03-04-2011, 11:33 PM
I had to go down to Lowbanks last week and, after arriving at the Dunnville station almost an hour before train time, decided to take a stroll through the nearby industrial fringe of town. I'm always on the lookout for previously unseen freight cars that might make suitable modelling projects, so had my camera in-hand.
Just off Walnut St., I found this Soo Line boxcar spotted at Bertram's Machine Works:
![[Image: Somefreshphotos002.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/freight%20cars/Somefreshphotos002.jpg)
After a short stroll through the yard of the Walnut Street Freight Terminal (team track), I happened upon this somewhat battered Lehigh Valley gondola:
![[Image: Somefreshphotos001.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/freight%20cars/Somefreshphotos001.jpg)
With permission from the on-duty agent (a long-time family friend), I was able to get another shot from atop the yard's idle crane. I was hoping to see the cargo that created those bulging carsides, but she was empty:
![[Image: Somefreshphotos008.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/freight%20cars/Somefreshphotos008.jpg)
By now, it was getting close to my departure time, so I hustled back towards the station. As I was nearing the street, I grabbed this shot of a spiffy-looking moving van at the crossing. I don't know how I'll model this, but the photo makes a nice addition to my album:
![[Image: Movingvan04.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/freight%20cars/Movingvan04.jpg)
The trip to Lowbanks, on the "Bee" was uneventful. I had heard rumours of the possibility of one of those new diesels being in town for road trials (apparently bound for a line in the Ottawa, Ontario area) but there was no sight of it. With nothing but the usual steamers in attendance, I decided to not waste any more precious film.
After completing my business in town, I again arrived early at the station for my return trip to Dunnville and decided to drop by to see my cousin at the carshop, and to see if there was any word on that diesel. While my cousin wasn't around (down at the engine shop cleaning parts, I was told) I did learn that the diesel had been through earlier in the day and that it would be around for a few more days before heading off to its new home. Drat! Just my luck to have missed it.
I did find some consolation, though, in this somewhat unique car spotted just outside the shop. (Evidently, it developed a hotbox on the trip from the TH&B interchange, and was set-out here for repairs.) I was told that it's a covered hopper used for carrying carbon black (I wasn't aware that carbon came in any colour other than black
), used for all sorts of things, from tires to printer's ink. I thought the dapper-looking paint job merited a photo, though, so used the last frame on the roll to capture this image:
![[Image: Somefreshphotos009.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/freight%20cars/Somefreshphotos009.jpg)
The trip home was uneventful until we reached South Cayuga. There, while passengers boarded or de-trained, I got off for a short stroll along the platform to watch the baggage men struggling with some lcl. As I watched, I heard an approaching train blow for the nearby crossing: bla-a-a-t! bla-a-a-t! blat! bla-a-a-t!
The diesel! :o With no film left, I could only watch in admiration as she crawled by. Gosh, what a beauty! I made up my mind to get back here while she was still around, and to bring plenty of film, too. I'll post some pictures here when (and if) I get 'em.
Wayne
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The cars shown above are recently completed, with the Soo "sawtooth" boxcar a resin kit from Speedwitch Media. With a one-piece body casting, it was an easy build of a long-desired model. Everything was included except couplers, and there were lettering options covering the cars' entire lifespan.
The LV gondola is a Proto2000 car, picked up "used" at the LHS. It was missing some of the underbody detail, had no grabirons or sill steps, no handbrake, and a poorly-done attempt at a D&H re-lettering job over the factory-applied Pere Marquette scheme. Still, with Kadee sprung trucks (set aside for another project) and scale couplers, it was a bargain at $4.00. After removing all of the lettering, I replaced the missing steps and grabs with metal parts, added a brake wheel from my parts box and decided to paint it boxcar red, which is a better colour than black for showing weathering. I added the lettering, from Champ, then added the distressed effect to the sides. This was done with a 200 watt soldering iron, with the tip brought close to the inside of the car's side. After a few seconds, the handle of an X-Acto was used to push the softened plastic outwards. It took only a few minutes, working between the car's ribs, to complete the effect. After this, the car was given a wash of dilute India ink, followed by some airbrushed Dullcote, then some brushed-on pastel weathering, then an application of airbrushed dirt. Then, the car(s) were all repainted with fresh paint patches for application of the re-weigh and re-pack data, followed by more Dullcote.
The carbon black hopper is a craftsman-type styrene kit from The Rail Shop. A flat kit, it consists of separate sides, ends, roof and underbody, with added details. Grabirons are hand-formed from stainless steel wire (furnished with the kit), and there's a reasonably complete version of the brake detail at the car's "B" end. Trucks, included with the kit, are from Accurail, and the lettering is very nicely-done decals, also included. Assembly offers the choice of two different truck-mounting bolsters, a regular one and an alternative with scale-width coupler pockets, the version used here. A nice kit of an unusual prototype.
Just off Walnut St., I found this Soo Line boxcar spotted at Bertram's Machine Works:
After a short stroll through the yard of the Walnut Street Freight Terminal (team track), I happened upon this somewhat battered Lehigh Valley gondola:
With permission from the on-duty agent (a long-time family friend), I was able to get another shot from atop the yard's idle crane. I was hoping to see the cargo that created those bulging carsides, but she was empty:
By now, it was getting close to my departure time, so I hustled back towards the station. As I was nearing the street, I grabbed this shot of a spiffy-looking moving van at the crossing. I don't know how I'll model this, but the photo makes a nice addition to my album:
The trip to Lowbanks, on the "Bee" was uneventful. I had heard rumours of the possibility of one of those new diesels being in town for road trials (apparently bound for a line in the Ottawa, Ontario area) but there was no sight of it. With nothing but the usual steamers in attendance, I decided to not waste any more precious film.
After completing my business in town, I again arrived early at the station for my return trip to Dunnville and decided to drop by to see my cousin at the carshop, and to see if there was any word on that diesel. While my cousin wasn't around (down at the engine shop cleaning parts, I was told) I did learn that the diesel had been through earlier in the day and that it would be around for a few more days before heading off to its new home. Drat! Just my luck to have missed it.
I did find some consolation, though, in this somewhat unique car spotted just outside the shop. (Evidently, it developed a hotbox on the trip from the TH&B interchange, and was set-out here for repairs.) I was told that it's a covered hopper used for carrying carbon black (I wasn't aware that carbon came in any colour other than black
), used for all sorts of things, from tires to printer's ink. I thought the dapper-looking paint job merited a photo, though, so used the last frame on the roll to capture this image:The trip home was uneventful until we reached South Cayuga. There, while passengers boarded or de-trained, I got off for a short stroll along the platform to watch the baggage men struggling with some lcl. As I watched, I heard an approaching train blow for the nearby crossing: bla-a-a-t! bla-a-a-t! blat! bla-a-a-t!
The diesel! :o With no film left, I could only watch in admiration as she crawled by. Gosh, what a beauty! I made up my mind to get back here while she was still around, and to bring plenty of film, too. I'll post some pictures here when (and if) I get 'em.Wayne
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The cars shown above are recently completed, with the Soo "sawtooth" boxcar a resin kit from Speedwitch Media. With a one-piece body casting, it was an easy build of a long-desired model. Everything was included except couplers, and there were lettering options covering the cars' entire lifespan.
The LV gondola is a Proto2000 car, picked up "used" at the LHS. It was missing some of the underbody detail, had no grabirons or sill steps, no handbrake, and a poorly-done attempt at a D&H re-lettering job over the factory-applied Pere Marquette scheme. Still, with Kadee sprung trucks (set aside for another project) and scale couplers, it was a bargain at $4.00. After removing all of the lettering, I replaced the missing steps and grabs with metal parts, added a brake wheel from my parts box and decided to paint it boxcar red, which is a better colour than black for showing weathering. I added the lettering, from Champ, then added the distressed effect to the sides. This was done with a 200 watt soldering iron, with the tip brought close to the inside of the car's side. After a few seconds, the handle of an X-Acto was used to push the softened plastic outwards. It took only a few minutes, working between the car's ribs, to complete the effect. After this, the car was given a wash of dilute India ink, followed by some airbrushed Dullcote, then some brushed-on pastel weathering, then an application of airbrushed dirt. Then, the car(s) were all repainted with fresh paint patches for application of the re-weigh and re-pack data, followed by more Dullcote.
The carbon black hopper is a craftsman-type styrene kit from The Rail Shop. A flat kit, it consists of separate sides, ends, roof and underbody, with added details. Grabirons are hand-formed from stainless steel wire (furnished with the kit), and there's a reasonably complete version of the brake detail at the car's "B" end. Trucks, included with the kit, are from Accurail, and the lettering is very nicely-done decals, also included. Assembly offers the choice of two different truck-mounting bolsters, a regular one and an alternative with scale-width coupler pockets, the version used here. A nice kit of an unusual prototype.