Childhood models: Canadian H0 25 years on...

In my teens I learnt my craft with Canadian H0 as well as the British OO models shared before, and today I'm going to share three from different times with different ambitions...

The first of these is a Canadian National GP38-2, modelled using an Athearn 'blue box' kit, I think it was originally a Burlington Northern liveried example with dynamic brakes. I tried to source one without, but alas it wasn't possible so in the end resorted to cutting, grinding, sanding and smoothing the brake blister until it was smooth, trying not to damage the exhaust stacks! I remember this was quite an early model but I was very proud of it. Finding parts in the UK was almost impossible, certainly for a young teenager - this was before the days of the internet really - so a brake wheel from a box-car kit, a bell of the wrong pattern and incorrect snowplough picked up at an NMRA exhibition in Manchester or Sheffield, scratchbuilt snow shield and window sun-visors, hand made and formed grab irons and then painted carefully and finished with a cherished set of Micro-scale decals (I still have the remnants of both packs). I built a pair of these, based on the two I saw switching at Drumheller in 1989 - perhaps one day I will re-visit the 4732 with a modern 38-2 with Canadian pilot corner steps.

The Canadian Pacific was my Dad's love, and I did have some strong memories of seeing the SD40-2s working hard at Kicking Horse Pass in 1989. There was an article in Model Railroader about the SD40-2Fs and I decided I wanted to try and recreate one in H0. I didn't have a large budget, so I think it was built around a Bachmann Plus SD45 chassis, but did include a few 'parts' I'd picked up at exhibitions (including the neat orange beacon, and MU cables on the end). The main model is entirely constructed in plasticard (styrene) with doors added in 10thou overlays. This was all built around the donor model's body. Looking at it today, from a distance, it still passes as a 2F, but up close the lack of finesse mean it's just a treasured step on my model making journey. I learnt a lot from working with drawings and limited photos and this was my first really successful 'scratch building' excercise and probably where the skills I use today on my commission models were born. Not too shabby a model for 25 years old, built by a teenager!

Finally, this model of a CN SW1200 was a recreation of a very early model that inspired me in Model Railroader. An Athearn 'blue box' un-decorated model was stripped apart and modified - I fitted spare Athearn stanctions down each side and across the ends, found some exhaust stacks at another North American exhibition (probably the catalyst behind the model if I remember correctly) and then scratchbuilt the Canadian featured of the number boards each end, that actually look pretty neat. In fact the general finish on this model is probably almost good enough to use today - if you overlook the incorrect trucks - but I will keep it in the display case for now, as the full-stop of my teenage modelling.

The common thread through all these models was the desire to recreate the feel of the prototype without worrying too much about the precise detail - and even then I was not afraid of weathering - the SW1200 being the most effective in that regard. Today these old models don't see any use, but I keep them as a reminder of where I came from and a connection, a thread, that weaves through all my model making and life. Enjoy the weekend. More soon...