Media Spotlight #1

Around Town: Model railroaders club

Fiona Gardiner of CKPR Thunder Bay recently sat down with Don Hupe to chat about the Thunder Bay Model Railroaders. Thank you, Fiona, for featuring us! Click on the image below to watch the YouTube video, which will open in another tab.

Member Project Feature #4

From boxcar to wood chip car: an actual project carried out by the Ontario Northland.

Club member Brian has been busy converting a series of HO scale boxcars to woodchip service on his home layout. Brian writes:

"Between 1969 - 1972 the ONR converted 44 boxcars into wood chip gondolas and numbered them 7300 - 7344. Similarly, I took 6 of my ONR 40' boxcars and converted them into  40' wood chip gondolas. Basically, cut the roofs off, extended the car sides by 26'', built new doors, strip, primed, repainted, and decals from Highball Graphics [F-347]."

That's quite the project, and the end result is unique and impressive.

A picture of the prototype that Brian used as a guide.

From boxcar to wood chip car.

Stripped the paint and original decals. Added side extension to all sides and a new door. Shortened the ladder.

Side extensions, doors and internal braces to keep the sides even.

Ready for priming.

Highball Graphics set F-347. Brian decalled the doors before cementing into the opening. Applied decal and then Solvaset to one car side at a time. Dullcote spray to all sides when finished.

Ready for the first load. As time progresses and loads generated, the cars will lose their look of newness, eventually appearing well weathered.

Member Project Feature #3

 Perspective is everything. 

Scott has been designing an HO scale ore dock for the club layout based on the CN prototype that delivered ore from Atikokan's Steep Rock Mine to waiting ships at Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) from the 1940s to 1980s. With help from Jeff, they appear to be getting closer to a match, with some changes to come. Jeff provided the photo below with the initial test pieces held side-by-side to the real thing, part of which still juts out into Lake Superior.

Scott used Google Earth to estimate the dimensions and Sketchup to draw the model for 3D printing. 

Stay tuned for more 3D printed project features.

Layout Update #6

The good model railroading weather has returned.

Well, Labour Day is behind us. Thunder Bay's long summer evenings are drawing in and there's a chill in the early morning air. That means one thing: model railroading season is back in full swing! 

Stay tuned for updates this month as both the N and HO layouts progress with their respective track plans. We'll also be talking to Fiona Gardiner on September 14th for her regular "Around Town" segment on CKPR Television. Some of the members are looking forward to various train shows this fall, too, including Manitoba Mega Train in Winnipeg on September 24-25th and Trainfest in Milwaukee, WI, on November 12-13th. 

In the meantime, here's some recent progress on the N scale layout. Laurie was busy in August sculpting the interior walls of Flett Tunnel, which will be a signature scene not only for the N scale layout but for the club in general. Great work, Laurie!