Snapshot - January 2017

Great Pizza was had here while railfanning the area. We considered using the trolley in our photo foreground but went trackside instead. I think one can really get a great shot of this area from across the road which would take in the whole scene.

Last spring Peter Mumby and I stopped in at Lowell, Mass. We planned to catch the commuter train at the station. As it turned out there was nowhere to pull over or park the car other than the parking garage...a really busy place. We passed on this location and headed over to a junction point not that far away. At this location we came across this neat looking trolley diner that actually has great pizza. We sat inside and enjoyed a slice while waiting for the train.

When back outside I thought this structure could work well as a foreground feature in a photo but we passed on it this time as we wanted a closeup view track side which is to the right of the diner. A short roadway takes one up track side to a location that I think was a rip track area at one time, but now used as an unload facility. One has many options at this location including the trolley pizzaria...George Dutka

Brick Walls

The plaster castings are painted using Acrylic paints. I used a mix of three colours. Once dry a wash of Hunterline stain is applied.

I took some photos while I built my mill scene for Bellows Falls. As seen above I brush painted the plaster castings with a mix of water-based paint from the dollar store. The roofing got a coat of the black. Pan Pastels and Bragdon powders finish off the project...George Dutka

The footing and stone window and door features are all painted with Floquil concrete. The white grout is a white acrylic wash that is added here and there. Some white PanPastels are used also. I did not want it to look very even. The walls are to look really weather-beaten.

This section one can see I blackened the window openings before the windows are inserted. The doorway got a dusting of Bragdon green grunge. with a fine brush. The black roof has some dark rust and soot applied from Bragdon.

MEC Engines

MEC GP7 564 at Waterville, Maine 1972 Gord Taylor photo

A couple of photos from the Gord Taylor collection...enjoy...George Dutka

MEC 316 August 1972 Waterville, Maine,  Gord Taylor collection

More Boxcars for the WRD Fleet

A CPR True Line Trains car is weathered and added to the fleet. I had been looking for one since I missed the offering when first out. Finding one at a local show for a great price made my day.

I really don't need anymore boxcars but when you have kits to build and deals found at train shows the collection keeps growing...George Dutka

My F&C double door Reading boxcar is now completed and in service. I started this project over two years ago. The Atlas Streamlined boxcar as seen on the billboard style lettering is another find this month at our local WOD Paris show. All it needed was a bit of weathering.

Coco Beach Models - Part 4

This car kit-bash was in RMC some years ago.

Same modeler as above.

Back to the Future - SDs on the White River Division

The CP SD40-2, with its trailing International of Maine boxcar, is at least marginally appropriate for George's layout.

Commentary by Peter Mumby, with Photos by George Dutka.
A couple of weeks ago a friend contacted me to see if I was interested in making a trade for a pair of Intermountain DCC/sound SD40-2 diesel locomotives. He had acquired them shortly before the Bowser Canadian SDs came out, and his attention had been caught by these units.  The Intermountain locomotives were now surplus and available at an affordable rate.

A visit to his layout yielded a comprehensive test run of the two engines.  The sound and light features were nice, and the detailing was appropriate, as far as it went.  Then, out came a pair of Bowser units decorated for CP.  The sound was comparable, but those operating class lights were really impressive.  The detailing was at the next level, especially with the extra piping and  winter hatches on the roof.  The unique CP curved handrails for the walkways between MUed units were also present.  The Bowser units were superior in several ways, albeit at a higher cost price.  I would like to take a look at the corresponding BCR unit - presumably the trademark extra front ditch lights would be in evidence.

Now, this is definitely a strange visitor to northern New England.  The prototype unit would have an extra pair of ditch lights mounted higher than the existing set.

So, I thought the Bowser units were the clear winners, but there was nothing wrong with the way the Intermountain engines sounded and operated.  Appropriate extra details can be added at a later date.  I felt the price was reasonable, so they became the two latest additions to my HO locomotive collection.

Several days after shaking hands on the deal, I was off to George's for our regular weekly work session.  The new acquisitions came along, and after a visit to the programming track, got to strut their stuff on the WRD.  Though certainly not era-appropriate for the layout, they looked and sounded pretty good!
 

Wordless Wednesday No. 216

Gord Taylor photo

Coco Beach Models - Part 3

A nicely weathered Erie car. I really like how the roofing looked in the view below.

More of the Coco displays in part three....George Dutka

Stephen Priest had a nice collection of models on display.

Bachmann Coal Tower - Weathered!

The coal tower is painted black before I applied PanPastels and Bragdon powders.

I purchased a good old model that we all have seen many times. Not the greatest detailed model but when you get one for almost nothing you may as well play around with it a bit. Some of the oversized details could be changed, but I left all as is. I am currently building a little steam engine diorama for my engines that don't run anymore and I don't want to let go. This coal tower might find a spot track side...if not it might be someones flea market find.

I forgot to take a photo of it as it arrived on my work bench. I began by washing all the dirt and grime from the not so shiny plastic walls and roofing. I then spray-bombed it with Walmart flat black. The captions tell the rest of the story...George Dutka

Once done I added some details. A shovel, barrel and worker all by Juneco. I also added a couple of BEST pigeons. The windows and doors got a dusting of Bragdon green grunge. The walls got a dusting of PanPastel Raw Umber Shade followed by some Burnt Sienna Shade (only a touch). Last coat is Bragdon shoot as stains and streaks.

The coal chute is kind of out of scale but I left it as is. I added a bit of PanPastels course coal dust. One can see the added details on the platform.

The roof is a mix of Bragdon rust colours and PanPastel Burnt Sienna Shade which looks kind of like a rusty brown. The concrete base and highlights on the stairs is done with PanPastel Neutral Gray Shade.

F&C - Detail Parts

Three packages of detail parts I purchased from F&C.

While at Coco Beach RPM meet the only purchase I made was some F&C detail parts. Thought these were kind of neat. They also have luggage, blocks, big barrels to name a few...these two items were all that was left when I visited their table...George Dutka

These boxes are open top in three different sizes. The larger ones might be too big for HO scale but will work really well for my O scale module. All three sizes would be great for S scale.

These are nice looking small barrels that will get used up quickly on the layout. Some years ago I got similar barrels from F&C but larger.

I spray bombed the details with car primer. They are then stored in my details drawer till needed.

Coco Beach Models - Part 2

Armand Premo's great looking Rutland Ry. flanger.

Part two covers a few of the New England and Canadian models I saw at the show...more to come next week...George Dutka

Armand had a really nice display. Many of his models are not New England even though he models the Rutland Ry.

A well built NH 40 footer.

I really liked how these Canadian covered hoppers are weathered.

Coco Beach Models - Part 1

Great weathering on this car.

Here is a group of photos I took earlier this month at the RPM Coco Beach Meet. The lighting was not ideal for photos plus I did not have a tripod...so you get what you get as far as photo options...George Dutka

Not all the cars are complete but it is interesting to see how they are being assembled.

A really nice interior to this model.

Wordless Wednesday No. 215

CN in St Albans, Vermont

CN 2565 on the shop track St. Albans, Vermont. Note the details if you want to model a fueling track.

Another of Gord Taylor's photos from in Vermont...May 18, 1979...George Dutka

Prototype Rails 2017 - Coco Beach

The models are laid out for all to see. The best time to view the models was to skip a clinic and wander around the display room. Note the plastic tubing attached to each leg...this brought the height up for better viewing. A closer look at the models shortly.

Last weekend I was in Coco Beach for the RPM meet. This was my first time attending and I had a really great time. For me it was also a chance to meet up with a few friends. Over the past few years I have spoken many times on the phone with Stephen Priest (RMC editor) but we have never met. We got a chance to speak a bit over the course of the meet. I sat in on a really good presentation giving by Stephen and second by his son Joel. I will cover some of the great models I saw over the next week. One disappointment was the shake and take kit feature. There was not one...but they promised to be back on track next year...George Dutka

The vendors area of the meet.

RMC had flyers out if one wants to write up one's model.

Rapido's RDC display.

There was a few manufacturer's displays.

One of two door prize areas...guess who did not win anything.

RMC's Stephen Priest at the N scale Florida based layout.