Monday 11 September 2017

Grand Trunk Tool Car

My current project is another piece of rolling stock for a typical Grand Trunk (NEL) work Train.  Inspiration came from a picture I purchased from Bob's Photos at the New England RPM in Enfield a couple of years ago.  It's from 1971 and is taken at St.Albans Vermont. 


My friend and fellow modeller Pierre Oliver suggested scratch building the sides and ends from styrene car siding, and using Accurail's fish belly under frame.  Tichy Train Group work train doors, windows, and  wood boxcar doors make up the basic assembly.

Just need a roof then.  I could not find a suitable roof in my stash or on the internet.  I could substitute a different roof, but roof's are so visible on the layout, so I wanted to get it right.

 I put the project back in my stash and then about a year later by surprise Pierre presented me with a resin casting of the correct Murphy flat panel roof.  He had just purchased the masters for the line of Canadian prototype resin detail parts formally marketed by Sylvan scale models and this roof is one of the offerings.  Pierre's Yarmouth Model Works doesn't yet have these parts ready for market but I'm sure it wont be to long.

After a evening and an afternoon of modelling here is where I'm at.


It has my usual level of detail, K-brake and all associated rigging/plumbing, wire grabs, nbw's, laser cut running board and some rivets for the bolster connections to the side frames. The vents are from Grant Line and City Classics.

I painted the window frames and surrounding areas, before adding the window glazing and gluing on the roof.  I will now just mask off the window frames and paint the rest of the car.  I don't like just masking the glazing as pushing to hard can send it into the car while masking.  I learned that lesson on a previous project......

I'm not sure what the car actually was used for though.  Is it a tool car or something else?  The three roof vent stacks sure are interesting.  The label on the door in the prototype photo says "Flamable"  -  "keep lights and flames away".  Hopefully one the blog's reader will know?




9 comments:

  1. Cool car!
    The flammable warnings probably mean that the car stored kerosene or other things that could catch on fire - and the vents might be to ensure there's plenty of air flow through the car so that fumes don't build up. Just a thought...
    - Trevor

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    1. Trevor,

      Interesting thoughts about the kerosene, it would make sense since the car is coupled to a dinning car maybe they used it as heater fuel.

      Ryan

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  2. That car is kissing cousin to CV 4589 - which was itself part of large number of cars that were converted to a variety of "Tool and Supply" cars once they outlived their usefulness as revenue cars.
    For all I know, this could be a former CV car that was relettered for GT. I can't prove that it was (most of my reference material is boxed up at the moment) - but you can't prove it wasn't!!
    BTW, that "Flammable" signage shows up on a bunch of CV MOW cars I have photos of - even the "shower" cars...

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    1. Thanks for the info Marty. But now I have to know what a "shower car" is? Do they look different than the camp or bunk cars?

      Ryan

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    2. Well, they're cleaner. And they smell like Irish Spring.

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    3. My guess is it's a car for taking showers....
      I dug up the some information and a photo of the car and posted it on my blog
      https://centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com/2017/09/cv-shower-car-4546.html

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