Modelling the DAR

[Dan Conlin]

I think everone is right about the Tuscan colour. From looking at various photos, I've concluded that the DAR VANS were painted all Tuscan Red but used two distinctive styles for their vans in the 20th century. One version used a gold Land of Evangeline Herald at either end of the van with the number in the centre. The other used block white lettering, similar to the CPR Vans. Gary Ness in Wolfville has a great pair of photos of Van 97 painted in the first style in 1943 and the same van painted in the second style in 1946. I faxed the photos to True Line Trains for reference. I hope they can adjust their graphics.

Dan

[stem]

Just ran across this version of a CP van that quite honestly if the finest model I have seen of a CP Van. Take a look:
http://www.readytrain.com/catalog/cpcaboose.html

If that doesn't blow your mind, look at the combine - the very same series that ran on the D.A.R.:
http://www.readytrain.com/catalog/cpcombine.html
Look at the D.A.R. combine here:
http://dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=DAR003268

Tell me you all don't want one of each of these.

Perhaps this is old news to some, but I also found this site that seems to have some great kits of CPR Vans and Fowler 36' boxcars along with a lot of other cool stuff:
http://www.kasloshops.com/hoproducts.htm

[briantrainman]

Nice looking van but at $425.00 each they are out of my price range. That's almost ten times as much as the TLT models.Brian

[briantrainman]

I just received my TLT DAR caboose from CMT. GOOD NEWS! Unlike the pre-production photos, the real thing is brown with black roof and brown walkway. Brian in Ottawa.

[stem]

The web site is still showing that horrible prototype red.

How about posting a photo for all to see. I see that the production run of 100 was totally sold out. We should have a few more people here on the forum it there's that many D.A.R. fans!!

[briantrainman]

OK. Here it is as requested. Photo of the DAR caboose. Check my blog on Blogger. Brian's train stuff.

[Dan Conlin]

I just got the True Line Trains HO DAR van model. It is a nice HO model but I am disappointed in the paint scheme.

Pros – A fine HO plastic model, lots of fine scale detail in places like the ladders and smokestacks.
Detachable marker lights are a nice touch
Runs great

Con – The lettering and herald are white – they should be yellow.
It is the wrong number “391” as all the DAR vans had 90 numbers.
There should be two small heralds per side, not one big one.
The herald on one side is facing the wrong way.

The DAR lettered vans came in two styles: 1) A standard CPR style with while block lettering “Dominion Atlantic” but no herald. 2) A handsome Tuscan red style with yellow lettering and the Land of Evangeline heralds at either end – just like the DAR DPI images of the business car Nova Scotia: Image:DarNovaScotia2.jpg

Gary Ness has some great photographs of DAR lettered vans but he is reluctant to scan them. However when I received an e-mail from True Line Trains asking for suggestions I got 's Gary’s permission to mail TLT three very good 8 x 10 photocopies and a letter of info. That now seems to have been a thankless waste of time. I know small run paint schemes are probably costly but a lot of the mistakes like the lettering colour and number could have been easily corrected.I will probably end up repainting the model and using CDS transfers to fix the mistakes – the N scale DAR locomotive heralds should be the right size.

I guess it is nice colourful approximation of a DAR van, but it is not an accurate model, certainly far less accurate than the DAR S-3s and RDCs that came out a few years ago.

I’d like to hear what other people think. Maybe I am being too picky? It is nice that they tried and maybe the speed by which they sold out will encourage other and better efforts.

Dan Conlin

[briantrainman]

I agree Dan. I am surprised that they did not research the prototype more thoroughly even though the production run was so small. I'm not being a rivet counter here, but if we can research these things whether it be on the web or by contacting people like Gary Ness who are well informed, why can't manufacturers who brag about the detail of their models put forth that little bit of extra time needed to get it right the first time. Brian Lilly

[Evangelineroute]

Brian,

I went to the Musquodoboit Railway Museum (NS) to view what I could of the George Warden Collection. As you know the museum is now the home of DAR's last Combine, although it is stored outside and has been vandalized many times.

None-the-less, I took a number photographs including many "below the floor-boards" views hoping they might be of interest to modelers like yourself. If you, or anyone, are planning to model 3252, let me know.

Fred

[stem]

Go ahead and upload them Fred. We have but a handfull of items on the wiki already that we have detail like this for but it is certainly welcome if you wish to share.

As well, we have no photos of the combine in the first place so anything in that regard will be a first and very welcome.
http://www.dardpi.ca/wiki/index.php?title=DAR003252