Adding to the Vehicle Fleet

Crossing work is occuring on the CN lead to the Wellington Street express shed (top photo). Ready to go to work are my layout fleet's two newest vehicles that I purchased from fellow Associated Railroaders of Kingston member Bob Farquhar at the recent Rail Fair Kingston. Preparing these vehicles for placement on the layout has taken place during the autumn transition from the outdors back into the layout room.

The LifeLike stake truck/fuel truck model is a curious one. It seems out of proportion - the wheels too small and the load too far back over the rear axle. I poached two axles from a Tyco transport tractor, stretched the chassis a couple of scale feet, and placed a styrene flatbed, perhaps for steel cargo. The proportions seem much more realistic!

I did little to the Sealtest and CP trucks above. I did minimal weathering and added printed paper licence plates to all. The rust-coloured pickup truck is one I'd previously bought from Kingston Locomotive Works and repainted. Here are the vehicles ready for the layout:

Here we are back at the crossing (above). The two Brekina 1964 Dodge A100 vans in their earlier guise (below). The cabover design came in a range of body styles - pickup and sportsman. I gave the a couple of coats of primer and a couple of coats of orange paint, all painted carefully around the slightly raised ''Dodge' lettering fore and aft. I overpainted the shiny black tires and whitewalls. For the hi-rail, I added circular wheel covers to reflect the prototype. I've added some trial hirail equipment.

I used Microscale Decals MC4227 set for the CN logos.

Now, back to that crossing. Taking these photos, I realized my crossbuck signs need to be improved. I made a bunch of them while constructing my Pumphouse Museum diorama. They even say '2 tracks'. I just need to install them.

My sister and I are at the CP station in Valois, QC in spring, 1974. On the adjacent CN mainline, a similar CN hirail Dodge pickup van was heading towards Montreal. Both photos by L.C. Gagnon.