Best Of Kanto Sub Division of the Puddington Valley

[PGE_Modeller]

Well done, Mike.  I was wondering what your "aviation attraction" was going to be.  The Sabre in the post-1965, but pre-unification, camo scheme is a nice touch.  I can't make out the first letter of the squadron identifier though.  Or is it just a single "S" for Sam?  Whose kit is the Sabre and is it 1:160 or 1:144?

Per Ardua Ad Astra

Cheers,

[dnhouston]

Nice work Mike.  You and Sam are making quick work of this project 

[wm3798]

This project wins the Internet.  Thanks for sharing this, Mike.

[Puddington]

Thanks Lee and everyone for your kind words, suggestions and support.....best medicine for dealing with cancer, at least in your spirit is building an N scale layout... do it with your son and it's even better....

The Kanto half of the layout is 99% complete; the ballasting was completed today and the third pour of Woodland Scenics water product has been done. The first pour leaked.... I thought I'd sealed the lake up well. I followed their instructions, used plaster cloth, painted the base and then sealed the edges of the base to the facia walls with a caulking..... but the "lake water" found a crack, hole or other way of draining so I lost 90% of the first pour.... Nevertheless the lake is slowly filling up...

All that's left is to build the panel; we will get to that in a few days. The backdrop is ready to be installed too and then we will paint the facia. Sam chose the CPR's corporate tuscan as the facia colour. If not something that will blend with the layout then it might as well have a CPR theme....

Here are a few random images from what is essentially a "finished" Kanto town side of the layout...


Nichols corner before ballasting and water.....



The corner now has water.... well; it did when I left this morning.... I really like the look of this corner and feel it will be a "railfanning spot"....



Another railfanning spot will be right beside Lake Dore Produce; the consist coming eastbound leans just so.... I'll shoot this exact image with a real camera (these are cell phone grabs) when I get a chance.



The mains are ballasted with mid brown and heavily weathered. The three tracks (two mains and a tables edge transfer to a future module) look well used and are long and open enough for good photo's to be taken.



The Kanto station will continue to be a center of attention for the layout and photography.



I'm going to add some school kids and a teacher to the park, never too early to show kinds the meaning of Remembrance....

Thanks for stopping by...

[Puddington]

Well done, Mike.  I was wondering what your "aviation attraction" was going to be.  The Sabre in the post-1965, but pre-unification, camo scheme is a nice touch.  I can't make out the first letter of the squadron identifier though.  Or is it just a single "S" for Sam?  Whose kit is the Sabre and is it 1:160 or 1:144?

Per Ardua Ad Astra

Cheers,

I did use an actual squadron designator but I'm damned if I can remember whose it is.... now I have to look it up..... the number was a random one I created out of decals laying around....

[MVW]

Beautiful and inspiring work, Mike. More importantly, tons of great memories for you and your son.

Best wishes!

Jim

[PGE_Modeller]

I did use an actual squadron designator but I'm damned if I can remember whose it is.... now I have to look it up..... the number was a random one I created out of decals laying around....

With the posted photo of the port side, I can now see the squadron identifier as "AS" - the "A" wasn't visible against the camo background on the starboard side.  Like you, I can't remember which squadron had the identifier "AS" - in fact, the only ones I remember for sure are "SL" for 442 and "PF" for 443.

Cheers,

[Puddington]

With the posted photo of the port side, I can now see the squadron identifier as "AS" - the "A" wasn't visible against the camo background on the starboard side.  Like you, I can't remember which squadron had the identifier "AS" - in fact, the only ones I remember for sure are "SL" for 442 and "PF" for 443.

Cheers,

I looked it Greg, it was 413 squadron.....

[Puddington]

I finally found one of my older cameras so I was able to take some better quality images.... lets go for a tour of Kanto...

A local with some eclectic power is seen at the Kanto sign board.... an H16-44 with a RS3.....



The mixture of CLC and MLW power is a "BC thing".....





Kanto, being so close to the border sees quite a bit of GN and NP exchange traffic....





Indeed, between eclectic power, foreign road rolling stock and the natural scenery, Kanto is a rail fan's dream....



... but this caboose, one of fifty steel side slant cupola vans built for Eastern service is a new sight here.....



Seems there's a meeting of big wigs at Feuer's this morning.....



Must mean a new contract; kinda like the big one SIDS got to supply martial arts equipment for the upcoming 76 Olympics in Montreal..... and isn't it great to see Puddington Valley Transport supporting the Junior Hockey program...?



Down at the station the morning is a calm one, except for the Brown boys trying to roust their friend for a fishing trip....



...and what's this...? Two junior RCAF officers have run into a Air Vice Marshal; oh man; this never ends well....



I heard that Lois's has added pizza at noon.... that'll be popular for sure....



.. and were making real progress into the modern era with hourly bus service to Samuel Ridge, Northhill and Puddington Valley..... what will they come up with next...?



But, with all this excitement around here we railfans are working hard to try and figure out what a couple of Swift meat reefers are doing at Lake Dore Produce..... and for that matter, how they keep anything cold with those god awful, gapping spaces between the boards......



Thanks for looking!

[John]

I love this layout .. and the sense of humor that goes with it ..

But, with all this excitement around here we railfans are working hard to try and figure out what a couple of Swift meat reefers are doing at Lake Dore Produce..... and for that matter, how they keep anything cold with those god awful, gapping spaces between the boards......

[dnhouston]

Mike,
Great little layout, and I always enjoy the stories you create for your scenes.  It really brings everything to life

[Puddington]

Hey, if you can't laugh at yourself then you're clearly not having enough fun.....

The little painter finished painting the facia CPR Tuscan (or something close) and the backdrop; a very light blue. I'm debating sponging on some light cloud.... With the backdrop done and in place we also finished the background buildings.... the finished buildings really add something to the overall look....



The downtown is now complete....



Looking to the west, the highway overpass and the way to Vancouver....



Looking to the east, towards Nichols Hill, the dry gulch bridge and the way to Calgary.....



While we were behind the backdrop we took some shots; Feuer's looks quite different from the other side...



Sam advised me to use Photoshop to lighten the sky in our little under the highway photo so that it better matched our painted sky.... seems to have worked.... we're pretty happy with the entire scene.

Now to finish the rock work and removable cover for the tunnel entrance at the module joining point, build the panel and we're done.... on to module two...

More when there is....

[davidgray1974]

I really love natural light in photos.  It adds so much more realism to a scene that is really hard to duplicate.  Really enjoying this thread and the amazing work you and your son are doing.  Great job you guys!

David

[Puddington]

Now that track is laid, ballasted and scenic materials have been adhered it's time to test the track with a wide range of power and rolling stock. I've discovered that RS10's and 18's have a wider and lower fuel tank that can hit stuff (it did, I have to cut back the rails for the track runner) and that some scenic materials can spill into places not seen nor desired.... so I ran numerous types of power and rolling stock and took the opportunity to take some images under different light and in different places....

SD40



RS10





GP9 with an early chopped nose



The new Atlas S2.... really have to weather this guy.....



Even an RDC can pose a challenge...





I found that some of the BMLA and ExactRail hoppers had issues with one turnout; an hour's wrk determined that a tiny piece of "crud" was to blame..... such is the value of running different cars...









Some more 50' paper haulers had been lightly weathered (CP Rail repaints... yuck) so they got a run.... I also saw this neat images - all three liveries "sides by each"......









The different lighting used had a rather dramatic effect on the greens....

The only job left on this is a removable rock face above the tunnel portal that hides the "join" between the two modules - it will be above the highway overpass.... I'll start it today....





and. the best image I've made in a while....



Thanks for looking.....

[CNscale]

I really enjoy seeing this layout progress - I hope that even though parts of it are "completed" you'll continue to post photos (and the stories that go with them). Your weathering is outstanding, but what I appreciate the most are the little "Canadianisms" that take me back to my childhood -- the billboards, the Esso station, and the trucks: Canada Cartage, Reimer Express, Simpsons, ...   Do you create all your own decals for these?