LN 1313

Built 8/1966 by Alco. My all time favourite design Alco diesel locomotive.

MILW 70C

Built 7/1950 by EMD. Classic A-B-B-A consist.

Wordless Wednesday No. 680

 

  

Rutland Ry Boxcar Roof

Rutland Ry. PS-1 Omaha Nebraska on Rock Island June 19 1957 David Hutchinson collection.

There has been a debate in the past about what color the Rutland Ry boxcar roof color are. I was surprised to see this view of a boxcar posted on Facebook a week or two ago. It shows the roof as an unpainted metal roof which would have a galvanized metal look. Thanks David for sharing...George Dutka 

Kip Grant's Rutland boxcar at a past RPM meet. He did his roof silver with a flat finish and alcohol and India ink applied. His photo appears to have a silver tone roof.

A past Wordless Wednesday post. I purchased this boxcar from Don Janes a few years back which was a Steam Shack offering which had a yellow roof. Maybe the 400 series had yellow roofs. 

The Kadee model #248 has a silver roof while the Intermountain model has a yellow roof. Which one is correct? I feel both maybe correct as it appears in some photos I have seen a hint of yellow. I see the yellow on the edges of some roof ribs and running boards that may indicate they were yellow. As modelers I would go with the photo you have.

Power at North Walpole NH.

May 3, 2026 the power is tucked away behind the rolling stock out front.

Just a couple shots of the power seen at North Walpole NH the day of the RRHS convention tour and the afternoon before...we did not have access to get near the power...George Dutka

May 2 2026 from the roadway one could see one of the engines between the overhead wires.

Truck Trailers on the WRD

I did not have a use for two of these B&M lettered trailers on the layout so they became storage locations that actually adds a bit more interest to a scene. I just used leftover details that bring the scene together. This one is in Bellows Falls.

Just a couple of views of trailers in use on the White River Division. I think both of these trailers have been seen on the layout before in photos but here are some up close views...George Dutka

I added this NH trailer to my Bellows Falls, Vermont scene that I had done some weathering to. Just picked up a new pickup truck too. It needs some flat finish.

A General Store to Model?

Looking across the road on April 30, 2026. The tracks are just behind the small building in the rear of the photo. 

I stopped by West Hartford, Vermont on my way to White River Jct. I was following the CV for a bit along Route 14. The old West Hartford Village Store (which is closed) next to Harper Savage Lane is a larger structure that might make a neat model. It is long with some interesting features. My friend Bill Moore was interested in something along this line for his layout if I was interested in building something...maybe this one would work. I also went down to the tracks just north of here where there is a cemetery that I have seen views of trains passing by years ago. It is somewhat overgrown but a couple of spots one could still get a decent shot when the leaves are gone...George Dutka 

It was a rainy morning with a light drizzle when I took these views. A stop on a nicer day maybe in order if I decide to build a model. The general store was damaged by hurricane Irene back on Sept 7, 2011 but repaired. At that time it was call the West Hartford Village Store. It closed as a general store in 2015. At one point I think it was called Hack and Livery General Store and Messier General Store also at another time.

Looking at the rear from the NECR tracks behind me.

Roadside view April 30, 2026

A view looking south at the tracks from the West Hartford, Vt. cemetary.

Milk Cans at Wells River, Vermont

I saw this interesting photo of Wells River which is a postcard on Facebook awhile back. Check out all the milk cans on the baggage carts and stacked next to the structure which I figure is a freight house. This is an early era view but still a lot of milk cans collected here...George Dutka  

Throwback Thursday – BCOL 753

 

by Keith MacCauley 

British Columbia Railway SD40-2 BCOL 753 was constructed by GMDD London in September of 1980. Further to service in Canada’s western most province the six axle unit would be retired in 2003 and sold to General Electric; renumbered GECX 753. Resold to Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railway as ICE 6451, the veteran unit would subsequently be acquired by the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad as RCPE 3643.

Long a devoted MLW customer, BC Rail was forced to work with another supplier when the Montreal based builder ended locomotive production. The railway would roster a total of thirty-two SD40-2’s made up of fifteen EMD built (previously owned) and seventeen newly built GMDD’s. All were off the roster by 2010.

The ‘Z’ separated green/dark green BC Rail paint arrangement is among my all time favourite schemes. Not a fan of the follow up red/white/blue scheme. While no doubt intended to honour British Ensign colour ancestry, to me it screams ‘USA’.

Wordless Wednesday No. 679

 

  

MEC Papers

A Bruce Douglas letter from June 1996.

I came across this note from my late friend Bruce Douglas. We all got lots of letters before computers. I was late getting a computer too. Many times his letters came through on train order papers or stationary. At that time all news was through letters and newsletters such as Tempo Jr. and Froth. Bruce also sent out a "New England News" every couple of months that was one or two pages long from notes he received from his friends in New England. I have a few of those too still hanging around somewhere...glad I kept some of them...George Dutka

Butch Eyler Gondola interiors

Cell phone photos. The lighting was not the best for viewing these cars or taking photos.

At the Springfield NERPM meet the display table had a number of pieces of rolling stock done by Butch Eyler. Butch was also one of modelers working at a table weathering rolling stock. I was very impressed with the job he did with the interior of these gondolas...George Dutka

I like the rails and scrap included in this model. 

Brookside Milk Car Placards

Don Janes and I stopped by to see Randy Laframboise after the NERPM meet on the Monday for a visit and to see his Rutland Ry layout. Talking to Randy at the Rutland Ry. Historical Society convention a month previous I found out he had one of the old Brookside milk car placards in his garage. So I was interested in seeing it in person. It originally came from Phil Jordan, then Jim Dufour had it and finally Randy. The sign measures 3'8" by 8' if you want to size your signs properly for the sides of you milk cars. I know some of the decals seemed large...George Dutka

Don Janes took a photo of Randy and I on his front porch with the Rutland Ry. Middlebury station sign on the wall. Randy has a very nice collection of signs around his property. 

A Stop at the Hobby Shop

My goodies from Broughdale Hobby this week.

This past week I stopped at our London local hobby shop Broughdale Hobby and to my surprise Marty's new scenery book was on the shelf. Well I had to get a copy for sure. Also there was a lot of commissioned brass in the cases this time around...I had not been in for a couple of months. Most was Canadian prototype engines and equipment but one stood out hiding in the back. A NYC-Rutland Ry style milk car. I had built one years ago from a F&C resin kit but when I found out the price was $60 it went home with me. Now to see if I have any decals that will work on the model...George Dutka  

Rooftop Weathering - North Stratford Athearn Models

This is the second of three cars I am working on. The roof got a couple of coats of Vallejo rust texture followed by some PanPastel raw umber shade and neutral grey.

A few views of my three pack of Athearn 40' boxcars that I added air hoses, cut levers and Kadee true scale couplers plus of course some weathering. This is car number two of the set...George Dutka 

AK fresh rust gouache is touched on the roof edges as highlights. This was done overtop the powders which seemed to attach well and toned down the fresh rust a bit. I have yet to add any weathering to the sides.  

Throwback Thursday - Safety-Kleen

By Keith MacCauley

Initially started by entrepreneur Ben Palmer as a parts washer device sales operation back in the mid 1950’s, today Safety-Kleen is the well-known nation-wide fluids recycling corporation. Reportedly, leasing, rather than selling the parts washer equipment was one of Ben’s brainchild’s as was ‘Kleen’. While perhaps a clever marketing ploy, no doubt the alternate spelling has been an annoyance to grade school English teachers ever since! 

Tank car wise, the entrepreneurship continued decades later as Safety-Kleen eschewed default ‘Henry Ford’ black paint in favour of audacious, eye hurting yellow. As further emphasis, Safety-Kleen specified full length reflective tape, long before it was Federally mandated in 2005. Post lease term, most tank cars were repainted black (see PROX 50245 below), or as a minimum, had the bold ‘Safety-Kleen’ decal removed or otherwise obliterated. While some lease contracts included an End of Lease (EOL) repaint clause, simultaneous financial woes on behalf of Safety-Kleen denied their enforcement. For more history on Safety-Kleen go to; 60 Years Leading Environmental Services | Safety-Kleen

60 Years Leading Environmental Services | Safety-Kleen Since 1954, Safety-Kleen has been at the forefront developing practical, sustainable processes.

Wordless Wednesday No. 678