The Marcola Branch: Part 1 - Introduction

Over the past 3+ years, with life taking me away from my family home and the Cascade Sub Layout, I've focused primarily on weathering locomotives and rolling stock for myself and others. However, the layout building bug has bit again and I am very near to starting my next layout build. 

Introducing the Marcola Branch!

The Marcola Branch will be a modular switching layout representing UP's industrial spur in Springfield, OR. The railroad serves numerous customers both directly off of the mainline in Springfield and off a branchline that formerly extended to Marcola, OR. Customers include Arclin and Borden chemical manufacturers, Rosboro, Sundance, and Swanson Group lumber mills, Kingsford Charcoal, International Paper, and Amerigas Propane. UP runs a daily local, the "Weyerhaeuser," from Eugene to service the line. 

The layout:

My layout is designed to be built in phases, adopting "The One Module Approach" (TOMA) popularized by Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine. The first two modules will include UP's mainline and small yard through Springfield, Rosboro Lumber, and Swanson Group Lumber. The third module will include the first section of the branch itself and Amerigas Propane.

Isaac Fabris expertly brought my vision into reality, rendering rough napkin sketches into the above trackplan. As noted on the plan, the layout will be 9'x 13' along two walls of the Shed Studio. I plan to use Micro Engineering code 83 track for the mainline and code 70 for the sidings and industrial spurs. Turnouts on the mainline and in some select sections of secondary track will be #8s with the rest #6s. The minimum radius will be 30". As designed the layout includes 8 car spots (2 off-spots at Rosboro) across 3 industries, providing adequate operating capability for short solo sessions.  

While the layout's operations will only represent a sliver of the full industrial switching operations of the area in this initial footprint (6-8 modules and more space would be required for the entire branch), I will focus primarily on the art of building a layout. To that end, trains may not run in any meaningful way until expansion of the branch line is possible. Regardless, the layout will serve as a great backdrop for my weathered models and a test bed to hone my skills in track laying, scenery, and structure building. 

In the coming months, I plan to continue the initial prep of the room for the layout and the construction of two large cabinets that will support the railroad and store various supplies and equipment. From there, I will begin work on designing and constructing benchwork for the first module in the shadowbox style. 

Stay tuned, more to come. 

- John

Blog and Website Update

Some may have noticed a few changes to the blog/website. For a while I have contemplated creating a new site with additional features, but figured with this blog already established a few additions would be easier. 

In brief, I am in the process of expanding the content on the blog with the addition of some new pages. First, I've added separate pages for Cascade Sub 1.0 and the Marcola Branch, my two railroads, with information about the design, scope, and operations on each. Next, I've added a page to include information about my studio/work space where I will include photos and a description of my workbench and storage, what products I use, and other interesting modeling info. And finally I've added a page of links where I will include links to sites I find interesting, inspiring, or useful. 

I hope you enjoy this revamp of the site!

- John

What's on My Workbench: Spring 2024

 Here is what is currently on my workbench...

Geeps

Acrylics as a base with more refined grime and rust work on top with artist oils.

Scrap Gons

My first foray into IC territory. Fade with the airbrush, detail work with high-flow artist acrylics.

Patches

I can't seem to get SP AC44s off my workbench, but at least this one is patched. Gray faded with the airbrush, the pink done by hand. The decals are from Circus City.

Progress marches on!

- John

Weathering UP 6378 - Part 1

 

As much as I can, I try to avoid modeling overly distinct locomotives. With a small fleet, I prefer to have models that are representative of the fleet at large rather than those that represent highlty recognizable individual locomotives. As such, I stray from heritage liveries or patched fallen flags. 

However, in late summer of 2023, pictures started surfacing of UP 6378, a patched AC4400 still in its original scarlet and gray paint, in helper service on the Cascade Sub.While arguably too distinctive, I had to have an HO version for my helper pool. 

To create UP 6378 in HO, I started with a non-sound AC4400 from ScaleTrains in SP livery. These models have excellent detail and are well built with numerous factory installed LEDs. I plan to eventually add a DCC sound decoder and speaker.  

Admittedly, my intial progress on the model at this point has been one step forward and 4 backwards: I've already damaged some of the handrails, need to replace all the grab irons on the cab and rear of the locomotive, and will be on my second round of number decals on the cab whenever I get around to it next. Needless to say, I was a little to0 anxious to get started.

The good news, however, is that I am adjusting and getting my bearings. I sorted out how to fade the red to its iconic light pink and the gray is already sun-faded with more detailed work to come. This past weekend I mounted the PTC antenna, applied the yellow sill striping, and repainted a few of the battery boxes. 

For reference, the PTC array is from MACRail, the decals from Circus City, and the yellow reflective striping from Smokebox Graphics. So far I have used craft acrylics and Tamiya acrylics thinned with 99% IPA and sprayed through the airbrush. 

I plan to finish the decal work and then move in to adding grime. Stay tuned. 

  

Take me back to '22

I've always considered myself a modeler of the "present day." Like Brooman's Utah Belt or Parker's Fall River Division, I've tried to model what is currently riding the rails, updating and adapting locomotives, rolling stock, details, and scenery as necessary. For a prototype modeler like myself, modeling what can be seen trackside on any given day is somewhat of a luxury that eliminates the need to dig deep into historical records. On the other hand, constantly staying up to date can be demanding in itself. And, relatedly, present day modelers are at the mercy of evolving railroads and all the change that evolution entails.

Not all changes are particularly welcome. At the end of  November 2023, the news broke that Union Pacific would abandon manned helper service on the Cascade Subdivision in favor of remotely-controlled DPUs. Manned helpers provide a signature operating feature for my model railroad and, standing trackside, nothing beat a set of absolutely filthy six-axle locomotives shoving a loaded train up and over the Hill at full throttle with the engineer waving from the cab. As both a modeler and fan of the Cascade Sub, I felt a strong sense of disappointment at the news. Sure the railroad is engaging without manned helper service, but it is this service that made it iconic.

Despite this (I've somewhat gotten over the change at this point...maybe), I've discovered a silver-lining  for my model railroading efforts. For some time, I have been less and less inclined to continue modeling the "present day" with due particularly to certain changes that have occured in recent years. For instance, I've struggled to get on board with UP's new paint schemes and Amtrak's switch from P42s to the new Chargers. And now with manned helper service cut, I have been pushed to my limit of tolerance. 

And so, I am stopping the clock on my Cascade Sub modeling efforts in the late summer and fall of 2022. With the helpers, so goes my efforts to keep up with the times--I am a "period" modeler now, recreating the Cascade Sub as I knew it in the last full year with manned helpers in arguabley the most beatiful season in Oregon.

                             

So why 2022?  While it may seem somewhat arbitrary, 2022 is meaningful for a variety of reasons. First, 2022 marked the halfway point of my graduate studies in Eugene and my first full year of living in Oregon.  I spent a significant amount of time trackside and, as a result, have a comprehensive set of reference photos and notes. Second, for the reasons mentioned above, 2022 is the most operationally and aesthetically desireable year for me to replicate. In 2022, UP ran manned helpers, the railroad's "experimental" paint schemes with small flags hadn't begun, and Amtrak was still pulling the Coast Starlight behind real diesel locomotives. And finally, I can let go of the pressure of trying to keep up the times and the constant threat of seismic change. 

And so, maybe one day many years from now, when diesel is only a relic of the past, I will walk (or hobble) into my small empire, turn on the lights, and be once again standing trackside as a pair of filth-laden six-axle behemoths sporting flags on their flanks shove a string of cars up that seemingly endless climb through a sea of fir. I'll be back '22 alongside the railroad I first met and fell in love with it.

2024 Plans and Goals

 Happy New Year from the Cascade Sub! 

Here is what I have planned and hope to accomplish in 2024:

1. Weathering Commisions

In 2023 I started accepted weathering projects for clients in earnest. I have a fairly stacked queue for the beginning part of 2024 with multiple locomotives and freight cars slated for weathering. This year, I hope to continue the momentum and grow my customer base. If you are in need of weathering, please feel free to reach out!

2. Finish In-Progress Projects

While it is very tempting to jump ahead to the new projects I'd like to start working on in 2024, as I have mentioned before, I have many projects in need of finishing. In the coming months I'd like to wrap these up. 

Without a doubt the biggest project will be completing the six GPWX woodchip gons that are in various stages of completion. Most have stalled in the late phases of weathering, namely at handpainting graffiti, a tedious and time-consuming project. Some of the cars in this batch also need significant detailing work. 2024 is the year!

3. Organize and Enhance the Studio 

I started 2024 with upgrading the lighting on my workbench (see lead photo). This one improvement got the ball rolling to improve my studio/workshop for future modeling endeavors. Next, I plan to construct two large cabinets that can store both my modeling supplies and projects in a more organized and tidy way. These cabinets will also serve as the supports for a small switching layout I have planned which is likely a late 2024 or early 2025 project.

My studio and workbench enhancement efforts will also entail continuing to stock my workbench with quality tools and supplies (tweezers, new knife blades, adhesives, paints, etc.) Here, the goal is not to simply have a really nice workbench for the sake of it, but to create an enviornment in which I can grow as a modeler and have to tools and supplies I need to execute various projects.

4. Bridgetown RPM

In October 2024, I hope to attend the Bridgetown RPM in Portland, OR and showcase some completed protoype models.  Come October, I hope to have a few Union Pacific locomotives and Cascade Sub/Oregon rolling stock completed and ready for display!

5. Blog Content

In recent years it has become exceedingly clear that this blog is the best and most enjoyable way for me to share my efforts in the hobby. To be sure, such enjoyment is entirely detached from how many of you actually read what I write. For all I know, I could be writing entirely to myself. Fair enough.

Expect consistent posting here in 2024 as I dive into what feels like a new chapter in my modeling career. I am working to improve my storytelling and writing. In addition to the expected updates from the workbench and descriptions of current projects, I also have a few musings on recent developments on the prototypical Cascade Sub and some reflections  on the first Cascade Sub layout in the works. 

Stay tuned, all or at least some of this to come in 2024.

A Change of Course: Completing "Better" Models

A recent inability to finish any projects forced me to reconsider my motivations and goals for modeling. I have been in somewhat of a rut after so many years of focusing intently on constructing a fairly ambitious model railroad, unable to finish most of the bench projects (weathering, detailing, scratchbuilding, etc.) that I begin. 

In reflecting on this--by which I mean staring for extended periods of time at the shelf of in-progress projects in my modeling studio--I've slowly come to the realize that the goals and standards I have for my current in-progress projects are somewhat uncaptivating. Allow me to explain. 

Some may recall a post I wrote about a year ago describing my theory of the "vital few," a purely hypothetical application of the 80/20 principle to model railroading. Essentially, my idea is that in a train of 30 cars, 6 highly-detailed, showcase models do the "heavy lifting" in terms of the viewer's visual experience of the train (level of detail and realism, etc.) while the other 24 models function as "fillers."

In practice, this approach allows for fairly effective prioritization of what projects to engage in when also contructing a layout, BUT is not effective for engaging with bench projects only.  The principle falls apart when bench projects aren't competing with layout building. Why? Well, 80% of the projects are "filler" models, which simply aren't that captivating without a layout to put them on. 

So a bit of a change is in order. Currently, with no active construction occuring on the Cascade Sub, I have no need to model "fillers." Instead I am shifting my priroties to focus on completing higher-quality models, the so-called "vital few" showcase models. Practically, this shift means new standards for finished models (fine details, semi-scale wheels, scale couplers, top-notch weathering, etc.) as well as a shift in mindset, taking the time to develop new skills, embracing the challenge of modeling, and attempting new things. 

The shelf of "in-progress" models is still a problem, but at least now I have a direction. No longer is the focus "getting through" projects simply to deem them complete and put them into service on the layout. Rather, my new approach is more about developing as the modeler: how can I improve my skills, challenge myself and, in the process, complete better models. 

Stay tuned, this will certainly be an adventure!