Wordless Wednesday No. 325

CV Burlington, Vermont - Roundhouse

CV shop in Burlington, Vermont October 1953. John Gardner photo.

I received this photo from John Gardner decades ago viewing the Central Vermont roundhouse scene in Burlington, Vermont. John helped me with a lot of information regarding the Swanton, Vermont area while I was the editor of the Ambassador and shared this photo with me. I could not find any notes that goes with the photo other than the date, October 1953.

In this photo one views a nice compact  engine facilities tucked away in-between the main lines of the Central Vermont and Rutland Ry. and a high ridge. Note by the time this photograph was taken the turntable pit had been filled in and a switch installed to access the two bays of the roundhouse. I do recall seeing a similar scene on Dick Elwell's layout.  I can see this type of scene on a Central Vermont based layout even if one does not  follow the prototype 100 percent. I am thinking I might include such a scene on my layout as I really think this would make a great scene to model....George Dutka

CV Section House - White RIver Jct.

My CV section house that once stood in WRJ is seen near the edge of my layout.

One of the models that I added to my White River Jct. scene is the CV section shed that was once located just north of the station. I did not have any dimensions so I used known model door and window sizes to come up with a plausible model. I also had two photos of the section house that I could better figure out the actual sizes. This structure is a lot bigger than many of the CV line side houses which followed CN practices. For smaller ones there is plans to help one come up with models or just use the Sylvan Scale Models version. The one at White River Junction does take a bit more work.

I scratch-built my model from stock styrene and window and door casting I had on hand. Floquil boxcar red - tuscan red mix was applied to the walls. Floquil white is used on the windows. The roof is cardboard covered with masking tape...George Dutka.

The section house can be seen in the bottom left of this photo. This is an overall look at WRJ and the lead to Westboro.

I was asked some time ago about measurements for my section house. I decided to measure it and make up a quick sketch for future uses. Here is how my drawing appears. I had to reduce the file down to fit this blog post. If you make a copy of it from here it might be off scale. I can send one a proper copy if needed. If you are a CVRHS member you will get it in the Ambassador sometime this year.

My model is on my workbench for a cleaning. It has not been out of the WRJ scene in over a decade. The roofing which is made of masking tape over 15 years ago is beginning to lift. I think a better option today would be BEST tar-paper roofing...making for a great upgrade.

An overhead view sitting on the CV colour book that shows the section house in colour. The year is 1957. Note the green and gold CV herald on the wall.

Bob Nimke book photo

On the White River Division.

WOD-NFR/NMRA Chatham - Make and Take Trees

Peter and I work away at our trees. They are getting near completion. Some of the gang actually got more than one tree completed.

The Western Ontario Division of the NMRA is a busy division the last while. This time the group gathered in Chatham, Ontario for a Make and Take tree building workshop hosted by Pat Rivard. Pat is an O scale modeler with a BC style layout. He has made hundreds of these tall pines.

Peter and I once again took in some local railfanning and visited 3 or the 4 layouts that were opened after the workshop...George Dutka

The trunks are being shaped.

The trunks are painted and dry brushed. The holes need to be drilled and branches applied.

Hair spray and ground foam finish the tree off.

We stopped in to see Gary's HO scale layout. Gary Shurgold is a great photographer and has won many awards for his work. He also is a MMR and many of his accomplishments are seen behind him.

Gary Clark models in two scales. Here is an O scale caboose he scratch built. Gary also works for the CN in the running trades. I worked with him on occasion when he was stationed in London years ago and he was still a conductor.

Gary Clark's scratch built freighter. Gary's main layout seen here is HO scale.

Looking down main street on Pat's O scale layout.

Pat Rivard's layout is O scale with DCC and sound. The interlocking tower has full interior details.

Pat Rivard and Peter pose...note all the large trees that are similar to what we all worked on earlier in the day.

Pat's structures are over the top. Each building is fully detailed inside with lighting installed.

CN storage shed next to the VIA Chatham station.

This is a rail museum near the VIA station.

Peter and I caught up with a couple of CP trains in Chatham.

Early Spring Update

In the B&M WRJ yard an Alco switcher appears to prepare a CP train, July 26 1974 Bruce Nelson photo.

My modeling season is near the end although it feels like it really never got going this past winter. Family commitments are finally under control to some degree. I still have a lot of material to cover and am planning another week of New England posts next week followed by a full week of model and prototype structure inspirations later in the month...so check back regularly over the next few weeks.

I just received an e-mail from Kevin Smith regarding Robertson Paper in Bellows Falls. The structure is being demolished as it was beyond repair. See the link below...George Dutka


https://www.wcax.com/content/news/Demolition-of-Bellows-Falls-paper-mill-underway-
508265201.html

While cleaning out my mom's house I came across a box of old photos that belonged to my grandmother. That's me at my grandmothers house in the beaches area of Toronto when I was laid off in London and working the spareboard in Toronto. I am guessing this is 1979 or 1980 as I have the gold band on my hat. Must have been heading out as a conductor or assistant conductor on my next run.

This is one of two craftsman kits I worked on and did finish this past winter. It is for my waterfront diorama. I will be covering this project on my narrow gauge blog...link found on the sidebar.

A closeup look at the deck of the fish house. The lobster traps are brass etchings offered by RailroadKITS...more on these on my narrow gauge blog.

Old time B&M plow end view. No available details or dates.

Visiting the JSSX

The CN rail detector car is heading along the CN Pt. Edward spur. This roadway used to be the access to the CN rail car ferry.

On Wednesday they called for sun (but the sun was only partially out) so a railfan trip to Sarnia and a visit with Jim Sloan and the JSSX was planned. It had been a year and one half since we last visited the JSSX and a lot had changed. The run to Sarnia followed the CN Strathroy sub were we saw 3 trains...we never seemed to be in position to take a photo though. Actually one train at Blackwell stopped at the signal but was so far back we did not even bother to stop.

After a nice visit with Jim we headed over to the Sarnia VIA station. Jim decided to meet us there. The CSX transfer arrived with three units instead of two and a very long cut of cars. Following the transfer movement was CN's rail detector car. We heard on Peter's scanner the detector car was heading over to the Point Edward spur once train no 397 passed. The spur has some neat park settings and waterfront photo ops. Jim suggested Mitton St. as a good location for a view of 397 and the rail detector car entering the Point Edward spur.

From Mitton St. we followed Jim to a few other locations along the spur that all worked out well. Well I guess one location did not actually work out. We decided to head over to the CNR steam engine display. The tracks runs right by on a broad curve and there is a nice hill we climbed which would make for a great shot. Unfortunately the unit stopped at the crossing just short of our photo op's location and headed back...guess they did not have the same program we did...George Dutka

Peter and I both really enjoyed this second hand JSSX unit. As usual Jim has done an awesome job weathering it up.

Peter Mumby and Jim Sloan pose for me.

Jim's gondolas have a really nice interior. These are removable with other options that can be added. I hope Jim covers these cars on his blog at some point.

One of my favorite boxcars on this visit was this D&H car that Jim painted and lettered. He used a coat of Proto Paint haze on this model for fading. The subtle rust marks are really  effective.

The CSX transfer heads past the VIA station heading to the main yard by the tower.

We are at the dead end of Mitton St. catching the action of CN 397 heading down the grade to the tunnel. They are going quite slow as US customs are doing their roll-by. The track to the right is the Point Edward Spur.

CN's track detector car heads toward downtown and the riverfront. The trackage to the right is the old ferry service yard. Most of the trackage is disconnected now.

Here is an overhead view of the steam engine on display on the Point Edward spur. The bit of track seen in the foreground is a broad curve towards the storage silos. The unit never made it this far. This would have made a great photo in a wider view.

A CN eastbound is tied down waiting a crew at Kingscourt Rd. mile 37.65 Strathroy Sub. When we arrived a second EB was coming alongside. Not very often do I get a photo of two trains at once on the Strathroy Sub.

All tied down. The crew was departing by crew bus when we arrived.

When a train is tied up like this I can get a few extra views from further back.

Throwback Thursday - By The Light of the Silvery Moon

I was fortunate to be able to attend two night photography sessions organized by the Elgin County Railway Museum.  This one was held on August 26, 2000.

By Peter Mumby.

The accompanying exposure was made at the Elgin County Railway Museum at St. Thomas, Ontario on August 26, 2000.  A proper night photography session had been organized with experienced practitioners on hand.  Most participants were still using film, so these experts suggested an appropriate exposure time, depending on the film you were using.  The scene was then lit by individuals firing off flash units in a variety of locations.

The two subjects of the photo were ex-Essex Terminal Railway #9  and Ferroequus (ex-RDG) 2100.  Neither locomotive was a part of the museum's collection, but both were fairly long-term tenants of the facility.  ETR 9 was the property of SOLRS ( Southern Ontario Locomotive Restoration Society), while 2100 was privately owned.  All of the SOLRS equipment has subsequently moved to the Waterloo area.  The 2100 stayed in St. Thomas until it was loaded onto heavy duty flatcar QTTX 131342 on September 05, 2005.  It was then forwarded to its new home in the US Pacific Northwest. 

The Elgin County Railway Museum is still very much in business, although most of the trackage in this photo has been removed by CN.  No rail connection remains to any external railway.

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Wordless Wednesday No. 324

GMD Recollections - A Whiter Shade of Pale

Demonstrator unit GM 91 is resting on the shop track at CP Quebec St. in London, Ontario on July 31, 1998.

By Peter Mumby.

GMD/EMD had a number of sharp-looking demonstrator paint schemes.  This was not one of them.  Built in July of 1998, this SD90 demonstrator was painted in what was at best a stealth scheme.  It was almost as if company officials had a premonition that this model would not be well received, and provided it with the opportunity to fade into the background.

Brantford Layout Tour - Area Railfanning

The New York and Seven layout built by Greg and Gail Whayman was a treat to see. They love building structure kits and running their layout view a computer program. In this view is one of the new scenes that has a face board made from barn board now available at Home Depot. The rust stains Greg added using PanPastels. The guest book is located at this end of the scene.

Saturday Peter and I took off to the Brantford, Ontario area for their annual layout tour. It was a sunny day so railfanning was also on our mind. As it turned out we spent more time as railfans then layout tour participants...pictures tell the story...George Dutka

Barry Silverthorn was Greg's helper at the New York and Seven and he brought along a few of his Roomettes as displays on areas that are yet finished on the layout.

Another view of the New York and Seven. This layout is less than two years old and has a lot of completed scenes.

The Brantford Model Railroad Club's layout was a pleasant surprise. It has been a number of years since I last visited this layout. It is located in a steel sided former garage which holds some really interesting scenes and a lot of nice trains that I had not seen run in the past. They had a NS road-railer train set that both Peter and I took a close look at. In this scene a Ford plant is actually just a building flat that  has a track into it which hold a few hi-cube boxcar and a loading facility for multi-levels in the foreground.

The Brantford group also did a nice job emulating a Timmies.

Peter pointed out this Canadian road name air slide that I was unaware of.

At the Brantford VIA station a trio of vintage CN 9400 and 9500's are seen. When was the last time you saw three of these together. Not bad for engines over 40 years old. Note that the station still has their 40th anniversary signs up.

CN 9427 appears to have been set up for belt pack operations recently.

Our day began with a stop at Paris Jct. and as usual almost no time for setting up a shot. As we pull in next to the track a train shows up requiring us to bail out of the car really quickly to get this view from the cars doorway. We were shooting into the sun to boot. I guess you take your shots when you can as they might be the only view of the day.

Peter and I had our lunch at the Brantford VIA station and caught number 72 which was on time. Think I caught Peter in the photo also.

One of the 40th Anniversary engines was on the tail end of VIA 72.

After checking out two more layouts we returned to the VIA station to watch number 73 arrive and depart. Once again another 40th anniversary engine leads the way. By this time the sun has departed for the day.