FOS - Lucky's Gas and Burgers

My newest gas and food joint is ready to fill you up whatever way you need it.

Another of the diner and dives style structures I built this year. This one was shown in the past What's in the Box. It is a free kit from FOS. The construction went well as I have built a number of the free kits which do not come with instructions, just a photo to work from.

This is one of free kits I really like and was really excited to receiving...not sure why it took me so long to get around to building it...George Dutka  

I like to glue all my walls to the corner strip wood before cutting. I feel it just goes faster.

Ready for stain and paint.

I try not to do all my roofing the same. This portion is AK winter steaking grime with a coat of powdered road asphalt.

The walls are painted with MIG rusts that will be followed with powders.

What's in the Box No. 57

There are a few things that I did not use such as the stack and tarpaper roofing. 

Another free kit from FOS of a food shack and gas bar. I really liked the looks of this one...not sure were I will use it yet but I will show you how it went together shortly...George Dutka  

Although there is no instructions in FOS free kits it is pretty straight forward.

This is a really neat looking little kit.  

Ballast Close-up Look

I feel the looks of the ballast once set is quite nice.

I took a few close-up views of the Scenic Express ballast I used on my tunnel diorama. I think the ballast looks good with a finer looking stone than most and no sheen when set in place using Elmer's white glue...George Dutka  

White River Junction - CV Sand Bin

My sand bin resting on the drawings I used from a 1964 MR article.

I built this CV sand bin back in the 1980's following an article found in MR decades ago. I used it in my Randoph yard layout back then but have updated it a bit and added it next to the coal tower at WRJ. The prototype was in St Albans but is a lot like the one at WRJ...George Dutka   

The sand bind resting on the RMC article about my yard. One can see where the sand bit sat back then. This was the early 1990's.

The sand bin gets a bit of an update with a new stack and some Bragdon powders and chalk.

An overall view of the shop track area of the WRJ yard. The sand bin is were it was 

My detailed Bachmann CV switcher passes the sand bin.

The WRJ yard is a busy place. One can see the sand bin through the coal tower opening. Both CV switchers are Bachmann Alco's that I did some work and painting on.

Fall Views

 

The leaves are falling fast around my neighborhood. On October 22, 2023 VIA 72 blew by me enroute to London, Ont. on the Strathroy Sub. That is the Frank Lane bridge in the background. As the train passed me at 80mph it really blew the leaves around the ground. I turned around and took this photo of the blow by although the leaf count looks lower down the tracks.

Two views from this October that I enjoyed...George Dutka

This view is just west of Komoka Ont. along Oxbow Road. I was waiting for a train to pass that never arrived. It is kind of a neat scene to consider on a layout. The corn is cut in the foreground with geese feeding on the leftovers. The track is just behind the sumac with uncut corn behind. A pasture is then seen behind that on a rise with a heard of cows having lunch. In the background is an old large sized barn.

Throwback Thursday - Westbound at Pontypool

Via 6102 is the trailing car on train 191 at Pontypool on July 29, 1989.

By Peter Mumby.

Back on July 21/23 George showed you some pictures of the classic grain elevator at Pontypool, Ontario on the CP line which runs between Havelock and Toronto.  That same elevator is visible in the background of this view of Via 191 accelerating away from the Pontypool Via station.  The station building was located behind the camera position on the right (north) side of the tracks.  

Wordless Wednesday No. 550

 

  

Rapido RS-11

Just out of the box Rapido RS-11's.

I picked up a couple of Rapido RS-11's from Otter Valley which look really nice. One is DWP #3609 olive green and gold which was used on the Central Vermont beginning in the mid 1960's. The other is CV #3611 which is painted in CV green and yellow when the RS-11's returned.    

MP Gondola - Weathered!

The finished model is in service on the WRD.

I worked on this F&C panel side model back in the winter. I used a bit of splatter effect to give it a well used look. A load and some scrap is also included in the interior.

The load was painted Anita's rainy day gray followed by a coating of PanPatel grays. Inside the gondola I applied a wash of AK railroad wash from their 3 pack. I then applied Bragdon rusts, some PanPastels followed by a wash of India ink and alcohol.

The splatter is all AK products... filters neutral grey first, then dark rust followed by slimy grime dark...George Dutka

I used two brushes to splatter the AK paints onto the open area of the gondola. I just pull the brush dipped in paint over the back of another.

I ran my aluminum (silver) AK pencil along the edges to give a bit of fresh metal showing through the paint and rust.  

Some scrap bracing is still seen not removed.

October - This and That

tru-color paints has sprayable colors for 3D printed objects in the current NMRA magazine. Not sure if it is in a spray can or bottle. I have used their spray cans which work great.

I bit of a mix for this month...George Dutka    

Brian Smith found this easy to emulate lettering of CN 2755 in Edmundston NB CN yard on October 18 2023. It was on a potash train. Brian now lives in New Brunswick near the Maine border during the warm weather...then down in Florida.

I worked on weathering this model back last winter. More on this in an additional post.

Bruce Douglas passed along this view of the Kitchener local power last week. It appears one of the BNSF engines assigned to the CN is working in town.

An overhead look at the CPR operations in Goderich, Ont. during 1938. From Bruce Douglas.

This week's Wordless Wednesday was of this same wooden caboose. This once was on a post in my Father in laws backyard. Now that he has passed and the house was sold my daughter took it for her yard. I have it at home for a facelift. Auto primer black on the steel rod, roof and undercoating. I taped up the windows which are also black prior to using some red paint from our garden shed's door. I also have a black CN noodle that was from the father in law's workshop. Not far from being finished.

Tunnel Diorama

I still have a bit of room on my bookshelf's for displays. This one has been here for about 12 years now. I am glad I finally got around to finishing it.

I had shown you my Hunterline diorama before. I thought I would show you were it rests most of the time. It is nice that it is now completed...George Dutka  

Throwback Thursday - Don't Forget the Fabric Softener Sheets!

CN 43708 was resting in the yard at Belleville, Ontario on March 17, 1987.

By Peter Mumby. 

Here's a car that could make that lonesome old Maytag repairman feel more at home.  The small black lettering to the left of the sliding door says

                      Engineering Department

                      Generator Clothes Drying

Near the bottom of the door is signage for "No Smoking" and "No Open Flames."  I have another photo which shows that these signs are duplicated low on the "B" end of the car.  That is a fairly substantial-looking vent on the roof.

               

Wordless Wednesday No. 549

 

  

Snapshot - October 2023

The CN Komoka, Ontario station which has been moved a number of years ago is now a railway museum located at the community center in town is seen on Oct. 19, 2000. A model of the station was once offered by Sylvan Scale Models.

Well with fall in full swing I thought I would share a few scans taken during the fall...enjoy...George Dutka  

CN 9634 WB is seen approaching the wooden overhead bridge at Denfield Rd. just west of London, Ontario on Oct. 19. 2000.

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CN 380 from Windsor is approaching Komoka's home signal on Oct 25 1993.

VIA 73 departing Komoka on the Chatham Sub  for Windsor, Ont. on Oct 12 1994.

More Views - Bellows Falls Frt. House

The structure was added onto a piece of Gatorfoam prior to adding to my layout.

I was going through my files and found these views of the Bellows Falls Frt. House that Don Janes built...George Dutka   

This is how the structure looked when it arrived.

I added a good amount of details on the loading dock.

Don did  fine job emulating the prototype signs.

This is not seen on the model as it faces the backdrop.

End view

The frt. house is being set in place when the Bellows Falls yard was being constructed.

A Sunday Drive

The Woodstock CN-VIA station is getting a sandblasting and has been cocooned during the process.

I took my wife out for a drive on Sunday after a full week of treatments and doctors visits. We had some old football helmets to deliver for my son to Woodstock to be custom painted  which were from the high school he teaches at and coaches. Driving through Woodstock the road to were we had to go was closed to construction. No surprise there is so many road closures this year. The detour took us right past the VIA-CN station in town. To my surprise it was cocooned in plastic and appears to being sandblasted. It has been painted gray and white over the years I worked for the CN. To see it back to the original brick is really nice. It is a very nice looking station.

I should note that the Brantford station was having refurbishing done when I visited in August. It appears VIA is spending some money.   

The next part of the trip took us up to Stratford and home through St Mary's. To my surprise when we stopped for coffee in Tavistock at Tim Hortons the sign on the wall mentioned this as being the old station site. I had not realized that but once outside I could see the freight house out back and the old ROW across the main street. At the corner the sign reads Station St. which should have been a give away. The line has been abandoned since the late 1980's. It was called the Drumbo sub. which ran from Paris Jct. to Stratford. Another CNR line and station in town from Woodstock also ended here at Tavistock Junction just north of were I was. It was abandoned in the 1930 I think. The Drumbo Sub station still remains in town as a home...but did not see it...George Dutka  

Roadside view of the Woodstock station. 

The ex-frt. house in Tavistock which was along the CN Drumbo Sub.