Coal Cars Enter the Modelling Phase

With only about six weeks to go until the Railway Modellers’ Meet of BC, the coal cars I want to display there have finally breached the walls of the computer and started to become real. They’re a long way from done, but it should be straightforward from here on out.

Sand Service comes to Pembroke

24 buckets! My friend Al Lill was speaking to another model railroader last week, who helped around the CNR Victoria roundhouse in his youth. One of his jobs was to fill the sand dome on the little consolidations that plied the Island line, and he told Al that they held 24 buckets of sand in […]

A Rudko Original

I’ve always admired Brian Rudko’s modelling. Being a professional model-maker for many years, he knows how to make things straight where they’re supposed to be, and avoid gaps and globs of glue. More importantly, he has a wonderful eye for colour and texture. So, when he said that he would like to make a small […]

Second Coal Car Print

The second printed coal car (actually, technically the third but who’s counting?) came off the printer in two parts over the past 24 hours. I’m still getting some sagging at the ends but this version is one I think I can work with. The key outstanding modification will be a reversal of the door closing […]

Cheers, Dick

Surprisingly, particularly since I used to organize one, I’m not generally excited by model train shows. Because my railway interests are so esoteric, there is rarely anything to buy. So, I usually take a quick spin around to see what’s there, and talk to some old friends. I watch the tail-chasing modular layouts for a […]

Enough with the Coal Car Brakes

After at least four iterations, I’m getting pretty slick at drawing brake brackets, levers and rods. Along the way, I’ve reviewed countless drawings for brake gear and learned so much about the KC brake system, some other memories must have had to pop out the other side. I’ve finally arrived at a version with which […]

Coal Car Control Quandary Continues

At Friday’s modelling night, I collared Rob Kirkham for a discussion about the coal car brakes. He is a bit of a kindred spirit in that he models a time before the transition era, and he’s a bit of a stickler for details. I shared my concern that the outboard position of the brake cylinder […]

Revised Coal Car

With two weeks away from the modelling desk, hobby time went virtual. Rather than try to modify the first version of the coal car, I started from scratch to build a car that is more hopper-like, with the brake cylinder mounted beneath the side sill. Wooden hoppers had their stakes spaced closer together where the […]

The Canada Atlantic Railway Modellers Historical and Technical Society

I’m often asked why I model the Canada Atlantic while living in BC, thousands of kilometres away. The truth is, I grew up in Ottawa, the centre of the system, albeit some 70 years after the flag fell. My mum, sister and brother are still in town, and I spent the last two weeks visiting […]

Arts and Crafts at OVAR

I’ve come to Ottawa to visit my mum and take her to a show. So, I reached out to my old friend, Bill Scobie, to see if I could get myself invited for an ops session (I can), and he reminded me that the Ottawa Valley Associated Railroaders would be meeting this evening. Well, I’ve […]