Since starting my WP&YR project in the garden I have been trying to create the atmosphere of the line not only through construction of dramatic scenery and structures but also by adding representations of some of the signature trains that ran on the line over the years.Obviously there is much in the way of proprietary rolling stock for the WP&YR available from all the mainstream manufacturers, so passenger trains and general freight traffic is fairly straight forward to provide. However examples of trains I still wish to represent included a motor-rail type train of cars and campers typical of the 60s to 80s era, a train of mining/construction equipment and a WW2 era train representative of when the line was pressed in to support the construction of the Alcan Highway and the defence of the North American continent from Japanese invasion.
A balance has to be struck with all these models to provide enough detail to set the scene but also to make them robust enough for garden usage – I think so far that I have managed a fair balance without having to replace too many broken parts - yet!
The first of these to be finished is the WW2 era train, my ‘Winter of ‘43’ train as I call it!
Inspired by the photos of military vehicles loaded on flatcars travelling down Broadway, Skagway, iconic pictures, fixing the railway to a specific era. As one of my other interests is classic military vehicles, this seemed an obvious place to start.
I run the train as a 6 vehicle set, as that is the optimum length for my loops and sidings, usually hauled by a Bachmann Annie 4-6-0 – the budget hasn’t run to a Mikado yet!.
The first vehicle is a standard Aristocraft boxcar, manufactured as a commemorative item for the US Army’s operation of the WP&YR in WW2, with slight weathering and repainted roof and trucks.
Vehicle 2 is a weathered and re-wheeled Newquida flat with a Hasegawa 1/24th scale Jeep on it.
Vehicle 3 is another reworked Newquida flat, with a metal 1/24th scale Dodge WC51 by Gonio / Kaden a Czech Company, with a canvas tilt added with additional detailing and slight repainting to remove the star on the bonnet (US Army vehicles on home territory wouldn’t have had white stars on them as at this time this was an allied aerial recognition symbol used in the ETO after the Normandy landings only). At the time I put this model together I owned a full size WC51 so was able to check the detailing and dimensions form the prototype, I also took the opportunity to photograph the model on the prototype! The chocking of the model is prototypically correct as I took the dimensions from my Dodge operation manual!
Vehicle 4 is a weathered Bachmann flat with a GMC CCKW 353 on it. This was made from a Wespe 1/24th scale resin kit and a truly horrible kit it is too! Much reworking of parts was required to make it anywhere near presentable with a lot of brass tube and rod added to make up the drive train. At one time I had owned a couple of full size CCKW’s so again was able to add further detailing and a canvas tilt as per the prototype from photographs of my vehicles.
Vehicle 5 was the most tricky to obtain. I wanted a Caterpillar D7 dozer, but the only die cast replica I could find cost in excess of £100 – a bit much for a wagon load! So a plan B was formulated. I was going to scratch build from the ground up until a friend (thanks Simon) gave me a broken dozer from the Lehman Toy Train range. I’d had one of these wagons with the load previously but had sold it and forgotten about its possibilities until this one appeared. I cut off virtually everything from the tracks up but it gave me a good start. I then constructed something that resembled a D7 using plasticard and raiding the parts bin for detail items. It’s mounted on a scratch built wooden flat car with LGB trucks and metal wheels.
Bringing up the rear, vehicle 6 is the caboose. This is a drover’s caboose I scratch built some years ago from plans in Garden Railway magazine. I repainted and lettered it to fit with the train. It’s made from balsa and ply and again runs on LGB trucks with GRS metal wheel sets.
I feel the train gives the flavour intended and certainly looks different running round the circuit.
