MEC Woodchip Car

Made from a Front Range model.

The only thing I purchased at the Woodstock train show last month was a MEC woodchip car. It was from friend Chris Wright. It looked nice all weathered up but I was not sure on the color. All the MEC woodchip cars I have seen photos of are green. I do recall George Melvin saying that the MEC had a habit of painting every 4th car MEC yellow gold. Rolling stock was normally painted every 5 years in the past. I'm not sure that was the case with the woodchip cars...George Dutka

May 2026 Update

I seem to get others leftovers which they want to see me do something with. This is a group my friend Gary gave me last week...leftovers from a train estate he is dealing with. Will see what happens with some of it. Right now they made it as far as the garage.

My modeling is at a standstill for now. On Tuesday I was at old timer basketball and got a hard pass off the tip of my finger which broke it. So in a splint which is on my strong hand making tasks a chore. This was a day my friend Luc Sabourin from Sarnia was to come by to check out the layout at 1pm. I was in the hospital at that time but we were able to connect at 4pm for the visit. It gave Luc sometime to railfan in London. His trip to and from Sarnia as it turned out was more fruitful following the CN tracks than my trips.

It was passed along from my friend Andy Greenlees via Clare Gilbert that Rick Hunter of Hunterline stains and kits passed on Monday. If you like his stains as much as I it might be good to stock up as who knows if the line will continue. Rick was a great guy, I had met him many times as he took our WOD-NMRA group through building his kits a number of times over the years. He made the build fun to do. I also learned a lot from him back then.

Don and I are attending the RPM meet at the end of the month in Springfield, Ma. So posts might be thin around that time...will see how it goes maybe we will be posting about the meet while there...all for now...George Dutka

This is one of the leftovers in the garage. I think it is a version of the ITLA tower. It seems more narrow than the one I built in the past.

This is the track plan of Luc Sabourin's new layout which is being built. The plan is 8' x16" modern day Northern Maine proto-freelance of his Brownville & Ashland Rwy. Interesting to hear about someone modeling the era of  what we see today. Not many modelers are that current.

I will be displaying at the Show this weekend.

This structure is off Peter Mumby's On30" module that I now have. We built our structures together. I thought I would take if further by adding some weathering to it, newer details and a new platform out front and some extra signage. I will have it at the narrow gauge show. More on it will be on my narrow gauge blog.

Thought this poster was interesting. It was at the Brattleboro, Vt. station art gallery on my way home earlier this month. 

Throw Back Thursday – PROCOR Pressure Flow Cars

Often mistaken as some type of modified tank car, Procor built ‘Pressure Flow’ cars were in fact constructed to an AAR Tank Car Manual prescribed specification; AAR 207A. Per most pressure vessel guidelines, operation above atmospheric pressure (14.7 psi) is subject to an industry issued code or standard. As example, boilers are subject to ASME pressure vessel codes, while steam locomotives are subject to DOT 49 CFR Part 230. Procor built Pressure Flow cars had an design/operating pressure of either forty or forty-eight psi. 

Over a thirty-year period, between 1965 and 1995, Procor Oakville constructed more than five hundred Pressure Flow cars. Predominantly used in powdered cement transport, the higher pressure rating provided for over packaging of more volatile materials such as calcium carbide. Calcium carbide is used in steel making and in the production of acetylene and reacts violently when exposed to moisture. While also manufactured to support it’s lease fleet, most Pressure Flow cars were built under contract for sale to others. Sale customers included British Columbia Railway with thirty, Canadian National Railways with more than three hundred and Canadian Pacific Railway with more than one hundred.

Today, only a handful of Pressure Flow cars remain in service. Cars constructed in the 1960’s and early 1970’s were subject to the AAR forty-year interchange life limit. Powdered material transport migrated to conventional Class LO covered hopper cars equipped with low pressure rated pneumatic off loading apparatus. The last Pressure Flow cars constructed by Procor (UTLX 800000 – 800007) were built for the Union Tank Car fleet for use in Phosphorous Pentasulfide transport.

Wordless Wednesday No. 675

 

Don Janes photo     

East Deerfield, Ma

Mid morning at East Deerfield May 3, 2026 

I have been to East Deerfield many times but this was the first time I saw someone using the B&M caboose near the bridge. I was watching over the other side of the bridge when I could smell something burning. Guess it was stove oil. When I walked over to the other side I was surprised to see smoke coming out of the chimney. I guess it is someone's getaway location on a cool Sunday morning...George Dutka  

CN Woodchip Cars

My CN operational diorama that I was working on in the late 1980's has an Athearn geep shoving a cut of woodchip cars I kitbashed from Front Range boxcars. The caboose was scratch-built by Al Howlett back then. I believe I purchased it off Bob Hannah. Wish I kept it to compare to the new ones coming out soon.

I took this photo back in 1989 of a 12' diorama I operated on. I recently found the slide again and scanned...George Dutka    

CN856516 Oct 29, 1989 on its way to be cut up in London, Ont. Peter Mumby photo.

CN 858161 Oct. 1984 London, Ont. Peter Mumby photo. This car did not have the rooftop extensions.

CN 455242 woodchip car in 1964. Peter Mumby collection. An outside braced wooden car.

New Haven Depot

I stopped by the New Haven depot which has been moved to Bristol, Vt. a short distance away. It is located next to the library and town office. There is a new base to the structure, stone and concrete. Maybe a basement will be included inside or that is a pad it is on. It seems higher off the ground than it was in New Haven. The roof has been replaced but there is still a lot of work to be done before it can be used...George Dutka  

April 29, 2026

Proto CP Paper Car - Part Two

The finished model with some light weathering on the side. I wanted a clean looking car but used.

A few more views and what the roof looks like...George Dutka 

India ink and alcohol is brushed on the roof.

The roof once it dries. Seen below is some PanPastel raw umber shade brushed on and a light coat of AK railroad wash...very lightly.

The car is lightly weathered using PanPastel Paines grey extra dark along the top and bottom portions of the car and some Bragdon dark rust as highlights on parts that move or get beat up. I also added some chalk marks and a placard board note.

Proto CP Paper Car

The finished model with all the ladder, door hardware and brake wheel attached. I also added hose bags and Kadee couplers to the model. The weathering was kept light on this model.

I finally got around to working on my CP Proto 1000 paper cars. I have two on the go. One is from Peter Mumby while the other I purchased from my friend Chris Wright which unfortunately was missing the ladders, brake wheel and door hardware. I need to dig into my stock for that stuff. Captions tell the story. More on this car tomorrow...George Dutka  

My two Proto cars as they look at the beginning of the project. I had already done the roof on one about a year ago for an RMC article.

The underframe is given a coat of AK railroad wash followed by the rust tone included in the three package while still damp. Some AK light rust is also applied at the end.

The two products used on the models underframe worked out well with little effort. You saw how I did the trucks and wheels in last months This and That.

Throw Back Thursday – RS18u OSR 181

by Keith MacCauley
Ontario Southland Railway No. 181 was constructed by Montreal Locomotive Works for the Canadian Pacific Railway in May of 1958 as RS-18 CP 8777. In 1989 the veteran unit entered CP’s remanufacturing program emerging as RS-18u CP 1861. Cast off in 1998, the unit was acquired by OSR and shortly thereafter decorated in the railway’s attractive maroon and cream scheme. The venerable unit has been out of service since August of 2021 due to electrical issues, and having been sold to the Sartigan Railway, now calls ‘La Belle Province’ home. 

For several years the Elgin County Railway Museum located in St. Thomas held an annual August Open House I believe called ‘Railway Days’. Over the years it was possible for the host to attract visitors to the event as the museum benefitted from a connection to the outside world via CP (since severed). In addition to OSR 181, among other attractions, I recall seeing a Canadian National GMD-1, ETR No. 9, and a brand new Union Pacific SD70M from the nearby GMDD locomotive plant.

Despite several Railway Day visits, I do not recall ever seeing Peter Mumby at the event. However, it seems that Peter and I were both at the Museum on the same day some twenty-seven years ago. Not only were we both there, but we both took almost identical shots of No. 181! While the timing of my view appears to be more high noon, based on the lighting, Peter’s photo was taken later in the day. It does appear that No. 181 has moved a couple of car lengths as well. Small world!

Wordless Wednesday No. 674

 

 

Touring VRS North Walpole NH Roundhouse

The group is seen inside the roundhouse as Aaron Bridge the Superintendent of railcar repairs in North Walpole (blue hat) fills us in on their operations. May 3 2026.

On Sunday the RRHS convention group gathered at the VRS roundhouse across the river from Bellows Falls yard and station. It was an interesting tour as I have never been on the grounds of shop and yard so this was a treat. These days the roundhouse is used to repair rolling stock although I noted a coach being stored in the end bay. 

I thought we could wander over the whole property but we were restricted to inside the roundhouse and around the turntable. The engines were all stationed further down that was off limits. The VRS has a nice display of signs they have saved which was nice to see...George Dutka

The entrance we used.

One of the original signs from Steamtown is seen on the wall. We were told this was found hanging on a locals fence and was salvaged to be saved inside the roundhouse. May 3 2026.

Inside the roundhouse there is a lot of stored stuff and neat artifacts on the wall.

Around the turntable.

Two railcars requiring service.

Stencils hanging on the wall.

A piece of rolling stock seen in the last stall of the roundhouse.

Looing in the main entrance.

Bellows Falls Models

A few more views of Ray Muntz Bellows Falls models. Unfortunately the chain broke on the ball signal he brought but it looked good. I still need to build the signal shanty for my layout. Another project to look into later this year. 

The sand house is a lot bigger than the Rutland Car Shops version I used on my layout. I learned at the convention the sand came from Alburg and was hand loaded into the sand house which would have taken a good amount of time. I think in later days some type of compressed air was used...George Dutka