Snapshot - July 2020

On our way to Springfield this January Peter and I made a stop at the train station in Utica, NY.  I took a photo of this neat photo coposition from years gone by...George Dutka

On display on the station wall.

Throwback Thursday - Steam Generator

Via 15471 is the steam generator car assigned to Via train 72 on May 04, 1989.  The photo was exposed at London, Ontario

By Peter Mumby.

Via Rail Canada rostered three groups of steam generator cars:

-15400-15448 built by Canadian Car and Foundry in 1956

-15450-15478 built by General Motors Diesel in 1958/59

-15480-15494 built by National Steel Car in 1960

The example documented by today's photos belongs to the GMD group, and is also representative of the HO scale model produced several years ago by Rapido Trains Inc.  If you missed out on the first run of these models, Rapido has announced plans for a re-issue.  If one of these models is in your possession or in your plans, you may be able to refer to the photos for some weathering ideas.

Same train, same day.  The stop at London's CN/VIA depot gave me a few minutes to move to the Adelaide St overpass for a second vantage point.  Now we can see where the streaking down the side of the car originates!

Wordless Wednesday No. 385

GMD Recollections - Memorabilia

Look carefully at the top centre of the framed collage in the background and you should see a photo of an export loco being loaded onto a Russian cargo plane at the London International Airport.  The destination was Northern Ireland.

By Peter Mumby.

My major interest in living in the vicinity of the General Motors Diesel Limited plant was the opportunity to photograph new locomotives at the factory, on the test track, or on delivery by way of CN, CP, or GEXR.  These photos were my principal souvenirs, but there were other opportunities to collect memorabilia.  The plant had representative photos taken of each order, and 8X10 prints of these were available for purchase at the front office.  The four glossy prints I have selected for this display were all the work of Grimes Photography.  Mugs and t-shirts were made available to employees, and my friend Larry came through with a nice assortment.  Both GMD and EMD-labelled items were produced at various times.  I attended the 40th, 50th, and 60th anniversary open houses, and branded clothing and posters were available for sale at some of these events.

The photos accompanying this post show a good sample of the GM/GMD items in my collection.  Note that the 50th anniversary poster underlying the display features more than just locomotives.  Over the years, the plant had produced busses, large mining and construction equipment, and military vehicles as well.  The military line was later sold off to General Dynamics, and that annex to the original GMD plant is still very much in operation today.  The book "Locomotives From London" was not actually produced by or for GMD, but it accurately reflects the theme of this series of posts.  Published in 1968, it covers production up to the introduction of the SD40 model.  The book features a foreword by G. Boyd Chesney, who was the plant's public relations manager at that time.

As can be seen in the two 8X10 photos in this array, production of locomotives for the U.S. market began at the GMD plant in the late 1980s.

BAR Patched Boxcar

Both sides of the Athearn boxcar are weathered a bit different.

I picked up this nicely paint patched Athearn boxcar. The Athearn series is called "Primed For Grime". The model got a coat of Model Master flat clear. Some acrylic rust spots are added to the body before a coat of PanPastel raw unber shade is applied to the original paint areas. I left the new paint areas clean...George Dutka

Right out of the box. Although it looks great as is adding weathering to the roof and rust spots to the sides really goes a long way to resemble the prototype.

I used PanPastel raw umber shade on the areas that are not patched to contrast and dirty up the old paint.

The silver roof was given a coat of flat finish then a wash of India ink and alchol. AK and Vallejo stains are applied sparingly.

Throwback Thursday - Vehicles By the Tracks

This CP Transport rig has just crossed the CN tracks in Gravenhurst on July 22, 1988.

By Peter Mumby.

Model railroaders don't just collect and build railroad models.  Structures and scenic accents are also a big part of the picture.  And then there are vehicles - who doesn't appreciate well done vehicle models - and they definitely go a long way towards establishing a time frame for the layout.  Perhaps you will give some consideration to emulating one or two of the vehicles featured in today's photos.

CP Transport trailer #5498 was caught crossing the tracks of the CN Newmarket Sub in Gravenhurst in July of 1988.  At that time, similar trailers in the CP family were still around carrying Smith Transport lettering as well.  THB 366032 was captured the following year in Hamilton.  Normally, OCS vehicles I have seen are in much better condition than the subject of this photo - lots of scope for the weathering powders here!

CN 668094 was photographed with its load of Volvo graders at Goderich, Ontario in 2003 on the Goderich Exeter Railway.  For years the graders loaded here were Champion products, until the plant was taken over by Volvo.  As so often is the case, Volvo produced graders at the plant ( located across the road from the GEXR yard) for a few years, then shut it down.  It doesn't seem so long ago that the vast majority of the graders seen in municipal or county service in Southwestern Ontario were Champion models.

TH&B 366032 is looking like it has been around the block quite a few times by March 13 of 1989 when this portrait was made in Hamilton.

Across the street from the ex-CN station in Goderich, Ontario was a loading ramp where products from the Champion/Volvo factory were loaded on flat cars such as the CN 668094 illustrated here.  This car was ready on April 10, 2003 for shipment on the next GEXR freight.

Wordless Wednesday No. 384

Paris, Ont 2020

CN Express Truck Kijiji

For a truck from 1961 which probably worked hard on the CN is in amazing shape this many decades later. Had it been stored in a barn for a long time?

The CN Lines group had mentioned a kijiji post of an ex-CN 1961 Ford F550 for sale in Edmonton, Alberta area. On the truck side it actually says F500 with a 6 cyl., standard transmission. This might help one model this type of truck correctly...George Dutka

More Storage Tanks Cars

St. Luc yard. Ian Stronach photo

After the weekend post about modeling a storage tank car two friends had sent me some prototype photos for more inspiration. I have offered Brian his finished car back as I think I will build another version.

Ian Stronach  comments, "I thought you would be interested in the attached photos of rebuilt tanks cars, prompted by your post.. These three, off their wheels, CPR service tanks cars were adjacent to the steam plant at the roundhouse in St. Luc Yard in the mid-1980's.  Based on the COTS plate they were installed after 1976 as they weren't there when I used to regularly visit in the 1960's.  I do not know for sure what they were used for, but given the little building beside them, which likely is the pump house, they could have been used for used and contaminated lube oil and fuel for firing the boilers"

Kevin Smith comments "enjoyed your recent post of the tank car storage facility. Attached pics of similar facility for fueling locos on ARZC. (Nothing new here; just another example). The tank was originally an ATSF water car. Santa Fe carried water from Barstow, CA to many stations East towards Needles. (Desert water was deep & very brackish). The local we I/Cd actually still served Amboy, CA  with water cars once weekly up until 2013 or so.

The ARZC fuel car sat in a containment dike made from cinder blocks. It was placed on a piece of rail covered with absorbent lining. Fuel was always brought in by truck. About a year before I retired, the whole thing was pulled out & scrapped in favor of a modern & environmentally Safe set up."

Thanks guys for sharing. There will be another post later today...George Dutka

Ian Stronach photo

Ian Stronach photo

Kevin Smith photo above and below.

July 2020 - Update

My newest station is named Wells. I actually cut off the River from a photo I took of the Wells River station sign back about 8 years ago.

Summer is here and the hot weather is keeping me indoors. Actually an upcoming major surgery on Thursday is also keeping me inside as I had a Covid-19 test done and now have to isolate till the surgery. I am told if all goes well I will be in the hospital for a week...so no posts for that period...George Dutka

A new stump added to the ROW and a tree. The deer are also in this area.

Bruce Douglas pass along these views of the Milford - Bennignton Ry 901. It appears the name is only painted on one side. I guess it only is seen most of the time from that side. Milford, NH June 2020. Andy supplied me with the photographers names that took the photos, they are Wayne Johnson and Bruce Boudrow, thanks Andy.

Another view supplied by Bruce Douglas of 901 with the name seen during June 2020 at Wilton, NH.

I just picked up this milk car book which I found interesting and worth the money if your are a milk car fan.

Wondering what color to paint your houses. Paint chips from 1940's from John Nehrich's Facebook page

Paint chips from 1920's, John Nehrich Facebook

My newest addition to the fleet is an Oxford model 1946-48 DeSoto, noel green. I gave it a coat of flat finish and rusted up the wheel wells and bottom of the doors since it would be almost 10 years old on my layout.

My brass CP slanted cupola caboose is finally finished. It has been sitting on the corner of my workbench since September 2019 waiting for a paint job. The sides got a coat of Floquil tuscan. The end platforms are brush painted black following a photo I have that Peter gave me. A Juneco conductor is added to the end platform.

At work on the WRD.

Brian Smith picked up this nicely weathered 65' gondola with a really nice load. Thanks for sharing the photo Brian.

This F&C kit CV milk car was built by Bob Bowes. It is nicely built but the decals are not applied the best. It was a toss up wither to strip or try to fix the bad spots. I went for the fix. I gave it a gloss coat followed by a flat finish seal but the seams really show badly. I decided to apply some PanPastel blender fading it a bit and brush painted acrylic white on the bad areas as streaks. It looks a lot better now. I still will give it an over-spray of Floquil reefer white as a tone down.

Another load on Brian Smith's layout...he sure likes his steel loads. This car has some great bulges in the sides and a bit of a swayback. Thanks for sharing Brian.

More Views - Eastown Motorcycle Shop

Adding a couple of bikers brings the structure into it's own.

A couple more views of the cycle shop with a few Woodland Scenic bikers I picked up this winter at Springfield...George Dutka

More signage on the side wall. The Harley sign is copied from a NMRA magazine feature that was reduced by 50%.

A view of the roof and rear wall.

Rutland Ry Views on The WRD

Looks like the quarry spur has been pulled. The loads are on their way.

I was looking for a photo the other day and came across these Rutland Ry. model photos taken in March 2011. All these scenes have changed a bit since then. I though I would share them with you...George Dutka

My brass Rutland Ry. caboose. I painted and lettered it years ago. CDS dry transfers were used.

Looks like traffic is way down with only one coach on the Rutland Ry. passenger train at Bellows Crossing.

Tank Car Storage Facility

The finished fuel oil storage facility.

Brian Smith gave me this tank car which did not fit his era. When I got it on my workbench I felt it would be too much work to update it enough to fit into my fleet. So plan B is to repurposed it into a fuel oil storage facility....George Dutka

The tank arrives on my workbench. Although the trucks have steel wheels they are not great so they are removed.

There was some weathering on the tank. I added some AK and Vallejo stains. I then added some AK pencil markings. These are then brushed down with a damp brush.

I added an Earl's sign from a BarMills kit I have. I propped it up off the ground using Mt. Albert lumber that is stained.

The final step is a light over-spray of Floquil grimy black.