CN 48'6" Gondola's

Two of my CN gondolas in my WRD fleet are 48'6" models. The kit in the foreground is a Westerfield kit that I made a reversible tie load insert. The rear gondola is an Athearn kitbash with new ends and a wood floor...George Dutka     

Snapshot - September 2022

CN train in the Burlington, Ontario area. Walther Reid photo.

I recently received the 2023 CARM calendar which had an interesting view. The photo was shot at Appleby Road in Burlington, Ontario close to the KFC by Walther Reid. The view actually was a video that one frame was clipped and used. Walther is responsible for producing the calendar. Peter Mumby and I also had photos included this year in the calendar.  

 The caption for this view is

"This colourful local freight has an interesting pedigree. The lead unit is GTW 6420 (GP40-2) but the trailing unit has quite the story. First purchased by GTW as #5810 in 1971, it was transferred to CV as CV 5810, then sold to Locomotive leasing Partners as LLP# 2217, then sold to GATX Rail Locomotive Group as GMTX 2254, then finally sold to CN and renumbered as CN 4902. WOW!!"...George Dutka

Fall Update

Thanks Jim for the use of your photos. A clean looking CV boxcar in Belleville, Ont. 1970

Not much modeling lately as we have more than our share of family health issues. I do have a few interesting notes and photos to share with you...George Dutka

A B&M derailment along the Deerfield river, Ma. in about 1939. Leslie Jones collection.

A link to the Flying Yankee. A group wants to restore it once acquiring it from the State of NH.

https://railfan.com/non-profit-looks-to-acquire-flying-yankee-from-state-of-new-hampshire/

 

Although this NH event passed it would have been great to attend.

At CSXT Rougemere yard Dearborn Mi. Kind of an Easter looking paint job. Ken Borg photo Fall 2022

Here we see Don Jane taking a photo of Thousand Island 500 through the window as it was pouring rain. Actually we were on our way to the CVRHS 2010 convention when we ran into the effects of tropical storm Nicole on Sept. 30 2010. All our railfanning on the way east was from inside the car through an open window. 

This is my view once Don positioned the car for me to take a look. More on this trip shortly.

Throwback Thursday - Bob Hannah's ACR Palindrome

ACR 141 represented half of the railway's fleet of SW8 locomotives.

By Peter Mumby

Photo by Bob Hannah.

Today's post is the third installment of a trilogy of 1980-vintage Bob Hannah photos of Algoma Central Railway equipment.

On the off chance that some of us might have been dozing during  grade ten English class on the day that palindromes were discussed, let me refresh your memory.  A palindrome is a word or number the letters or digits of which, when taken in reverse order, read the same.  Numerical examples are easy to find on railway equipment.  TH&B SW9 55 sported a two-digit palindrome, while CN GP40-2L number 9449 featured a four-digit palindrome.  More to the point of today's presentation, 1952-built SW8 number 141 fit into the three-digit category.  In the word category, 3-letter palindromes, such as "Bob" are easy to find, but 6-letter examples, such as "Hannah" are not quite as plentiful.  Probably a mindless diversion on my part, but enjoy the photo anyway.

 

Wordless Wednesday No. 494

 

 

CV Roundhouse Milk Cars

 

A short milk train heads over the WRD behind 8081.

My two Roundhouse versions of CV milk cars as seen in the 1960's. They are factory painted versions that were offered a few years back that I repainted portions of the car that were not correct...George Dutka

Car and Trailer

Two quick summer projects that I completed in an afternoon.

I picked up this summer a single Sylvan's trailer that I finished in a mix of cast iron gray sprayed on first followed by a light coat of white all from spray cans. The finished look was nice once I added a few rust spots and a bit of inside junk. A F&C block is glued onto the hitching location.

A 1954 Pontiac Chieftain received a spray can coat of flat finish and a few rust spots plus a few dabs of AK fresh mud...think this car is a nice extra to the WRD. All was completed in a short afternoon as time for modeling has been tight this summer...George Dutka 

Palmer, Ma. - ex-Propane Dealer

At the first crossing south of CV Palmer yard there was a propane dealer. The trackage and tanks remain.

Don Janes and I visited the area on May 28, 2015 were a propane dealer was located. I showed you a photo of that location on Saturday of how it once was. Here are a few photo I took during that stop...George Dutka 

From the mainline looking towards the industry.

AmeriGas sign is seen by the door.

Looking in from the roadway.

 

Throwback Thursday - A Modern ACR Van

Only the car number and lettering scheme differentiate this modern ACR van from the hundreds of similar cars built by CN during the 1970s.

By Peter Mumby.

Photo by Bob Hannah.

Over the 1970 - 1977 time period, CN assembled well in excess of 500 steel vans for mainline service.  Numbered 79350-79924, these cabooses were produced at Point St. Charles shops in Montreal using parts from retired box cars.  Scarcely noticeable amidst this contingent was a small 6-unit order manufactured for Algoma Central Railway.  This group bore numbers 9601-9606 and today's 1980-vintage photo shows 9604 at its home base in Sault Ste. Marie.

Wordless Wednesday No. 493

 

 

Buddy's Flats Fixed - FOS Kit

The smallest kit in the box is now built.

The finished FOS structure which is the smallest in the Atlas Gorge kit of the year was the second build from the box. I am working my way up from small to large just to feel out the instructions and were all the pieces are located...there are a ton of them in the box...George Dutka   

Looking North into Palmer, Ma.

Nice sign if you need to model a CV diamond location. Palmer, Ma. Bruce McDonald photo December 1981

This Bruce McDonald photo is looking north towards the bridge at the south end of the CV Palmer, Ma. yard. The highlight of this view to me is the propane dealer that is seen on the right hand side. I have been by this location but after the facilities had closed down...George Dutka

New Equipment for the WRD

A mix of ready to roll equipment that has had some work done to it prior to being added to the fleet.

In this view we see a sting of rolling stock that is new to the WRD. All have had some work done to them in the last 6 months. Not sure why I am acquiring so much extra rolling stock as I have two or three times the amount needed to place on the layout. Oh Well...George Dutka  

Throwback Thursday - SGU

 

Bob Hannah took this circa 1986 photo at Steelton Yard in Sault Ste Marie.

By Peter Mumby

Photo by Bob Hannah.

In 1952 Algoma Central became the first railway in Canada to fully dieselize its operations.  No orders had been placed for boiler-equipped units, so provision had to be made to heat the company's passenger trains.  Several coaches used on short locals had been outfitted with individual furnaces, but this was not a practical approach to heating longer trains.  The decision was made to equip each such train with a self-contained steam generator unit (SGU).  Some of these units were created in-house from retired boxcars or troop sleepers.  Others were purchased on the used market.  Units 80 and 81 (80 shown here) were acquired in 1969 from Northern Pacific.  NP had built the SGUs earlier from former steam locomotive auxiliary tenders.  These two pieces of equipment stayed on the ACR roster until the mid-1990s when they were retired and scrapped.

Wordless Wednesday No. 492

 

 

WRJ CV Coal Tower View

Looks like there is some power in town during this early 1960's era view.

Here we have a drone view that I took in 2018 of the area around the CV coal tower. This is my whole fleet of CNR 40'  boxcars ready to roll..enjoy...George Dutka 

Mini Prints

A dumpster, garbage bags, liquor bottles and beer bottles are what arrived in July from Mini-Print. 

Back in July when I had an ordering spree going on I ordered a few details from Mini-Print that I though I could use on the layout and dioramas...especially the back alley scenes I am creating.  I noted that they will be Otter Valley next weekend and one can be scanned and 3-D printed in your favourite scale.

On another note posts will not be daily as we are having health issues with mother in law which requires most of our free time...George Dutka

Throwback Thursday - YDHR in Better Days

York Durham Heritage Railway 3612 leads its train of tourists through Goodwood, Ontario on July 26, 1997.

By Peter Mumby. 

In last week's post we took a look at YDHR 3612 as it appeared in 2002.  Today's photo was taken exactly five years earlier, showing the entire tourist train at Goodwood.  Notice that the locomotive looks a little plain - embellishments such as ditch lights, road name on the long hood, and logo on the nose had been added by the date of the later photo.  But business was good in 1997 and the operation was in full swing, something we hope can happen again some time soon.

Wordless Wednesday No. 491

 

 

Snapshot - August 2022

VIA 72 August 1, 2017

This group of photos were taken in 2017 of VIA with their colorful warps celebrating Canada 150. The end platform gate was open in London, Ontario on my visit in August as VIA 72 arrived so I got a few nice shots before getting the evil eye from the station master. Once again I took a few shots on a trip to Toronto later in the year on VIA 72...George Dutka

VIA 72 August 1, 2017

The VIA station banners found at many of the stations.

Inside the station there also were celebration signs August 1, 2017

Dec. 5 2021 am boarding VIA 72. I think I was using my phone for the photos this day.

Dec 5 2017 at Union Station, Toronto. We went down to shop at the St. Lawrence market and visit the Distillery District prior to Christmas.