Myles is by far our youngest contributor here at the Guild. He is an N scale modeler along with his Father. He is also a fellow member at the local MR club. Myles was team leader of our modular layout at this year's show and did a fantastic job. We welcome Myles to the Guild.

Being a Chessie system fan who has started to model the Canadian Division, I was more then happy to build this kit. It was rather tricky though, due to the fact that there were no instructions included with this particular kit.

I first cut out all four walls and filed the edges down to 45 degree angles so they would fit together nicely. I glued the front wall to the right wall and the back wall to the left wall. This gave me two halves. I then painted them.

I was trying to model the prototypical version of this kit, so I printed some pictures to help me get the right paint mixture. I experimented a few times with different colors before I got the right mixture. The final color isn’t perfect, but it’ll do.

I then painted all the doors and window sills and the mortar between the bricks.

Next step was the stairs. I spent a fair amount of time gluing them together and gluing the hand rails (I made them from scrap wire) to the stairs. I then glued the walls together and put the floors in.

I didn’t put the roof on, preeminently because I’m going to put an interior in it once I find suitable photographs.

It's late June, 1959 and Canadian National Railway has given us permission and access to railfan their Blackwater subdivision. You have to get up pretty early to catch the first signs of activity at the enginehouse.

When we get to the engine facilities at Blackwater, we find the crew has already started  #7023, an EMD SW1200rs, and coupled it to Caribou Lumber's ancient caboose. Caribou Lumber has been using the CN locomotive for it's logging work for a couple months, ever since its Climax was sidelined with boiler troubles.

#7023 has set the caboose at the lead to the switchback that goes up to both Caribou Lumber's logging operations and the Blackwater mine.  Caribou Lumber uses the caboose to transport logging crews up to its operations, as well as an office on wheels.

Coupling up to a gondola carrying some crated machinery for the Backwater mine, the crew prepares to pick up the caboose and start heading up the switchback. The gondola is typical of the old equipment sent up to the mine and logging camp. It's archbar trucks ban it for regular mainline movements but it'll do the job on the branchline.

The short train squeals around the very tight corner as it begins its climb up the 4.5% grade from the first switch. The sharp curves are one of the reasons the railway has to use the smaller road switcher for this job. But since the short swtichbacks dictate short trains, the tonnage is nothing the engine can't handle.

Arriving at the mine, the #7023 drops the gondola off and then spots the caboose in front of it so they can pick up the two loaded log cars for the sawmill. The mine has been in operation for years but the townsfolk still don't know what kind of ore it produces. Their guess is that it's a mix of silver and copper but only  the managment knows for sure.

Around the corner from the mine is Caribou Lumber's main logging camp and transfer station. Here logs are transfered from the narrow gauge, 3' line to the standard gauge where they will be taken to the sawmill in Blackwater. Here the crew picks up two loaded log cars for the mill.

As the train eases back down the grade you can see the other reason the small roadswitcher is used. The wood Howe-truss bridge isn't rated for some of the heavier diesel engines used on the line.

Back in Blackwater the train passes behind the tie mill, also known as "Stan's sawmill". Caribou Lumber often sends it's cut-offs here to be made into ties.

The train backs across the mainline to get to Caribou Lumber.

The Engine crew has cut off the caboose on the lumber loading track and dropped the two log cars off on the ramp track.  Caribou lumber is the major industry here in Blackwater, keeping the railroad fairly busy with loads in and out.

With the lumber company traffic taken care of for now, the roadswitcher crew starts to make up the cars for the daily freight to pick up. It first takes the two boxcars from the station's team track

It would seem that they have an extra rider in the second boxcar....

Among the other cars is a flat loaded with freshly cut lumber from the mill. The cars are set out on the passing siding  for pick up. Note the gap for the road crossing.

Within minutes of the switcher finishing up, the freight arrives, bursting through the western tunnel portal. Leading are Alco FA-2, FB-2 #9408 and #9409. The engine crew will stop at the station and go into town for lunch.

After lunch the freight will back up and cut off the Caboose and last two cars, just in front of the passing siding's track, then move forward to the other end of the passing siding. It will leave its train's other four cars on the mainline.

The two engines will then back up the passing siding, picking up the cars left there, and continue out the other side to pick up the caboose and two cars.

With the train made up and the orders in hand, the freight pulls out, past the station and into the eastern portal on it's way to Port Teresa. To the left you see the Blackwater enginehouse which Both CNR and CPR use for minor engine and car maintance. You can also see the 30's Packard, which has been converted to an inspection vehicle.

With the freight out of the way, the switcher can go back to work putting the cars left behind in their proper places.

Behind is the small town of Blackwater. It has mostly wood framed buildings giving it that 'old-west' feel.

This concludes part one of the tour and railfanning,. Next time we'll see the operations in a larger city and port environment.

Boreal Scale Models has recently come out with laser cut billboard and telephone booth kits. Both are fairly easy to assemble, each taking an evening to assemble, with painting taking the  longest time.

Both kits come with all the parts in zip-lock bags. The billboard comes with 3 signs and instructions. The telephone booth was so easy, instructions are rather redundant.

I'll first go through the assembly of the billboard:

The framework parts are all in the basswood 'sheets' they are laser cut from. Only small frets of wood hold them there. I first sprayed all the parts,  including the large sign board, in grey primer before they were removed from the sheets . Then I brush painted the parts in a medium green.

Since my home layout is set in the late fities, I decided that the supplied signs were too modern. I dug an old Pepsi advert out of my collection, resized it on my computer and used it instead. I glued it on the sign board using a glue stick.

The uprights are assembled next using the clever little jig included in the kit. As you can see, the short and tall vertical posts fit into slots. Then a diagonal support is glued on each side. 

The only other parts are 4 horozontal frame pieces that are glued to the back of the sign. These are easy to locate using the laser engraving on the back of the sign board. After everything was glued I touched up any glue marks and then lightly sanded the backside of the signboard in the drection of the braces. This takes some of the paint off, down to the grey primer, making the green paint look peeled.

I took the front and divided it into 6 equal sections, scribing lines vertically to make the sign look like it had been assembled from separate parts, just like the real thing. I didn't weather the front of the sign since that would have been kept clean for the advertiser. However another idea would be two different signs, one on top of the other with the top layer peeling to reveal the former advertisment below.

After that all there is to do is glue the 4 uprights to the back of the sign and you're done. I glued the two outside ones first, let the glue dry and then glued the two inside supoorts to make sure everything turned out even.

The next project was the telephone booth, which was even easier.

As you can see, there are only 6 parts plus a sheet of clear acetate for the windows. The sheet has B, L, R, F marked for Back, Left, Right, and Front for the wall panels and T (Top) and F (Floor) for the two small squares. I painted all the parts in antique white and assembled the walls and floor. I then very carefully used thinned black to run down the door lines engraved in the front. Then I painted the top black.  I cut the acetate for the windows and glued it in. I deviated slightly from the kit here, substituting a piece of styrene for the roof since it seemed to look a bit better in my opinion. It too was painted black. When fiinished it looks right at home on the streetcorner of my layout.

Both of these models were enjoyable to put together with no real problems. They are both good laser cut kits for the beginner.

Glen Haasdyk, July 4, 2009

I know I ask a lot of all of you. I am a bit wishy-washy and all that but, please just one more time, I need your help.

I have accomplished something that was almost done many times before. The new website is coming to a very nice wrap up and I now need help to see if everything works.

There is so much in this release that I have unpublished everything but the component we need checked so explore away and add a video or picture.

BTW all facebook privacy settings are intact with this release.

www.modelersguild.com

When looking back on "the time you got hooked on the hobby", one often remembers an article, mentor or clinic that was the moment. I have to say these DVD's hooked my neighbor. And they hooked him good. I am completely amazed by them too. And who'd have thunk it, Jim a model railroader.

But that's what happened and I can not get rid of him now. Thanks Joe, this is supposed to be a solitary hobby, isn't it? Well, the guys at the Club liked it, Jim liked it - heck me and the Boy watched it a few times. Now, I am not one of those replay junkies. I get bored quick, but Joe's DVDs really get ya. Each project I have done in the last two months has given me a reason to watch a clip or two. The dirt roads, zip texturing ingredients, right down to "what was that website ?"...

DVD #1 - Introduction

In DVD#1 Joe takes us on a tour of the Oregon Siskiyou line and the design elements he wanted to add to the new Layout. This is done very thoroughly and makes sense. Now, not everything makes sense, but I found Joe ended up explaining these points somewhere in the production. The DVD is closed out with a live dispatched run on the Siskiyou line layout.

DVD #2 -Bench work and Track laying

In the second DVD, bench work and track design elements are discussed in great detail. Joe has a unique mushroom style of bench work that folds over itself to give a second level/shelf idea. It is obvious he is working from a script, but is this a bad thing? Too often a host runs into the hems and haws of not knowing what to say next. Joe knows exactly what he wants to say and this really packs in the information.

DVD #3 - DCC

In DVD three we get a real treat. Joe explains DCC from the CVP perspective of Digital layouts. I learned lots. I was watching the DVD over and over and I got a little inspired to finish my own layout in the process. DCC is expensive and the knowledge Joe passes on will give you the insight into "what you need" for your own layout.

It is fresh to see another product in action, and that someone likes it is a point that I want to stress. I am not interested in reviews that focus on the bad, if there isn't anything good to say about it throw it out (I say).

DVD #4 & 5 - Scenery and Bridges Parts 1 and 2

Scenery X2, two DVD's packed with all facets of scenery creation. Streams, rockwork, tunnel portals, ground cover, dirt roads, highways, bridges - believe me, the list goes on and on. One thing I could be critical on would be the structures, but they look good, and easy too. 

Joe runs through scratch-building a styrene bridge - the jigs, detailing, painting and weathering are breathtaking. I must admit, my newly acquired stack of styrene is staring down the razor, as I plan a few of my own wood bridges.

It is really nice to have the opportunity to boast about such a product. Joe's videos are down to earth and easy watching. Each DVD is broken up into chapters so you can really get to the point. The quality is high for Joe's first go, and improves with each following release.

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I found these samples on youtube.

The pieces of the puzzle are coming together. The new site is coming along and barring a few internal test runs we could go live as early as July.

This brings on a need for a Front Page Editor position. The new website's front page is a preview of what's hot on the site and we need someone that has the ability to introduce the authors or projects to visitors. This involves adding the intro and previews with our easy to use site administrator area and picking an image for us to edit for the location. This position is a once a month commitment and we hope the position will be filled by a railroader with a drive to entertain and inform. As with all of our contributors, you will be eligible to receive products of your scale to build or review as well.

This position is open to our current contributors as well. All are encouraged to apply.

Guild Staff.

Here are some of the latest 3D CAD images for our locomotive kits.  As you know, we've had the frames, fuel tanks and detail part bundles in stock for over a year now.  Seeing them should give you some perspective on what the final kits for the hood will look like.  

The list of items needed to wrap up the SD40-2W kit is getting smaller.  The same process is going to be used to revamp our GP38-2 and GP40-2 hood modules, so you will see complete 3D CAD models for them as well.  Our plan is to release two different types of locomotive at a time.  

Also note that we have the second step for the drives almost finished.  This is the 3D CAD for the traction motors.  Once we have this done the side frames will be started and we can also define the final design for our gearing.  We have suppliers lined up for the decoder and motor arrangement so testing will be started quickly.  The intention is to release the HTC and Blomberg based drives at the same time.

The last two images are for our new stanchion kits, DP 6150.  They will also be included in the model kits.

Any support you can give on our products is going to help us out this summer.  I am working very hard to get the 3D CAD done for the full locomotive kits so we can get them into production ASAP.  Strong sales enables me to focus on this and not worrying how our loans will get paid.  

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