DRG&W Color Test

What do you think of this? It's Bright Light Orange, a hint closer to yellow than Medium Orange, but I think it's Lego's new Medium Orange. DRG&W Caboose in 1978 with Aspen Gold Trying to get the signature color of this railroad just right.

41-BNO-11 Trucks

For my PB-79-A, but potentially other lightweight passenger equipment. Used Matt C's excellent Osgood-Bradley Truck design and updated the frame and façade to look more like this prototype. Subtle differences, I know. Not sure if the nomenclature is a CN thing, a broader railroading one, or simply a part code used by Rapido's model trains. Anyone have more info? Also, if anyone else has attempted this prototype, I'd love to see your MOC.

Canadian National PB-79-A Air-conditioned Coach-Smoker

Second in a series of lightweight coaches built by CC&F in 1954, these cars quickly became signature cars of the Central Vermont Ambassador and Grand Trunk (New England) Train 16/17. Needs more accurate trucks than the Osgood-Bradley stand-ins, but otherwise ready for build. Full interior and underside.

CN 5288 WIP

After some debate over whether or not to do a MEC Pacific, I've decided to stay the course with CN 5288. She'll replace the CV #601 model at the head of the Ambassador and GT Train 16/17. Still some work to do around the pilot truck and tender. Q: Vinnie, it looks like you took your S-1-f model and slapped it on a Pacific chassis. Surely you're not that unoriginal? A: I think Montreal Locomotive Works had the same idea over a century ago. In fact, the first time I saw a photo of a J-7-b double heading with an S-1-f, I thought it was two Mikados. There's some minor differences, but the two designs seem to share a lot of common features.

Another Rare Tome

Research for the next locomotive project.

Crawford's Station WIP

The station at Crawford's in Twin Mountain, New Hampshire. 1:48 scale from plans in the August 1983 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. Present day Conway Scenic Railway colors. I just wanted to get a feel for the footprint and architectural elements.

Montrealler/Washingtonian

From left to right: A NYHNH Stainless steel sleeper, a PRR sleeper, and a CN sleeper. This train ran from Washington D.C. to Montreal across the PRR, NYHNH, B&M, CV, and CN.

Now Available

Printed by Tommy Armstrong Brick Engraving. These custom bricks have the Canadian National roadname used on their massive fleet of passenger cars from the early 1930s up to the adoption of the familiar CN wet-noodle logo we know today in 1960. The font is from the Canadian National Railways Historical Association, and printed across 22 studs of olive green bricks, it is approximately 1:48 scale or 8-wide. If anyone would like to order, I'll have some available. They're $9 a single set or $16 a pair plus shipping worldwide. Just contact me by Flickr Mail.

New Single-Sheath Boxcar Design

I wasn't entirely happy with my original single-sheath box design like on CV 40122. It was just too tall. However getting the wood panel effect on a 7-stud tall wall was quite a bit of a challenge and has stumped me for over a year. Inspiration hit me last night, and here's what I've come up with. This particular design is for a Great Northern 31000 series Pratt-Truss boxcar, which was challenging because of the black ends, but would be easily adapted to CV40122 and Rutland 7999 (ex-CN.) One big benefit is this design has a fraction of the internal structure of my previous designs which ended up weighing close to 1.3 lb.