Happy New Years!

 

Throwback Thursday - December, 1989

On Dec 08/89, Via 73 was just leaving the station at London, Ontario.  All of the railway equipment visible in this photo has disappeared from the railway scene and the black CN tower visible in the background has since been replaced by a much more compact structure.  I guess it's important to take a photo every thirty years or so just to keep up with progress!

By Peter Mumby. 

Locomotive 6907 was leading Via 73 westward out of the CN/VIA station at London, Ontario in early December of 1989.  With intermediate stops at Glencoe and Chatham, its ultimate destination was Windsor.  The LRC-2 was an early eighties product of Bombardier, and it was always interesting to catch this relatively modern power hauling steam heated equipment dating back to the mid-1950s.  At the time this photo was exposed, the major VIA service cuts of January 15, 1990 were looming on the horizon.  With weekly trains soon to be cut from 405 to 191, the Budd RDC equipment visible in the background would not be making many more revenue trips.

As time progressed, Via was able to recover from these cuts, to the point that recent years found the company on a relatively solid financial footing.  Let us hope that 2020's pandemic-related service cuts don't lead to too much permanent damage as far as public transportation providers are concerned.

Wordless Wednesday No. 406

 

  

Home Hardware Wyoming, Ont.

The building is long and narrow with some really nice signage. I will have to make a return trip to get some better sign shots. The CN main line is to the right of the building.

Modeling Inspiration. This Home Hardware store is right next to the CN tracks in Wyoming, Ont. on the Strathroy Sub. Kind of a neat looking store front that might be something to model...George Dutka    

The pole kind of messes up the storefront scene.

CNR Mini-Kit - National Scale Cars

It is late in the fall and a full load of furnaces from north of the border has arrived at the Westboro, NH freight house.

I just finished my CNR version mini-kit offered by National Scale Cars. It is a InterMountain kit car that comes with doors, ends and roof separately. I exchanged the roof with a InterMountain PS-1 which was found on a small group of CNR cars built in 1956. The running board is Kadee...George Dutka 

The InterMountain boxcar kit has a NSC mini-kit applied to it. It comes with Black Cat decals. I added some northeastern chalk marks and door placards.

The Gurney furnaces and oil water heaters boxes are card stock kits that one builds up, an Aberdeen Car Shops product.

Shop Class Christmas Presents

My WRD will now have a few signs. Some will sit outside this winter to rust up while others are painted. The square WRD sign was done similar to the CV logos.

I normally don't get anything for the layout at Christmas. This year was different. My son being a high school shop teacher had his students working on Christmas gifts...some for our family. What he had the boys do for me was metal cut signs. They turned out great and well appreciated. He also got his friend, the woodworking teacher involved having an oak sign cut out for me...George Dutka 

My layout name on a piece of oak done in the woodworking class.

My son played around with the WRD logo on an engine sketch on his computer. This sign was the outcome.

With the shop class laser cutter, scrap stone counter top material is turned into coaster. The woodworking department made the coaster holders. I guess I best stock my workbench with a mini beer fridge to get some use of these coasters.

Merry Christmas - Part Two

A Christmas message I received from Ian...a very nice vintage shot.

We were at our son's the past couple of days and got home last night in time for the lock-down  to begin here in Ontario. I did not get a chance to add all the interesting Christmas messages I received in my Christmas post so here are a few more. Have a happy holiday season and thanks guys for all the great greeting, I really enjoy receiving them this time of year...George Dutka

A nice Christmas message from Bill Gill.

Christmas wishes from Neil. One of the more recently finished scenes on Neil Schofield layout. I really like how he modeled the field being cut.

A Christmas message from Jim Dufour. That is a Dec 23, 1992 view at Boston, Ma. Oh that is the tower A Santa. Watch the upcoming Railway Model Planning for Jim's layout.

George Corey send out some of his favorite railfanning scenes throughout the year to a group of New England fans. This view was included in his 2020 Christmas message.

What's in the box No. 45

There is not a lot to this kit but it takes a bit to assemble.

 Another FOS kit of the month that I have built...George Dutka

There are a lot of doors to this kit.

The basic walls are up and doors need to be assembled and more so braced.

Merry Christmas

One of my Christmas cards received a few years back.

The White River Division  crew, Don Janes, Peter Mumby and I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for stopping by the blog on a regular basis and there is a lot more to come...George Dutka 

Geoff Southwood sent me this photograph that he used on this years Christmas card. It was taken on April 14, 2004 of the eastbound Canadian at Viking, Alberta.  While the scene looks like it could be Christmas,  in fact the schedule during winter months would not permit this to be a daytime shot unless the train was very very late indeed

A Christmas card I received from Chris Martin back in 2004. Looks like a Rapido model in a snow shot.

 

Wordless Wednesday No. 405

 

  

Prototype Corner - Coming Soon to a Level Crossing Near You (Part Two).

Prefabricated crossing panels are being installed at Adelaide St on Sunday Nov 08/20.

By Peter Mumby.

The removal of a number of retail establishments in preparation for the underpass construction on Adelaide St has created a number of perks for the railfan photographer.  Certainly parking spots are now easier to find, but the main advantage comes from the improved viewpoints that have opened up.  This is especially true on the southeast corner of the level crossing where an overgrown fence has been removed, making for a much improved view of the yard throat.  These improvements, however, are definitely temporary in nature.  I am sure that when the overpass construction is complete, chain link fences will be going up along the right of way across the bridge.  We need to take advantage of these vistas while we can! 

 

CP 8017 West briefly interrupted proceedings as it doubled onto its train.  Nov 08/20.

CP M18016 was catching a few rays on the east side of the crossing.  Nov 14/20.

And now a little something for the vehicle modellers in the crowd.  CP M13025 was sitting on the west side of the crossing on Nov 14/20.

By Nov 29/20 the level crossing was back to full use.  Within a few months, this location will be on the top of a bridge

This is a viewpoint that has temporarily been opened up at the southeast corner of the level crossing.  Nov 29/20

CNR Tool Car

My finished tool car on the WRD layout.

I just finished my recent upgrade of an Accurail 36' Fowler boxcar. It came lettered CV which was not correct. I painted out the CV and used a patchwork of CNR decals and dry transfer. The boxcar colour is a tone between Floquil boxcar red and tuscan red. I just brushed on a bit of tuscan and although the colour is dark it will blend in with the Panpastels....George Dutka 

I added Kadee true scale 158 couplers, a ladder and styrene strip on the door. The wheels are changed out with Rapido 33" steel wheels. Kadee modern brake wheel is added to a Tichy housing and styrene platform. Wire grabs, a bent uncoupling lever, air hoses and grabs are added to the car ends.

The lettering is a mix of CDS dry transfers and various decals. The tool car decal came from Walthers set.

My finished model resting on the prototype photo which is above the model.

The car below the model is also a Fowler 36' boxcar.

Once completed I realized that I did not add the end stirrups by the ladder. So some resin ones are used.

I did not like how the brake rod looks so I added some chain while I added the stirrup.

A bit of touch-up paint with a brush and the model is done.

December 2020 - Update

The CN tool car is completed and added to the CV work train which has a mix of CN-CV equipment. It was made using an Accurail Fowler 36' boxcar.

Well this month has been flying by and not a lot has been accomplished on my modeling workbench. The photos tell the story of this past month.

On another note if you are looking for Floquil paint Narrow Gauge Modeling Co. in Pennsylvania appears to carry some stock still...George Dutka

 Narrow Gauge Modeling Co. | Best of Class Accessories for O & 1/4" Scale, On18, On2, On3, and On30

This fire extingusher sign that never got placed on a CN engine was given to me by my father in law who once was my boss. He is 94 and cleaning out some of his finds from decades ago. My son a shop teacher took it home this month to apply at his machine shop's school class.

Kadee has its 2020 Christmas car available if you feel like remembering 2020. I will be glad to forget it.

Don Janes just sent me this photo of his newly finished FOS building flat that will be placed in his Waterbury scene. He has done a great job with this kit. He has a couple more flats in the works so it will be interesting to see how they all come together this winter.

FOS Black Friday week sale included a free kit with your order. I have been thinking of this years big FOS kit Atlas Gorge so I have one coming. I have not built a kit of this size before so it should be interesting.

One of my wife's friends sent us this neat photo that I thought you might like to see.

I took advantage of Dave's decals during the Black Friday sale. Here are three of the four ghost decals that arrived earlier this week.

Brian Smith sent me this photo he took this week of a well weathered MP gondola.

Prototype Corner - Coming Soon to a Level Crossing Near You (Part One)

This is an artist's concept of what the new underpass will look like.  The view looks south along Adelaide St towards the current level crossing.  Nov 29, 2020.

By Peter Mumby.

Adelaide St is a major north/south traffic artery in London, Ontario.  It also has a level crossing at the west end of the CP London yard.  This creates lots of traffic tie-ups as trains slowly enter the yard or double over prior to leaving.  After years of discussion, the decision has finally been taken to construct an underpass to do away with this bottleneck.  During November, CP was working at rationalizing its trackwork over the level crossing, as this will soon become the top of the upcoming bridge.  Preparatory construction was performed on either side of Adelaide St, and then work at the crossing was done on two consecutive weekends when road traffic was diverted for 48 hours. 

This view looks to the east from the level crossing.  This was taken on Nov 06/20 and illustrates the work that was completed prior to the first weekend shut down.

The job site was well populated on Nov 06.

All trains had to use the south track on Nov 07.

This little trailer could make for a nice modelling project.  Nov 07.

Nov 07 was the day when the "snap track" was installed on the north side of the road crossing.