Fall (Non) Layout Update

As the title of this post implies, progress over the past months has occurred mainly outside of the layout room. Since the push in the spring to move forward with a wide array of projects on the Cascade Sub, the past months have been spent in a time of "rest" focusing on railfanning, weathering, and enjoying the hobby outside of the context of the layout. Certainly there is more to come as the railroad continues to come to life, but enjoy this non-layout update for fall 2020! 

Railfanning

Prior to construction of the Cascade Sub, and arguably not since the last year, I would not have considered myself a railfan. My experiences consisted of occasional stops to see trains at a passenger station or glancing at a rail yard as I zoomed by. However, in the past months, railfanning has become much more of an interest for me and I hope will be influential in my modeling! 

A Union Pacific intermodal train rolls through Vancouver on its way south into Portland. 

Travel has allowed significant time for watching trains on Marias Pass in Montana and more recently in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR. Vancouver's Amtrak station provides an incredibly accessible vantage point to watch both BNSF and Union Pacific Traffic. Both of these railroads have sights of interest throughout the greater Portland area and further south into Oregon. Watching trains here has helped put operations and traffic on the Cascade Sub in the context of the region. I also hope the additional observation and reference trackside will help improve the realism and feel of my scenery elements. 

Weathering:

Stepping away from layout construction and scenery has provided the opportunity to make some much needed progress on multiple weathering projects. One of my major goals for the railroad is to have a weathered, modern fleet of cars and locomotives that gives place and purpose to trains running on the line. On one hand this means acquiring rolling stock that makes sense for trains in Oregon and on the other, making sure they are weathered and detailed appropriately. 

TCRR 32118 is a former BNSF paper box now leased by the fictional Tomko-Caffarelli railroad, a line that honors my grandfather and his role in assisting and inspiring my modeling pursuits. This project has been ongoing since January, however the model was recently completed with hand painted graffiti and reflective striping (not pictured). 

The first new project I took on this fall was weathering TBOX 660202, a newer run Athearn RTR boxcar. This model was fantastic to work with and is ubiquitous on manifest trains on the Cascade Sub. This model was mainly weathered with craft and artist's acrylics and weathering powders. I predict many more of these cars will find their way into my weathering shop in the future!

Additionally, I began the process of building a Canadian Pacific/Union Pacific grain train starting with this ScaleTrains.com Operator model. The operator line still provides extremely high quality models at an affordable price. This project is not yet complete as I stalled weathering the detailed and hard to access ends of the car. More to come with this project.

Finally, I have begun working earnestly on weathering two former Cotton Belt boxcars from the Athearn Genesis line. These cars come in Athearn's "Prime for Grime" scheme which includes faded paint and patching. These cars have a long way to go as the prototypes have significant rust and grime throughout the model, however they have been one of the most enjoyable projects I have undertaken in the recent months. I think these two boxcars that I plan to complete similarly will be a great addition that alludes to the Cascade Sub's Southern Pacific heritage. Again, more to come on these models. 

That wraps up the non-layout update for the fall. Certainly a good time for certain projects that otherwise would not be possible given the focus on layout construction. I plan to return to scenery efforts in the coming months as time allows. Stay tuned for future updates!

Also, here is a layout tour I recently published to YouTube detailing the scenes and scope of the Cascade Sub.