Modeling a specific prototype often forces us to learn new skills. That’s certainly been the case for me as I attempt to bring the Niagara St. Catharines & Toronto Railway to life in my layout room.
I’ve wanted to model this southern Ontario electrified subsidiary of the Canadian National Railways system since I first learned about it in the early 1980s. After more than four decades of dreaming, I finally got the chance to make it happen when I met William Flatt, another modeller fascinated by Niagara’s famous electric railway. William had produced sets of photo-etches for the bodies of several NS&T freight motors, and I was able to acquire his spares. I was in business!
There was just one problem: I’d never built a brass locomotive. To turn these sheets of brass into the heart and soul of a layout, I’d have to learn a whole lot about metal fabrication – including resistance soldering.
Obviously, I figured it out – since I’ve now built seven NS&T freight motors, including five from William’s etches. I had a lot of help along the way. I have to thank William – who created these wonderful etches. I also have to thank Andy Malette, a fellow member of the S Scale Workshop, who taught me a lot about working with brass, interpreting photographs, and planning the work. I’m grateful to another Andy – Andrew Panko – who has researched the NS&T, co-authored two books on the line, and who has graciously shared information and photos from his collection – including one photo used in this feature. And I need to thank the few but committed manufacturers who continue to support S scale with detail parts, power trucks, and even couplers.
Finally, a big shout-out to Otto Vondrak, the current editor of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine, who gave the highball to a ten-page feature on how I built NS&T 17. It’s in the May, 2025 issue, which is now on sale:
In this era of Tik-Tok attention spans and hobbies driven by instant gratification, it’s wonderful that RMC continues to share in-depth features on how – with knowledge and commitment – one can create satisfying models that provide a lifetime of enjoyment.
The subject of the article is esoteric – NS&T 17 was a one-of-a-kind freight motor on a Canadian traction railway, and I modelled it in the very-niche scale of 1:64. But the techniques are universal and I wrote the feature with that in mind. I hope others find it useful.
The Model Railway Show 