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Building CN's Waterloo Spur in HO Journals/Blogs
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New member 24 posts rtalukdar New member 24 posts
rtalukdar

I've created a blog to document the thought process behind the building of my shelf-layout depicting Canadian National's branch from Kitchener/Waterloo to end of track in Elmira, ON.  The layout is the culmination of years, decades actually, of dreaming and planning and aborted starts from high school through today.  My goal is to build as close a replica of the line in the late 1980s and early '90s as I can, which means in the space I have available right now I'm modelling the towns of St. Jacobs and Elmira.  To avoid duplication of effort I will probably just post news of updates on this site, but I very much look forward to feedback, ideas, and sharing of prototype information to help me create a better model.  The blog can be found at waterloospur.blogspot.ca.   To start, a few pictures of the current state of the layout:7-001(1).JPG 2-001(1).JPG 
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Bill Brillinger Moderator 4,904 posts
Bill Brillinger

Sounds Great!

I grew up watching the trains in Elmira. Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Have you got a track plan to share?

Bill Brillinger

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, Admin for the RailPro User Group, and owner of Precision Design Co.
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rtalukdar New member 24 posts
rtalukdar

Track plan is a work in progress

My goal is to follow the actual track las closely as possible within the confines of our current family room.  Someone was kind enough to share CN operating diagrams from 1986 so I have a pretty good idea of the track lengths. 

I'm maintaining an 18" deep shelf all around the room, with trains coming from two staging tracks across one short end of the room, down a long side through St. Jacobs, across the other end of the room, and then down the other side to the end of track in Elmira. 

I've drawn up Elmira in XtrkCAD and am leaving St. Jacobs until I get the rails down on the Elmira sections.  I'll see if I can't put the current version up here and/or on the blog tomorrow. 

Some details on the track: min. radius is 42", track & switches are from Proto87 Stores, code 70 & 55, with Bullfrog manual turnout controls.

BTW, I was just in Winnipeg for 4 days and checked out the BN Manitoba yard each day to see if I could get a glimpse of the engine doing some work, but every time I went by the enginehouse was closed up. 
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Jurgen Kleylein Prolific poster 1,119 posts
Jurgen Kleylein

my backyard

I've lived most of my life within a few miles of this line, so I'm interested to see what you come up with.  I've considered modeling the equally local Grand River Railway line, but never the Elmira branch.  Saint Jacobs with its big bridge should be a scenic highlight.

Jurgen

HO Deutsche Bundesbahn circa 1970

Visit the HO Sudbury Division at http://sudburydivision.ca/

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alcoted Regular poster 355 posts
alcoted

Another Waterloo Spur native here!

A little to young to remember those days, but the backyard of our old family home on Waterloo St (right by the Roger St grade crossing) ran into the spur. Even back then my parents had to keep an eye on me so I didn't run around the fence and wander off down the tracks ...apparently I made it there once.

Never thought of it until now, but I guess that makes my first railfanning experience when I was 2 years old.

Mark me down as another K-W native who's interested in your efforts.

 

 

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Joe Atkinson IAISfan Super User 3,775 posts
Joe Atkinson IAISfan

Fan from afar

I'm far from that area, but still very interested in what you're doing.  Never met a layout based on a modern branch line that I didn't like.

Joe Atkinson
Modeling Iowa Interstate's 4th Sub, May 2005
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https://www.iaisrailfans.org/gallery/4thSub

My MRH blog index

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rtalukdar New member 24 posts
rtalukdar

Track Plan

Here's my track plan as of today.  The Elmira track has been partially transferred onto the actual layout as seen in the photos above, and as previously mentioned St. Jacobs is a work in progress.  The track lengths are close to full length, according to the track charts that I have received from a compatriot on the CanModelTrains Yahoo group.20130709.png 
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BNSF AZ Active Member 48 posts
BNSF AZ

Another Waterloo Native

Hi I was born in Kitchener and now live in Waterloo. I still rail fan the Waterloo to Elmira sub. occasionally.

I believe there was a small turn table just past the chemical plant for turning steam engines. What era are you modeling?

Paul
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rtalukdar New member 24 posts
rtalukdar

Re. turntable

The map of Elmira in Ian Wilson's book To Stratford Under Steam indicates a "roundhouse" at the end of track, but it appears that at least in the 1950s timeframe of the book there was no actual turntable anymore.  Looks more to be a one or two stall former roundhouse converted to a single-track shed.

I'm modelling the late 80s / early 90s, corresponding to the time when I attended UW.  Having opened up Ian's book, I notice that the actual end of track was in Beaver Lumber.  Anyone have any idea when that stopped being rail-served?

Robin
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Ontario Eastern Regular poster 257 posts
Ontario Eastern

Live in the area

Being that like other above, I live in the area, and look forward to seeing this planned out to the end and seeing trains run.  I may have something that may help you if you want to contact me off line too...

Off to a great start

Nathan

Ontario Eastern Railway / Great Lakes Regional Railway

Moncton, New Brunwsick

-4hrs UTC - Atlantic Standard Time
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rtalukdar New member 24 posts
rtalukdar

Model railroading at the cottage

We are fortunate enough to be able to spend a couple of weeks as a family at a cottage near Parry Sound, ON. With that much free time ahead of me, I seized the opportunity for some major catch-up on track laying. Into the car went tie strips and switch kits from Proto 87 Stores, as well as a supply of paints and basic tools. The first order of business was painting the tie strips. I followed the method Lance Mindheim outlined in his excellent book, How to Build a Shelf Layout. Before we left I had airbrushed the strips with Modelmaster light grey. At my outdoor cottage work table I tacked the strips to the sticky side of shelf cupboard liner and brought out a tube of raw umber oil paint and mineral spirits. Lance's instructions are to thin the oil to the consistency of weak tea with the thinner. I washed the paint onto the strips, brushing in the long direction of the ties. To my eye the resulting color was far too light, so I applied another wash. Better, but still too light brown. Referring to pictures I took of the trackage in Elmira, even though the tops of the ties are all different shades of brown and grey, the underlying dark creosote brown is evident on the exposed ends and sides of twelve ties. The question is, how do I duplicate that variety of color? I can try another coat of the raw umber, but I'm afraid that the details in the tie strips will be covered too much by the time I get a nice dark colour. And selectively painting the sides and ends will be difficult, or at the very least very time-consuming. Perhaps going dark and then dry-brushing the tops of the ties before gluing down the rail will be the way to go. I'll have to figure I out, as I need the ties painted in order to be able to assemble the switches, which is the big goal to accomplish before going home.
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