Wordless Wednesday No. 666

 

Don Janes photo and layout.   

General Store

I have been looking for inspiration to build a general store for a friend. I have  yet to come up with the final design. This one seems to be something one might build...George Dutka  

North Dorset, Vt.

The tiny station on the Rutland Ry. at North Dorset was offered as a model by Rutland Car Shops a few decades ago. Don and I both have built this model. Here is my view and the prototype...George Dutka  

May 1, 1988 moved a short distance to Hwy 7 and used as a fuel station. George Dutka photo.

North Dorset 1947, Bob's Photos

In use on the White River Division. 

February - This and That

A good look at the WRJ coal tower still standing in the mid 1960's but not in use anymore.

Some photos and news from around my area and as always I do have to add a New England shot. I am away this weekend so no posts till Monday...George Dutka  

Not sure if you are in this area but might be something interesting to check out.

July 9, 2023 I stopped by Brockville, Ont. on my way to New England. I caught an EB VIA which would head off towards Ottawa following a station stop. The train pulled way down past the station for it's platform stop.

Back when the station was still standing and one could get there without issues to take photos. This is Dundas, Ontario half way up the Niagara escarpment on the Dundas Sub. 1978. Bill Carr photo R. Sanduski collection on Facebook. There are some nice scenic trails from here that would be busy on a weekend.

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I took this photo of 4141 a GP-9 series engine which was once 4241 on Feb 21, 2026 in London, Ont. Note the graffiti on the side of the engine which has worn off along with other paint. Kind of a neat version of this engine to model.

Derailment in Pt. Hope Ontario. No date or information. But one can see a good mess to clean up.

CV402626 is seen at Essex Jct. Vermont January 1992. Alan Irwin photo from Keith MacCauley collection.  At one time Keith and Alan used to swap slides. Note the roof is very clean looking on this car. The end of the other CV car shows some rust on the ribs.

Throw Back Thursday – SW1200RS CN 1265

by Keith MacCauley 

GMD’s diminutive SW1200RS end cab road unit has long been my favourite locomotive. Growing up in Hannon (a suburb of Hamilton above the escarpment) along the former Hamilton and North Western right of way, they were a frequent sighting during the lengthy period of daily service along the line. Seemingly, CN checked all the boxes on the specification accessories list; Flexicoil trucks, front number boards, rear number boards and larger fuel tanks. Not entirely satisfied, additional after market parts were added; full length handrails, winterization hatches, and gnarly looking spark arresters. CN’s SW1200RS’s proved to be incredibly long living; of the one hundred and ninety-two built for the railway at least one is still on the roster; CN 7304, built 8/1960 as CN 1390, still serves the Parkdale steel transfer facility in Hamilton. In addition, numerous retired/sold off sisters continue to toil away for subsequent owners.

SW1200RS CN 1265 was delivered to Canadian National from GMD London in 1957 and serve her master for some thirty-four years, being retired in 1991.

Wordless Wednesday No. 665

 

April 13, 2025  

Dec 20, 2025

CP GP20C-ECO

March 21, 2018

Railfan magazine had a nice article in their June 2023 issue by Marcus W. Stevens on the GP20C-ECO units one sees around South Western Ontario. In 2023 these engines marked a decade since the first was entered into service. The article notes that 25 of these engines are assigned to the Toronto area with a few seen here in London, Ontario.  

Engines assigned to this area are 2250-2257, 2259-2267, 2269, 2279-2282, 2288, 2292, 2307. Since that time other numbers have been seen in London.

The article is interesting and worth a read. Here are a few of the views of these engines that I took...George Dutka    

All views are in London, Ont. Feb 12, 2023

March 21, 2018

March 27, 2019

March 27, 2019

March 27, 2019

 

B&M Yard Office - WRJ

I was recently asked if I had dimensions for the WRJ yard office in the B&M yard. I had measured this structure decades ago and built a model of it for my layout. Here is scanned but maybe reduced a bit copy. The basic overall dimensions are 32' by 17', wall height is 18' in the corners with a peak height of 24'...George Dutka 

No Data

May 15, 1996 G. Dutka

Sept 27, 1992. G. Dutka

CP 9023 at Cowichan

 

Don't know much about this photo other than it is a neat view of a CP Budd car 9023 passing a flagstop called Cowichan. The roof on the shelter is showing its age but a neat looking structure. The photo might be taken by Peter Mumby but for sure is from his print collection.   

Three Building Flats - ITLA

The three building flats.

I took ITLA Olympia Tool and Die kit and built 3 building flats from what was in the package. This is how the finished buildings look...more on it later...George Dutka 

This is one of the ways I can lay it out. I plan on using some other structures between them to stretch it out more.

CSX Along New York's Route 5

February 2026 Trains 

The February 2026 issue of Trains has a nice article about railfanning the former NYC Water Level Route. One can follow the tracks on route 5 from Hoffman's near Rotterdam Jct. to Utica. Many photo locations are mentioned. Don Janes and I have followed a portion of the route from Amsterdam to Hoffman's many times catching a couple of trains. We decided on one occasion to head west from Amsterdam Amtrak station which was a pleasant surprise. We stopped at Fonda and caught a couple of trains. There is a subway at one crossing so we decided to have a sub trackside for dinner. To our surprise we had a hard time eating our sub. It seemed every time we got into the car and took another bit the crossing gates started to come down. It was a Sunday and it seemed that this was a busy time along the line. Luck for us...George Dutka

By the time we got to the Amtrak station in Amsterdam during the early evening it has began to rain but we still took our shots on June 2, 2019.

June 2, 2019 a WB passes through Fonda, NY. It had stopped raining by then but was heavy overcast.

One of the trains that passed us while we ate our Subway subs at the crossing beside the sub shop. We were parked in their parking lot which looks right towards the track. We did not have to move away from the car to get this photo.

An EB on June 2, 2028 passes behind the sub shop. I could shoot while sitting in the car from the window.

January 23, 2025 I stopped by Amsterdam, NY once again to take this view of an EB Amtrak train behind the reproposed freight house. I was on my way to the Springfield train show. There are many places to get a nice photo along this part of the line.

Throwback Thursday

FADING FAST – WHEAT BOARD COVERED HOPPER CARS 

by Keith MacCauley

 The 4,550 cu. ft. covered hopper car has to be considered a Canadian railway icon. An enlargement of existing AAR class ‘LO’ freight cars, the so called ‘Wheat Board’ car was constructed by all three Canadian builders; Hawker Siddeley (HST), National Steel Car (NSC) and Marine Industries Limited (MIL) from 1972 until 1994. The ‘Wheat Board’ moniker stemmed from the government funding, both federal and provincial, that spawned almost 20,000 cars. Once commonplace, the ranks of the ubiquitous grain hauler have been thinned by age and wrecks (the last build of ninety-nine cars in 1994 by NSC was in fact funded by monies collected from cars destroyed over the years in derailments). A number have also been sold off to private owners. Of course the movement of grain from the prairies to Canada’s west coast continues. Today this is accomplished in large part by recently delivered larger volume (5,431 cu. ft.) covered hopper cars, built mainly by NSC. While both HST (later renamed Trenton Works) and MIL are no longer active, US based Trinity Industries has also contributed similar volume cars to the Canadian National fleet. The larger volume is a function of the higher available Gross Rail Load (GRL) available since 1995; 286,000 lbs, vs. 263,000 lbs.

CNWX 100653 (original paint) was constructed by NSC in December of 1972. CNWX 10635 (original paint) was built by HST in September of 1983.

Both ALNX 396328 (repaint) and ALNX 396406 (original paint) were built by NSC in 1981. For more information on the Wheat Board covered hopper cars, go to; Canada's Grain Fleet - Covered Hoppers

Wordless Wednesday No. 664

 

  

  

The Rutland Ry. on the Green Mountain Division

A Rutland Ry 70 tonner engine running light on Don Janes layout. Don's photo

I really liked this photo that Don Janes posted recently on Facebook taken on his Green Mountain Division layout. A simple shot of a lone engine running past a barn scene...George Dutka  

More CP Work Cars

CP412536 no date or location. Peter Mumby photo.

A few more work cars scanned from Peter Mumby's prints...enjoy...George Dutka 

CP412572 Cobourg, Ont. Aug. 10, 1990 Peter Mumby photo.

CP412732 May 28, 1988 London, Ontario Peter Mumby photo.