MSTS Kentville Yard

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I'll get busy and finish the war paint and CP Rail versions of the Dayliner then. I noticed the SW-1200RS disappeared too. Hmm.. Try this file for a SW1200: 2burlnw2.zip. I'm DLing it right now. It looks promising on the TS site. We'll see how it runs.

There's also an unfinished S3 file there in TSM format!! Can you do anything with that? I'd love to paint it DAR. The file name is alcos1s3.zip

The only other S3 I can find in the TS library is in a file for the Prairie Dog Central (pdcv3.zip) so I've DLed that too and will take a look as I can get painting on that immediately.

I'll start with a few box cars, flats and for sure I'll try to match the gypsum gondolas with something in the TS library.

[Paul Charland]

Hi Steve,

I have the S-3 file here, I converted it to the FJ&G S-2s a couple of years ago, was thinking it might be a good starting point for a DAR S-3 model. The Raw S-1/3 file is pretty raw an has no Eng file or anything, not to mention the model is actually an S-4 and not a 3. There is an SW-1200 out there by Dick Cowan, you'd still need to add the front number boards and Flexi-coil trucks, might be just as easy to start a new model for scratch in TS_Modeler.

I can make the Gypsum cars but a fleet of 40' boxcar in various paint schemes would be great, the most common CP car on the line back then would be the 50000-59000 seris cars with the 8' doors.

Paul

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I looked through my own library after DLing those files. I have the SW1200RS in the CN flavour but nothing ever was done for a CPR version. As you said, the SW1200 from the TS site is good, but needs the flexi-coil trucks, numberboads and twin headlights. At least we can use the physics file.

So far the S3 from the Praries Dog set look promising. What do you think?

The box cars are a go then. I'll get a bunch of them whipped up in short order. They're easy to do and I like doing them using photos. I'll do upo a stock car too. I always loved them for some reason.

[Paul Charland]

Hi Steve,

The CN SW would have the numberboards on the rear of the cab, removing them would be a problem without the source file, if it was drawn in TS Modeler, if it was drawn in something else it wouldn't be something I could do. You might be able to add things using a FreighAnim but lining them up might be a problem.

Here's the two S-2 I did for the FJ&G route a couple of years ago, think it would be the easiest place to start converting the unit to an S-3. Unit is fully operational and has a full cab interior. Only thing I'd like to change is the cab window glass to try to bet it to work properly. TS-M does not export transparencies properly and you need to run anything like this through PolyMaster. I spent weeks trying to get windows to work with Forests with no success only to find out last summer I was screwing up one of the steps (can't read German instructions too well).



Give me a couple of days to finish the track work I have going and I'll take a few days and get an S-3 going.

Paul

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The S3 I found would need the bell removed. I can't see a bell on the DAR S3 at at. Yours already has it removed. On both the one I found and yours, the number board would have to be moved off the sides and put on the front. On the one I found, the journal boxes on the trucks need to be put back on, but yours has them. On both the one I found and yours it appears we need to remove the hand rails on the nose. On the one I found and yours, the sill above the side windows need to be put on. It's very prominent. On yours, it appears the exhaust stack is too far back by a couple of feet.

All in all, I would agree that your model looks like a better base overall to work with. I shall await your version of the S3 as well as the SW1200RS

Link to the wiki S3 page: http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=DAR6560

As well are you aware that we have a photo of 2 RS18u's on the DAR as well? We can only make out one number, but there are defintely two of them in the shops at Kentville:
http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=CPR1828

[Paul Charland]

Hi Steve,

Several changes to make to get the S-2 to an S-3 but much easier to do with the source file in TS Modeler then to try to modify someone else's work.

Was the RS-18u used for pulling up rail back then? I'm not sure if this it the same unit shown in Ness' booklet or not. The second unit in the dark appears to be an SW1200RS. Cool stuff though, just the excuse we need to have larger power on the line!

Paul

[DARMIDLAND]

Hi Paul and Steve,

I have a VHS of Farewell to the Little Train in the Valley by Ronald Haight of Bloomfield NS. Ron filmed from the front of the RDC for most of the DAR route 2 weeks before VIA stopped running.Would this help but it needs to be put on a CD. He may have copies to sell but I don't have his address as I purchased it from him in 1990.Andrew

[Paul Charland]

Hi Andrew,

Yes, everything will help.

Just did a Google search but didn't find "Little Train in the Valley" listed anywhere, maybe out of production. I have a David Othen video of the Gypsum trains, and a short summer time video taken from the tourist run on the WHRC. Come to think of it there are a number of clips on You Tube that might show something.

Paul

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I can transfer anything from VCR to digital on my machine. Got a tuner / Video card and 500 GB HD.

[downeastrailfan]

Hi Paul,

I thought you might be able to use the siding layout into CKF at Hantsport. I think the arial pic was taken in '77. I'm going by memory from what I saw on an old topo map. Excuse the crude line drawings, I'm not a graphic artist!
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... siding.jpg

I was not aware Aldershot had a wye, or that the station still exists. Very interesting!

I think I found an error in Mike's very handy map of the CVR. Cavendish is listed as Fundy Fertilizer. I believe the facility south of it, which he has listed as "Feed Mill" is Fundy Fertilizer. It was not in use and for sale two summers ago. There were lots of Blackberries along the ROW, and I picked a couple buckets. If you look at my photo taken from the N. Aldershot Rd. taken in 1993, the Fundy was there in the distance and possibly Cavendish in the foreground. I'm quite sure the "Grain Center" was built after the tracks were removed because it now blocks the ROW. http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... _track.jpg

Paul, have you used the aerial pics I uploaded? They were scanned at a very high resolution. Some are from the 70s.

I would love to have a final copy of your MSTS route. Are you willing to do the whole thing over when MSTS II comes out this Xmas?? It looks awesome.

[downeastrailfan]

Hi Steve,

The pic of 1828 shows two SW1200RS units behind it.

I don't have Gary Ness' book in front of me, but in Vol. 1 he discusses the three "summer visitors." 1806 was here in '85, and 1815 and 1828 here in '86. IIRC, 1815 and 1828 were here at separate times. All were used to pull ballast trains.

For you modellers, Kaslo Shops has released a very nice looking kit: http://customtrains-canada.com/projectrs18u.html
I'd love to have one!

[Paul Charland]

Hi Matt,

I'm not sure if I've been using your shots, is there a link to get me to them or a list name I should be looking for? I'm up to the wye in Centerville but haven't enough information to go any further other then the mainline. There are pictures here and there but it's pretty incomplete. I have been using the Google Earth map that has the Kingsport branch drawn on it but there are several places with no photo to see what tracks would have been in place. My guess is all of these warehouses would have had a double ended siding, it makes no sense to have to collect all your loads and take then to the end of the line, then run around your train and haul them back to Kentville rather then collecting the loads as you work your way back to Kentville... but that's only a guess.

In the 1973 consists Aldershot was still seeing a lot of traffic, probably a car every second day or more (I'm referring to grain for the most part, not any cars for the Militia base). Canning was the only other destination on the Kingsport line, out of 12 months it saw traffic in about 4, 6 or 8 cars during the months it had traffic. Now, that's traffic coming in from Truro, might have been a bit coming in from Halifax to add to that.

MSTS II is dead, long live MSTS. A month or so ago when MS laid off 7000 world wide the MSTS II team was cut the same day. I think they killed the website withing a day. So, looks like it's the original MSTS or nothing.

Paul

[downeastrailfan]

You can view my shots from my collection here: http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?tit ... Collection

Are you saying that traffic was going to Canning in 1973?

Dan's suggestion about photos from the National Air Photo library sounds like a good idea. The photos from Service Nova Scotia taken in the 60's and older were taken higher up, and might not be as useful.

That's too bad about MSTS II, but not a surprise with the economy.

[Paul Charland]

Hi Matt,

This is actually from 1975, Andrew Blackburn sent a pile of consists for the year and I went through them. Canning received cars only three months that year, all were loaded inbound, no empties were handled by the Truro crew but that doesn't mean there were no outbound loads, they might have been empties lifted from the car cleaning track in Kentville.

January:

Canning Standard Brands In CN 471 B409 Meal 1

April:

Canning Phils Home Furniture In CN 561 B409 1
In CN 352 LO36 1
In CN 519 B406 1
In NAHX 35 LO41 3
Scotian Gold In CP 50 B408 3
In CP 100 B4014 1
Atlantic Warehouse In CN 222 RP40 1

May:

Canning Phils Home Furniture In CN 561 B409 1
In CN 519 B406 1
In NAHX 35 LO41 1
Scotian Gold In CP 50 B408 2
Atlantic Warehouse In CN 222 RP40 1

Thanks for the link, I'll go through them. I tried the Nova Scotia website for the aerial shots but couldn't fine a single one for this area of the province. Either I'm doing something wrong or they just haven't uploaded the shots for the Kentville area. Has anyone else been able to view the aerial survey for the Kentville area?

I wasn't surprised about MSTS II, it was full of bugs and first delayed for six month, then that was switched to fifteen months.

Paul

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Thanks Matt for the additional info on the RS18s. I did see that info in G Ness's book and have added those engines into our wiki site as a result. That was fun finding out that there were some larger engines running on the DAR. I have no idea how I missed that even though I have poured over Vol I countless times.

I'm wondering though why G Ness called them RS18s but other info I have found called them RS18u for example this photo:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=983238

I for one rue the loss of the second MSTS for the second time. There can be little trust in the future if they ever announce they will create a version 2 again.