Modelling the TH&B

Modelling the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo is both easier and harder than modelling one of the "giants" like the CPR or CN. It is easier because the TH&B was a small railroad: it is possible to model every locomotive and representatives of every class of freight car and passenger car ever used by the railway. It is harder because so much is not easily available in kit form, requiring proportionally greater scratchbuilding/kitbashing efforts.

All recommendations below are for HO scale. Fellow TH&B fans are encouraged to help update this information for any scale.

Layout Plans

The TH&B is a railway that lends itself particularly well to modelling. Interesting motive power, attractive rolling stock paint schemes, a wide range of industries and many small, compact and compressible scenes all make the TH&B an attractive prototype.

Several authors have looked at different parts of the railway and have created layout plans based on the TH&B's unique features. Both of the layout plans featured here have appeared in Focus, the official publication of the TH&B Railway Historical Society.

Hamilton & Dundas Branch Layout by Kevin Leddy

Motive Power Timeline

Here is an approximate timeline for the evolution of TH&B motive power:

This is not to scale; the dates in the diagram are those on which either wheel arrangements were acquired or disposed of, so the relationships are correct, but the proportions are distorted. These "end dates" are only for time in TH&B service; many of these engines went on to work for other owners.

Diesels

Notes from Nicholas Russon

The TH&B was, after dieselization, a pure EMD shop. The only models owned and operated by the railway were:

The closest paint matches to the diesel colours are Scalecoat I #10672 Lehigh Valley Cornell Red for TH&B Maroon and Scalecoat I #11112 Cream for TH&B Cream. These colours match the DuPont colours that EMD was using when the engines where painted. The Lehigh Valley Cornell Red was further matched to the maroon paint on a NW-2 air whistle that was recovered from the TH&B roundhouse. But be aware that colours of the diesel varied over the years and there is some evidence that they switchers were painted with CP Maroon in the late 80's.

Steam Engines

An accurate model of a TH&B steam locomotive has yet to be produced. IHC offers a "USRA" Pacific in TH&B markings, but the TH&B never owned any "true" United States Railway Administration (USRA) locomotives. All of the Pacific wheel-arrangment engines of the TH&B were built by the Montreal Locomotive Works to ALCO/NYC designs.

That said, the appearance of an RTR steamer in TH&B markings is welcome -- perhaps it will prompt a more prototypical TH&B steamer to appear on the shelves someday.

For the kitbuilder, Bowser produces a New York Central K-11 Pacific in kit form, which could be used as a basis for either TH&B 15 or 16.

Aside from the Pacifics, the situation for a pre-1956 version of the TH&B is not so simple. It seems that there has never been any specific TH&B prototype steam locomotive commercially produced in any scale. The easiest to model would be the two J-1 class Hudsons bought second-hand from parent New York Central in 1948. These locomotives, 501 and 502, only served until 1956 before the arrival of the three GP9's forced their retirement. Among other importers, Sunset imported some less-expensive NYC Hudsons which could be more readily available at flea markets now.

Some of the TH&B's 0-6-0 switchers are similar to NYC B-11 models, which have been imported by both ALCO and LMB. It is unknown how readily available these models may be.

Earlier locomotives may be kitbashed from models from IHC, Model Power, Mantua, MDC/Roundhouse, and others. For the brave, there may be brass locomotives which would serve as appropriate starting points for kitbashing.

Dry transfers for TH&B steam locomotives are available in set #469 from C.D.S. of Nepean, Ontario.

Passenger Cars

Precision Scale produces a model of a New York Central combine without air conditioning as their kit #16160. According to William Sharpe, this is accurate "to a rivet" for TH&B combine number 303. Plans for the NYC car appeared in a mid-1940's Model Railroader.

The Bethlehem Car Works is, as of September 1997, advertising a kit for the 1924 Baggage Car series #50-55 built for the TH&B by Canadian Car & Foundry. The kit is priced at $59.95 (U.S.) plus $4.50 shipping per order.

Rolling Stock

The rolling stock situation is fairly good, compared with just a few years ago. Many freight cars can be closely or reasonably closely modelled without resorting to Athearn or MDC stand-ins.

Covered Hoppers

The TH&B modeller has been blessed with several new car kits since 1994. The distinctive slab-sided covered hoppers and the cylindrical covered hoppers have been commonly available (from Sylvan and Intermountain, respectively). OMI produced the 2800-series slab-sided covered hoppers in brass back in 1990, and these models are still offered for sale at train shows.

• True Line Trains produces both the Six-Hatch Slab Side Covered Hopper (rectangular hatches) and the Eight-Hatch Slab Side Covered Hopper (round hatches)

• Sylvan HO-132 TH&B Six-Hatch Slab Side Covered Hopper (rectangular hatches)

• Sylvan HO-135 TH&B Eight-Hatch Slab Side Covered Hopper (round hatches)

• Intermountain TH&B Cylindrical Covered Hopper

• Overland Models Inc. BR1067 TH&B Slab Side Covered Hopper (round hatches)

• Cooper & Oshtemo 1980/213 55' ACF Covered Hopper (at least two different roadnumbers of a prototype the TH&B never owned)

Vans

Sylvan has produced a resin kit of the wide-vision van used in the final years by the TH&B.

• Rapido Trains produces a TH&B Wide Vision Van as part of their

• Sylvan HO-116 TH&B Wide Vision Van

Hopper Cars

Stewart's 1000-1100 series of twin-bay hoppers are reasonably close stand-ins for the TH&B's 150 1914-era steel hopper cars.

Stewart's 11000 series of three bay hoppers are reasonably close stand-ins for the TH&B's 1960-era steel hopper cars.

Gondolas

Life-Like's Proto-2000 line includes a 52'6" mill gondola which is lettered for the TH&B:

• Life-Like Proto-2000 84485 TH&B 52'6" Drop End Mill Gondola #2354

• Life-Like Proto-2000 84489 TH&B 52'6" Drop End Mill Gondola 4-pack (four different road numbers)

These can be modified to fixed-end without needing to repaint the whole car.

A cast resin kit for a TH&B gondola is available from Andy Carlson:

Andy Carlson
157 S. Pueblo Dr.
Ojai, California, 93023

This is a TH&B version (2300-2549 series) of the 1746 cubic foot fixed-end gondola. Included are CDS dry transfers, injection molded stylrene brake detail parts, styrene strip crossbearers, wire for staight and drop grab irons, brass corner steps, and eleven polyurethane castings. Price with CDS dry transfers and Kato trucks is $30 USD.

Boxcars

Westerfield (who is has closed down production) produced at least two different versions of the TH&B's double-sheathed boxcar fleet (either the 3000-3999 series, or the former NYC 4500-4799 series).

• Westerfield 3851 USRA DS Box Car TH&B Brown

• Westerfield 3852 USRA DS Box Car TH&B Yellow/Blk

• Accurail produces a USRA DS Boxcar undecorated which can be used as a starting point for the 4500 series cars.

•  The best HO scale car for the TH&B steel boxcars are the Intermountain Modified AAR 40' Boxcar (8 Rung Ladder, 4-4 Improved Dreadnaught End) Kit (Part Number 41899), however the roof needs to be replaced with a Diagonal Roof rather than the Murphy roof that comes with the Kit (Intermountain suggests the roof from their 12 panel 40' boxcar kit part number 41099, which can be ordered direct from them).

Less prototypically accurate kits have been issued by various vendors, including H&D Hobbies and Cooper and Oshtemo Works, using standard Athearn and MDC undecorated boxcars and hopper cars with TH&B markings. These are certainly welcome, if only to avoid having to hand-decorate a large operating fleet.

Decals and Dry Transfers

Decals from Aberdeen Car Shops include:

Set	Description
THB-8701	TH&B Steam Locomotives
THB-8702	TH&B Diesel Locomotives
THB-8703	TH&B 40FT Tuscan (Boxcar Red) Boxcar
THB-8704	TH&B 40FT Ti-Cat #1 Boxcar
THB-8705	TH&B 40FT Ti-Cat #2 Boxcar
THB-8706	TH&B 40FT Ti-Cat #3 Boxcar
THB-8707	TH&B 52.5FT Gondola
THB-8708	TH&B 52.5FT Gondola 1964 Repaints
THB-8709	TH&B 52FT 70 Ton Flatcar
THB-8710	TH&B 70 Ton 3 Bay Open Hopper
THB-8715	TH&B Tuscan (Boxcar Red) Double Sheathed Boxcar
THB-8717	TH&B Red or Brown Van 1940-1953
THB-8718	TH&B Red Van 1953-1956
THB-8730	TH&B Steam Generator Car #500

Decals from Black Cat Publishing include:

Set	Description
THB1000	TH&B #1000 Twin Hopper
THB1000-O	TH&B #1000 Twin Hopper - O SCALE
THB72-G	TH&B passenger cars - gold leaf
THB72-D	TH&B passenger cars - dulux
THB68	TH&B caboose - white lettering - pre 1957

Decals from C.D.S. include (no longer in production and all sets may not be available):

Decals from Champ include  (no longer in production and all sets may not be available):

Decals from Highball Graphics include:

Set	Description
F-201	TH&B Boxcars - does three cars

Flatcars

The Athearn 52' flatcar is a reasonable stand-in for the TH&B 1800-1899 series.

Maintenance of Way Equipment

The Russell plow from either Walthers or (if you can find one at a flea market) Triang/Hornby can be used for TH&B plow X786. Unlike the shorter CC&F snowplows which have been kitbashed from these kits, x786 was almost identical to the NYC model. (In fact, the TH&B snowplow order was tacked on to the end of an order by the NYC.)

Various work cars from George Taylor can be used to model TH&B work train equipment.

Structures

The TH&B had two distinctive stations on Hunter Street in downtown Hamilton. The 1930 Art Moderne station has just recently been re-opened as a GO station, after extensive repairs. The 1890 station was demolished after the new station opened in 1930. Pictures of both stations are reprinted in Norman Helm's In the Shadow of Giants/2, and there have been several magazine articles about the rejuvenated Hunter Street station now operating as a GO Transit station.

Preston House Publishers issued a 1997 calendar showing photos of TH&B stations and shelters. It is probably still available from the publisher or from some southern Ontario hobby shops.

Last Modified: April 5, 2011