I focused early on running NYC and later the B&A. I started weathering and adding Kadee’s to everything about 12 years ago. I always wanted a Rutland milk train. I finally bought a 10 wheeler and relettered into a Rutland. I wasn’t very good at decaling at first. I always sort of just stuck with one railroad. With the NYC. So much was available you really didn’t need to model much. I decided to go all in on the Rutland. They were known as a museum on wheels. A simple fleet of steamers, except no available models. I’ve now got a fleet of 14. Not an available caboose. Lionel’s NYC woodside was pretty close. I’ve now got 5. With a few variations and a lot of extra detailing on some. Some repainted MTH woodsided cars.
Lionel’s milk cars are nice. I needed some variation in the consist and to be prototypical. The Rutland milk train was pretty much all Sheffield or Borden’s cars. The MTH combine brings up the rear. I then discovered brass milk cars. Not super expensive if your patient. Borden’s butterdish and National Car Co. flats. Almost all needed paint, decals and 3 rail trucks. I now have a nice looking prototypical train. I’ve assembled a couple of old wooden kits. The Rutland owned 1 single sheathed boxcar. I could have easily used an Atlas car. But the prototype had wood not steel car ends. I used an Atlas chassis and scratchbuilt the wooden body basically just looking at photographs.
When you model a somewhat obscure road without a lot available. You look for close enoughs that can be used. My modeling skills have certainly improved and I really enjoy these projects. I joined the Rutland historical society and have got every book on the RR. This is a RR thats not heavily modeled in O gauge. It’s modeled a lot on HO scale as there are many brass engines and equipment available.
