CNR Flat Car Model

Rich Chrysler's two CNR flat cars in use.

At last years HOMES layout tour I took a few photos of Rich Chrysler's CNR flat car models. He had done a really good job. I had built a few models of other railways flat cars, but to date only have one CNR flat car in my fleet. I took these photos so I could use them as guidance while working on my own some day. Thought these views might be of inspiration to you also...George Dutka

Petersburgh Station - Model

The finished station rests on my workbench till I find a location to add it on the White River Division. The WRD is in the process of an upgrade.

 An Atlas station model is converted to a Rutland Ry. prototype

 I used the Bartonsville station as my main inspiration to build this model. I did choose Petersburgh as the station's name since that Rutland's station has the same lines as Bartonsville and was located near the B&M main line, one of the lines I model. Both stations reflect the look of the Atlas model to some degree and makes a good starting point for a model. Check out my two posts on Bartonsville and Petersburgh for photos of the prototype.

I used the walls and roof braces from the kit. The corners are glued together with Walthers Goo and corner braces are added to the walls and bay window. The body of the station is painted Floquil depot buff followed by a coat of Floquil grime. I applied the second coat while buff was still wet. This wall colour is what I currently am using for any structures that reflect the Rutland Ry. The station had a phone booth location that I did not use. I filled the holes and painted over that location so it blends in with the rest of the wall.

The walls are built up along with the new roof. The original Atlas roof is seen to the right of the concrete platform

Roof
For the roof I used heavy card stock which was braced as seen in the photos. I used the Atlas roof for basic dimensions. The seams are filled with MMD white putty then spray painted with an auto spray bomb. The roof material was purchased from Minuteman Scale Models at the Model Railroad Expo last year. He had a box of seconds that he was selling. I picked up enough light coloured slate to finish a roof of at least this size. The shingles are easy to apply, but you must take care cutting and trimming the edges. The roof got a weathering of Bragdon powders.

Windows, Doors and Platform
The kit windows and doors are used. These I painted Floquil coach green. They did get a light coat of chalk weathering to dirty them up a bit before adding to the station. The window and doors got a plastic glaze added which was sprayed with flat finish so they looked dulled down a bit. I used a brown paper bag cut into lengths for window shades.

The platform on the Rutland Ry stations I used as inspiration are gravel and cinders. I decided to reuse the concrete base that came with the Atlas kit. It looks really nice and can be a good drop in base when I change a location around. The base was painted Floquil concrete then chalks and powders are rubbed into the cracks and grooves. The base looks great and I am glad I used it.

The walls, windows, doors and concrete platform have all been painted and are now ready for a coating of Bragdon powders. The station roof has been spray painted black and will receive a slate roof.

Signs, Order Board and Details
The station sign was made by photocopying an original photo of the stations side. I did not even have to reduce the print size. In later years the station sign was moved to the roof top. I liked the looks of the sign hanging under the roof line as through most of the stations life. Once I cut out the station signs I rubbed a lead pencil along the edges to get rid of the white cut marks.

The station train order board was not in use near the end of its life...at least the photos I see has no blades on the post. I kind of wanted an order board included on my model so I built one and located it in the position it was found on the Petersburgh station. I had made a Rutland order board some years ago and I just copied what I did then. I will cover order board construction in a later post.

I added a lot of Juneco details around the platform for a well used location. I also used mostly Juneco figures in this scene. In real life the Rutland station platform was pretty empty in later years. I really like the looks of something happening on the platform.  Well now to find a new home for Petersburgh on the White River Division...George Dutka

The model is pretty much done at this point. I just have to finish the roof  and order board.

The shingles are being attached to the roof. I trim the ends and attach the cap after each side is finished.

A look at the rear wall of Petersburgh. The chimney is a cast metal casting from my parts box.

One of the ends are seen in this photo. The station sign is a copy of the original.

Wordless Wednesday No. 44

Woodstock Model Railroad

A few weeks back Larry Brinker sent me a link to a new blog site he created to follow a local clubs layout construction. I have been checking it out regularly. Larry has done a good number of posts already (11 since Sept 4th) and the layout is moving along really quickly. They should be up and running trains in no time at all...you might want to check it out. The link is below and also in my sidebar...George Dutka

Woodstock Model Railroad

Petersburgh, NY - Rutland Ry. Station

This view is of the station looking North. In earlier years the station sign was hung under the eaves. Bob Nimke collection.

Petersburgh - Mile 22.3

Petersburgh station on the Rutland Ry. was located 6 miles south of the B&M crossing at Petersburgh Jct.  I am not sure when the first station was built or removed but for a time prior to the station seen above (built 1903) there was a passenger car in use as the station. The station had a slate roof, a 10' by 150' gravel platform and a loading platform 16' long by 3'6" high on the north end. The loading platform was retired in 1933 but remained on the station till the end. The station sign at one point was silver leaf lettering on a black board. The station was retired in 1952.

The station dimensions vary depending on which site plan you look at. It was noted as 16' by 54' on one, 26' by 55' on another. The actual evaluation drawing of the station give it the dimensions of 16'4" by 60' with a wall height of 13'8" and ridge height of 20'6". The overhang is noted as 5'. The operators bay is 9'6" wide. The station evaluation indicates it as constructed using the 16' by 40 station plans. That would be Rutland's W-102 plan for a 16' by 40' or 22' by 55' station. It would originally have a white exterior and varnished interior.

Petersburgh did have a 651' siding, which was retired in 1939. In the early days a furniture factory was located behind the station. Just south of the station was a shirt factory and beyond that was the C.W. Reynolds coal shed.

A collection of Petersburgh station photos can be found at the link below...George Dutka

 Poulin Collection - Petersburg.pdf
 

Note the station signs at one time was attached to the roof. This photo would have been taken around 1951. Bob Nimke collection.

Tankcar-Covered Hopper - Sept 2013 RMC

In the Sept. 2013 issue of RMC I found an interesting article that converts a tank car to a covered hopper. The article reports that in 1948 Barrett Division needed covered hoppers to haul granulated slate from quarries on the Washington Branch of the D&H in Vermont to various roofing manufacturers. So cars are converted. A car like that might fit nicely into my own fleet. The model is built from a Tichy tank car. It does take some work converting, but one can do as much or little if need be to come up with their own version.

The decals for this project can be ordered through the link below. Jerry Glow also has some other interesting decals available. A word of advice...I did note that on the Yahoo groups pages I follow a mention that Jerry can be extremely slow in mailing orders out. One might wish to check with him before ordering...George Dutka
Custom Decals

NEB&W Bartonsville Station

My station in progress is placed on top of the model photo built by Brent Chartrand.

I noted a link from the NEB&W Facebook page to my Petersburgh station blog post. I never knew who built the model for the club. It appears the NEB&W station was built by Brent Chartrand. He painted his model in NEB&W company's colours. Thanks for the inspiration Brent..George Dutka

Brent Chartrand's model on the NEB&W. The inspiration for my project. NEB&W Facebook page photo.

Rutland Ry., Bartonsville, Vt. station around 1947. Bob Nimke's collection. Brent used this prototype as inspiration for his model.

Wordless Wednesday No. 43

Petersburgh, NY Station Model

The finished model of my Petersburgh station. Although by my era the order board would have been gone and most of the station details would not have been there...it still was nice to include.

This past spring and summer I finally got started working on an Atlas station kit that I wanted to convert into a Rutland Ry. style station. This was a really easy project...not sure why I kept it in storage for decades. I first saw this conversion on the NEB&W as the Bartonsville station. John Nerich pointed this out to me many years ago. I chose another Rutland Ry. station that looked similar to the kit. Petersburgh, NY station was a smaller simple station that reflected what I wanted to do. It also was the first station south of Petersburgh Jct., a connection with the B&M on the corkscrew division. Petersburgh, NY would work well as a drop in style structure that could be located on the White River Division.

I will cover the prototype and construction of the station shortly...just thought I would pass along a few views from the finished model...George Dutka

Here is my station in progress placed on top of a photo of the same model on the NEB&W.

The station sign is a photocopy of the original sign. I added a lot of details around the concrete platform. The concrete platform included with the kit was really nice so I decided to use it. The original station platform was wooden and raised at one end at one point, then cinders near the end of its existence.

Wordless Wednesday No. 42

Plywood on the WRD

White River Junction is seen in the background with the foreground mainly removed. I have the station set aside for safe keeping till the foreground is set.

It has been a really long time since I have seen raw plywood on the White River Division. Seeing it gives me options for change. The best change so far is no duck under. With the tear down behind me I realise how my body is changing. A long afternoon back a few months ago began under the layout dismantling components that had to be removed before I could work up top. The next day I could hardly move. Who am I kidding I could hardly move while I was working under the layout...I think I should have built it higher up...more to come...George Dutka

This area was mainly hidden staging. The mountains and trees could be seen only as background or when one peeked over the foreground mountains. This will become the White River Junction yard. When I changed the layout shape the face board did not stretch all the way. I need to add a small filler piece at some point.

CNR Section House

The trackside and east end of the section house, June 2013.

With Central Vermont Ry. section houses a reflection of the parent CNR prototypes I thought I would share with you one that still exists near where I keep my boat. The CNR section house in Goderich, Ont. still remains but in poor shape. For the past few decades it has been part of the GEXR shortline owned by the same parent company as NECR or the old CV. These view might help one in the construction of such a structure...George Dutka

The roadside and west view back in 2010.

Wordless Wednesday No. 41