Wordless Wednesday #477 - Rapido Visits the Valley Local!

 

Wordless Wednesday #476 - New Haven RR Convention This Weekend! Sept. 14-15

 

Wordless Wednesday #475 - New Arrival!

 

Labor Day Weekend - 76 Years Ago...

  

I'm told it was 76 years ago this past Friday - the Friday of Labor Day Weekend, September 3, 1948 - when an 8 year old little boy went down to the Old Saybrook station platform to watch trains. The sun was going down - it'd be totally set within a few minutes - and in the gathering dusk a dull roar like thunder could be heard . . .

Looking eastward down the tracks, toward the gathering darkness, the sound seemed to get closer and he could just start to make out what looked like a plume of smoke - or maybe it was two? That didn't make sense. Almost all of the trains on the Shore Line were dieselized now, but, as loud as a pair of back-to-back DL-109s are, they sure don't sound like this . . .

It was the glimmer on the rails, lighting up the curve in the far distance, that was the first giveaway that a train was for-sure coming. Of course, the little boy knew a train was due. He'd been into trains for as long as he could remember and he knew how to read a timetable.

He knew that the approaching train had just crossed the Connecticut River and was accelerating hard off the bridge. It sure sounded like it - and the distinctive bark meant this train had to have a steam locomotive on the point. And with it being a little past 7pm, that meant it had to be The Merchant's Limited.

But was it early? The Merchants wasn't due through Saybrook until 7:17 . . . but just then, the train came blasting around the distant curve - exhaust roaring and headlight blazing! Before he could fully comprehend it all, The Advance Merchants Limited flew by at 65 miles an hour behind not one, but TWO! I-4 Pacifics with 23 heavyweight parlor cars on their tail.

In the rush of the passing train, little John Pryke could just make out the glow of two fireboxes and just as quickly as it had come, it was gone again with the tail sign receding quickly toward the sunset.

As the dust settled and the thunder of the Merchants' passing began to fade, the impression of the sight seared itself into the little boy's memory, and sparked a passion for the New Haven Railroad that would last the rest of his life and spur him into recreating this memory in miniature, someday.

* * * * * * * *

I try to relate this story at or at least near the anniversary of this event, which is all - mostly - verified as true. Especially since it not only inspired John to a life-long love of the New Haven RR, but - indirectly - influenced my choice not only of prototype, but of era and locale. John often mentioned visiting his grandparents in Old Saybrook and going with them down to the station to watch the trains go by. And he remembers seeing the double-headed, steam-powered Advance Merchant's Limited the Friday evening of Labor Day Weekend, 1948. It was this event, more than anything else, that he always pointed to as the inspiration for getting into model railroading and trying to recreate the New Haven in HO scale.

In fact, all of John's layouts - all featured at one time or another in books or the pages of Model Railroader - were firmly set in space and time: Southern New England's New Haven Railroad was the space, and the time could only ever be "September, 1948."

Now, almost ten years after his passing, I'm closer than ever to being able to recreate this memory in miniature. I have the Old Saybrook station scene as a highlight on my layout and, while I don't mind varying my chosen era within the narrow confines of "1947-1949," for all intents and purposes I'm modeling the Autumn of 1948.

I think - and hope - John would be proud of the effort. And I know he'd get a kick out of seeing a little HO scale version of his 8 year old self on the Saybrook station platform, waiting for another train to go by . . .

* This post originally appeared 9/27/2018, 70 years to the month since the event took place. I've reposted it not only to commemorate such an important time in John's life, but to remind myself that preserving these memories is one of the reasons for embarking on this project in the first place.

Wordless Wednesday #474 - Just over TWO WEEKS left!!

(and layout tours on Sunday - including the Valley Local!)

 

Wordless Wednesday (er, Thursday) #473: Name That Location

 

Wordless Wednesday #472 - Name That Location (and photographer and collection %^)

 

No recollection how I came across this, so help identifying ownership and other details is most welcome!

Friday Fun - NHRHTA Reunion, Sept. 14-15

 

I hope you'll make plans now to join us for this year's New Haven Railroad Historical & Technical Association Reunion & Train Show! Don't let the "Reunion" name fool you - it's open to ALL and only a couple of things are Members Only.

In addition to the train show, featuring a wide-variety of vendors, there will be a number of clinics & presentations, as well as never-before-seen footage of the New Haven RR.  And for the first time in years, there will also be a dinner that evening, featuring our own J.W. "Jack" Swanberg, author of "New Haven Power", who will be giving a slideshow of historic NHRR images.

But you'll need to make the dinner reservation in advance, by clicking here.

In addition to all this, NHRHTA members will also be able to participate in two new events this year - a Rare Mileage Special Train (which departs at 9:45a, so get there early) and a tour of the shop area, including behind-the-scenes information on the Valley RR and its equipment - including the most steam engines you'll see in one place in all of New England.

If you're not a member, it only costs $40 to join - that's only $20 per special event and you'll get 4 Shoreliner magazines for free :^)  Memberships can be purchased here.

Finally, if you want to make a weekend of it, there will be NHRR-themed layout tours on Sunday - including an open house here on the Valley Local! More layouts TBD.  And if you DO decide to make a weekend of it, we've provided a list of local hotels here (scroll down to the bottom).

Be sure to check out our Reunion website at www.nhrhta.org/reunion for additional details - as well as the latest up-to-date information.

So I hope you'll make plans now to join us! The special train leaves the station at 9:45am Saturday September 14, and the Train Show, clinics, presentations, and model displays go from 10-3. Shop Tour is after that, and Cocktail Hour and dinner follows.  So LOTS to do and see!

Hope to see you in September!

Wordless Wednesday #471 - The Next Prototype Modeling Project

 

RDC Fantrip on the Valley Line

Southbound at Middlesex Turnpike/Old Main Street - Goff Brook, Rocky Hill, CT

Ever since discovering this photo, I've toyed with the idea of getting a Budd RDC for fantrips on the Valley Line. Passenger service on my line ended by 1933, so having an occasional "extra" passenger train, in the form of a special run/fantrip, would add some operational interest to an otherwise freight-only line. Only "problem" is that the New Haven didn't get its first RDCs until spring of 1952 - and I model 1947-49 (focusing on 1948).

But I've engaged in a little "era creep" before. . . . And thanks to my buddy BillS, an RDC just arrived in Old Saybrook. So follow along as we chase this fantrip up the Valley Line!

We start our journey by the Saybrook Tower where the RDC (# TBD) has just left the famed Shore Line and is paused, waiting for orders to head up the Valley Branch.

At Essex, CT - Max Miller collection

Our first stop is in Essex, where the Witch Hazel factory is still shipping out product via rail - note the barrels on the platform of the warehouse in the background.

As the 'fans got back on board, but before the trip continued north, we see that the local freight finished spotting a reefer at the warehouse - and somebody just pulled their truck in to pick up some goods at the freight house.

As we continue north over Shailerville Bridge and past the famous Shad Shack, we find out from another 'fan that the trip will divert off of the Valley Line and go up the super-rare trackage of the Berlin Branch. There hasn't been a passenger train up there since 1932!

The Berlin Branch goes through some pretty densely wooded areas, so it was hard to get a good shot, but thankfully we were able to get to the station in time to see the RDC arrive.

The trip didn't stay in East Berlin for long - as soon as the engineer could take his controls to the other end of the car, the RDC headed back south. We got this going-away shot as it crossed the Mattabesset River, just south of the station. Note the lit-up red markers.

There wasn't much to see in Middletown, so we got a late lunch at O'Rourke's diner and headed up to Wethersfield afterwards.

Wethersfield was the northern-most point the fantrip would go today - and lunch lasted a bit long - but we were still able to catch the RDC just as it departed the station, heading back south. 

While the Valley Line is picturesque, we were only able to get ahead of the RDC a couple of times on the return trip. Apparently, the crew was eager to get home. But we did get this shot of the trip southbound at Rocky Hill. This is one of the few passenger stations left on the line (most were razed to save on property taxes after passenger service ended during the Depression).

Southbound at Middlesex Turnpike, Main Street, Cromwell, CT

The RDC had to stop & protect before crossing Main Street in Cromwell, so that gave us time to jump out of the car and get two shots of it here. That's the Sunset Diner on the left - where, during a spring day in 1938, Glenn Miller was persuaded to give his band another chance . . . (read that story here).

Since we had already got the shots we really wanted to get - and we knew the train wouldn't be making any more stops southbound - we decided to high-tail it back to Saybrook and wait for for the RDC there.

And here it is, letting the passengers off - weary but happy after a fun day on the Valley Line.

Hope you enjoyed the trip!

Southbound crossing Goff Brook - this is the going-away shot that goes with the photo at the beginning of our story...

Wordless Wednesday #470 - What to Paint the B&M Caboose?

 

B&M Buggy #104610 - Prep & Prime

After spending an inordinate amount of time ogling this model, it's time to bite the bullet and paint it. The first step is to disassemble it as far as you can . . .

First, I removed the couplers & coupler boxes, then the truck bolster screws.

After the trucks were removed, I could remove the two screws holding the floor in and remove the floor.

Unfortunately, other than disassembling the trucks (just one screw each, allowing you to separate the sideframes), this is as far as this model will disassemble. I wish the end platforms, railings, and steps were separate too since that would make painting easier. But I'll just have to do a good job of masking.

Since the roof panels were so smooth - and since I wasn't planning on media blasting the model - I took some 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper and roughed them up a bit.

Now, as I mentioned, this is the first time I've painted a brass model and there are many folks that suggest media blasting, vinegar wash, etc. But since there was no tarnishing & the brass was in great condition, all I did was wash the model in an ultrasonic cleaner with water and a few squirts of Dawn dish soap.

Once that was dry (I shook it dry, then blew any remaining excess water out with my airbrush - then let it sit overnight), I hit it with a rattle can of Tamiya spray primer. Note that the trucks have been disassembled. This is all there is to this model.

I'm actually very happy with how the Tamiya rattle can primer worked. Just spray lightly and evenly, building up the color until the brass color is gone.

Next comes the controversial part . . . Figuring out what paint & colors to use to paint this B&M caboose. But that'll have to wait until next time - stay tuned!

Modeling Monday: Back to the B&M? (Caboose 104610)

You may have noticed that I often try to tell a story with my modeling - but sometimes, my modeling derives from a story - and those stories often lead me down some pretty interesting rabbit holes tangents. First case in point: Why I - a devoted New Haven RR modeler - decided to model a Boston & Maine SW-1 (for that fun story, click here).

Second case in point:

Now, you may just assume that I need a B&M caboose (aka "buggy") to go along with my SW-1. And you'd be right. But, as you might guess, there's more to the story (with apologies to Paul Harvey).

That photo above was one of my earliest railfan shots, taken with my then-new Pentax K1000 35mm camera probably winter of either 1986 or 1987 (shortly after getting my drivers license). I'd trekked north, stopping at East Deerfield Yard and ended up at White River Junction, VT where I saw an ancient B&M 4-4-0 and this caboose displayed outside the station (which you can see in the background).

Similar in design to the New Haven's "NE" class caboose (a model of which was the first resin kit I ever built), these B&M Laconia wood buggies are a real favorite of mine - the epitome of the "little red caboose." Most of them were traded in for new/rebuilt steel cabooses in the 1950s, but during my late-1940s era, there were still a few in service. So, in that sense, it was a no-brainer that one of these would be perfect behind my SW-1.

But it was the car number that really got me - 104610. These buggies were all in the 104000 series, but "610" is special. Not only is it the number of the caboose in the photo I shot so many years ago, but it - coincidentally - would be the same number as my wedding anniversary less than 10 years later: 6/10/1995.

Once I put all that together, the lightbulb popped and I was on the hunt for an HO scale model version. Unfortunately, I quickly discovered that such models have become pretty rare - and very pricey. Fortunately, friend Dave Hutchinson (who'd been so helpful during my SW-1 project) had one he was willing to sell at a very generous price.

I couldn't get my money to him fast enough . . . And - as "luck" would have it, it arrived June 5 - just 5 days before our 29th anniversary.

Dave even included the correct decals!

 

The only difference I can perceive between the B&M "NE" and the NHRR "NE" cabooses is that the B&M doesn't have a window behind the stove where the NH version does.

It's so gorgeous in it's undec/brass state, I'm loathe to even paint it. It's like model railroad jewelry. So pretty. So shiny.

Despite how awesome the gold color looks - and, believe me, I'm sorely tempted to just put it on display and admire it - it has to be painted and (gasp!) weathered in order to be placed in service where it belongs . . .

. . . at the end of a train pulled by the 1109.

I hope you'll follow along as I transform this beautiful Overland Models brass caboose into a late-1940s workaday version of B&M buggy #104610. It'll be the first time I've ever painted a brass model, so I'm looking forward to learning a few new things along the way.

But, for now, I think I'll just sit here and look at it . . .

Wordless Wednesday #469 - All SORTS of things on the bench . . .

New Haven DEY-3 (Proto 2000 S-1) DCC/Sound GAMECHANGER!

One of the coolest (and, as in this case, mildly irritating - but in a good way :^) things about having a blog is the feedback and questions you get. It's even better when the blog reaches such a wide-ranging audience.

Like a guy in Australia(!)

Earlier today, friend RodD from Way Down Under asked me a simple question about what Scale Sound Systems speaker I used in my Proto 2000 Alco S-1 (which I converted to New Haven RR DEY-3 #0967 - click here for that build thread). I didn't remember offhand, and I was shocked and annoyed to discover that I didn't mention it in my conversion posts (here and here). Spoiler Alert: It's Scale Sound Systems part# LLPR-S1S3-RC1.

BUT!!

When I went to the Scale Systems page to find the part# for that speaker, I discovered "something new had been added..."

Apparently, since I converted my loco to DCC and sound - using a LokSound v5 micro and separate Power Pack (which I had to solder to the decoder) . . .

. . . Scale Sound Systems has produced a shorter speaker that will allow you to use the LokSound 58921 Direct w/PowerPacks built in(!)

Snipped from the Scale Sound Systems website

You can find this speaker on the same page, but it's part number LLPR-S13S-RC1. Beware how close the part numbers are to each other.

This is a MUCH easier and more elegant solution for DCC/Sound in the P2k Alco S-1 - provided

• the "drop in" board actually drops in (SSS recommends mounting it with double-sided tape) - click here for a drop in "fail" with this board; and
• you don't actually enjoy soldering 3 tiny 30 gauge wires from a PowerPack to the decoder PC board - and trying to find someplace to stuff the PowerPack under the hood. . .

If I'd known about this new SSS speaker, I would have most definitely used it and the 58921 decoder with built-in PowerPacks instead.

But isn't that the way it ALWAYS goes?? You scratchbuild a long-coveted model, and - just as soon as you finish it - a manufacturer offers it? You build a scene with your best guess as to the look of a certain structure you have no photos of, and as soon as you're done, somebody shows you a photo of the structure - and it's totally different?

Well, chalk this up as another example of this weird "rule" in model railroading.

If you've been considering converting a Proto 2000 Alco S-1/3 to DCC & sound, hopefully I've warned you in time! :^) Just don't forget to isolate that motor . . .