On the Layout: Show Me a Sign

    One thing I've been doing for the past few months is adding details to my scenes.  Toronto has been at the center of my attention.  Adding street signs, the entire length of the city, has been a goal of mine.  Google Maps has been amazing in seeing what signs needed to go up around the city and where they should be placed.

I've been using Scale Sign's signposts for this project.  They have amazing detail and add so much more realism.  

Most of the signs have just been printed on cardstock and the backs have been colored with a metallic Sharpie marker.   A few of the signs are from Scale Signs, but they currently have a limited offering of street signs from Canada.  I used canopy glue to secure the signs to the posts.  

Along the way, Walthers streetlights with accurate signs attached to the poles have been installed.  

Fleet Friday - BLI Track Inspection Car

    It's always nice when a manufacture produces something you think would have to be scratch built in order to have it on the layout.  Earlier this year Broadway Limited Imported released the CN Track Inspection car and it's amazing!  The exterior and interior lights are operated by touching different spots on the roof to turn different lighting features on or off.  It is a great addition to my collection and will provide a lot of interest to my CN business train.

St. Albans 2026

    The Vermont Rail's 2026 Model Railroad Show a few weekends ago.  It's a small show in St. Albans, Vermont, but gets a pretty decent turnout.  The show is nice because it's one where you never know what you're going to find, so it's always worth the trip.  

I came away with a few cars and spent less than $30.

I'm going to wait to do a little more with the Atlas Blue Box Central Vermont boxcar.  I'd like to weather it seeing that these cars were few and far between in the early 2000's.  However, there are photographs on the web that show there was at least one riding the rails in Ontario during the layout's time period.  I don't do much weathering on my cars, but after reading an article in the March Railroad Model Craftsman, I'm interested in trying something out and this inexpensive car is a good one to practice on.

Not much was done to the Rapido Procor hopper before it entered service on the layout.  I swapped out the couplers for my standard Kadee whisker couplers.  I decided to add Smokebox Graphics FRA self-adhesive yellow reflectors (the company has stopped making these) to each side of the car.  It really is as easy as peel and stick.  Using prototype photos from the web helps with accurate placement of the stripes.

It was a quick five-minute project with nice results. 

Sorry for no additional pictures of the show.  It's held annually in March by the Northwest Vermont Model Railroad Association.  Their website has more information about the show and their club.  More about the Central Vermont car in a future post.