Year 9

My updated FOS ice house seen on the WRD...it is only temporary as it will be in my waterfront scene at some point.

Welcome to year nine of the WRD blog. Still lots to cover and with a layout revamp beginning shortly. Stop by regularly to see a lot more about what the WRD will turn into...George Dutka

New agent on duty? That is Don Janes on the platform in Ingersoll Sept. 28 2019. The station is well past restoration although it is still standing. Terry Nixon photo

This variety store was down the road from were I grew up in London, Ont. although I don't remember it this way. 1956 is the year. Note all the signs a modeler could add for this era.

CN black lettering one can use in a ghosting lettering as seen in a rust bucket post. Set no. MC-4228.

My workbench last month while lettering a NSRC boxcar and working on a FOS free kit.

Gator Dave uses this caulking for holding his Gatorfoam together. I picked up a tube.

A view trackside in South Troy, NY on Nov. 3, 2018. It was pouring rain when Don and I stopped by this location. I took the photo out the window. What I liked was how these buildings look like DPM kits. Note how the brick wall looks on the building to the right. The lighter and darker brick from a tear-down...something to consider when modeling.

Who says the younger generation do not model. Here is a diorama that Kevin D'Alenti built. He is more into military modeling as seen on his site but he dabbles in everything.

Wordless Wednesday No. 350

Rust Bucket No. 9

PREX 9083

Kevin Smith sent me these photos of rust bucket he has crossed paths with. He has been enjoying the post thread and thought he would share...George Dutka

"The pics were taken by me at Milligan, CA on the ARZC, where a company was loading salt from dried up lake beds. It was then shipped via BNSF Barstow to Chicago for processing."

AEX 5151

AEX 8767

INTX 47425

One of KL Smith's models.

FOS Free Kit Almost Completed

The pigeons are from BEST and roof is my home made tar-paper which are not included in the kit.

My free kit from FOS is waiting for a couple of sailors or maybe tattooed bikers to arrive...will have to watch at the shows for these guys to appear. I will be using this little one on the waterfront scene. This was their Sept. offer which comes with no instructions just parts. FOS Facebook did have three photos posted which helped with the build...George Dutka

A BEST dog and Juneco garbage can rounds out the scene also not included...what do you expect when its a free kit.

Weathering an Engine - NERPM

I love this effect on the roof...will have to try it out.

I posted a couple of photos of this really neat looking weathered engine at the NERPM. I went back and asked a few questions regarding how he came up with such a realistic rusted roof. I also took a few more photos...George Dutka

It appears he uses a stiff brush and stippled the roofing around the edges. He must have really put a lot of time on that roof. He also mentioned coming back and putting light gray along the edges and on the cab roof seams.

Modeling by Dave Oppedisano

The sides are not all that weathered just some grime in the grooves.

B&M 1408 at Boston

Not much information on this photo other than Boston and the date January 1938. No snow yet that year. interesting to see all the milkcans on the platform...would not have thought one would find any laying around there. With large shipments of milk to the area they would all be at the creameries. Could that be a creamery in the background.

Another of the photos I scanned, that I purchased from George Melvin this spring. Interesting to see the milk cans on the platform in Boston, Ma...George Dutka

Ghosting

A ghost of a Texaco sign is seen on this metal sided building, April 2019.

I recently thought about how I could build a model and ghost a sign such as this one I seen recently. The structure was a garage at one time on Confederation line in Watford, Ont. I think it is closed now. I had taken a shot of it a year ago but this time I though I would give such a wall a try.

Traveling with my wife along this road we stopped in Strathroy at Dollarama which I saw some nice wooden lettering that could work. Spray the wall a light colour, tape on the letters on the wall and spray a darker tone overtop...George Dutka

I took this view of the same structure from the Tim Horton's parking June 2018.

Throwback Thursday - Flexi Flo

Flexi Flo covered hopper NAHX 1012 was photographed in the CN Kamloops North yard on August 23, 1997.  ACF assembled three versions of this car; this one is listed as being a version three example.

By Peter Mumby

American Car and Foundry (ACF) constructed 220 examples of its Flexi Flo pressure differential covered hopper in the 1964-1966 era.  What is most interesting about these cars is that, other than seven built for SHPX, the entire production run was ordered by New York Central.  It was only later in their lives that some of these cars were sold off to NAHX and a couple of other private owners/lessors.  Rapido Trains Inc. has recently announced a run of Flexi Flo cars in HO scale, and obviously most will carry NYC/PC/CR reporting marks.  In addition, however, is a group modelled after the GE Rail Services (NAHX) cars lettered for Lafarge Cement.  I checked to see if the NAHX 1012 featured in the attached photo was on the announced production schedule - no such luck, although you will be able to buy the 1011 or the 1013.  We may just have to keep looking for the perfect reference photo!

Wordless Wednesday No. 349

Updating a Garage Roof

I updated my garage roof with some extra weathering effects. I think it looks a bit better today.

This past summer I took on a small project that took no time at all but really updated my small garage roofing...George Dutka

This is how the roof looked on my garage used on the WRD up till a couple of months ago. When I first assembled the garage I just airbrushed the roof using Floquil rust which look good at the time. The roofing is FOS paper corrugated siding.

I used these three products plus some sponged on dollar store silver. The Vallejo rust texture I applied by brush. This is a product Jim Sloan had mentioned to me last fall. I do use it a lot. The AK slimy Grime Dark and wood wash was sponged onto the roof, walls and doors to weather things up a bit more.

Roomettes almost completed

The almost completed DPM kit. The interior rooms and lighting has been installed. It went a lot easier than I thought.

I took some photos of the jewelers Roomettes. The only thing that needs to be completed is the sign which I am reducing down on a colour copier and applying above the door...more on this kit shortly...George Dutka

For the rear I made it as another buisness. The fire escape and ladder are from ITLA and fits really well without any extra work.

Two figures are added to the main floor Roomette. One is hidden behind the side portion of the door. in this view.

The upper floor Roomette. Adding figures are a good idea.

O H Wright & Co. -Shop or Storage Structure

The storage shed when I got it was assembled and spray-bombed a grimy colour. The signs used are from an old MR article.

I refurbished a storage shed recently and will be taking it to Woodstock Train Show tomorrow...someone will be going home with a nice addition to their layout...George Dutka

All the doors are modeled open so some interior details are added.

More on what I did to this structure in another post. These end signs including the Tim Horton's are from a photo I took of a tobacco shed near my home. I colour photocopied the print and cut out what I needed.

This roof was my work surface for two hands on clinics I have done "rusting it up".

Walthers Tank Car

The finished Walthers tank car ready for use on the WRD.

Don Janes gave me three tank car a couple of years ago. They were plaque models that may have been given to employee's or customers in Sarnia. Don wanted the plaque bases but had no use for the modern tank cars. I finally finished the last one which needed more attention than the other two...George Dutka

After gluing on missing details and adding trucks some touch-up painting was done with Floquil engine black. I then taped a few areas that would show as new paint prior to coating the entire model with Proto Paint flat haze. The patching idea I copied from Jim Sloan's model.

The car is complete with two coats of flat haze and some Bragdon powders dark and medium rust.

Although the car looks great it probably will not get much running time on the layout since I don't have anywhere for large size tanks to be delivered and trying to keep train lengths shorter they just take up too much space.

Throwback Thursday - A CP International Service Van

CP 434956 follows its eastbound train onto the Winchester Subdivision at Smiths Falls East on August 21, 1993.  The red marker light and its attendant electrical conduits are apparent at roof level.  The small lettering above the car number says

ASSIGNED - WINNIPEG

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE, although by this date the word "International" has been painted out.  To the right of the car number, the words SOO ONLY appear.

By Peter Mumby

Cabooses on the Canadian Pacific were numbered according to their specific assigned service.  If the assignment of a particular car was altered, the number was patched out and changed.  So, if you are modelling a CP van, chances are that this patching should be apparent.  Sometimes the whole number would be patched and changed.  On other examples, only the final three digits would show signs of having been replaced.  Check available photos in your chosen era to see how your model should be numbered!

When American rules regarding higher grade window glazing for cabooses were introduced, CP decided to alter (and renumber) a group of 40 cars for International Service.  Such vans were numbered in the 434900-434931 and 434950-434957 series.  This new glazing would not be obvious on a model, but the appropriate patched number should appear. On some cars, smaller lettering in the vicinity of the number would refer to a specific assignment. All such cars also had a single red marker light installed at roof level at each end.  CP 434956, pictured here in Smiths Falls, Ontario, was the only such car I could locate in my slide collection.

Wordless Wednesday No. 348

Snapshot - October 2019

March 28 1999 near St. Mary's, Ontario by CN Guelph Sub.

For this months snapshot we see a slide I scanned recently of a barn burn I drove by. It was totally engulfed...I thought it was worth taking a photo. Not sure how one would model it...George Dutka

CV Milk Cars - White or Aluminum?

The milk car in the foreground is a Roundhouse offering while the white car is a F&C kit.

At the NER Convention I walked up to the hospitality room with Steve from F&C kits. We talked a bit about his CV models and in particular the CV milk car fleet. We discussed if the milk cars are aluminum or white in the early era.

Back then aluminum colouring referred to aluminum oxide a very bright white gray colour. Steve mentioned he found a very old can of what was called aluminum in a barn that he thought dated back to late 1930's or early 1940's. What he found when he opened the can and mixed it up was a more white-gray shade of paint not a aluminum colouring...George Dutka

Here we see a comparison of two models in my fleet...aluminum and white. I think I may have the colours covered.

DPM Kit Warnings

This photo is off the Roomettes Facebook page. Barry mentioned I should check my model out to see if this note is included.

While at the NER convention Barry Silverthorn mentioned some early DPM kits have a warning on them. I had to check my packaging when I got home...George Dutka

Yep, mine can not be eaten either.

A few views of the WRD

My B&M Rapido RDC crossing the diamond at Bellows Crossing. Since I did not have a lot of room to move around with a large size group over the RDC worked well running point to point.

I couple days after my open house for the Railroaders group last Wednesday I decided to take a few photos of my equipment still out on the main line....George Dutka

At the end of the evenings event the train must have stopped just short of a flag stop. I thought this might make for a good photo. Here I am taking a photo a few days later before moving the RDC back to WRJ. I am thinking the lady waiting at the flag stop might be pretty annoyed with me by now.

Since there was a few CPR fans coming over I setup a small CPR transfer job using a Rapido 1200 switcher two tank cars and my CP International of Maine True Line trains caboose.