It’s really raining here on the Island and everyone seems to have something to do. I figured I’d seize the time and spend some time building model railways and working toward that layout I want to build.
The star of this afternoon’s work is a simple model I put together of the Mount Stewart train station. One of my most favourite railway photographs is of the Souris and Georgetown mixed trains meeting at this station. It was quite unique in it’s design bearing little at all in common with any other PEI railway station. The charming architecture and that peculiar perpendicular freight shed all combined to really make this one stand out.
As you can see my model is really quite simple. It’s made of thin cardstock as is really little more than a massing model. I’ve tried to include the major features of the station but did chicken out and not include the dormers – there should be three on the front and two at the back. Looking back at some other photos I have of the station I see that my estimate of that shed’s size has mine quite a bit smaller than it should be. Otherwise I’m basically quite pleased with this and it’ll be handy to have as a planning tool. More than a planning tool I find putting something like this together really highlights some areas of the model that wil require some re-thinking when I work on the actual one.
I think I’ll put together something similar for the Royalty Junction buildings to use as planning tools. It’s so nice to have a simple model-building project to work on and something to complete in a relatively short amount of time. I have that wonderful feeling of having built something and the model itself is something that may likely help get me a little closer to the layout.
Also visible in these photos is my small stack of turnouts. There are five done now ready to install on the layout and these have been the focal point of my work lately in the hobby. I figured if I could get these finished first than the leap from benchwork to running a train might not be so great. I’m getting quite comfortable in putting these turnouts together now and am very pleased with the finished look of the code 40 rail I’m using.
When I was first contemplating the use of code 40 rail one of the biggest concerns I’d had was how well my existing collection would negotiate through turnouts made of this smaller rail. One of the photos shows a stock Atlas “Trainmain” boxcar and it negotiates the turnouts nicely with it’s stock wheels so pretty much everything else I have should work equally well. The comparison to my stalwart Peco turnouts with their classic code 83-ish rail is stunning. I can’t wait to get some of this track installed, painted, weathered and ballasted. It’s going to look superb. By design it will not only look great but it should work very nicely as well.
Categories: PEIR Souris Subdivision, PEIR Structures, Trackwork and Handlaid Track
Prince Street 
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