MODELERS CORNER 
(by Mike Pebesma)
Athearn has announced the release of their HO scale GP38-2 in Ontario Northland’s current scheme (numbers 1800, 1801 and 1809) and CN stripes (numbers 4701, 4709 and 4711). Due for release in March 2011
http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=GP38-2+RTR&CatID=THLD
Rapido Trains has announced the HO scale 6-4-6 sleeper which was to be released in 2011 will be available in October 2010. Paint schemes include CN 1954 and 1954 US Pullman service.
http://rapidotrains.com/scl664.html
Walthers will be releasing a run of HO Proto 2000 SW 8/900 switchers in March 2011 which will include CN. The locomotives will be available in standard DC or DCC with sound.
Wheels of Time has released an N scale ‘old look’ bus in various paint schemes including Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) red and cream.
Atlas O has released their EMD switcher decorated for TH&B (numbers 56 and 57), in both 2 rail and 3 rail.
Michael Folemsbee's photos of his super HO models of CP C630M 4507 and SD9043MAC 9123.
Mark Perry sent us shots of once common and now rare Slab Side Covered Hoppers. CN, CP, TH&B and PGE all owned fleets of these. In September, Mark traveled out to Selkirk MB to shoot some pictures of a Junior Hockey game between the Winnipeg Saints and the Selkirk Steelers and on highway 59 and then cut across through East Selkirk, going past the Manitoba Hydro's Thermal Generating Plant located there
he glimpsed two CN slab side hoppers that have been sitting at the plant for years and years. The plant now burns natural gas instead of coal and does not receive rail service anymore and it's GE 35 ton diesel was moved to Pointe du Bois years ago. The weedy and very rusty storage and balloon unloading track is full with stored BCOL 60 foot boxcars, put there by the CEMR. The cars are CN 353633 and the 353647 and are painted grey with the large red noodle [one in Transcona shops in 1981] note that there is NO graffiti on them! They were used for storage of the silica sand, used in some glass making experiments in the outbuildings near the power plant (Dow Corning was the company I think). The sand may have came from Lake Winnipeg. As these models are available in HO Scale, modelers can now even use one or two of them in a modern setting!
© CRO October 2010