scubadude Wrote:You have a great eye for super-detailing .... It is amazing how much difference tiny additions like scale brackets for the downspouts make. Will you be opening up any of the dock doors?

Thanks for your comments Scuba. We always think superdetailing is about overcrowind the building with lots of anecdotal details, but in fact, most of the time, it's just about doing correctly some architectural features to enhance any structure. Downspouts, roof flashings, chimney conduit, electrical wiring and some ventilation intakes are all you need to do. Most of them, as you see, are done with available material: wire leftovers, sprues, plastic rejects, paper and cardboard. They don't need any particular skills. Honestly, I'm far to be a great modeller, making full of mistakes here and there. Just watching careful picture of actual buildings and replicating what you see. I think these details bring a lot of life to any structure with a fair amount of weathering.

As for the open door, I thought about it and it would be nice but I won't do it. This bashed structure is held together with 1/4" masonite. Cutting it for a door could do more harm than good! It probably would warp badly. Anyway, I don't want to model an interior to be honest. Anyway, when I walk the street, I rarely see open doors. Most of the time, they are closed, except on large warehouses were a lot of activities happen. My goal in this project is to depict a derelict station in the mid-70s just before the end of regular service. It won't see a lot of action except for change of crew, a few maintenance work and maybe some minimal Budd RDC service.

Just like any other place all over North America, my prototype railways (CP-CN) saw a lot of service cuts between 1972 and 1978 when most remaining passenger service in Quebec City area were discontinued and parts of the infrastructure removed, leaving only a squeleton of freight movement. That's what we're trying to model, the last glamorous years in eastern Canada railroading, when both companies tried to modernize themselves. It's a colorful era with contradicting paint schemes, rundown grandeur of dying industries and railway infrastructure. Also a great era where new car design are together with older technologies. Reminds me of Doctorwayne 1930s era layout where you can find exactly the same kind of melting pot of evolving rolling stock.

Matt

I decided to be a GEC myself and dig some archives to find out what locomotives were used and in which number in Quebec City on a typical week day in early 1970s.

I based my estimate using Marty Bernard's collection of pictures he took the same day of August in 1970s. I then divided the number of each types by two because our layout is about half the capacity of Limoilou Yard and we model about half the industries. Passenger locomotives were even more reduced since we don't operate regurlarly passenger trains. Not very scientific I agree, but it gives a general portrait.

The exercise was extremely interesting for one fact: I already owned almost everything I need. Funny, but rather generic models where daily visitors at Quebec City and it was confirmed by a good friend who was a young railfan at that time. The fleet was most done with GP9, C424, RS18, FPA4, S4 and lots of steam generators. All locomotives will be painted in CN 1961 wet noodle scheme and weathered according to pictures.

GP9: 6 (3) -3- The work horse at Quebec City. As you know, two Bachmann GP9 are in process of being rebuilt and repainted. New road number will match ones found on timetable and period photos. I'll probably get an other too, probably a Bachmann to have a consistent fleet with similar details at low price. I'm not against painting in in Green & Gold since a few survivors made infrequent visit.

RS18: 3 (1.5) -2- I'll have to get and bash an Atlas Classic RS11 [#3714]. I already gathered the detailing parts. Since it's a serious bash, I'm thinking about converting also my MEC Atlas/Kato RS11 too. MLW RS18 is an ICONIC locomotive after all.

C424: 3 (1.5) -2- I rounded at 2 because they always run in pair and 1.5 is practical! I already have one Atlas Classic in wet noodle [#3214] and 1 Atlas-Kato in zebra stripes [#3201]. I don't want to repaint my Atlas-Kato, so if I get the chance to find another Atlas Classic in wet noodle, I'll go for it (Classic C424 are definitely better detailed). Those model will probably need some details to make them look better.

S4: 2 (1) -1- The club has an Atlas Grand Trunk S2 that will be bashed, detailed and painted to fit one assigned in Quebec City switcher at that time.

FPA4: 4 (2) -1- The main passenger locomotive in Quebec City. However, since we don't model Palace Station, I feel it's useless to get more. I already have a Proto 2000 PA4 in CN livery that will make a good stand-in after some detail work.

B-units: 2 (1) -1- EMD and MLW, only needs one to complete a set [#TBD]. Since FPA4 often pushed short local trains in the 70s, I'm not in a hurry to get one. Maybe a Rapido in the future, who knows?

Steam Generator: 4 (2) -1- Lots of freight locomotives pulled trains in Quebec City area in early 70s, mainly on Murray Bay Sub. Since we don't operate passenger trains, getting one from Rapido would be more than enough.

Budd: 1 (0.5) -1- Acquiring a Budd in the future would be a nice move to get the feeling of the era. But it's not a priority so far. I know one of our member would be delighted since he remembers seeing them shuttling the Murray Bay Dub as a child in Château-Richer.

Wood caboose: 2 (1) -2- I already have a True Line caboose in wet noodle. Since we operate many freight trains, I have also built a Sylvan Scale resin Pointe Saint-Charles caboose that also fits the era. That resin car will need a major repair to get back on rail.

CPR? Well, we got anything we need according to pictures: RS10, S3, FA7-F7B, FPA4-FPB4, C424 and M630C. All these locos are fairly accurate and don't need major reworking except weathering in due time.

The priority is given to get a bunch of RS18, GP9 and a S4 ready for operation in 2014.

Matt

Matt, I think that LifeLike Canada offered RS-10s and -18s, and you may be able to find some on-line at the usual places. I know that they came in the green and gold scheme, but they may have done the noodle, too.

Wayne

doctorwayne Wrote:Matt, I think that LifeLike Canada offered RS-10s and -18s, and you may be able to find some on-line at the usual places. I know that they came in the green and gold scheme, but they may have done the noodle, too.

Wayne

I already got one in CP Rail Multimark. The CN noodle do exist. I always end up finding Canadian Pacific ones and not CN. They can be quite pricey...

Oh, and you know it yourself, where's the fun in RTR is you can't bash it a little bit!

Matt

sailormatlac Wrote:....Oh, and you know it yourself, where's the fun in RTR is you can't bash it a little bit!

Matt

Yeah, I have an idea of what you mean.

You can get a fairly credible version of the FPA-4 using the old Model Power FA-1/2 (they couldn't decide whether it was a -1 or -2). I lettered mine for one of my free-lance roads, but used CNR's old green and gold freight scheme:





Here are a couple scanned views of the modifications:



The "B"-unit was a little less work, at least detail-wise:



Wayne

Wayne,

Nice work on these unit. What did you use to make the grille extension on the rear end?

I already have P2K FA4 in the correct paint scheme. I've been thinking about bashing it some day, in the future... when the freight stuff will be completed!

Matt

Thanks for your kind words, Matt.

The shutter area near the rear is simply strip styrene cemented to a backing sheet of styrene. All of the stainless steel grills, including the painted ones beneath the shutters, are Farr Intake Grills for F- and E- units (Part #2701) from Detail Associates.

Wayne

Great work on the building Matt . Sharp looking locos Doc.

Tyson Rayles Wrote:Great work on the building Matt . Sharp looking locos Doc.

Thanks Tyson! It's just the beginning... Completing this elevator was some kind of psychological barrier for the club. In January, the older part of the layout will be greatly improved!

Matt

Finally...

Old Limoilou yard and it's #4 turnouts and Life-Like brass 9" tracks is gone since yesterday.



We had to pound with many alternatives. At one time, a biking trail was seriously considered:



Also the option to use the old roadbed for a new boulevard... no easy choices!



Finally, we went with the unpopular one: the train!

The first thing we did was to enlarge the tunnel hidden by the underpass. We thought it would gave use more flexibility for the yard.

Original one:



New one:





What wasn't expected was the visual impact. It really makes the layout looking larger. The overpass isn't no more a gimmick a a real thing. Also, many new picture shots angles appeared.











JWB: this one is for you! What is a GP30 doing in Quebec City!!! They never ventured farther than Winnipeg! Who cares! ;-) BTW, it was my first serious superdetailing job when in highschool... Lot of money spent on a HO Lionel shell! Still the original motor and running as fine as a coffee grinder can run!



Matt

Matt, I can only characterize that GP30 as criminal misrepresentation!

jwb Wrote:Matt, I can only characterize that GP30 as criminal misrepresentation!

Please don't start checking built date on every car on the layout, I'll be sentenced lifetime jail!!!

At least, aknowledge it fits the era!

Matt

Painted some El Cheapo Life-Like pick up truck this morning.

I got this little 50s pick up truck from a Life-Like construction set.

The vehicle itself isn't half bad. Not a foreground model, but still decent. I thought it would be a nice truck to have near St. Sacrement team track. The kind of truck general contractor keep under good shape for years.

The model was easy to dissamble.



I primed everything in brown red primer (Krylon spray paint). I know, I'm totally overusing that stuff for anything... and probably some people would goes on rampage because I spray paint my black locomotive base coat instead of using an airbrush! ;-)



Then, using Citadel acrylic paints, I painted the carbody robin's egg blue, a popular color of the time, the underframe brownish and rubber parts (tires, etc.) in a light dusty grey. The dumpster was painted a greyish-whitish aluminium color. I didn't bother covering completely the inside side and rather drybrushed it go keep some red primer visible. That would make a nice base for weathering. Strokes were done vertically to make it realistic.Once done, the model was dullcoated.





Finally, weathering was done with pastel chalk. I dusted the carbody with white to fade down the color. The frame received a generous coat of rust according to real life pictures. A dark brown color pencil was used to make some scratches here and there. The model isn't great even after a paint job, but still far better. Next step will be, someday, to add Quebec 1975 licence plate.

Matt

I'm sure that a few GP30s made it east during power shortages. Go easy on Matt. He's building an awesome layout. Remember what Model Railroader always used to say... There's a prototype for everything.

Matt, I love the overpass. Where did you get it? I've been following your progress in this thread and I really love what you're doing.

Mike Kieran Wrote:I'm sure that a few GP30s made it east during power shortages. Go easy on Matt. He's building an awesome layout. Remember what Model Railroader always used to say... There's a prototype for everything.

Matt, I love the overpass. Where did you get it? I've been following your progress in this thread and I really love what you're doing.

Sorry Mike, I've wrote a nice reply and the browser crashed! Yeah. Forget those thoughts about "less key scenes" on the layout but more space to creat a handful photogenic ones... Tha's all about that highway overpass.

JWB's comment was a reply to an inside joke started yesterday in GEC's layout thread when I discussed about "prototypical modelling". Nothing serious at all and no harm intended!

BTW, thanks for your comment. If you read the entire thread, you must see I'm destroying everything as fast as I'm building it. I feel sometimes quite confused! But I think you you what it is with your numerous switching layout iterations.

The overpass is a full scratchbuilt structure made out of 1/4" MDF and styrene sheets. In fact, it is very straightforward to build and I'm planning to duplicate it on the other side of the wall to have the complete real thing. I always felt bridges, overpass and underpass are iconic and thus should be approach with great care. In fact, they are the things most people will remember the best. They won't car for many other details, but if they recognize a bridge, they will say: "hey, is that [input a random place name]!!!".

I have a small blog entry about the overpass, you can take a peep there:

http://hedley-junction.blogspot.ca/2010/...ehold.html

While on the blog, you'll see a picture showing a sunset over Limoilou Yard. The overpass is located right to the power line. Another key feature of this CN Yard is the twin-spired St-Charles-de-Limoilou church and it's park towering over the scenery. I really want to include that on the new layout brackdrop.

Matt