Sunday, 27 July 2025

Another ITLA Back Alley Build

The finished structure with the wall modeled as smooth concrete. The end signs are Dave Decals.
A Wordless Wednesday some time ago was a first look at this build. Here is a quick look at this structure I put together over the winter. I had a lot of leftovers from building ITLA back alley structure which I thought I could use to come up with another structure. Nick had given me 5 mock-up structures with no details cut into them so I could see what he imagined the block would look like. This was a good help. Remember I built a test kit with no instructions. More on this structure shortly...George Dutka    

The two mock-ups on the right are what I used to build the model. Some of the trim and roof sections are seen here also.


Saturday, 26 July 2025

More Strasburg!

I don't think they will get away with standing between the rails today. Oct 11, 2012. Having dropped off one tank car at the interchange the caboose hop is ready to head home.

Just a few more views I liked from my trip there...George Dutka  


There are many scenic locations along the line.

A short train headed to the interchange.

Chasing steam is a great way to spend a day trackside. 

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

More Procor!

by Keith MacCauley

UTLX 70510 was built by Procor Oakville in November of 1980; part of a twenty car build. Due to the food service nature of the corn syrup payload, the interior of the tank was coated; protection of the commodity from the car. Curiously, the tank car has been repainted some nineteen months after original construction. Note the ‘PROCOR’ wordmark decal, introduced in 1976. Note also the period stencilling; CAPY rather than the current LD LMT, dual panel COT&S, CTC tank specification and prominent lessee name. ‘ZYMAIZE’ was a joint venture between Redpath Industries and John Labatt Ltd., based in London Ontario. Zymaize would morph into ‘CASCO’ and ultimately be acquired by ‘Ineos’, a British based conglomerate. UTLX 70510 would be remarked PROX 70510 in June of 1985 and taken out of service in September of 2022.  

Monday, 21 July 2025

More This and That!

Mike Evans D&H layout feature.
Here in Canada getting copies of railway magazines is getting hard with tariffs and the exchange of the dollar. Hobby shops, book stores, drugstores and grocery stores are dropping these magazines. I can see why with the changed approach MR is taking with returns. The last two hobby shops that I have been in don't carry MR anymore and RMC prices are now at least 15.95 which includes all the new costs the shops are facing through tariffs and exchange rates.  

I had been looking for a copy of Model Railroad Planning since the beginning of the year. I was lucky to track one down just recently. This time around the issue was very interesting to me with two out east layouts included. One nicely done by Peter Leach of his Maine two-footer in an extra room and another which is Mike Evans D&H layout told by Randy Laframboise. Great work and articles guys.

I was at Otter Valley Railroad last week and was surprised at the large supply of Martin Welberg scenic products. I had heard it was coming but I think Lorne cleaned them out. They still had more to put out but the photos show you it is varied and in large supply. There are a few products I had not seen before such as their trees. I used to get my Welberg goodies at the Scenic Express booth when at the Springfield train show. Not anymore...I did stock up on a few new to me products...George Dutka


Otter Valley Railroad shelves. 


The local power at Altershot during a visit on July 11, 2025. Note some of the details one can add to the end jammed into the grab irons.  We see a MU cable and corn broom riding this end.

Beginning to see more sets of this power in our area. This is VIA 84 from Sarnia to Toronto on June 6, 2025 at Pulham Rd east of Komoka, Ont. I was on my way to the lake that day and the timing was right. I cross both the CN and CP lines on my way there and back so always good to have my camera with me.

I caught CV 555 with CV 5809 leading as it approached the station around a broad curve in Stafford Springs, Ct. on Sept 28, 1992. That was a long time ago. This September the CVRHS is gathering in Stafford for their annual convention. Maybe I just might go.

My newest purchase a Rapido offering just out of the box. Runs and sounds great. Now to give it a bit of weathering. These engines would have been seen on the CV on occasion being used on through freights.

Sunday, 20 July 2025

Snapshot - July 2025

Oct. 11, 2012
Strasburg Steam!
You may have noticed the past two Wordless Wednesday featured a live steam location. Don and I visited Strasburg back during a Structures Model Show held nearby in Lancaster Pa. during October 2012 and took a lot of steam train photos. That was one of my most memorable trips considering we took in the train show, Strasburg and dinner in the Pennsylvania railroad museum. We also went to Horseshoe Curve on the way home...George Dutka  


We were there early morning to catch the engine being readied for the days run back a the shop, Oct. 11, 2012.

At the station Oct. 11, 2012


Oct 11, 2012

October 13, 2012. Two days later we railfanned the line again but seeing different steam in use.



Friday, 18 July 2025

Bellows Falls

Monster Modelworks offers a laser cut kit of the Robertson Paper Co. which once stood near the station in Bellows Falls. That's a Rutland brass milk car over in the yard.

A few views around my Bellows Falls yard on the White River Division...George Dutka  

I was over visiting Pierre Oliver a couple of weeks ago. His Yarmouth Model Works offers some really nice 3-D printed figures. I have added this one leaning on the barrel. Pierre gave me a couple that he had painted very realistic including this one. There is some nice shadowing. I purchased about half a dozen including an operator with a train order hoop. More on that one shortly. We discussed how to best paint these figures. Will see how mine turn out. The figures are by Modelu.

An overall view of the Bellows Falls station platform. I did not have enough room to model the whole station so I modeled what one sees in photographs around the station. I also needed a station stop in Bellows Falls.

The platform station sign is a copy of the original that I photocopied from a Dwight Smith photo.

Tuesday, 15 July 2025

Rockport in the Mid-sixties

 

Here three rather weather beaten RDC-1s and an RDC-2 headed by 6117 await their duty.  This gives a view of the platforms as they existed in the mid sixties.

by Geoff Southwood 

In the mid sixties, my parents vacationed at Cape Ann, Massachusetts, northeast of Boston.  As a teenager, they would rent me a bike and of course all roads led to either Gloucester or Rockport Stations.  At the end of the line in Rockport, weekends were a particularly bountiful time to find any number of Budd Rail Diesel Cars wiling away their time awaiting the Monday morning call to commuter duty to take passengers to North Station.  By the sixties, the station was gone but the freight house still stood.  In fact the freight house was recently the subject of an excellent craftsman structure designed by Jeff Grove of Carolina Craftsman Kits and produced for Ipswich Models.  The loop track that was used to turn head end power before the RDC era was still in existence and a walk around the loop and its marshy pond was sure to land you more than a few mosquito bites!  The loop track right of way is still visible on Google Earth.

On a typical weekend, RDCs were literally scattered around the trackage and most varieties were on the scene.  Here’s 6154, one of the last deliveries of RDC-1s manufactured in 1957.

By the mid sixties, RDCs with baggage and mail facilities had been relegated to commuter service.  


Here’s an RDC-2, 6211 laying over.

And an RDC-3, 6303, looking surprisingly unweathered for its age.

Even a rather forlorn looking RDC-9, 6929 is parked for the weekend.  Clearly some consist assembly would be required come Monday morning.


Lastly, a single car weekend departure, RDC-1 6114, approaches the Rockport loop track as it starts its journey to North Station.  Here’s a weathering challenge.



Sunday, 13 July 2025

UTLX 46213


By Keith MacCauley

UTLX 46213 was built by Procor Oakville in March of 1974; part of a fifty car build. Somewhat noteworthy that this series of tank cars was constructed with nominal one-hundred-ton capacity (36” diameter wheels) for calcium chloride (salt) service. Due to the corrosive nature of the commodity, the interior of the tank was coated. Incredibly, after almost twenty years of service, UTLX 46213 is still wearing the original exterior coat of paint. Note the so called ‘Flying P’ decal, introduced in 1962. (‘Products Tank Line’ became ‘PROCOR’ in 1962) UTLX 46213 would be remarked PROX 46213 in May of 1994 and taken out of service in October of 2007.  

Saturday, 12 July 2025

This and That - July 2025

Crosby coal before it was moved back from the main line. I had a question recently asked if anyone knew why there was a small opening up high on both ends of the coal shed. There was some white streaking happening at this location.
A bit of a mix from what I have scanned lately and model photos I have filed away in my White River Division files...George Dutka 

NA Jct. B7A Berkshire Hills, 1963.
I visited the London Model Railroad Group's O scale layout this month. They have a nice collection of prototype stations such as this model of St. Mary's that is 3-D printed.

The O scale version of the CP London, Ont. station.

They have built two 3-D printed versions of the Goderich station. One is original while the other is how it looks today as a restaurant. That version will be donated to the restaurant as they gave the club a copy of the station plans for them to build this model. They have full interior.

A look inside shows a full interior of the restaurant version.

I showed you a few views of this Lobo, Ont. garage that was in the process of coming apart. Well I think they are saving some of it. There are three walls remaining and roof beams. The structure appear to be block with concrete covering. Note the trim paint still showing through. 

Although the outside wall hide the doors and windows that once were there the inside shows the structures history.

That's my friend Chris Martin who I passed the other day railfanning. I was on my way to the lake. I decided to stop and chat and of course we viewed VIA 84 from Sarnia to Toronto. Chris used to work for CN too in the engineering department. He is a hold out still shooting slide film with no intentions of switching to digital. 

A B&M RS-3 handles a milk train through the diamond headed to Bellows Falls. I have a good collection of milk cars now...not sure I need that many but nice to have and change out on occasion. 

Thursday, 10 July 2025

Throwback Thursday - Idling Wayfreight

by Keith MacCauley 
On a warm Thursday early evening in July, CN 4107 is shown idling at the head end of a short three car consist. Further to tying down their tiny train, most likely the crew has cabbed it to a nearby restaurant. As shown, their train is made up of an empty center beam flat car, covered hopper car and combination door boxcar. The crew has either dropped off or picked up a car or cars at one of three Rymal sidings; CO-OP, to the south, or Shaw Pipe/Penn Lumber, both located to the north. They may have retrieved the combination door boxcar (CN 557596) from either Shaw Pipe or Penn lumber. The center beam may have also come from the Penn Lumber siding. The covered hopper car is simply along for the ride; there are no local loading/unloading facilities. This would be the last time I would see any traffic on the line. Freight volume, minimal as it was, would continue to decline and the rails would be lifted in 1993. Built in September of 1957 as GP9 CN 4123, CN 4107 would be remanufactured as a GP9RM in 1984 by CN Pointe St. Charles, and retired 2019.