Tuesday Train #164

Railway Safety, its not that hard, if the gates have started to go down, and the lights are flashing, don’t cross the tracks. There is a little bit of forced perspective from a telephoto lens, and VIA Train 85 is moving very slowly as it departs Kitchener’s station heading west as the crew waits on the gates activating and going down, but this kid rushing the lights is putting themselves squarely in harms way, they don’t know that a 2nd train isn’t coming by faster on the other track, or they could have misjudged the speed of the train. As a railfan, every time I’m out at the lineside (and always off railway property, but thats a rant for another day) taking pictures near a crossing, seeing people run the crossing signals gives me a lump in my throat, I can only imagine the feeling of the crews in the cabs of a locomotive knowing that there is nothing they can do to stop or avoid a collision if someone misjudges running in front of them or stops.

If you’re an educator or a parent, and you run across this post, pleast teach your students or your children railway safety. Operation Lifesaver is out there, talk to them for info for your classroom or your home:

https://www.operationlifesaver.ca/

https://oli.org/

Tuesday Train #163

The Plinthed Locomotives of Eastern Ontario, 3/3 – Cornwall Street Railway 17

Cornwall was once served by an electric freight and streetcar line. Centre Cab freight motor 17 is all that is left of that in the City. It is also facing an uncertain future, as while the City has set aside money in the budget to stabalize and start restoration, it may be moved from where it is, to another location in the City. There is also interest from other museums in Eastern Ontario in aquiring the locomotive if it is to be disposed of.

Tuesday Train #162

The Plinthed Locomotives of Eastern Ontario, 2/3 – Grand Trunk Railway 1008

Grand Trunk Railway E-10a No.1008, a Pre-Canadian National Ralways locomotive built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in Kingston in 1910. This locomotive is preserved on a stretch of track with a wooden baggage car and coach near the Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg. And it’s on the verge of becoming homeles. The St Lawrence Parks Commission which manages the parkland along the St Lawrence River in this area is looking to dispose of the locomotive as they are no longer able or willing to maintain it. Hopefully one of several reputable groups looking at the locomotive is able to aquire it and keep it close to where it is in Ontario.

 

Tuesday Train #161

The Plinthed Locomotives of Eastern Ontario, 1/3 – Thousand Islands Railway 500

Thousand Island Railways number 500 looks well cared for in downtown Gananoque.  This gas-electric locomotive was built in Oshawa, and worked the 1000 Islands Railway in Gananoque from 1931 to 1960, before going on display in 1966.

When all Glues have failed you…

Learning, this is at the end of the day, a hobby about learning. Learning about prototypes, how to build things, how things work, how to get things done. There are so many ways people do things out there. I’ve previously written about a side project of an HO Scale police car I was building with LED lights. I’ve had nothing but problems with this project. I’ve mangled two sets of the fantastic LED lighting units from Evans Design LEDs. So what did I do, I recently ordered a third set!!

Hey, we’re looking like a police car again with flashing lights hidden inside the vehicle.

So, when I got the package on Wednesday this week, the LED set has been modified, instead of being pre connected to a giant hub, each string was separate, and once they were run instead of having a giant nest on the end of the wire, I’d have to wire them up myself. I thought, this would make life easier for maneuvering, and I was right. What was still going wrong, was all my technique for trying to install the LEDs and get them to hold in place. I was using LED wax, trying CA glue, just nothing. Then I thought of a product that was on my to try list for a while after seing how useful it was from friends. A product called Bondic, which, as they are quite clear, is not a glue. What it is, is a Ultraviolet (UV) light cured plastic. It comes in a dispenser with a UV LED, and you put a little bit of the liquid out, and hit it with the LED for 4 seconds, and it becomes solid. It may not be a glue, but it works like one when it comes to affixing LEDs inside a model. Now you only get one shot at it, so you need to be sure, but so long as you take your time, it works well.

The Bondic kit, and the inside of the police car with the wires Bondic’d? into place.

Its a product that takes some learning, as you need to build it up in thin layers if you need to fill a large area, as it only cures where the UV light can hit it, you can’t use it in a place where you can’t get the UV light to shine in, and if the layer is too thick, the top will harden and the interior won’t, but it’s absolutely fantastic to use. Saying all that about needing to learn, this lunkhead blasted ahead at 11pm on a Wednesday night to use it on a project after he got home from his Rec Soccer game as he was so frustraited at the project he either wanted it done, or dumpstered. As the short videos below show, the lighting now qualifies as done!! Some cleanup on the model, paint the bright red interior dark like a Toronto police car, and then decals and install. Hurray for progress!!