Throwback Thursday - Operation Lifesaver

NS 9251 is showing off its Operation Lifesaver paint scheme in the CN St Thomas North yard on March 31, 2002.

By Peter Mumby. 

Until Norfolk Southern withdrew from Southern Ontario at the end of 2006, the CN St Thomas North yard was a great spot to take detailed photos of NS power.  The locomotives would arrive with train 327 around mid-morning, then lay over until 328 departed the next day.  The Operation Lifesaver scheme on 9251 presented an interesting variation on the typical NS black garb.  I don't know how many units were decorated in this way, but I have photos taken on these 327/328 trains of locomotives 9250, 51, 52, 54, and 55.

Wordless Wednesday No. 555

 

    

Trucks and Signs

Midland Superior Transport 1952. No location given.

These two views were passed along to me by Bruce Douglas. He is big into building trucks and trailers these days in S scale. In the one view the large sign is kind of neat and something one may consider a model of...George Dutka  

Midland Superior KW half cab Sault Ste Marie, Ontario 1956

Detailing DWP 3609

The extras included are window awnings and a different stack.

Rapido's RS-11's are really nice right out of the box but there are a few changes I wanted to make to better follow the DWP prototype. For one the re-railers should be moved forward from the center position they are located. I also added a roof radio antenna and on the rear truck speed cables. The DWP engines were delivered with awnings which are included in the packaging but need to be installed. In later life they were removed. More on this engine shortly...George Dutka       

Just out of the box the DWP will get a bit of an upgrade.

The footboard grab bar across the front of the engine is painted green. It should be gold as on the handrails. Rapido has used Kadee no. 5 couplers and I will be using the true scale no.158's.

Creamery Complex

A few more views of the creamery complex I built from kits, parts and part kits I had around the basement...George Dutka  

  

Rutland Flat Car

The flat is loaded with rusted rail a Juneco track stop and half moons. Most of the other small details are Juneco also such as shovel, barrel and buckets. Some coiled line and signage are also seen in there. I built this car back about 2000.

Here are a couple of overhead views of my F&C Rutland Ry tool car I made from one of their two in one kit flats. I saw this car in Bellows Falls on many of my visits during the 1980's...George Dutka  

I also have two F&C Rutland flat cars that are used in marble loading service.

Throwback Thursday - Dual Wraps

Via 6411 was about to lead train 70 away from the London station on Canada Day in 2006.

By Peter Mumby.  

Finding two locomotives on a Via train was not all that unusual, but finding two wrapped units together certainly merited a photograph.  Such was the case on July 01, 2006 when Via 6411 and 6403 showed up at the London, Ontario station with train #70 in tow.  Both of these schemes, in my opinion, were more attractive than the 6414 shown in last week's post.  In fact, the CBC 50th Anniversary locomotive,  number 6403, was my personal favourite.

Wordless Wednesday No. 554

 

      

Hindsight 20/20

 

  

Tank Cars

Here we see a group of six tank cars on westbound train CN 383 Oct. 31, 2023 just west of Komoka, Ontario. I took a few photos of some of the more interesting to me weathering and paint touch-ups on the train. Thought I would share them with you...George Dutka  

Hood's Milk Car

I was going through my milk car photos the other day when I noticed this one that is at a museum somewhere...anyone has an idea were...George Dutka 

More This and That - November 2023

It has been awhile since I last looked at the Roomettes web site. One can now add interior detailing and lighting to some of Atlas classic kits. I had converted the station to a Rutland Ry. style station...maybe an interior is in the future for this structure.  

My December RMC arrived yesterday with Don Janes great article viewing his now complete Green Mountain Division. I copied these two photos from the RMC Facebook website. Great job Don! So what is next for Don. We met up a few weeks back  at Don's home for a good visit. With his layout done the topic of what next came up...you can not just stop modeling once the layout is done. Don mentioned possibly a contemporary module that he could build in his workshop. He has a lot of room in there. It could become a new layout down the road. Since my visit Don has started to pick up some new Rapido engines...CN, CP and OSR might be the main focus this time around, but we will see what he comes up with. I am sure he will fill us in once he figures things out...which probably will not be till the spring as he is heading to Arizona for the winter shortly...George Dutka

The CV Waterbury, Vt. station scene is one of the scenes featured in the current RMC.

A great scene for the cover of the current RMC.

This is CN 383 heading west from Komoka on Oct 31, 2023. There was a nice group of colorful graffiti covered hoppers on board. I found this new feature on my computer that can take the foreground and background out of focus and making a pan style shot. It worked for this shot but have yet to get it to work again for me.

Rutland Covered Hopper

Some very light applications of panel line is used, but mostly some PanPastel blender and white are used.

This is a Kadee factory finished model in Rutland Ry. lettering. All I did was clip the Kadee coupler trip pins and add a bit of weathering to the model...George Dutka  

The model is kept quite clean looking. The wheels are painted cinnamon brown with some Bragdon soot powder applied.

Throwback Thursday - Golden Eggs

 

Via 6414 was photographed from the Frank Lane overpass west of London on January 31, 2008.

By Peter Mumby.

Promotional wraps have been applied to a variety of Via's 6400-series F40PH-2 locomotives over the years.  Some were more attractive than others.  In 2006 unit 6414 was decked out in a brownish colour scheme advertising Loto-Quebec's "La Poule aux Oeufs d'Or" (The Golden Egg Chicken) campaign.  This engine was leading Via #85 westward at Frank Lane on the Strathroy Subdivision on January 31, 2008.   

BarMills

 

Here is a notice from BarMills!

Wordless Wednesday No. 553

 

      

CV on the GT New England

This is a neat view of CV bicentennial unit 1776 being used on the GT New England line. In this view the train is passing through Mechanic Falls, Maine during Sept 1978.  Ken Patton photo.  

Garden Caboose display

All ready for use in the garden once again.

My father in law had this wooden caboose on a pole in their garden for years. With my mother in law passing this year we put the house up for sale and cleared out what we could. My kids had a chance to go through the house and garden and pick what they wanted. Jessica my older twin really liked this caboose that had seen better days. I took it home for a refresh for her. I sanded it down, spray can painted it black followed by some red paint we use on our potting sheds door. This was brushed on. I had two black CN noodle decals that my father in law still had (which was used on the caboose before). Well the decals were really old and fell apart. I asked Peter Mumby what he might have squirreled away. He came up with a G scale dry transfer in CP. So that is what was used on one side. I have left the other side blank just in case I find a CN decal or transfer. My father in law worked for CN so he might be rolling in his grave till I find a CN for the other side. I spray sealed the dry transfer on and all is good to go now...George Dutka  

I taped the window areas before brush painting the body.

This was the Wordless Wednesday a few weeks back after I sanded down the paint were it was lifting. The two paints to be used are resting in the photo too.

This and That - November 2023

Limited edition 75th Anniversary Plasticville® U.S.A. kits are now shipping in HO and O Scale with special retro-themed packaging! Displaying the colors found in their original promotional artwork from the 1950s.

A bit of a mix of topics...George Dutka  

Bruce Douglas sent me this photo that he made up from images from my book. Thought it looked neat so sharing it with you. Bruce was once in the publishing business.

A CP freight today has a deadhead caboose on board over the WRD. Both cabooses are from True Line Trains.

A bit of the tank car has been repainted. Seen on CN 383 heading to Sarnia on Oct 31, 2023.

The BarMills shack pack included this small barn which I used for a bit on the layout. I decided to convert it into a waterfront structure once it was retired from the layout in 2021. 

The local Rutland Ry. switcher waits its turn at Bellows Crossing in this photo I took maybe 20 years ago on the WRD. The B&M milk extra is almost clear with a string of Brookside Creamery milk cars. The Rutland Ry 0-8-0 is a Proto engine with a few details added and new decals. This engine was one of my first DCC and sound engines.

Tunnel Views Bellows Falls!

NECR enters the Bellows Falls tunnel while I visited town during 2006. This was a local heading back north after doing some work south of town. It might have been a transfer drop off.

If it works out I like to catch a train at the Bellows Falls tunnel. Either entering or exiting is good. It does not always work out but here are two occasions that I got there in time...George Dutka  

The Vermonter is about to enter the tunnel heading south on Nov. 2 2007. My wife and I were on a trip through Vermont and our timing was right to catch the train at the station then over to the tunnel in time for a second shot.

Train Time Bellows Falls

Train time at the platform.

A CV NB arrives at Bellows Falls with a CNR caboose on the tail end. The platform is full of passengers waiting the arrival of a following passenger train. The CV freight better get busy clearing the main track on the White River Division...George Dutka   

Throwback Thursday - Pipe Train

 

CP Work 4655 waits patiently at Caradoc as the final car of its pipe train is unloaded on May 22, 2007

By Peter Mumby.  

At the time of this photograph (May 22, 2007) the empty field adjacent to the spur track at CP Caradoc, mile 15.1 of the Windsor Subdivision, was being used as a temporary pipe storage lot and transloading facility for a nearby pipeline project.  Operating as Work 4655, the train would have made the short trip west from Quebec St yard in London, Ontario.  Once all the pipe had been unloaded, this train would continue west to the passing siding at Longwood, milepost 18.9.  Here the power would run around the string of empty flats and return east to London.

CP 4655 was an EMD GP40-2 which had been acquired through Helm Financial.  It had arrived on CP wearing faded and patched Guilford grey paint.  The unit had been built in December of 1977 as B&M 302.

Wordless Wednesday No. 552

 

    

Komoka - Signs

I don't think rolling stock will derail before hitting the wheel stops.

I was taking photos at Komoka this fall when I noticed that the mill track had been shortened by a few car lengths (it does not go over the crossing anymore). I think the derail and signage is a bit of overkill now. If you are modeling contemporary Komoka better get to work on your track ends...George Dutka 

VIA 72 approaches Komoka on October 24 2023. One can see one length of rail was removed and the wheel stops are moved to the other side of the private railroad crossing.