Sunday, 12 July 2026

Feed Storage Structure - A Second Look

There is a bit of a stoop added with a ladder at the doorway. A bill box is added which is a HO scale detail. The loose piping is an Otter Valley offering as pipe loads for bulkhead flats but work well in O scale too.
Here are a couple of close up looks at the finished feed storage structure...George Dutka.  

The box on the sacks is a O scale FOS offering that one folds up and applies a label. So ground foam and weeds are also glued to the lower areas. 


Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Feed Storage

This is my new O scale structure I finished back in early spring. The details are mainly cast plaster. A styrene roof is made with a tarpaper covering. All the signs are from my past build files. Most got a bit of weathering.

I purchased this structure for a couple of bucks in O scale. I am working on a On30" shelf layout that this might work well on. The structure is scratch built in styrene that needed finishing and bracing to the interior. 

I used a number of different stains, powders and acrylics. It is a metal structure that was fun to weather and detail. All the details are glued to the structure making it a drop in scene. I also added a awning over the main doorway. The same door got a ladder added...George Dutka

How it looked when I purchased the structure.

Some signs are applied and weathering is happening.

The paints used to color the doors and windows.

This is the backside which I did not apply any details to.

Monday, 6 July 2026

Berham Jct. - Turntable

Berham Jct 1915. SRRL No. 16 

Another photo purchase from the Springfield train show 2025. This photo is marked from Bob Jones. Maybe used in his book or from his collection. Looks like the balance maybe was off while turning the engine..,George Dutka   

Friday, 12 June 2026

SR&RL - Pulpwood Yard

 

Not sure of the location but a pulpwood loading area on the SR&RL. Photo by Caswell from prints purchased at the Springfield 2025 train show.  

Saturday, 6 June 2026

Something New for the module

A metal structure is always a nice way to practice my weathering. It has doors on both sides.
I picked up this part built structure in O scale for a couple of bucks a number of years ago. I spent a bit of time this winter finishing it off, weathering and detailing the sides...more to follow...George Dutka 

Sunday, 24 May 2026

Structure Updated!

As the completed structure looked at the Narrow Gauge Show.
I spent sometime before the Ontario Narrow Gauge Meet to update Peter Mumby's O scale structure from his module. I think it looks much better now with a weathered wall, newer signs and a lot of details added that we did not have at the time of the build...more photos to follow...George Dutka

Tuesday, 19 May 2026

Ontario Narrow Gauge Show

This is what I came away with from the show.
On the weekend I attended my area's narrow gauge show. I had a display of my Maine two-footers in On30" and HOn30". I came away with a bit on Maine two-foot also. Mark Harris is downsizing his collection and there was some neat stuff to pick from...photos tell the story...George Dutka

The structures I picked up all built my Mark Harris.
Mt. Albert had their off cuts for sale which are a good deal. I always pick up a bundle. 

Mark Harris work.


There was a good amount of photos and wall art to choose from.

Mark Harris at his two-foot table of goodies.

Mt Albert had a nice group of offering of detail parts for sale in O scale.

Thursday, 14 May 2026

Updated


This structure is off my late friend Peter Mumby's On30" module that I now have. We built our structures together. I thought I would take if further recently by adding some extra weathering to it, newer details, a platform out front and some extra signage. I will have it at the narrow gauge show this weekend. More on it will follow shortly...George Dutka

Wednesday, 13 May 2026

HOn30" Interchange Yard

Not sure if I showed you these views before...here they are.
A couple of views of my HOn30" interchange diorama built from my models dating back to the 1980's...George Dutka  



Friday, 8 May 2026

Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Wordless Wednesday No. 180

 


A bit of a change for Wordless Wednesday this view is all words I will be displaying there...George Dutka    

Tuesday, 21 April 2026

Another Look - Flagstop

Here is what I got in this old time kit which builds up into a flag stop. Nothing like todays laser cut kits.
Just a few more views of my flag stop build from a number of years ago...George Dutka

The O Sanders scale kit part way together.
I added a lot of details around the structure. 

Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Loading Platform

The milk car behind the loading platform I scratch-built back in the 1980's when I first got into modeling. Back then I did not have a lot detail parts available other than what I could find in the Model Railroad magazines of the time. No internet or well stocked hobby shops to help back then,
I was in the process of finishing an article for RMC when I found my shot of a loading platform I built for my HOn30" transfer yard. These could be found throughout New England in milk service and thought it would be nice to include. I actually set it up for all loading but with milk in mind...George Dutka 

Milk loading platform in Woodstock, Vt. in the late 1930's.


Friday, 10 April 2026

Strong, Maine - 1916

 

SR&RL 414 July 8, 1916 Strong, Maine. From my purchases last Springfield Show...George Dutka     
 

Wednesday, 25 March 2026

Tuesday, 17 March 2026

A Second Look - W&Q #1

All set to roll with a coat of weathering that it really seemed to need. It looked just to clean painted. lettered and sealed. I also add a hand lantern on the back inside decking.
A second look at how my On30" looks today...George Dutka


I added a coal shove for the coal pile. As mentioned before I added very fine antique light cord wiring to the bell and whistle. 

I did not overdo the weathering I think. I feel it fits my scenes well.


Friday, 6 March 2026

B&SR Sign


The Bridgon & Saco River Ry Historical Society posted this view of the station sign on their Facebook page. I thought it could be reduced to your scale and printed for use on your structures...George Dutka

https://www.facebook.com/BSRRM/

Monday, 2 March 2026

Weathering the Engine!

I used some AK Gouache on this engine. 
I started by weathering the engine first. The photos show you the products I used...George Dutka

Some Bragdon rust and three PanPasels including a coal coarse powder is applied to the coal load. The others are Raw Umber Shade and Neutral Grey.

W&Q is finished. The engine was lettered using Sloan decals from decades ago. They still work well today.

I also added fine wire as the whistle and bell cords.


Wednesday, 18 February 2026

Weathering Equipment

The engine I painted for Peter which he lettered for our W&Q Ry. modules. The decals are Sloan decals.

I pulled out a couple of pieces of On30" equipment that I acquired from Peter Mumby. We worked on these pieces together in the start. The photo shows some of the products I used in the weathering. More to Follow...George Dutka



Sunday, 8 February 2026

A Small Extension !

To get a car or two out of the siding onto the main line Peter and I came up with this small extension made from scraps.
When Peter Mumby had his On30" module at home he needed a short piece of track on the right end so he could pull at least one car out of the siding. This was not a problem when the two modules are attached. We came up with this, that was just screwed on...George Dutka 

Monday, 19 January 2026

WW&F Ry. at Springfield

WW&F Facebook page photo.
The WW&F Ry. group noted on their Facebook page they are taking the head end of No. 10 to Springfield this January. Check them out at their booth...George Dutka 

Thursday, 15 January 2026

Track Added


Yesterday I added the yard track I had to remove when I cut down the width of the module. The track is cut shorter to fit the scene. I have it laid in position at the moment. Now to cut in the roadbed and install. Snow day here in Southwestern Ontario today so not out of the house other than to shovel snow. Lots of modeling might happen once I get away from the computer...George Dutka

Monday, 12 January 2026

On30" Module


Well I got the Christmas decorations down and stored so now to do some modeling. I brought in from the garage Peter's module that I cut down and added some plaster cloth to the rough cut edges. While I wait for it to dry I am pulling out the track piece that needs to be added to the spur and ballast for the tracks. I have to get the electrical hooked up again to a transformer before mounting it on the wall. Lot easy on this rolling bench to just flip it over...George Dutka

Saturday, 10 January 2026

SR&RL Railcars

A posed photo of the railcars at Farmington, Maine during a 10-1937 visit. Not sure how much equipment he saw that day. Note the tracks have all been removed.

A photo I scanned recently from a group I purchased at Springfield last winter...George Dutka