How can one van replace five? Easily - when it's the Rapido Trains CP Angus Shops van. The first of their Transcona Yard series, billed as museum-quality freight equipment, the van is produced in 20 paint schemes. There's only one that matters: CP Rail. The long-anticipated new product was recently delivered to dealers, and mine arrived earlier this week. So it's time for all the other CP vans on my Vancouver Wharves HO layout to head for the scrapper. They don't even deserve to share the same van track as this superior product.
New van 434539 arrives in 'N' yard. Terminal supervisor and trainmaster arrive to inspect the new kid on the block, and to oversee the transfer of five vanquished vans across town for disposition.
No wonder they're being replaced. Cox 434416 without window glazing, proper multimark, and Bachmann end-cupola 437581 Santa Fe-pattern...you're fired!
Model Power 434382, my best attempt at kitbashing an Angus Shops van, to which I added a saddleback cupola, and Juneco 437083 with those out-of-scale window frames-we're not worthy! Behind them, Cox 434580 with scratchbuilt cardstock cupola is ushered out of the yard on a flat car. I can hear the flick of the scrapper's torch being lit already. Get thee behind me, stand-ins!
Voyage of the doomed vans. 6528 is ready to depart. Before long, the diminutive scrapyard 44-tonner, recently purchased from the Greater Winnipeg Water District, shoves three of the vans to their demise at Coast Steel.
Then it's time to handle a few switching chores around town. 434539's detailed underbody and cushion underframe are not visible in this shot; neither is the interior lighting. 6528 lifts some cars for interchange from Interline Forwarders as workers relax at the end of their shift:
The switcher's shift is not over yet, as grain empties are pulled from the Alberta Wheat Pool terminal:
After its first day on the job, it's back to the van track for servicing. Look at those detailed car ends, handrails, and sliding cupola windows. You can almost hear the generator thumping away. This may be the only Rapido Trains van in North America that has been retro-fitted for X2F horn-hook couplers. It definitely puts the 'Van' in Vancouver.
How can one van replace five? Easily - when it's the Rapido Trains CP Angus Shops van. The first of their Transcona Yard series, billed as museum-quality freight equipment, the van is produced in 20 paint schemes. There's only one that matters: CP Rail. The long-anticipated new product was recently delivered to dealers, and mine arrived earlier this week. So it's time for all the other CP vans on my Vancouver Wharves HO layout to head for the scrapper. They don't even deserve to share the same van track as this superior product.
New van 434539 arrives in 'N' yard. Terminal supervisor and trainmaster arrive to inspect the new kid on the block, and to oversee the transfer of five vanquished vans across town for disposition.
No wonder they're being replaced. Cox 434416 without window glazing, proper multimark, and Bachmann end-cupola 437581 Santa Fe-pattern...you're fired!
Model Power 434382, my best attempt at kitbashing an Angus Shops van, to which I added a saddleback cupola, and Juneco 437083 with those out-of-scale window frames-we're not worthy! Behind them, Cox 434580 with scratchbuilt cardstock cupola is ushered out of the yard on a flat car. I can hear the flick of the scrapper's torch being lit already. Get thee behind me, stand-ins!
Voyage of the doomed vans. 6528 is ready to depart. Before long, the diminutive scrapyard 44-tonner, recently purchased from the Greater Winnipeg Water District, shoves three of the vans to their demise at Coast Steel.
Then it's time to handle a few switching chores around town. 434539's detailed underbody and cushion underframe are not visible in this shot; neither is the interior lighting. 6528 lifts some cars for interchange from Interline Forwarders as workers relax at the end of their shift:
The switcher's shift is not over yet, as grain empties are pulled from the Alberta Wheat Pool terminal:
After its first day on the job, it's back to the van track for servicing. Look at those detailed car ends, handrails, and sliding cupola windows. You can almost hear the generator thumping away. This may be the only Rapido Trains van in North America that has been retro-fitted for X2F horn-hook couplers. It definitely puts the 'Van' in Vancouver.
LMAO! That's hilarious. You've even got one of them on a flat car hahah.
ReplyDeleteYour 434539 looks awesome. What a terrific writeup. Great fun. Thanks for the morning entertainment. Truly a masterpiece, Eric.
Keep an eye on my website over the next couple of weeks. I'll have pix and info about how I've been modernizing and upgrading my new rapido fleet with things like #58 couplers, trip pins cutoff, window frames painted silver, relocating oil filler, remove ACI and COTS labels (and replace with newer type) and subtle weathering.
Tell us more (in a future blog of course) about the 44 tonner! Besides the one I did in 1996, I've never known anyone else to model one of those.
Thanks for your kind comments, Manny. I saw the photo of your vans on your website - a nice fleet which you definitely can't all have exactly the same - modifications will be interesting to see. Stay tuned, I'm trying to do more model railway posts, and the Spectrum 44-tonner would indeed be a worthy subject, as it tiptoes through the trackwork.
ReplyDeleteEric
Great post, Eric. I really liked the narrative and the photos make the story.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that the workers at or near Coast Steel must be really thin, or they are better car-parkers than the usual mall crowd. That's precision parking! :)
X2F couplers? You're a rebel.
I appreciate your comments, Steve. Good eye on the parking. That is actually my storage area for vehicles I've bought that require repainting, and it reflects the change in locale to Vancouver and wanting to get the layout operating...messy area. Some are trying to convert me over to Kadees, but I'm going to stay the course.
ReplyDeleteEric
Sorry, I entered the wrong info lol.
ReplyDeleteGreat work!! I would really like to have one of the Rapido vans, but I've heard mixed opinions about their detail and operation and price is a little too much for me. I noticed that one of the other cabooses is numbered as 437083. Not to be a nag, but it should be red in the older style paint. 437083 sits on display in my city, Lethbridge, Alberta. But once again, fantastic work with the operations!!
Braedan, welcome aboard! I told Jason Shron of Rapido Trains that the curves of my layout would not accommodate his passenger cars. He replied that I should buy at least 6 of his Angus vans. LOL!!!! I did buy one, and I do not regret it one bit. Beautiful reproduction of a classy CP Rail product.
ReplyDeleteFunny about CP 437083, and good eye for noticing that! That was a half-built Juneco kit I bought at a train show in grey primer. I glued it to another car's underframe and slapped some decals on it. Since then, I've picked up a True Line Trains yellow end-cupola van and script van. Now CP 347083 resides on my back track, and the TLT vans are in service.
Stay tuned for more Canadian railfanning and modelling!
Thanks very much for your comments,
Eric
Thanks and thanks for the welcome and info on the cabooses. I hope to get to know more about how modelers operate their layouts and even expand my knowledge of railfanning. Thanks again!
DeleteBraedan