Snapshot - August 2025

January 23, 2025.

Chatham, Mass.

This months snapshot are views of the nicely restored station once used by the NYC (B&A) and Rutland Ry. The station is now a bank and I was only allowed limited views of the interior. The station area map on the wall was interesting to see...George Dutka  

January 23, 2025

Looking east May 30, 2024

Looking west from the station. May 30, 2024

Don Janes takes in the view of the interior. A lot of nice wood that is in very good condition.

The large blueprint of the station and yard area that once surrounded the area. Note the Rutland Ry. yard behind the station. You can also locate were the Rutland Ry freight house once was. Nothing is there today.

Toronto

 

CN tower going up!

A couple of views from around union station and down town Toronto during the 1970's and 1980's...George Dutka    

Toronto 1986, Toronto Star newspaper photo.

Six Speed Special

Here are two photo Bill Badger sent me with the following information regarding the truck he built. It's a great looking model...George Dutka 

George, last week I finished up a Showcase Miniatures IH Six Speed Special. Interesting kit with 3D printed body and cab, etched windshield and mirrors, laser cut bed and window glass and cast pewter wheels and axles/springs. Multi media. Of course I modified a few things.

They make some more modern stuff but I don't do modern.

Modeling Amherst Station - The ITLA Kit

The Amherst, Ma. CV station as it looked in the late 1950's and early 1960's. 

I finally finished the ITLA Amherst station as it looked in the late 1950's and 1960's. The cupola that once was on the station was removed sometime before 1940. The refurbished station now has the cupola back in place. The kit being an old offering before Nick took over ITLA has poor instructions but once one figures out how all goes together the walls did fit very well. The roof trusses are another story, they needed some trimming and cutting to fit properly. The station platform was not used as by my era that was just cinders...George Dutka  

Interior plans from Jim Murphy, George Dutka copy. 

Wordless Wednesday No. 639

 

   

Steam Crane X-13

 

X-13 at work in1967 along the B&A.

From a group of slides I scanned from the George Melvin collection of a derailment being cleaned up...George Dutka  

X-13 B&A 1967

This slide was marked as X-13 1963 working along the B&A...no other details.

Trainmaster Inn - Palmer, Ma.

In a recent Trains magazine issue there was a short piece on Trackside Bed and Breakfast Inn's. The one that caught my eye was called the Trainmaster Inn in Palmer, Ma. It also has a caboose one can stay in. I noted the caboose back in January when visited Palmer but did not know anything about it other than it had a great view of the NECR yard...George Dutka   

One can stay for a night in this caboose behind the Trainmaster Inn. Seen on January 23, 2025.

Rapido's New CN H16-44

I recently purchased Rapido's CN H16-44 new release in HO scale. It is a great running engine and the sounds are amazing. If you model the 1950's era these CNR diesel power could be found in use. Some of the fleet where designated to Montreal as I have seen pairs of these engines in photos along the Central Vermont Railway on the CN Montreal to New London run-through freights that was beginning to replace steam in New England. One or two of these engines would be nice to have for such a layout. My layout is smaller so one unit is more than enough. I recently took a number of photos of my model just out of the box on my White River Division which has one running through Vermont on the CV and B&M. Now to get it on the workbench for a bit of light weathering. It may jump past some of my others that are lined up waiting work.

Check out Marty's Central Vermont Blog also as he has posted photos of these engines on the CV. One I found interesting was a H16-44 sandwiched between an CN GP-9 and RS-3.

A bit of history regarding this engine from the Rapido's "Engineman's Manual " which looks a lot like the prototype manuals that were placed in the units 70 years ago. 

In 1955. Fairbanks-Morse offered a new design for their existing H16-44 model locomotive. These changes involved raising the walkway and simplifying both short and long hoods to make construction easier. Under the hood, the locomotives were nearly identical to the earlier phases of H16-44 except for replacing the Westinghouse Electrical System with a more reliable General Electric system.

A total of 165 of the H16-44 Phase III Locomotives were built between 1955-1963. Locomotives for the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National were built by Fairbanks-Morse subsidiary Canadian Locomotive Company. A total of 58 H16-44 were built at the CLC plant. 18 of the units built in1955 where for the CNR.

Hauling a string of CNR boxcars along the WRD.  

Rapido has reproduced the engine manual for this model.

Crosby Coal - Danby, Vermont

The Crosby Coal structure at its current location on the WRD. Bill I changed out the tractor.

I was corresponding with Bill Badger recently about Crosby Coal. There are two small square openings, one at each end of the structure that we talked about. I sent Bill some photos of my model on the layout with the steaking from the opening. Here is some of Bill's interesting comments regarding the structure.

George, the person who could have told us, Elby Crosby, grandson of Elbert C. Crosby has passed away. When I measured the structure he told me there were sloped chutes under the roof that took coal from the middle, where the elevator was, to the outside bins. His job, as a kid, was to use a pusher to move the coal along. If they were stocking up for winter in August, I can imagine how hot and dirty that job would have been and he confirmed that. My guess is the doors were from access to over the far bins.

The white steaks may have been white or other light paint. It wasn't always red.

Looking at your photo don't let Elby's ghost see your John Deer tractor. Crosby's was a big time International dealer. You need a red tractor. There's a large flat pulley inside the middle open area where they could pull a tractor in to power the bucket elevator with a flat belt. One opening between the ties in the rear, so one bay of hopper at a time was opened. 

Sadly the roof on the structure is going, so it won't remain much longer. 

May 3, 1991

May 3, 1991

Sept 10, 1998

Wordless Wednesday No. 638

 

  

A load that you might want to model!

 

A Peter Mumby photo of a scrap load along Pine St. in London headed to the reclamation yard.

This is one of Peter Mumby slides I scanned recently. I had taken the same view that was used in RMC back when we did an article together on woodchip cars. This photo was run in another RMC issue as a "so what do you do with the leftover roofs" from your woodchip projects. Well a load in a CN gondola works and might make a great modeling project. You can also practice your rooftop weathering...George Dutka  

Ft. Edward - 1973

 

Ft. Edward 1973. I scanned this slide from the George Melvin collection I purchased some years ago.

  

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.

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. 

Wordless Wednesday No. 637

 

  

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.  

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.