sjgardiner

Having the current week between jobs means I've finally gotten out to chase the OSR. It's a great way to spend part or all of a day if you get the weather and have a car. It's easy to follow, their crews are on the radio for communications as they are switching and moving about. Pictures and Videos from Monday this week are linked below: https://www.flickr.com/photos/55976115@N00/shares/23DWxK https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpysJVgYaxw3LdUUDoRxDVOBNoLURkhyV Cheers Stephen

We have two post office red ones at the museum. They were a different shape from the VIA ones Chris bought, though they may also have been specific to the postal sorting centers rather than general station, I don’t think we have enough historical information on them to be sure. I did model them as well, but the wire frame for the cage wouldn’t print and you have to make it out of brass rod: https://www.shapeways.com/product/EQGQL2D4W/canadian-railway-postal-baggage-cart-ho-1-87?optionId=43791569&li=shop-inventory There are also the electric carts from Toronto Union Station, but they are something pretty much only Jason will ever need on their layout!! https://www.shapeways.com/product/78Z5HN272/ho-scale-1-87-electric-baggage-cart?optionId=43740493&li=shop-inventory Stephen

Those aren't my carts (though I am also a Stephen on Shapeways who is friends with the Rapido crew), but other things you might be interested in if you are detailing a station scene that I have on Shapeways include a variety of speeder cars modeled from those used by CN and CP and preserved at the Toronto Railway Museum that I have done: https://www.shapeways.com/product/4WSBTMJNC/ho-scale-woodings-cbi-railcar?optionId=61088774&li=shop-inventory https://www.shapeways.com/product/NKETSPCGN/ho-scale-1-87-fairmont-s2-speeder-car?optionId=43880278&li=shop-inventory https://www.shapeways.com/product/CM6BCJ5EY/ho-scale-1-87-fairmont-m14-speeder-car?optionId=60750812&li=shop-inventory Apologies for shameless self promotion Stephen

If you were going to do a version as it ran at Expo 86, the only picture I could find shows "RB100" on the destination. If you were going to go fantasy land for the 142's Canadian Expedition, it would be "Abbotsford" and "New Westminster" as the two end destinations of its demonstration runs. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2414862 http://www.railforthevalley.com/latest-news/zweisystem/in-1986/ Stephen

Grand Trunk Map 1913 - http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&rec_nbr=4134720&lang=eng&rec_nbr_list=3825148,4134720,3672733,3825178,4129205,3672724,3672723,4134676,4134677,4136006 Stephen

And the Toronto Railway Historical Association. Jason only likes to think he owns the LRC, but he just works on it for the larger group he's a part of. Stephen

It is grey, and there was no need to do it to make the cars "stand out" for prestige. It accomplishes almost the other effect of looking pointless as the maroon/red/blue bands have always stood out from the stainless steel, the gunmetal grey stripe just doesn't look right to me. I don't think I'd like it even if it was the whole set. Stephen

Thanks Nick, that makes sense that it was one of Greg's books where I saw a photo like that. Some quick searching on CNRPhotos.com reveals a variety of units in Green with pictures taken in the 1970's assuming photographers notes are correct, and one dated 1980 that i saw: http://www.cnrphotos.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=9356 Also, an NW2 in switcher black in 1972: http://www.cnrphotos.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=49335 Cheers Stephen

Early 1960's, well, the CN "Wet Noodle" Scheme isn't called the 1961 scheme by manufacturers for nothing! Depending on what you are modelling, you would have a wide mix of units still when you look at pictures from the early 1960's of freshly painted new units in the new scheme, and older units going through rebuilds getting the new scheme. That said, there are plenty of pictures out there of switchers and older locomotives in Green well into the 1970's (and I'm sure I've seen ones dated into the 1980's but I'd need to do some searching to confirm that). And technically, CN has never stopped using the 1961 Scheme and Noodle. Its been modified and tweaked over the years, but the base concept of the Red-Orange Nose, black body and grey/white stripes with the noodle have remained in use since. More on CN Logos: http://marasigan.ca/behind-the-design/2013/9/30/cn-logo Symbol (pre Noodle article by the late Stafford Swain, worth a read as much of your rolling stock would have old logos - http://www.cwrailway.ca/cnrha.ca/CN_Lines_v12n3-monograms.pdf And CN Paint by Stafford again - http://www.cwrailway.ca/cnrha.ca/CN_Lines_v6n1-paint.pdf Hope that helps some, Cheers, Stephen

Don't know about the frame rates, but i think some of the Huntley footage of the Single was digitized backwards, GNR on the tender is R N G and 1. oN on the cab side. Stephen

I think you need to have a better understanding of Rapido's business model. They are limited run, but it is a not on the basis of "We are going to make this many and that's it", it is a "build to order" limited run model, which means on a Rapido branded product, if they get orders for 1500, they'll make that plus some overrun for services. If say Locomotion had 1300 pre orders to individual buyers for the single, and decided they wanted 100 to have for on the shelf, the production run would be 1400 plus the spares oversupply. Rapido isn't going to go and make a bunch over what is ordered, and as a retailer, one would assume Locomotion will want some for in-store sales over those pre-sold. Hence, it is a limited production run, but not a pre-numbered or pre-capped production run. Two very different things. Regards, Stephen Edits because I apparently can't spell or space words this morning.

Talk to Dan Garcia at Rapido, he's done it at least once. I'd like to, never managed to make the time. Stephen

Thank you, I couldn't find the show guide and I knew it was one of EM/P4, not OO. I'll adjust my post. Stephen

Finally had a chance to post about the show, been swamped at work and just never got around to it, so a mostly picture heavy post on this years show is here: https://sjgardiner.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/great-british-train-show-2018-belated-show-report/ Cheers, Stephen

We did 3300km from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Sligo to Perth to Inverness to York to Newcastle-upon-Tyne (and many points in between) in less than 3 weeks on our honeymoon in 2014 with ample time for days sitting around family homes visiting and doing stops on the way. The distances in the UK are easy, fun twisty driving roads (SWMBO may disagree with my view of my tossing our BMW M1 around on the trip, I thought they were fun to drive!). Whenever I am in the UK and bounding about, be it by rental car or rail, covering what is perceived to be lots of distance by my family there as if its nothing seems to be the norm. You don't cover long distances as fast without highways (motorways) as we can here, but you can certainly cover the distance in more interesting scenery than on the highway. I look forward to hearing about Jason's latest tour of the UK, he always seems to come up with some wacky story. Stephen

Jason is, sometimes as the saying goes, “giddy as a schoolgirl” when it comes to company projects and models. I think his unfettered enthusiasm is no small part of why the company has done well and grown in the decade ish that Rapido has been a going concern. I wish some days I had half his get up and go to do my own thing, but I don’t and I’m content to just plug away and go home at night and not worry about building a business. Stephen

I am not a member of the Platelayers, but those who are that i've talked with I think feel that keeping it every other year avoids the risk of it ever feeling stale as people have two years between shows to work on things, and gives people who may want to travel from further away in Canada/USA time to save up for the trip. I like that it isn't every year, gives me something different to look forward to. Personally, given the distances in Canada and USA, i think a lot of "niche" segment shows could really use considering a biannual schedule rather than annual to give presenters, modellers and customers more time to build up to the show. I know niche vendors probably don't like that as much, But you don't want to over saturate the market or burn out the clubs organizing events. Regardless, as always, I am very much looking forward to the show when it rolls around in a couple of weeks, then I get two years to build up to the next in 2020! Stephen

Just a bump as the show is now only a couple of weeks away. I'm looking forward to it and catching up with lots of folks in the British modelling community. I don't see me having a big shopping list for the show, but I inevitably find something I can't pass up at it! I'll be posting pictures and a review after the show has happened so folks further afield can see what the community in Canada is up to. Stephen

Yup, already a thread here further down this sub forum: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/132565-grandt-line-going-out-of-business/ -Stephen

These are great little locomotives. I hacked off a lot of the detail on mine to use it as a basis for the 50 Ton Whitcomb side rod switcher in the Toronto Railway Museum Collection: TRHA No.1 Front by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr TRHA No1 Side by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr TRM No.1 by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr Cheers, Stephen

Not to speak for Rapido, but anything going to Markham is likely in the same box as the North American models held up by the west coast port delays, last I talked to someone at Rapido they are still expecting a box to arrive in Markham in early April, I would assume the NA pendos would be in it, but I don’t know for sure. Stephen

A correction, in Canada, the Canadian division of EMD was the General Motors Diesel Division (GMD or GMDD, normally GMD) in London Ontario. Hence why locomotives like the GMD-1 that were Canadian built are referred to as GMD and not EMD. Stephen

Some more thoughts on my Class 156 on my blog: https://sjgardiner.wordpress.com/2018/03/09/realtrack-scotrail-class-156/ I installed the dummy couplers and snow plows this morning. It looks really good, I gave both units a brief (like 5 minutes) run on my roller stands, lights and sound come on, wheels move, so that's good news. Just need to figure out where i put my loop of track for testing/running in and give it a bit of real time running to break in and check. I'm very very happy. They are gorgeous units, and Charlie should be very proud of bringing them to market, timing hiccups and the joys of shipping stacks of packages not withstanding. Cheers, Stephen

So, Charlie wins the award for most confusing unboxing ever (in a good way). I picked up the package with my 156 tonight at the post office after work. When I got home, I opened up the box and discovered two Rapido plastic blisters holding the main box into place. I was confused but figured hey, a couple of extras won’t go wrong (not that I couldn’t probably get some by making a half hour drive to Markham and begging at the office!). When I opened up the big box, and started unpacking, I started to laugh, the blisters weren’t extras, they were for my 156, in a feat of brilliance I never would have though of, to try and further protect my models from another trans ocean voyage and the gentle handling of the postal service, as can be seen in the attached, he wrapped them in bubble wrap inside the foam cut outs to double make sure they didn’t get damaged. I need to find my loop of track to give them a quick test and run in, but so far it looks fantastic! Cheers, Stephen Edit: Typos fixed from original post made from my phone.

I converted a Walter Scott to Saint Mungo to match a photo of me as a child at Lenzie Station a couple of years ago. I used nameplates and decals from Fox Transfers to re-name/number the locomotive and add the Eastfield logo. 47703 - Saint Mungo by Stephen Gardiner, on Flickr As mine is a display case model, any little inaccuracies between the different Class 47/7's isn't as important to me. It is nice though to see more of the Scotrail 47's coming out for those wanting them. Cheers, Stephen