BC Rail dream realised...

When I began my Canadian project a few years ago I dreamt of collecting models that meant something to me, even if that meant creating elaborate back stories for their presence in the Maritimes. Back then, one railway I really wanted to include was BC Rail...

For a period I entertained a £350+ Rapido B36-7, which looked a lovely model. I did find one eventually at Pacific Western Rail Services in Vancouver, but decided against it. They were large machines, and I already had the U18B project underway. Time ticked on, and the wonderful Dale Sanders 'Northern Light' book arrived, fuelling my interest in British Columbia's railway (sadly absorbed into CN in a political 'privatisation' by the provincial government in 2004). I had always loved the red / white / blue livery ever since I saw it in the flesh back in 1989, and the curious 'in house' CRS20 rebuilds perked my interest, as a connoisseur of the strange and unusual.

Down a few rabbit holes and I'd found out about a resin kit offered by BCR Model Shops, the brain child of Colin Restorick, a Northern Alberta resident, and produced by Brigg's Associates on Vancouver Island... a few messages with Colin and I found he had a few kits left, money was exchanged and I bought a second hand Atlas RS32 to use as a chassis and footplate donor.

Construction was straightforward, Colin provided decals and handrail etches which really lifted the finish. Painting was interesting, I decided to just rely upon Humbrol enamel colours, I think they're close enough, especially now it's weathered. The weathering used my usual methods of washes, dry brushing, detail painting (and cleaning) and airbrushing to produce a well worn but believable finish.

She's now ready for action on Beaverbrook, and in those moments I'm transported instead to Dawson Creek, stood at the station for the Budd RDC that would never come, looking at the strings of grain cars and hoping to see the distinctive plume of smoke on the horizon, and the raw of an engine bringing the branch train into town - alas, not to be, but in model form the 605 reliably shows up, shuffles some cars and helps re-kindle that memory. Until next time, more soon...

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