Elwell General Store - The Green Mtn. Version

Elwell's General Store seems to be a gathering place for the locals

 A New Store at White River Jct......by Don Janes

   Back in November of 2013 George and I attended the Model Railroad Expo in Pittsfield, MA.
 While in the vendors room we stopped at the BEST  table to check out their offerings.  We always buy some detail castings and other goodies from them.  On display was a great looking little general store and small freight station diorama.  Every year BEST offers a show kit.  This year it was Elwell's General store, named in honor of legendary modeller Dick  Elwell, owner of the incredible Hoosac Valley layout.  Dick lives just up the road from Pittsfiels in Adams, MA and had his layout open for EXPO attendees.  George bought the kit right away and then along came fellow CV modeller Marty McGuirk and his friend Stick Harris who both also bought  a kit.  They all asked me when I was going to buy the kit as I was really trying to resist the urge to spend $100 plus on a general store.  Finally I gave in a pulled out my wallet.  In the long run I am really glad I spent the money because one, it is a great kit and two, Dick Elwell has been a good friend of mine for many years and has inspired my me more than anyone else in the hobby.  Once I saw George's finished model on his layout any doubts about buying this kit vanished.
       Over the last few weeks I finished my Elwell kit and have found a home for it in the foreground at White River Jct.  It is finally in place and open for business.  I won't go into what the kit consists of or construction as George covered that in a post earlier in the year.   I did weather mine a little more than George using techniques like the rubber cement trick to create a peeling paint effect and using chalks to age the store a little more.  Since the structure is in the foreground I modeled the double door on the side in the open position to show some of the crates and boxes inside.  Like George I substituted Northeastern slate roofing sheets for the metal roof in the kit and used Builders in Scale green rolled roofing on the porch and post office roof.  With the addition of some Central Valley board fencing, extra details and figures from my parts drawer the scene is now complete.  Now the locals can do their shopping and hang out and shoot the breeze at Elwell's General Store.

A B&M freight is heading into the yard behind the bustling little store.

The side doors were modeled open to add detail. Here we see a local farmer delivering fresh vegetables to the rear store room. Below the B&M freight has finished its work and is heading out of town

Athearn Blue Box Geep's

My old GT New England GR-17 heads a freight with a freshly painted CN Geep trailing.

One of the conductors, Tom Sanders I worked with regularly on locals and in the yard (we both are retired now) asked me if I could add the handrails to his Athearn blue box CN Geep. He had it for a number of years and wants it for on his desk. He is not a modeler but a railfan who spent his younger years railfanning in the Montreal and New York City areas. Anyhow the engine is painted CN and adding the handrails is an easy addition. I did have some extra details on hand that I thought would give it a better finished appearance for Tom. It turned out to be a nice little project since it has been decades since I built my own New England versions.

Parts Added to CN 4563
Most of the parts are by Juneco. C-10 high hood bell, C-4 spark arrestors, C-32 antenna, C-83 horn. I also cut off the brake stem and added a Precision Scale Co. #3247 brake wheel. I had two extra Details West SL-172 step lights which are added. Lastly I added class light jewels, B-11 or B-6 by Juneco. There are more I could add if available. Some additional decal work would also improve the looks, such as number board numbers...unfortunately I could not find my stash before finishing the project...George Dutka

The GP-9 engine out of the box with a few of the detail parts I had on hand.

Parts added and ready for some touch up painting.

Ready to go.

B&M Micro-Trains Boxcars - N Scale

Two Micro-Trains boxcars I purchased last spring finally get some weathering applied.

Last spring I picked up a two pack of B&M boxcars at Palmer Hobbies. Once again the price was right and they would fit in nicely into the small fleet I am building. All they needed was some powder weathering which is done with Bragdon powders. I also used some Titanium white Pan Pastels on the lettering for a wash down effect. One car is modeled with the door open with some newspaper, boards and a sign added for interest to the interior...George Dutka

Some interior details are added to this car. A placard is also glued to the door. The trucks and couplers are not done yet as I need to replace the wheels first since I will be using code 55 flex track.

My two finished cars.

Coal to move on the WRD

The White River Division has coal to move.

Here is my current fleet of coal hoppers. I built the Pennsylvania Westerfield hopper many years ago. It was a chore drilling and cleaning the casting...a bit on the brittle side. Building that kit kept me away from other hopper kits. A few weeks ago I picked up a couple finished B&O hopper cars. One a Tichy kit and the other I am not sure its origin. They are both good looking models that are filling a void in my fleet....George Dutka

The car on the left is a Tichy kit which has been nicely completed. It had heavy weathering applied prior to arrival on the WRD. I toned it down a bit with some black powder on the sides and rust on the interior.

I built this Westerfield  fishbelly hopper kit decades ago. I found it took a lot more effort to complete than I actually wanted to put into the project.

October Railfan Trip - Day 6, The Final Day

Our final day started out very foggy as we found ourselves in Tarentum, PA, Carl's hometown.  Just as we arrives this NS oil train showed up.

Following Trains To Horeshoe Curve....by Don Janes

     Monday Morning started out very foggy, the same as the previous day.  Our plans were to go to a spot where there was some interesting street running.  As we were getting off the freeway we spotted an NS oil train which Carl said would be passing through his hometown of Tarentum, PA. so we raced ahead to get a "mood" shot at the station.  Right across the street from the station was the restaurant that Carl's father had owned and was still in business, now owned by his cousin.  Once we got the photo we started out again. I asked Carl how busy this spot would be and he said not really too busy, likely lots of waiting.  I didn't like the sound of that so I asked what the chances of heading to Horseshoe curve would be instead.  He said it would be about a two hour trip so knowing there would be a lot more action there we changed our plans and headed east.  A very good move in my opinion.  It was a beautiful day, the fog had lifted and the fall colours were near their peak in many areas.  

    Our first stop was the small town of Southfork, PA, a junction where a branch line diverged to a coal mine.  Again, just as we pulled up beside the tracks an eastbound freight rounded the curve working hard on the long grade to Horseshoe Curve.  It was going at a fairly good clip considering the grade but as the rear end came into sight the reason was clear.  There were four more SD40E's pushing on the rear.  The manned helper set was added at Johnstown and would push all the way to Altoona.  There was a group of these units that were rebuilt and many are used as helpers on this grade. From here we scooted up the mountain to Cassandra.

These two shots at Southfork show the three units on the point and four more helpers on the rear.  The black NS units are not as colourful as the CSX ones we had seen but are still interesting in their own way.

As soon as the train passed Southfork we hopped in the car and got a shot of the helpers as they passed the picturesque Cassandra overlook.

     Once we shot the train at the Cassandra Railfan Overlook we headed back to Jamestown Road, a rural country road that crossed the mainline and had some old PRR position signals mounted on the bridge.  After a short wait twointermodal trains passed under the bridge giving us some more photo opportunities.  Since the time was getting on we decided to get up to Horseshoe Curve before the sun got behind the hills casting shadows on the tracks.  Our plan was to climb up the steep hill behind the curve to get a different angle of Horshoe Curve rather than the usual fenced in railfan spot on the inside of the curve.  In theory it was a great plan but once I started climbing up the steep, loose dirt, root infested, no trail hill I had second thoughts.  It actually bordered on dangerous for an old guy like me.  Once we got to the spot I was totally out of breath and exhausted.  It was a good spot but my heart sank because the whole side of the curve was in shadow.  Oh well, we were here now so may as well wait for a train.  Within 15 minutes one came around the curve and I got a few shots, not what I was hoping for but at least I can say I climbed the hill behind Horseshoe Curve.

Here's my shot from the outside of the curve. You can see the lookout and old PRR GP-9 on display in the center of the curve.  I had to do some photo editing to reduce the effect of the shadows. the shadows. This is one case no sun would have been better.

    The next stop was the Galitzen Tunnel.  Again, within a few minutes we saw two trains coming out of the tunnel, one a set of helpers and the other an empty coal train.  With the afternoon sun limited to only another hour or so we headed over to Cresson for a few shots.  There was a lot of action at Cresson and this is where some of the Westbound helpers cut off and head back to Altoona to give the next train a shove up the hill.

These two trains popped out of the Galitzen Tunnel within minutes of each other.  Note the old PRR caboose in the park beside the tracks in the first photo.

 

The above two intermodal trains were two of about eight trains we saw go by Cresson within a period of about 45 minutes.

     On our way home we pulled into Summerhill for one last photo before starting the two hour drive back to Carl's place.  From the highway overpass this location had a great view in both directions and there was an old PRR signal right to frame the shot.  
     It was a great week of railfanning with lots of great locations and beautiful scenery.  Hopefully we can plan a trip to Montana, a spot we both want to visit in the next year or two.

A pair of SD-40E helpers shove yet another train over the Allegheny Mountains. You can see clearly where the old 4th mainline once was.

Wordless Wednesday No. 158

Firestone Tankcar - N Scale

The two brushes used with my powders. The big brush was used to dust the main tank body with a light coat of powders. The micro brush is used to highlight the lower sections.

Another find at a recent flea market was a used Eastern Seaboard Models 42' single dome chemical car. It was manufactured by Rivarossi. All it needed is some powder weathering using a micro brush, mostly black and rust. Since I will be using code 55 track the wheels will have to be changed out...George Dutka

I used all four of these colours on this car using a micro brush.

October Railfan Trip - Part 5

Just after sunrise it was very misty and the river and forest at the campground seemed almost mystical

Visiting the Pittsburgh Area...by Don Janes

     Now that it's Dec. I guess I'd better finish up the last two days of my October railfan trip. After four great days of railfanning in the Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia mountains it was time to pack up the Winnebago and head back to Carl's place in Sarver, PA for a couple more days before heading home. After a great breakfast in a little diner close to the campground Carl drove over to Dawson, PA to show me a great looking old mansion beside the CSX (former B&O) mainline with the hopes of shooting a passing eastbound.  It wasn't long before we heard the horn of a train and within minutes a CSX freight showed up.  In the lead was a recently rebuilt SD40-2.  After the shot we headed out.   

The old buildings make a nice background for a train photo.  A newly rebuilt SD40 leads this freight through Dawson, PA

        Once the camper was unpacked we headed into Pittsburgh in hopes of catching some train action in the "Steel City".  Like most big cities, Pittsburgh was very busy, even for a Sunday and access to railroad tracks is quite limited.  Carl parked at a great spot on the river where the CSX main ran along the bank and the Pittsburgh skyline provided an awesome background.  Unfortunately no trains showed up but it was a beautiful afternoon and a great spot to just sit and admire the big city and action on the river.

Here we see some of the many tug boats and coal barges that ply the rivers.  Pittsburgh is a city of many bridges being at the junction of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers.

     Since it was getting late in the afternoon Carl decided we should head over to McKees Rocks and see if the was any action there.  The sun was dropping fast and our time for taking photos was almost up. Our first stop was the Pittsburgh and Ohio Central RR shop.  There was nothing moving but five engines were tied up in the shop area so we stopped and got some good roster shots.  The sun was perfect so we took a bunch of shots of the engines from different angles.  These vintage maroon, gray and yellow units were a nice change from the CSX blue we had seen all week.

It was almost as if the P&OC crews posed the units for us to photograph.  The orange switcher in the background looks like it is an ex CNR unit judging from the high cab number boards.

A nice family portrait.  Judging from the sign below it looks like Genesee and Wyoming has taken over this line so I suspect these units will soon be painted orange and black

     Once we were done taking photos here we headed for one last spot, high on the hill overlooking Mckees Rocks and the Ohio River.  From here we had a great view of the Pittsburgh skyline and the huge ex PRR "OC" Bridge.  This is now an Norfolk Southern bridge. The structure is double track and has two huge steel girder bridges over the two branches of the river and many deck spans in between them.  At the far end there is an elevated wye on the bridge.  We sat there quite a while waiting for an eastbound train and were a little concerned we would loose the light before one came.  Just before the shadows consumed the bridge a long NS intermodal train crept over the bridge and made our last shot a success.  Once the train passed we jumped in the car and headed back to Carl's place for supper.

The shadows had almost swallowed up the OC bridge just as this eastbound intermodal train came along.

One last look at the impressive Pittsburgh skyline.  The yellow structure in the center is Heinz Field where the Pittsburgh Steelers play football.

Tichy Train Group - Rebuilt USRA Boxcar Kit

Off the shop track this Tichy car is in service along the WRD.

A few weeks ago I picked up a finished USRA rebuild boxcar kit by Tichy. It was finished but missing a ladder, stirrup and peeled off decals in spots. It is well built and weathered.  For 6 bucks I can't complain. I added a ladder from my parts box, and fixed the decals with leftover pieces from a F&C, NYC 36' sheet. I touched up the ladder with a brush and oversprayed the whole car with Floquil boxcar red. I then brushed on coat of Bragdon dark rust...and into service it goes...George Dutka

A ladder is added. You can see the herald needs some work and the weathering will be cleaned up a bit. I actually have this Tichy car to build in my stocks from a number of years ago...kind of a good way to get one into service.

An overhead view once the Bragdon  dark rust powder is applied.

Woodland Scenic - Tractor

Noted the January issue of MR had an article about assembling cast metal tractors. Here is a 2013 view I took of one of my two Woodland Scenic old time tractors. They are white metal tractors that need some cleaning and assembly. A little green, black and yellow paint followed by some rust powder and all is well. Both can be found near my barn scenes...George Dutka

Fall Maple Leaves

If you model New England or places in eastern Canada maple leafs are a good idea. Check these out offered by Scenic Express.

I got an e-mail a week or so ago (don't recall who it came from, but thanks) that had these great photos of Scenic Express leaves. Although for some reason I did not save the e-mail I sure did save the photos. I am amazed how realistic they look...another thing on my shopping list for 2016...George Dutka

Appears they come in three colours.

Branchline Trains Creamery - Diorama

Looks like a milk car is spotted for unloading at the ice cream plant.

The N scale creamery is now attached to a small Gatorfoam base and finished. It will find a home on my N scale module once Peter and I get going on them. We decided on 12" by 5' for my module and Peter is going with 14" by 5'...George Dutka

The pole is from Osborn Models. The roadway is beach sand from Grand Bend, Ont. The grass is fine flocking. Scenic Express supplied the small weeds and bushes. The bright orange vine is Woodland Scenic.

Old boards, an Osborn Models ladder are added to this end. The no trespassing sign is reduced down from I believe a Bar Mills kit.

All the signs are reduced down from an old Hood's calendar. The milk handeler and milk cans are from The N Scale Architect.

An overhead shot of my little diorama. The kit came with a tall chimney which I cut down and made two.

The wood fencing is a Bar Mills N scale offering while the posts near the loading dock are from my scrap box.

The milk can set came with two handlers. A dog, tire and skids are added to the scene. I reduced some HO scale newspapers to N scale and scattered them around the scene.

Wordless Wednesday No. 157