CN LINES V12N3 - Canadian National Railways Historical Association

ake lever, reverser, and throttle
lever. Ex-CP RDCs CN
6207-6210 always had the
Gyralite bracket mounted on
their end doors.
Here is an approximate
chronology of visible modifications
to CNR RDCs, compiled
by Al Lill:
Mid- to late 1950s: Replace
single bell horns on “A” ends,
Replace built-up pilots (or no
pilots on “B” ends) with full
pilots on Phase One units.
Early to mid-1960s: Repaint
in the new CN
red-orange and black scheme
(with variations).
Mid-1960s: Refurbish and modernize
interiors, add snack bars to some units.
Add diaphragms to “A” ends of some
RDCs and “B” ends, except RDC-4s.
Mid- to late 1960s: Replace triangular
numberboards on ends of Phase One units
(when diaphragms fitted) with combination
roof-mounted headlight and number
boards. Add roof-mounted warning lights
on the “A” ends of D-107/6107 and
D-108/6108, and possibly others.
Late 1960s to 1970s: Remove or modify
diaphragms on some RDC “A” ends.
Early 1970s: Convert three RDC-3
and one RDC-2 units to RDC-1m.
Circa 1977: Transitional VIA paint.
Modelling CN Railiners
Over the years there have been brass and
plastic models of RDCs produced in most
of the major scales. We hope the photos
and information provided in Parts One
and Two will assist readers in making their
CNR models more prototypical. We have
tried to describe the fundamental differences
between Phase One and Phase Two
units. It is obvious that it is considerably
easier to model a CN RDC of the same
phase as the untouched model. The plastic
models from Kato in N and Proto1000 in
HO are Phase One units, as were the fairly
common brass ones from Custom Brass
in HO, but other brass makers have done
Phase Two models.
top: Phase Two RDC-1 No. 6105, at
Stellarton, N.S., exhibits the full pilot, roofmounted
headlight, smaller end windows and
small illuminated numberboards moved to the
ends from the car side. A diaphragm
retrofitted at this end has been removed.
Custom Finishing makes a Phase Two
headlight assembly in HO that would help in
conversion of a Proto1000 Phase One model.
An Athearn shell could be robbed to get the
full pilots.—Gary Hatfield photo, courtesy of Matt Kai
middle: RDC-4s are the most difficult to
model in HO. Bob Boudreau described
converting an Athearn model many years ago
in RMC. Note the original pilots and
triangular number boards, and odd-ball paint,
on Phase One No. 6450 at Moncton in May
1976.—Annett photo, via George Carpenter
bottom: CNR Railiners had twin exhaust
stacks in the roof blister as shown in this
1971 view at Spadina. HO Proto units have
a grating here which would have to be
removed, and a well and stacks installed. Nscale
Kato units have the well and stacks but
they are too short and two large in diameter
to simulate the CN arrangement. The centresection
grating on the sloping sides has been
removed, temporarily, to facilitate radiator
maintenance.—Al Lill photo
For HO scalers, Custom Finishing has a
few parts available that could be used,
including triangular number boards, later
combination headlight number boards for
Phase One units, Phase Two headlight
assemblies, and door-mounted headlights
for ex-CP units. We haven’t checked how
close to scale these parts are but they will
help get you closer to a CNR look.
One major thing that is lacking on all
plastic models is an accurate rendition of
the exhaust stacks and/or see-through gratings
and plumbing. Some may want to
tackle these challenging areas.
Acknowledgments
Thanks again to all those mentioned in
Part One, and to Wendell Lemon, a former
CN employee who worked on the
Railiners, for his contributions to Part
Two. Thanks also to Roger Burrows and
Shaun Arthur for contributing photos.
Photos have come through others from the
Paterson-George, F. D. Shaw (Railway
Memories), and Al Chione collections.
Unfortunately we had many more photos
contributed than we could use.
42 CN LINES