September 2020 - Update

I received the current group of 6 kits from FOS. I am not sure if I really needed them but there was a few I thought would look good on the layout. Building these kits are fun.

I have yet to begin modeling once again after my July surgery. The branch line station that recent posts cover I built back in May. I am thinking within the next few weeks I will feel well enough to sit for an hour or two at my workbench. I also have not been out railfanning since early July and looking forward to an outing...George Dutka

VIA 72 approaching Komoka this past spring. Note the fresh striping on the bridge. I am thinking this one has been hit a lot.

One of Bruce Douglas nicely done S scale models. This one is lettered for a New England company.

The bonus when I ordered my FOS kits was they were offering a choice of free kits. There was three old kits available. I always wanted Big Lou's so I was excited to received this one.

My Back alley scene is done. There is only one kit included in this scene. Everything else is made from bits and pieces. More on this scene shortly.

Throwback Thursday - Down By the Station Early in the Morning

The step box is out and ready to greet potential travellers as Via 6121 and companion wait in front of the Havelock station on March 19, 1987.  Chances are, however, that when the conductor swings aboard at 05:47 he will be on his own, as most travellers will not board until the Peterborough station is reached.

By Peter Mumby.

Throughout most of the year, Via train time at the CP station in Havelock, Ontario occurred under the cover of darkness.  In order to get weekday commuters to Toronto Union Station by 08:30, Via 187 had to leave Havelock at 05:47.  Similarly, departure from Toronto at 17:30 meant a return arrival at Havelock around 20:13. Five days a week a freight train arrived at the Havelock yard early in the morning and returned to Toronto in the evening, so its schedule had to be coordinated with the passenger train as well.  This meant that the freight was generally in the yard by 05:00, and returned to Toronto around 20:30.  The Nephton roadswitcher, Peterborough turn, and the 3M turn all operated out of the yard during the day, and were out of the way before the evening return of the passenger train.

No freight trains ran on the weekends, so the passenger schedules were a bit more relaxed.  Train 191 left for Toronto on Saturday at 06:57, and 189 didn't depart on Sunday until 17:27.  Sunday was definitely a good day to photograph the Budd cars in Havelock, since they were left parked all day on the old mainline track in front of the station.

All this passenger activity, of course, came to a screaming halt with the massive cuts to Via services imposed by the federal government on January 15, 1990.  At this time, 18 of Via's 38 routes disappeared and the Havelock station name disappeared from Via timetables.  Rumours still circulate about a high speed Toronto to Ottawa corridor by way of Peterborough and Havelock, so Via may some day pass this way again.  However, I'm not holding my breath.

Wordless Wednsday No. 389

Branch Line Station - Part 3

Once the shingles are added the roofing required bracing. It is not mentioned in the instructions but there was a curve in each section. I used scrap lumber on hand.

More on my station construction...George Dutka

As one can see the roof is toned down using Bragdon powders.

The parts to complete the train order signal.

A Woodland Scenic light is applied to the interior.

The Gatorfoam base that will be used as the drop-in for the finished station.

Branch Line Station - Part 2

The basic structure is seen on the finished platform.

More views of my model going together...George Dutka

Floquil Depot buff is the lighter shade on the walls and Floquil Tuscan Red on the trim, windows and doors. Bragdon powders are applied over the paint to tone down the colouring. The shingles are applied to the roof sections. I had randomly coloured some of the shingles. At the moment they really stand out but once I am done they will all blend in to a more subtle shade.

Windows are painted Floquil Tuscan Red with a dusting of Bragdon dark rust before being installed.

Green shades and glass are added to the windows and the roof base is applied. The roof supports are being added.

Branch Line Station

The box is open and one can see what came inside.

Atlantic Scale Modelers offered a small branch line station a couple of years ago. I picked mine up at the Albany Expo. It looks similar to what one might have seen on the B&M but it could work for the NH or MEC branches. It has a lighted train order signal and a neat platform that is easy to build using the included jig. I will be covering the platform on my narrow gauge blog shortly. The platform is actually more of an early era style....George Dutka

Tape is applied to hold the deck boards in place inside the jigs frame. Once all the boards are in place there is another jig for the framing and supports.

The instructions are very thin and photos extremely small. The walls all need bracing. I forgot to take photos of the finished model at the Albany Expo which would have really helped. There will be lots of photos in following posts that will help you with your build if you have purchased the station.

The walls are together and the operators bay is being glued together. The base of the roof and supports are also being attached...more to follow.

Summer Railfanning

GEXR consist sits on the shop track at Stratford

Two Railroads, Three Locations....by Don Janes

     This past weekend my wife and I were taking our two granddaughters back home to Barrie, ON after a great two week visit.  After dropping off the girls we headed to Stratford Ont. for a day and night.  Stratford usually hosts thousands of theater goers every day for live plays at the famed Stratford Festival but not this year.  We were not sure how busy the small city would be but upon arrival were very surprised to see bustling streets with all the shops open. Shop owners and shoppers alike faithfully wore masks and practiced proper physical distancing and we felt comfortable entering all the shops.  We ate all our meals at outdoor cafes.

       I decided to head down to the train station. CNR had put the line up for lease about twenty years ago and the Goderich and Exeter RR operated all trains between London and Toronto on the Guelph Sub as well as local switching at various cities like Goderich, Guelph and Kitchener.  Just recently CN took back operations on the Guelph Sub but the GEXR still operated the line to Goderich.  I wasn't sure what I would see as I believe CN is using Kitchener as their hub for operations now.  Upon arrival the only engines around were a pair of GEXR units waiting their next trip to Goderich.  I took several shots of the two engines for my records.  Nothing else was going on.

The GEXR 2073 is painted in the Genesee and Wyoming paint scheme with GEXR reporting marks while RLK is in the old Railink paint scheme.

     The next day we headed over to St. Jacobs, the small community just north of Kitchener which has a large Mennonite community in the area.  Again, the town was getting busy with shops opening up around noon. Being Sunday, some stores remained closed.  While there I stopped in at the amazing St. Jacobs & Aberfoyle Model Railroad layout.  I have seen this great O Scale layout several times but always drop in when in the area.  It is well worth the visit.  After a little shopping we drove to the Waterloo Central shop just a couple of blocks from the main street to check and see if they were open.  As suspected it was closed but they left their three MLW switchers outside the shop as well as some other equipment so I decided to get some photos.  It was great to get these pictures with nobody around. The units include two ex BC Rail (ex PGE) S-13's #1001 and 1002 and an ex CPR S-3 switcher 6593.  These three engines are painted in the classic CPR maroon and gray scheme.  If one were to let their imagination go you would think you were in a CPR diesel shop in the 1950's.

     WCR's steam engines were tucked away in the shop building.

Above is an assortment of photos of the MLW switchers at the St.Jacobs shop.  These engines look amazing in the classic CPR paint scheme

 

An old caboose used for WCR train rides. That is an ex CP Rail caboose behind it

This old RDC was hiding behind some portable passenger shelters. The car behind is an old CPR horse car

  After a couple of hours at St. Jacobs we headed to the Lake Huron port of Goderich.  At the old CN station site the GEXR has a small shop facility so I drove there to see if there were any engines around.  Being Sunday it was really quiet but tucked in beside the shop was another locomotive. It was in the G&W orange paint with Quebec Gatineau RR reporting marks on the side.  It looked to be an old GP-35 and was numbered 2500. Of coarse they had parked a blue tractor right in front of it. I am guessing there are only three locomotive on the GEXR now unless there is one inside the shop.  I found out later I had missed the engines I saw in Stratford when they made a run to Goderich for salt cars earlier in the day. I snapped a few photos of the 2500 then headed down to the harbour before heading home.  The beach was packed on this hot summer afternoon and there was a large freighter, Algoma Sault, taking on a load of salt.  We headed home from there.  It was great to get out again and do a little touring around and doing some railfanning.

A lone GEXR engine sits at the cluttered shop are in Goderich

The Algoma Sault taking on a load of salt at the Salt plant in Goderich.  The old grain elevators are in the background. Water levels are extremely high here this year

Throwback Thursday - A Face Only a Modeller Could Love

StL&H 5449 was showing off its distinctive paintwork on the CP service track at London's Quebec St. yard on March 01, 1998.

By Peter Mumby.

Maybe, like me, you've noticed that some pieces of railway equipment look downright ugly in prototype form, yet could look really sharp as models.  Such is the case with the St&LH 5449 presented in today's photograph.  I am pretty certain that a picture of this unit never graced the front cover of a CP Annual Report, but it could be a real conversation piece on a model railway layout.  I'm not certain how CP decided which locomotives would be lettered for its St Lawrence and Hudson internal operating unit, but the criteria couldn't have been based on looks alone.

On CP the 5400-series number block was reserved for SD40 and SD40-2 locomotives that that been purchased on the used market.  The small 5447-5449 group of DRF-30 class diesels had been leased from National Railway Equipment, then purchased in June of 1994.  The 5449 had been built as D&RGW SD40T-2 number 5402.  Presumably it had worn a bit more spit and polish for that carrier.  Locomotive 5448 looked very much like the 5449, although it was not equipped with dynamic brakes. The 5447, with its primer red finish, presented an even more bizarre appearance, but that might be a subject for another day.

Wordless Wednesday No. 388

Snapshot - August 2020

I was in Woodstock, Ont. for a WOD executive meeting on June 24, 2019. Once done I stopped by the CP station. As I arrived so did the OSR making for a nice finish to the day...George Dutka

Rust Bucket No. 15

Here we have a really rusty SOO  gondola seen on March 16, 2020. I think this could make a really nice modeling project.

Peter and I was railfanning the OSR in Ingersoll on March 16th when we found this car. That was the last time we were out together this year.

Note even the ACI label is falling apart.

Along the Central Vermont No. 4

Sept 8, 2012 the main line is to my back.

No. 3 was posted in 2015. I guess it is time for more looks at the Central Vermont. This time the covered bridges at Northfield Falls, Vermont...George Dutka

One can see the CV tracks and the second covered bridge. A third covered bridge is just beyond that one.

The third covered bridge.

1937

The Northfield Falls bridge received the station sign when the station was removed. 1937.

Another view of station bridge with the station sign attached.

At the Barn

The Rutland Ry is running today on the WRD...George Dutka