CP Work Train

A portion of a work train is seen in the Woodstock, Ontario CP yard.

Dick Walker has been working on his CP work train during the past few years. He mentioned this as his covid era project and sent me some photos of what he has completed. They are great looking models that will surely find a home waiting service in his Woodstock, Ontario yard. The following are his comments...George Dutka 

"I used Kaslo Shops resin kits as I had a few of them in my stock, and also because they have the correct 5-foot doors for the CP cars. Another great feature while using these kits, for boarding car conversions the doors are separate parts allowing one a choice of wood or steel doors. This also eliminates the chore of cutting out cast-on doors from other models offered that emulate the CP. My CP water tender is a Samhongsa brass D10 tender."

Black Cat makes two different decal sets for CP work, or non-revenue equipment, including cabooses, flangers, plows, etc. In the future I hope to add a couple of double-sheathed work cars.  

One of two boarding cars built by Dick Walker.

The rolling stock doors are not used. The opening is closed in and a regular structure door is added.

On this service boxcar a steel door was applied. Some nice lower weathering has been applied. This type of car would have been used to carry lubricants and tools for the work gang. 

A brass tender modeled to be a CP water car.

Update - June 2023

Bob Fallowfield Facebook photo.

While reading Bob Fallowfield's Facebook page I found out that Tiny Railroads that was in Delhi and was going to move to Hamilton is now open in St. Catharine's. Not sure of the details but the location appears to be 61 Geneva St Unit 2 Saint Catharines Ontario. Hours are Wed and Thurs.10-5 Friday 12-8 Sat. 10-4 Sunday 10-3. 

Harrison Smith reports that the Adirondack has been canceled once again after a short time back in service. It is due to slow track on the CN. Harrison also had a nice article published in the June 2023 issue of Railpace on the Adirondack. Nice work Harrison. Check out his blog with the link on the sidebar "North Country Trains" 

Next week I hope to have a few posts that fill you in on how my book came to be. There was a lot of photos and material that just did not fit in...I will post a few of the unused photos. Some last minute changes also happened days before going to print. So check in next week for more info...George Dutka

Smoke day around London on June 27, 2023. I decided to see if smoky shots look any better than plain old fog and muddy rainy days. I did not find anything different about the day other than it was stinky. This is CN 147 WB at the Komoka hot box detector. 

Two shades of wood. The tru-color paint I just picked up and tried. Not sure if I like it as wood tone. On any material other than real wood I like using Model Master wood. It works good on floors inside boxcars as a base coat prior to powders and PanPastels. I will have to try the tru-color inside a boxcar...this paint is noted as a brushable product.

 

Brian Smith caught GIO switching tank cars at New Sarum which is just east of St Thomas on Tuesday June 27 2023. So it appears that they run on more days than just Fridays. It would have been a sunny day but with heavy smoke in our area it looks foggy out.

An Intermountain milk car kit I got off Don Janes a number of years ago. It does not come with decals. I was not sure how I was going to use it or if I would...I have lots of kits to build on my list before this one. As it turned out it is at the top of the list now. Building a creamery complex I decided this one will be just mounted on ties as a liquid storage site. No need for a lot of details on it or lettering as it is a retired milk car having a second life. I recall seeing one used like this in Richmond, Vermont along the CV.

On a trip to Stratford on May 18 2023 I stopped by the GEXR-CN yard where a spreader was resting. Note the yellow end on an all black ex-CN piece of equipment.

A look at the other side and front end. It is well used with lots of missing paint.

Wordless Wednesday No. 533

 

     

AK Weathering Tones

The old jar is on the left while a new jar just purchased is on the right. I planned on just pouring the leftover of the old jar into the new one till I noted the difference.

I recently purchased a second jar of AK rust streaks. I found the new jar had a lighter brownish rust tone that the original. I don't know why, could it be the color changes with age. The original jar is a couple of years old.

I like changing up my wheel sets car to car. Recently I did a couple of cars using AK rust streaks and steaking grime. The AK paint covered pretty well with only one coat applied. I did touch them with a bit of Bragdon soot (blackish tone)...George Dutka 

Rapido wheels painted two different tones. AK rust steaks (new jar) is the wheel on the left while AK steaking grime is on the right. I like the steaking grime more on the wheels. I don't do all my wheels the same each car has a bit of a different look.

Ice House Remodel

The Walthers ice house was chopped down by at least a third. A new roof was required as it was a mess of glue and cracks with missing parts.

Working away on my Hoods creamery diorama.  I finished the ice house first which is a chopped down HO Walther model. I thought I would show you the finished model first. I will follow-up with a look at the construction shortly...George Dutka

Two of the side wall doors are cut in half and applied at locations were a mess of glue was originally found once the model was pulled apart and cut.

A new wooden foundation is applied along with wooden corner trim. AK weathering stains are used along the lower area of the model.

CN 6167 - Guelph, Ontario

Don Janes and I stopped by the new home of CN 6167. The engine used to be displayed across the main line from the VIA, ex-CN Guelph, Ontario station. I visited 6167 last on moving day a couple of years ago during covid to experience the move. It was great to see it displayed once again...George Dutka      

The track behind the engine is the ex-CP line.

Out in the Sun

I took my back alley scene out in the sun awhile back...thought I would see how natural lighting works for a change...George Dutka      

Weathering a B&M Hopper

My friend Brian Smith gifted me a B&M hopper and it is now in service on the WRD. 

My friend Brian Smith gave me this nice B&M hopper that is factory painted with some weathering applied. The hopper did not fall into the era he is modeling and he knew it would work well on my layout. Once home I had to replace a broken coupler. I painted the couplers AK fresh mud then adding Bragdon rust once dry. The fresh mud is also applied to the trucks and lower hopper doors as highlights.

I also used a bit of Vallejo rust texture and AK rust streaks as highlight on the hopper body. I then turned to PanPastel tones. Raw umber shade is applied to the body with colorless blender as highlights on the trucks. The hopper has a load with looked an off black. PanPastel paynes grey extra dark (a blackish tone) is applied to the load followed by a light coat of PanPastel coarse coal...it is now ready for service...George Dutka 

The hopper as it looked once it arrived on my workbench.

The products I used are viewed here which helped me to getting this hopper looking the way I wanted.

The load is lastly coated with PanPastel coarse coal. I just brush it on. No need to seal it.

Bragdon rust is applied to the couplers.

AK Rolling Stock Weathering Set

If one wants a nice group of colors that works well on rolling stock check out the three tone set by AK. The set includes railroad wash (liquid), dark rust and dark steel (powders). I think these three products can take you a long way if you are just starting out weathering rolling stock. I use these products quite a bit. The two AK pencils, rubber and dirty white seen here also are my go-to's when some highlights are required. They can be wetted down to blur the look once applied using a damp brush. Too much water will take the pencil marks off...so watch out...George Dutka  

Wordless Wednesday No. 532

 

    

Pelton Tower - Windsor, Ontario

This Elgin County Archives view of the Pelton tower which was the inspiration for the ITLA kit. I believe this view was taken in the early 1960's. The semaphore or possibly train order signal was gone by the time I was running by it while working on the CN Flat Rock job off the trainman's spare board....George Dutka  

 

Delray Tower Update

A quick update to the Delray tower is a downspout and two way radio antenna.

It is good to get comments on ones work following a post. I had not noticed that the kit did not come with any sort of downspout to get the rain off the flat roof. Most models don't include eaves and downspouts but are a nice thing to add. I realized after a comment regarding downspouts it could be very easily installed. So here it is. I added the downspout to the rear wall. I probably should have added a second one but with all the other details on the model it would be in the way.  

At the same time I thought I should add an antenna up top as that was the old way signals were sent. I had a FOS model detail set that had a few different types of antennas, mostly for TV's. This one looked like something one might find up there at one time. An easy addition. So two more details on the tower which took me no time at all...George Dutka

A close-up look at the roof details. There is some trash up there too.

CNW Outside Brace Boxcars

 

An overall look at the boxcar with Floquil grime on the running boards and a gray tone on the roof beneath the PanPastels.

I recently added some weathering to my CNW boxcar. It is a Sunshine Models 1927 era boxcar which is outside braced. The model was built years ago with no weathering at that time. It got a face lift this past winter and spring with some AK products and PanPastel powders. The roof is painted AK rainmarks with a coat of PanPastel raw umber shade and red iron oxide extra dark applied.

The running boards are done with Floquil grime and a coat of PanPastel raw umber shade. The doors and lower area got a coat of PanPastel paynes grey extra dark. Some paper placards are applied to all four tack boards...George Dutka 

Some chalk marks are added along with some light weathering along the bottom edge of the car.

A better look at the roof weathering. The door got a placard on the tackboard. It is just a small piece of white paper with the back sanded to thin it down. It is then randomly cut to size. I left the door fairly clean on this side of the model.

B&M Hopper - Bill Moore

I thought this hopper was nicely done. I asked Bill a bit about it and if he weathered it. Bill is still old school and uses Floquil and an air brush for weathering and painting most of his rolling stock. I believe this car is a stock Athearn model that he painted Floquil weathered black with some extra white to fade the black a bit. To get the seams darker he just lightly air brushed weathered black on the rib joints. I think is looks really good...George Dutka   

Second Hand D&H Boxcar

A second hand acquisition that D&H made which Jim did a fine job replicating.

While visiting Jim Sloan this spring I snapped a shot of his nicely weathered D&H boxcar on his layout. I really liked the look of the D&H second hand purchase with the edging showing were the D&H was painted. The weathering was on the lighter side which really appealed to me. We had a lot to catch up on so we did not get into the details of how Jim finished the car. But is sure is a nice addition to Jim's fleet...George Dutka 

The rooftop had a lightly weathered look to it.

Throwback Thursday - The Pause That Refreshes.

Via 6628 is being serviced at Winnipeg on July 13, 1989.

By Peter Mumby.

Via 6628, class GPB-17d, was an F9B originally assembled for CN in 1957.  This 1750 hp model looked a lot like its much more numerous predecessor, the 1500 hp F7B.  A distinguishing feature is that, where the F7B had 3 portholes on the side, the F9B had a grill in lieu of the centre porthole.  The photo shows the details of the front of the unit, specifically its front left corner.  Note the small "FL" lettering above the closest side steps. 

This photo was exposed at the Winnipeg station on July 13, 1989.  Via 6409/6628 have been cut away from the cars of Via 2 at this important service stop.  It looks as if the water tank on the F unit has been filled to overflowing.  

Wordless Wednesday No. 531

 

   

Updating the weathering on a MEC Boxcar

This is how the car looked with my 2010 weathering and before the weathering update began.

This Atlas 1932 ARA boxcar I detailed back in 2010 and I wanted a bit of an upgrade to it. The couplers were originally changed out with Kadee true scale couplers. I hate the look of Atlas couplers. Back in 2010 I gave the car a light overcoat of Floquil boxcar red thinned followed by a bit of chalk weathering.

Recently after a flat finish coating I applied AK rainmarks (a Nato tank gray color) to the roof followed by a coating of PanPastel raw umber shade (a nice dirty tone) and red iron oxide extra dark a nice tone to overcoat boxcar red's. The raw umber shade is applied to roof center panels while the red iron oxide is applied on the roof ridges and next to the running boards and roof edges. One can vary the amount of these two PanPastels to get a different look on each rooftop. It is nice to have the cars to all look different, 

On the boxcar sides I mainly applied PanPastel paynes grey dark (a blackish tone). It was applied on the door, lower edges of the sides and the roof - wall joints. I did highlight a few areas with PanPastel raw umber shade. I did not feel it needed an overcoat of any more brown tones.

It is now back into the fleet...George Dutka 

The AK rainmarks has been applied to the roof. The running boards are already done.

The three tones of PanPastels that were applied to areas of the boxcar as noted.

There was a few spots that the gray went on a bit heavy which I touched up with the red iron oxide.

The car is almost done. A placard will be added to each of the tack boards.

A placard was added to the tack boards. 

A close-up look at the roofs. Note one tack board had a leftover scrap of once applied placard. Both these cars are MEC Atlas models. 

Weathering Rolling Stock Running Boards

A close-up of a trio of roof that I just finished. Each roof was done the same but to different degrees.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a few afternoons working on weathering some of my rolling stock roofs. This post we will focus on the running boards. What I did was paint the wooden running boards to look like the paint had worn off to different degrees. I worked on a few at a time...did 6 cars over the two days. The boxcars had already some degree of weathering and most of the roofs had been painted a gray tone to emulate failing paint on the steel and overcoated with a brown PanPastel that looks similar to boxcar red.   

The running boards all got a coat of Floquil grime (as Floquil is not available one can use Hunterline concrete for this task or one of the AK gray filter stains) which gives one a very realistic weathered look as wood on plastic. I then coated the running boards with varying degree of PanPastel raw umber shade. I want each car to look a bit different...more on roofing tomorrow...George Dutka

The running boards done with Floquil grime and PanPastels on two MEC Atlas boxcars.

The grime has been applied to three of my boxcar running boards.

PanPastel raw umber shade was applied first followed by a bit of red iron oxide extra dark on one of them.