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Building a Eastern Road Models “CNR Double-Ended Transcona Shop Snowplow” in HO Scale: PT 1

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Steve Hunter’s very own Double-ended plow, built from his own kit. Photo and model by Steve Hunter.

It’s been a busy and just plain overwhelming summer and fall, which has not left me with a lot of time or capacity to build.

But, with things calming down and signs of winter starting to appear, I figured that it might be an appropriate time to build the Eastern Road Model’s CNR Double-ended Snowplow kit I’ve been sitting on for a few years.

For those unfamiliar, Eastern Road Models was the moniker Steve Hunter used for his PEI prototype-focused Shapeways 3D printed model shop.

CN built a small handful of these Double-ended plows at the Transcona shops in the 1930s, and while they could be seen elsewhere in the system from time to time, I am all but sure they were built with PEI in mind; they could be seen on the island right up until abandonment.

The body and cupola are shown as primed before any detailing. Yes, my bathroom has the best lighting in the house once the sun goes down.

The body and cupola are supplied as separate purchases, and the rest is up to the modeller to source and more or less figure out.

Assorted photos showing the progress I’ve listed below.

Sparing a novel, essentially up to this point in the build, what I have accomplished is as follows:

  • Prepared the Shapeways parts by leaving them in an ultrasonic bath filled with a mixture of Simple Green HD and water.
  • Sanded the body of print lines and removed any excess wax material from the printing process.
  • I drilled for the grab irons and other necessary holes.
  • I primed the body and cupola.
  • Applied Micro-Mark rivet decals to the body and cupola (has to be closing on 1000 rivets).
  • Bent all grab irons from scratch, including the drop grabs, using .010” PB wire.
  • Installed the brake wheel and staff.
  • Installed the wire, receptacles and snow shields for the snowplows power connections with the locomotive.
  • Installed hinges on the journal box access hatches using Grandt Line reefer hinges.

All that remains is the installation of the roof grabs around the cupola, stove stack, horn, headlights, paint, decals, couplers.

Hoping to get this finished off before Christmas.

Calvin

The Best $50 You Can Spend In Canadian Prototype Model Railroading.

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The CNRHA (Canadian National Railway Historical Society) and its magazine, “CN Lines,” are undoubtedly well-known entities within Canadian modelling circles.

However, you may not have known that as of July 1st, 2020, you can now purchase a USB drive containing every single back issue of CN Lines for only $50. I sure didn’t, anyway.

That’s right. EVERY. SINGLE. BACK ISSUE on a USB stick for only $50.

This is undoubtedly among the best $50 I have spent in this hobby as a prototype modeller.

The back-issue USB drive paired with the free online index means that I now have over 32 years of accurate and relevant prototype information gathered within the CN Lines Magazine at my fingertips. This has already saved me a substantial amount of research time on my next project, two CNR 40ft flat cars to serve the Vernon River sawmill, which will be Tichy kits modified using a Stafford Swain article.

If you’re looking for a great source of prototype information as a Canadian modeller, look no further and order one of those USB sticks today.

I have no affiliation with CNRHA; I just can’t get over the value!

– CM