Wordless Wednesday No. 302

Year 8

CP 7096 S-2 at St. Johnsbury, Vt. May 7, 1975. Bruce Nelson photo.

Tomorrow begins year 8 of the WRD blog. I have a lot to cover although posts will be thin over the next couple of weeks as Thursday I leave with Don Janes for Albany, NY for the Fine Scale Model Railroad Expo. Once back late Monday I am getting ready to head for Milwakee and Trainfest. There is a group of 13 NFR members of the NMRA traveling as a group. Out of the group 4 of us are doing clinics and all are participating at the NFR workshop table. Should be fun as we are taking in some layouts and Walthers. So if you are at Trainfest, look me up or better yet take in my clinic on drop-in dioramas...maybe I will see you there...George Dutka

Peter and I visited St. Thomas to check out Brian Smith's new basement yesterday. A layout in the works shortly. After our visit we lucked out with the OSR arriving in town. Here the days work is done and the OSR are running to the CN yard light power. They will tie up for the night on the shop track something that does not happen often.

OSR on the St. Thomas CN shop track, Oct 29 2018.

The relay box at the crossing Peter and I took some photos at in St. Thomas.

This Athearn express reefer has been boxed up and hanging around my basement for decades. I added a bit of acrylic weathering toned down with a light coat of Floquil grimy black before selling it at the Woodstock train show.

My latest boxcar supply shed made from an Athearn stock boxcar. Another offering at the Woodstock train show.

ITLA - Mini Kit

The mini kit by ITLA completed and ready for weathering and detailing. More on this kit shortly.

At the Brampton train show ITLA did a clinic on how to built one of their kits. To show off what is involved they offered a mini kit made special for the show to work on. It is an equipment building that could fit easily into any industrial complex or better yet as a rooftop addition. Although I could not attend the clinic as Peter and I were manning the NFR workshop table I did manage to scoop up the last kit...here is how it looks...George Dutka

Here is what came in the package for $20.

I filed down the corner joints before painting the walls.

The walls got a spray bomb coat of auto primer red. I then applied a coat of Roberts brick mortar formula. When it is almost dry I wipe it off the brick face.

Here we see the auto primer colouring before the mortar mix is applied.

I did not paint any of the windows or details, it all got a coating of PanPastel green as seen here.

The assembly is almost completed and some additional details and weathering will be applied.

Vermont Railway 40' Boxcar

PS1 VTR boxcar that could make a nice modeling weathering project. May 22 1977 Rutland, Vt. Gord Taylor photo

A new drop-in scene

My new FOS scale kit is now in use on the WOD.

My most recent FOS scale kit is now a new drop-in  and found trackside on the WOD...George Dutka

CV milk train heads through the scene.

Pam Am Railways

PAR 350 GP 40 at White River Jct. May 30, 2009 Gord Taylor collection

Some more photos from the Gord Taylor collection...George Dutka

I actually  don't mind this paint scene.

PAR 374 an ex-MEC GP40 Bow, NH, Oct. 4, 2008 Gord Taylor collection.

Walton & Sons Lumber Co. - Walthers

My finished coal and lumber models.

Walthers Walton & Sons Lumber Co. was the beginning point for these models. I found a photo of a box cover online recently that gives one the original look of these structures...George Dutka

Wordless Wednesday No. 301

Snapshot - October 2018

StJ&LC train 76 June 26, 1965 East Fairfax, Vt. Geoff Southwood photo.

This months snapshot is a photo that Geoff Southwood sent me yesterday. A great colour view of a St.J &LC caboose which is ex-CV. I have a Steam Shack - F&C models set aside to model this particular caboose as St. J. I have already built the CV version but with two St. J 70 tonners it will work out well. Geoff and I discussed the caboose number as it is not clear in the photo. I guess it will remain unknown for now.

On another note Don Janes just gave me a decoder from his Rutland Ry 70 tonner to add to one of mine. He changed his out with a better sounding unit. Although it is not an exact match for a 70 ton sound unit it will do well. Don and I discussed the fact neither of us have actually heard how a 70 tonner sounds so I think it will do well for now. I don't think anyone actually makes a 70 tonner sound unit, but if they do please let me know...George Dutka

Here is Geoff's comments included with the photo.

"I have been going through some old New England slides that I took in the 60s for a slide night being put on by the Calgary Model Railway Society in early November.  In rummaging through my slides, one picture albeit not very good quality surprised me because I had been looking for a shot of a St.J.& L.C. caboose for some time and did not realize that I had taken one some fifty plus years ago.  You might find it useful reference for modelling projects …  The note on my slide says that this was on Train 76 at East Fairfax VT on June 26, 1965." Enjoy, Geoff Southwood.

Woodstock Train Show

Jim Sloan with his collection of nicely weathered rolling stock and engines. Most of this was sold before the end of the show. One can find Jim's blog JSSX Railway on my sidebar.

Yesterday I was Peter Mumby's helper at our area train show in Woodstock, Ontario. A couple of the bloggers found on the sidebar had tables and selling some really neat stuff. I picked up a couple of Jim's nicely weathered rolling stock. The WOD of the NMRA also had a workshop table along with displays....the photos tell the story...George Dutka

Rymal Station in HO is one of the blogs found on my sidebar. Peter is seen with his impressive collection of rolling stock offerings. Peter had this nice looking tablecloth made up overseas, an offering which was found online.

Peter ready for the show to begin behind the tables at Peter's Trains.

A close up look at some of Jim's nicely weathered rolling stock.

The WOD workshop table.

I left a copy of my before and after article at the WOD table along with some of the structures.

BAR Reefer

BAR 2343 built in June 1953 and viewed here later in the same year. Paul Dunn photo, RJ  Burg collection, Bob Bowes copy.

Here is a look at the BAR reefer when it was new. I have posted photos of this car as a model recently...George Dutka

Vermont Northern

Engines 201, 202 Morrisville,Vermont May 22, 1977 Gord Taylor photo

Updated Weathering - NH Boxcar

A small string of NH boxcars are currently in service on the WRD. All three are Branchline Yardmaster series cars.

I recently pulled out some of my 1950's era boxcars for this winters WRD fleet. One car a Branchline Yardmaster series model that I assembles about 4-5 years ago looked like it could use a bit better weathering. Orange cars in the past gave me some grief when weathering was required. I decided to use my acrylic paints and PanPastels for an upgrade...weathering options I did not have when I first built the car...think it looks a bit better now...George Dutka

This orange NH boxcars really stands out on my trains so I wanted to tone it down just a bit more. Actually most of the prototype photos I have seen of these cars are fairly new and the colouring really gets your attention. Toning mine down, the roof edges got some acrylic burnt sienna and burnt umber followed by a bit of gray PanPastels.

Some rust spots are applied using burnt umber and some Bragdon dark rust. Some light gray PanPastel  is applied to the lower edges. The car originally had a dusting of chalk powder in an orange shade and some black streaking.

Wordless Wednesday No. 300

Denfield Sideroad - CNR

CN 9651 EB no date for these photos. Bob Douglas photos

Here we have a couple of views sent to me by Bruce Douglas taken by his brother Bob at Denfield side road a favorite spot for railfanning over the years just west of London...enjoy...George Dutka

CN 4569 EB at Denfield wooden overhead bridge. That is the CP line to the right of the CN double mainline.

The top of my file cabinet a few years back

My 70 tonners after completion a few years back on display on top of my file cabinet.

 Here are two views taken with my father-in-laws digital camera a few years back. I found them in my files yesterday...enjoy...George Dutka

Set on top of my photo file boxes are two of my drop-in scenes that are now on display on the WRD. I picked up a new in the box CN clock a few years before retiring. The old train order hoop and time correction chart came from my father-in-laws collection.

Closed and Abandoned Garages

This old garage looks worn and gives one a neat bit of modeling inspiration. It is located in Brucefield, Ont. July 31 2018

On the way to the lake at the end of July I stopped and took a few photos of closed gas stations and garages using my phone's camera this time. These three all could make for a nice looking model...George Dutka

Another look at the Brucefield, Ont. garage.

This station is noted as opening again soon after being closed for a long time. Lucan, Ont. July 31 2018

This old garage has been converted to another business. I really like the looks of the metal roof. Located in Varna, Ont. July 31 2018.

Modeling a NH Woodchip Loading Facility

Chris's finished woodchip loading facilities scene. Chris modeled the sign using Highball Graphics artwork as the starting point. He also add some additional words below.

My friend Chris Wright who lives in the Niagara area of Ontario and models the New England North Country recently completed a woodchip loader inspired by the one found in Woodsville, NH. He now has a location for his CP and B&M woodchip cars to call home. With my small fleet of woodchip cars I may assemble some sort of loader for my summertime operations....George Dutka

The two main sections are mocked up.

Another view of the loading facilities before siding is applied.

Chris mentioned getting the wood siding from Dollarama (dollar store) in their craft section.

Chris has done a really nice job weathering his structure.

The loading dock canopy is a Walthers model kit-bash.

Woodsville, NH 1969. We can see almost half the B&M woodchip car fleet..Mal Sockol photo