Stephen Gardiner

Tuesday Train 496

A vanishing breed. an East Midlands Railway Class 222 "Super Voyager" 222001 heads north into Derby Station last August after I had departed The Greatest Gathering. I think this unit might already have moved on to its next home with "Lumo" for their forthcoming Stirling to London…

3D printed pen holder of Boromir, son of Gondor pierced by the arrows of an Uruk-Hai…or in this case sharpies.

The perfect pen holder for your desk doesn’t exist they say…hold my beer says the internet. Boromir, son of Denethor, Lord of Gondor. 23 hour&11 minute print on my Ender 3 #LOTR #FellowshipOfTheRing #3DPrinted

Suit jacket lapel with “Don’t Panic” pin referencing the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

I always know where my towel is. I don’t always dress up this nice, but today is one of the days I need to, just in case for work #DontPanic #HHH2TG #Towel #WhatPlannersDo

Tuesday Train 495

Roaring into Port Credit. GO 604 leads an eastbound local service into Port Credit GO station as passengers heading toward Downtown Toronto wait on the platform

3D Printer Failure derailing a super productive weekend Saturday was a pretty good day. On Friday night We saw one of my favourite bands (Big Sugar), had a great dinner before the show with a friend in the hobby I haven't seen nearly enough of recently (Ryan Mendell), and then did something I almost never do, I slept in Saturday morning. That flowed into a super productive day of hobby stuff.

3D Printer Failure derailing a super productive weekend

Saturday was a pretty good day. On Friday night We saw one of my favourite bands (Big Sugar), had a great dinner before the show with a friend in the hobby I haven't seen nearly enough of recently (Ryan Mendell), and then did something I…

Painting a smokestack sign The last "completed" long weekend project was another quickie that I hadn't actually thought about doing before. I was looking at something entirely different on the layout, what windows I have in stock and what windows I need, to determine where I can use commercial windows and where I need to make my own. When I was doing this and going through my reference photos, I caught something on the E.W.

Painting a smokestack sign

The last "completed" long weekend project was another quickie that I hadn't actually thought about doing before. I was looking at something entirely different on the layout, what windows I have in stock and what windows I need, to determine where I can use commercial…

You should see a mix of the old and new trains in service. Have fun!

Tuesday Train 494

Last week's Tuesday Train was Toronto's all new transit line. This week, going back to our summer trip to England last August, seeing a new train being tested on a stretch of the Docklands Light Railway which was closed for maintenance. Most importantly, the new trains have…

The back side looked fine Continuing my long weekend of little tasks, one of my front edge buildings that frame scenes has never been finished. It looked finished from the back, but the front was only partly painted. I had done the brickwork, but never done the windows and door. Nothing complicated here, lots of masking tape and the airbrush, just one of those tasks that for several years I haven't gotten around to.

The back side looked fine

Continuing my long weekend of little tasks, one of my front edge buildings that frame scenes has never been finished. It looked finished from the back, but the front was only partly painted. I had done the brickwork, but never done the windows and door. Nothing…

Breakfast bowl of Sausage, Scrambled Eggs and Hashbrowns with Coffee.

Holiday Monday things. Doing a breakfast bowl better than famous national hockey player donut chain. English Bangers over eggs and hash browns with a home made Buffalo Chicken Mayo and HP Sauce #FamilyDay #Brunch #Breakfast

Fixing the Un-level track Yesterday I started a project and wrote the first half of this post, identifying an issue and that I was getting at er and fixing it. Not being able to even get out of the yard and onto the layout is a bit of a problem for having people come over to operate the layout! There were multiple issues. First, the rear rail on the layout side was high, against every track on staging.

Fixing the Un-level track

Yesterday I started a project and wrote the first half of this post, identifying an issue and that I was getting at er and fixing it. Not being able to even get out of the yard and onto the layout is a bit of a problem for having people come over to operate the layout!…

A new Display Case for the layout room Over top of the CN Staging area since I built the layout I have had a pair of small display cases. Bought at Michael's years ago for our old apartment, they were just big enough vertically to display HO/OO Gauge models, but not long enough for large locomotives or HO coaches. Long term I want to get something custom built, but late last year I came across a "good enough" interim solution at a good price.

A new Display Case for the layout room

Over top of the CN Staging area since I built the layout I have had a pair of small display cases. Bought at Michael's years ago for our old apartment, they were just big enough vertically to display HO/OO Gauge models, but not long enough for large…

Tackling the un-level track Its Family Day Weekend, three days off. And the Olympics are on, along with the Bathurst 12 Hour and the FA Cup. Lots and lots of sports to watch and keep my out of trouble. So of course I am at long last tackling a bunch of little layout projects. I've got a whole list of things I want to try and get done this weekend if I can in and amongst some quality sofa TV watching, but the nice part about my workshop and the plethora of screens and devices, Is that I currently have Liverpool-Brighton, USA-Denmark and The Bathurst 12 Hours on simultaneously, and I have capacity for more if I brought my laptop up and hooked it up to my work monitors...but that would be crazy...

Tackling the un-level track

Its Family Day Weekend, three days off. And the Olympics are on, along with the Bathurst 12 Hour and the FA Cup. Lots and lots of sports to watch and keep my out of trouble. So of course I am at long last tackling a bunch of little layout projects. I've got a whole list…

Union Station Musings Time flies when you're having fun. Recently while working on assorted projects, my mind turned back to a mooted distraction project from a couple of years ago. It might have done with something I was up to over the holidays that had my up in Markham visiting Rapido Trains, and seeing the Factory production samples of the TTC Gloucester Subway Cars…

Union Station Musings

Time flies when you're having fun. Recently while working on assorted projects, my mind turned back to a mooted distraction project from a couple of years ago. It might have done with something I was up to over the holidays that had my up in Markham visiting Rapido Trains,…

Tuesday Train 493 The newest train in town. The TTC's long awaited Line 5, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT finally opened on the weekend. Yesterday after work on the first day of "Revenue Service" after it was packed by freeloaders on the first day of service on Sunday, I got off the subway at Eglinton on the way home from work, and took a ride from Eglinton east to Don Mills, then back west to the end of the line at Mount Dennis, and back east to Cedervale (Formerly Eglinton West) to get back on the subway.

Tuesday Train 493

The newest train in town. The TTC's long awaited Line 5, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT finally opened on the weekend. Yesterday after work on the first day of "Revenue Service" after it was packed by freeloaders on the first day of service on Sunday, I got off the subway at Eglinton…

2/2 some pictures from day one of regular service on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT #CrosstownLRT

1/2 I may have said this would never carry a paying passenger… if only to infuriate my colleagues in Transportation. I’m not using it for any purpose other than it exists tonight. But Line 5 Eglinton, the Crosstown LRT in fact exists & is operating with real passengers #CrosstownLRT

Broke out 1998’s hottest fashion accessory for the next two weeks. Hasn’t been out of my closet in a while #Olympics #Canada #MilanoCortinaOlympic2026

Tuesday Train 492

VIA Train 52 heads east across the Don River and Don Valley Parkway...as the first half of the future Ontario Line bridge is slid into position. The eastern half of the bridge was built on the west side, so that the highway could be kept open beneath the work and for access. Last…

4/4 Back down to Liberty Village and the Ontario Line TBM launch shafts, getting closer to the drilling starting. Followed by a tasty dinner at my favourite brewpub before going to my wife’s choirs concert #Drone #Beer #LeftField

3/4 After flying, on to trains. The snowstorm last week has made parking a mess in the City, wound up at Bartlett Ave for a trio of CPKC trains on the North a Toronto Subdivision, Trains 137, 420 and H27. At least snow banks offer some altitude #Railfanning #TrainsAreCool

2/4 Second stop, a World Cup venue! Before it becomes a restricted zone. Somewhere not to go fly on match days or during the tournament when it will be a No Fly Zone, don’t be a dumbass and get arrested like people did during MLB playoffs by the dome #Drone #WorldCup2026

1/4 Went out on a frigidly cold Saturday, Droney batteries definitely didn’t like it.., but visited the “Slow Moving Bridge” being shoved over the Don River/DVP. Will carry the Ontario Line when it’s done. Second half of bridge to be built in place now this has moved #Drone

Tuesday Train 491

Winter Railroading. Not from this weekends storm, but back in November and an early winter snowfall. A CPKC Train works east through Cobourg Ontario.

Painting the roads of Liberty Village Early in 2025 I was motivated to get going with painting the roads of Liberty Village. When I paved them, I used my chosen solution of thick hole drywall compound, tinted grey with acrylic artist paint. This technique has its pros and cons, and looking back, there are areas I am really happy with, and others where I didn't do my best work.

Painting the roads of Liberty Village

Early in 2025 I was motivated to get going with painting the roads of Liberty Village. When I paved them, I used my chosen solution of thick hole drywall compound, tinted grey with acrylic artist paint. This technique has its pros and cons, and looking back,…

Tuesday Train 490

Late night TTC Service. Waiting on a train home after seeing a movie in December, instead of a subway, a service car heading out to get ready for overnight maintenance work. At least a regular train followed it!

December Ops Session Fix List Work Continues Layouts work best when they are run. I know I don't run Liberty Village nearly enough myself, partly as while I enjoy running trains, there is something lacking doing it myself (nice to have a crew to talk to instead of talking to myself!). One of the downsides of this, is things that I may overlook or just not notice, get caught by others coming over to run trains.

December Ops Session Fix List Work Continues

Layouts work best when they are run. I know I don't run Liberty Village nearly enough myself, partly as while I enjoy running trains, there is something lacking doing it myself (nice to have a crew to talk to instead of talking to myself!). One of the…

A mine is no place for a pony…even one so brave as Bill… That’s no Train Part 23! If you know us, you would know we are a huge Lord of the Rings house. I have written twice before about "That's No Train" diversions for LOTR themed models (Khazad-Dum & Riddles in the Dark), and could have on a much bigger scale project, the conversion of the den in our house, that had become a bit of a depository of junk between 2020 and 2023 into the "Hobbits Hole", a cozy room made up to look like the inside of a Hobbits hole with Lord of the Rings art, Lego, toys, and antique/nick-nacks we've found that would feel at home in a fictional Hobbit's home.

A mine is no place for a pony…even one so brave as Bill… That’s no Train Part 23!

If you know us, you would know we are a huge Lord of the Rings house. I have written twice before about "That's No Train" diversions for LOTR themed models (Khazad-Dum & Riddles in the Dark), and could have on a much…

Tuesday Train 499

Its 2026, so what did I finally see? A 1960 vintage CN SW1200RM (rebuilt SW1200RS) 7304 working the CN Parkdale Metals Yard in Hamilton. 7304 is an interesting unit. Officially Retired and struck from CN's roster in 2013, she is on a lease arrangement effectively to itself to…

Getting over the Airbrush Gremlin and a pair of NYC Box Cars Back in November I should have finished these two cars, but I ran into an airbrush issue that set me back (here and here). By the Christmas I was confident that I was over the hump and could in fact spray clear coats to allow me to apply decals. And I have to say, I was right. I don't think I am past my recent airbrush challenges, but I am going in a good direction.

Getting over the Airbrush Gremlin and a pair of NYC Box Cars

Back in November I should have finished these two cars, but I ran into an airbrush issue that set me back (here and here). By the Christmas I was confident that I was over the hump and could in fact spray clear coats to allow me to apply…