CP GP20C-ECO

March 21, 2018

Railfan magazine had a nice article in their June 2023 issue by Marcus W. Stevens on the GP20C-ECO units one sees around South Western Ontario. In 2023 these engines marked a decade since the first was entered into service. The article notes that 25 of these engines are assigned to the Toronto area with a few seen here in London, Ontario.  

Engines assigned to this area are 2250-2257, 2259-2267, 2269, 2279-2282, 2288, 2292, 2307. Since that time other numbers have been seen in London.

The article is interesting and worth a read. Here are a few of the views of these engines that I took...George Dutka    

All views are in London, Ont. Feb 12, 2023

March 21, 2018

March 27, 2019

March 27, 2019

March 27, 2019

 

B&M Yard Office - WRJ

I was recently asked if I had dimensions for the WRJ yard office in the B&M yard. I had measured this structure decades ago and built a model of it for my layout. Here is scanned but maybe reduced a bit copy. The basic overall dimensions are 32' by 17', wall height is 18' in the corners with a peak height of 24'...George Dutka 

No Data

May 15, 1996 G. Dutka

Sept 27, 1992. G. Dutka

CP 9023 at Cowichan

 

Don't know much about this photo other than it is a neat view of a CP Budd car 9023 passing a flagstop called Cowichan. The roof on the shelter is showing its age but a neat looking structure. The photo might be taken by Peter Mumby but for sure is from his print collection.   

Three Building Flats - ITLA

The three building flats.

I took ITLA Olympia Tool and Die kit and built 3 building flats from what was in the package. This is how the finished buildings look...more on it later...George Dutka 

This is one of the ways I can lay it out. I plan on using some other structures between them to stretch it out more.

CSX Along New York's Route 5

February 2026 Trains 

The February 2026 issue of Trains has a nice article about railfanning the former NYC Water Level Route. One can follow the tracks on route 5 from Hoffman's near Rotterdam Jct. to Utica. Many photo locations are mentioned. Don Janes and I have followed a portion of the route from Amsterdam to Hoffman's many times catching a couple of trains. We decided on one occasion to head west from Amsterdam Amtrak station which was a pleasant surprise. We stopped at Fonda and caught a couple of trains. There is a subway at one crossing so we decided to have a sub trackside for dinner. To our surprise we had a hard time eating our sub. It seemed every time we got into the car and took another bit the crossing gates started to come down. It was a Sunday and it seemed that this was a busy time along the line. Luck for us...George Dutka

By the time we got to the Amtrak station in Amsterdam during the early evening it has began to rain but we still took our shots on June 2, 2019.

June 2, 2019 a WB passes through Fonda, NY. It had stopped raining by then but was heavy overcast.

One of the trains that passed us while we ate our Subway subs at the crossing beside the sub shop. We were parked in their parking lot which looks right towards the track. We did not have to move away from the car to get this photo.

An EB on June 2, 2028 passes behind the sub shop. I could shoot while sitting in the car from the window.

January 23, 2025 I stopped by Amsterdam, NY once again to take this view of an EB Amtrak train behind the reproposed freight house. I was on my way to the Springfield train show. There are many places to get a nice photo along this part of the line.

Throwback Thursday

FADING FAST – WHEAT BOARD COVERED HOPPER CARS 

by Keith MacCauley

 The 4,550 cu. ft. covered hopper car has to be considered a Canadian railway icon. An enlargement of existing AAR class ‘LO’ freight cars, the so called ‘Wheat Board’ car was constructed by all three Canadian builders; Hawker Siddeley (HST), National Steel Car (NSC) and Marine Industries Limited (MIL) from 1972 until 1994. The ‘Wheat Board’ moniker stemmed from the government funding, both federal and provincial, that spawned almost 20,000 cars. Once commonplace, the ranks of the ubiquitous grain hauler have been thinned by age and wrecks (the last build of ninety-nine cars in 1994 by NSC was in fact funded by monies collected from cars destroyed over the years in derailments). A number have also been sold off to private owners. Of course the movement of grain from the prairies to Canada’s west coast continues. Today this is accomplished in large part by recently delivered larger volume (5,431 cu. ft.) covered hopper cars, built mainly by NSC. While both HST (later renamed Trenton Works) and MIL are no longer active, US based Trinity Industries has also contributed similar volume cars to the Canadian National fleet. The larger volume is a function of the higher available Gross Rail Load (GRL) available since 1995; 286,000 lbs, vs. 263,000 lbs.

CNWX 100653 (original paint) was constructed by NSC in December of 1972. CNWX 10635 (original paint) was built by HST in September of 1983.

Both ALNX 396328 (repaint) and ALNX 396406 (original paint) were built by NSC in 1981. For more information on the Wheat Board covered hopper cars, go to; Canada's Grain Fleet - Covered Hoppers

Wordless Wednesday No. 664

 

  

  

The Rutland Ry. on the Green Mountain Division

A Rutland Ry 70 tonner engine running light on Don Janes layout. Don's photo

I really liked this photo that Don Janes posted recently on Facebook taken on his Green Mountain Division layout. A simple shot of a lone engine running past a barn scene...George Dutka  

More CP Work Cars

CP412536 no date or location. Peter Mumby photo.

A few more work cars scanned from Peter Mumby's prints...enjoy...George Dutka 

CP412572 Cobourg, Ont. Aug. 10, 1990 Peter Mumby photo.

CP412732 May 28, 1988 London, Ontario Peter Mumby photo.

Portland, Maine

GT 7475 is in Portland, Maine in 1956. That is all the information I have from  this view...George Dutka 

 
 

Snapshot - February 2026

CP 412375 March 13, 1989 Guelph Jct. Ontario Peter Mumby photo.

For this month we look at photos I scanned of Peter Mumby's prints recently. These are some of the CP work cars that he had taken photo of 30-40 years ago...George Dutka    

CP 401309 Guelph Jct. April 2, 1994 Peter Mumby photo.

CP 401346 London, Ont. May 14, 1991 Peter Mumby photo.

CP 412486 March 28, 1992 Peter Mumby photo

CP 412486 one year earlier on March 31, 1991 Peter Mumby photo.

February 2026 - Update

One of the Rapido CN covered hoppers in their work car series numbering is getting some weathering last month. 

It has been really cold and snowy around my area this winter and I have not been out much other than going down south for a bit twice since November. I have done a bit of modeling on and off but I have been working mostly on catching up on articles for RMC, the CVRHS, RRHS and CARM. Now that I feel I have caught up on writing I will head downstairs more...and if it warms up a bit maybe some more railfanning...if not maybe I'll buy a snowmobile...George Dutka

A group photo of covered hoppers I weathered in 2025-26.

Close-up view of my Kadee covered hopper.

CN did not put much effort into numbering of this engine. Jan. 3, 2026.

One for the modelers to work on if you don't want to decal. Jan. 3 2026.

The power up at the top end of London, Ontario yard when I stopped at the local deli meat spot I like to frequent. Feb. 7, 2026.

Jan 3 2026 the local power is switching the top end of London, Ontario yard with a trio of older CN power.

I had thought I glued this Monster Modelworks structure together pretty good but I found it the other day warping at the top and lower joints. The warps are a good size as you can see. I had glued the walls together without any corner bracing as the walls are pretty thick and I have never had problems in the past with their kits. They don't offer bracing also making me think it did not need it. Guessed wrong...corner bracing going in now and in future builds of their kits.

My Monster Modelworks tower gets a better glue job and clamping. Hope this helps. It is all glued back together again and all is well.

The GTW Holly Mi. station is on the move last year. It seems there are more stations being saved by removal from their original site. From a Facebook post.

This was posted on the South River Modelworks blog a day ago. You might want to get a copy of the March RMC.

Throwback Thursday - All but Gone

SWITCHER LOCOMOTIVES AND PIGGY BACK TRAILERS

by Keith MacCauley 

Lower HP, end cab locomotives were at one-time commonplace. Purpose built for switching duties, the relatively diminutive units were for the most part confined to yards, rarely able to access the mainline. Some, however, did escape; witness CN 7005 plying Canadian National’s Oakville subdivision high iron through Bayview Junction. The reason? To facilitate trailer off-loading at nearby Stuart Street Yard, the coupled flatcars needed to be ‘Y’d’ (reversed). While many SW type locomotives are still around, virtually all toil away on short lines or industrial sites. Fortunately, a number have been preserved. Overall, most are well past the half century mark in age and many are existing on borrowed time. While yard switching is of course still required, virtually all Class One railroads have cascaded former road units into such back and forth duties.

Piggy back (trailer on flat car or TOFC) traffic? While still a practice in the US, aside from special needs, virtually absent from the Canadian railway landscape. Even Canadian Pacific’s dedicated, purpose built ‘EXPRESSWAY’ could not sustain profitability; the economics of so called ‘double stack’ container traffic has prevailed.

What about SW9 CN 7005? Built by GMD London in 1952 the end cab unit would be renumbered CN 7705 in 1985, and off the roster by 1990.