Throwback Thursday Encore: The Final GP9..........Built.

Dan Murrell took this image of OSR 102/ETR 102/ACR 172 outside the Salford, Ontario shops of Ontario Southland Railway on Apr 01, 2017.

Commentary by Peter Mumby with Photo by Dan Murrell.

On April 13, I presented a Throwback Thursday piece entitled "The Final GP9."  Any time you discuss "firsts" or "lasts," things are always subject to opinions, interpretations, or semantics - and what about the possibility of a dead heat?  It was pointed out that some sources refer to MEC 450 (ex-Algoma Central Railway 171) as the last GP9.  My original reference was the Canadian Trackside Guide, which simply refers to ETR (later OSR) 102, ex-ACR 172, as the "last GP9 built."  Could it be that these other sources are referring to 171 as the last GP9 delivered?  This time I turned to local railway historian and GMD expert Don McQueen to see what was available in his files or memory bank. Don says: "In a way both are correct.......as both were delivered on Aug 12, 1963.  But.......to be more correct (or a bit picky):  Since the builder's number for 171 is A-2018, and 172 with A-2019, I'd say the last GP9 "built" would be the latter, as 172 has a later/higher build-number and since GMD in those early days tended to complete units in sequential order."  Any way you look at it, both units are significant, if only for the fact that they were completed several years after the bulk of the GP9 production had been wrapped up.  At any rate, I will be keeping an eye on OSR 102; maybe we can post an updated photo when it rolls out of Salford shop dressed in a full maroon and cream paint job!

Wordless Wednesday No. 228

Bellows Falls, Vermont - Station Platform

An RDC arrives at the Bellows Falls platform on the WRD.

This past winter I finished and installed the station platform for Bellows Falls. It is mounted on a piece of Gatorfoam. I originally was going to add tar paper but the roof looked so good once I had it all glued together I just painted it with dollar store mix of black, white and brown. I added the seam lines with a lead pencil. Some gloss coat is used to add some repair lines...George Dutka

The station sign is a photocopy of the original found on the CVRHS Ambassador cover photo.

I built a B&M style train order signal for the platform then adding baggage and passengers.

An overhead view of the roof. I think it turned out pretty good as I just painted the styrene with a brush before detailing.

The CVRHS cover view that I copied for the sign. This view was a great help while building the model. The photo was taken by Dwight Smith in the early 1950's.

The eavestrough are made from code 70 rail cut to size. I used wire for the downspouts.

The platform is a busy place on this day.

Ian's Views of the B&M and CV

“B&M SW-1 1120 in Bellows Falls, Vermont during the summer of 1971”.Ian Stronach photo

Ian Stronach passed along more photos for us to view of the CV and B&M. I will be posting these over the next bit between modeling posts. Ian is also a modeler, modeling urban Montreal, CPR. Enjoy Ian's views...George Dutka

This photo was taken by Ian's friend Dave Clark. B&M 119 looks well worn by this point. This weathering job might be a chore to emulate, the engine is clean...must have had a bath, but has a lot of peeled and faded paint.

 

GTW 1509 handles a group of four cabooses in St. Albans Italy yard during 1969. Ian Stronach photo

A snowy winter day in St. Albans Italy yard, 1969. Note the amount of snow on top of CV8080. Two CV wooden caboose also have a good amount of snow on their tail end. If one was to model a winter scene such as this, would one add all this snow to the end of a fine caboose model. Ian Stronach photo

WRJ Boxcar- Tool House

At the rear of the seen is another tool house.

As my modeling season is winding down I have done a few quick updates. I now have the Proto shell tool house installed next to the backdrop in the White River Jct yard. A little tree cutting and brush cleaning and all is well...George Dutka

A down low view of the tool house.

Water Tank along the WRD

A Rutland Ry. Mike approaches the WRD water tank now in use.

I made a base that houses a drop-in diorama for my water tank near the Petersburg station and quarry. Here we have a few photos of the finished scene...George Dutka

Rutland Ry. 32 heads a short freight by the tank.

Throwback Thursday - The Final GP9

Ontario Southland Railway 102 was basking in the afternoon sun at Salford, Ontario on April 01, 2017.  Photo by Dan Murrell.

Commentary by Peter Mumby, with Photo by Dan Murrell

My friend Dan forwarded this photo to me a few days ago.  To look at it, you might see nothing special, but it actually is a fairly significant locomotive. Ontario Southland 102, previously Essex Terminal 102, was originally assembled as Algoma Central 172 at the General Motors Diesel Division plant in London, Ontario.  Essex Terminal Railway acquired the unit 4/11/86, but its delivery date from GMD had been 8/1963, making it the last GP9 constructed.  To put this date into perspective, the final CN GP9 was delivered in 1959; CP's last such unit came in 1958.  Contemporaries of ACR 172 included the CP GP30s, also graduates of the class of 1963, meaning that the last first generation units were completed in the same year as the first second generation locomotives.  Maybe when the railfans at Ontario Southland get around to painting the 102, they can be prevailed upon to add some special markings denoting its historical significance.

Wordless Wednesday No. 227

Visiting the Franklin & South Manchester Ry. - Part Three

A look at the newsstand on the platform. This little stand is well stocked and lite.

This is the last few photos for now of the F&SM. Last weeks Wordless Wednesday and the next few Wednesday's will also feature some of my views of the F&SM structures...George Dutka

A close-up look at the newsstand.

You can tell George likes his stands...here is another one.

More Geeps in St. Albans

St. Albans shop tracks 1969 Ian Stronach photo.

After my Friday's post, GT Geeps, Ian Stronach sent along a couple of nice looking views of St. Albans in the 1960's with the following note. "Your recent blog prompted me to scan a few slides for you."

CV 4550 Italy Yard, St. Albans, VT February, 1969

GT 4904  Italy Yard, St. Albans, VT March-April 1969

enjoy...George Dutka 

Fresh Paint...GT 4904 is looking pretty shiny in this view,  1969. Ian Stronach photo

Water Tank - Updated

My most recent addition for the WRD.

 A few months back I purchased a beat up water tank for a buck at the Ancaster train show. I glued the structure back together, painted it flat black with a Walmart 99 cent spray bomb. Once dry I went to town on it with my PanPastels. Yesterday I built a Gatorfoam base and added some scenery...now I have another drop in diorama  ready for use along the WRD line...George Dutka

This is how the tank looked when I got home.

I added a finial on the roof top, and a piece of chain to the spout.

The scenery is mainly  fine ground foam and static grass. I few golden rods are also used and a bit of coarse green foam from Woodland Scenic.

I think it turned out well and was a really quick project to complete.

Alan Irwin

Alan and his favorite railroad. My Front Range geep in the background.

Today was a cold and snow covered day...outside chores are on hold so with some arm twisting I headed to the basement. I had a pile of magazine clippings that needed to be sorted and filed. As I went through them I came across a CN lines clipping from 5 years ago. As it turned out it was dated April 7th. As it turned out our old friend Alan Irwin passed away 5 years ago today. It is hard to believe how fast time flies. I always enjoyed receiving his e-mails and my stops at his home when in the area....we best make the most of our time...George Dutka

GT Geeps - St. Albans

GT 4138-4139 on Monday Sept. 19 1989 at St Albans, Vt. Gord Taylor photo.

More of Gord Taylor's photos at St. Albans...this time a look at GT Geeps...George Dutka

GT 4442 at St. Albans, Vt. May 19, 1979 Gord Taylor photo

GT 4447 on May 18, 1979 St. Albans, Vt. Gord Taylor photo.

Caboose storm doors

A pair of my brass etched storm doors are applied.

I applied a few of the Black Cat Decals brass etched caboose screen doors to my CV cabooses. Here is a look at the end of my brass model. They seem to fit well...George Dutka

Wordless Wednesday No. 226

Monday Model Workdays

Peter and I each built a tool shed from leftover Proto shells over the past two workdays. Here are the completed models. Mine, the CN version will find a home in my WRJ yard.

This past Monday might be the last Monday modeling workday till the fall. The weather is turning in favour of outdoor chores and projects. Peter and I finished off a couple of our projects that has been in the works or on our mine for a bit this past Monday...the photos tell the story...George Dutka

Peter's CPR tool house version included a brass etched caboose door, wooden broken running boards, awnings made from BarMills corrugated roofing and some scraps leaning against the walls. The stack came from my parts box.

Peter supplied the two shells and I supplied the details. On mine I added a brass etched CN caboose door painted orange. The roof walks are beaten up wood scraps. The supports are matchstick pieces stained with Hunterline mix and the CN smoke stack is a Juneco offering. When I got home I added a few scrap newspapers and signs...I forgot to bring them to our work day. We used PanPastels for all the weathering.

This was an ongoing project for our N scale modules. This interlocking tower is a N scale Architect offering that was a struggle to build. Both Peter and I worked on it off and on this winter during our Monday get togethers. The walls are Floquil concrete while the doors and windows are coach green.

Everything on this model was a tough fit until we got to the roof. It went together easy. I brush painted it a water based dollar store black. I then added pencil roll paper lines which then got some tar seams done with gloss coat. The last thing applied is Bragdon soot.

Visiting the Franklin and South Manchester Ry - Part Two

One of the many little shanties found on the F&SM.

Here we see more of the small stuff that I really enjoyed seeing. It has given me a lot of inspiration for my own detailing. Taking well over two hundred photos on this visit has given me much to choose from. I hope you enjoy the ones I have selected. The depth of field in some of the views is not the best, but without a tripod one does what one can...George Dutka

Now that is a full load.

This napper is lucky to find a tire on the roof for a pillow.

One of the many tool house shanties made from old rolling stock. This one I am thinking was scratch-built to resemble an old boxcar.

This one has a loading platform and a load of pigeons on the roof.

A New Haven style tower is boarded up. We mostly cover the openings with plywood sheets, but these boards randomly placed look really nice.

A lot of details are found outside this structure.

Looks like Lionel Land is present on the F&SM.