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
Progress marches on!
- John
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.
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.
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 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!
Here is what is on my workbench this fall...
ScaleTrains AC4400s
I am currently working on a batch of AC4400 weathering commision projects. I love commisions as they are an opportunity to weather models I wouldn't otherwise acquire for my own collection. This batch of five locomotives will receive light to heavy weathering to represent a mid-90's appearance.
I am mainly working with my airbrush to weather these. I have been able to get some fantastic results with spraying Tamiya acrylics through my airbrush which helps speed up the weathering process. Detail work invovles applications of oils and enamel washes.
Walthers Mainline 60ft Gunderson Boxcars
Between 2021-22 I acquired a small fleet of the Walthers Mainline 60ft Gunderson boxcars in an effort to economically expand my operating fleet. In the past year I have started weathering these cars, again mainly with the airbrush, oils, and enamels. As I finish these cars, I plan to sell them given my lack of need for fleet fillers at the moment and desire for more highly-detailed equipment (more on that in the months to come).
CP 218076 will likely not be sold as its unique and heavy weathering is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. I will likely try to add finer details to bring it up to snuff.
Atlas ACF 4650 Covered Hoppers
These factory-patched covered hoppers will be a great addition to my operating fleet with their unique combination of heavily rust and relatively clean patches. I have one to keep and one to sell!
Intermountain GPWX Woodchip Gons
To round out the weathering projects are a set of former SP now GPWX (Georgia Pacific) smooth-sided woodchip gons. These are iconic cars for the region I model and fantastic weathering projects. The cars are by Intermountain and will receive both detailing and weathering.
Scatchbuilt Sheds
Finally, for a change of pace, I tried my hand at some scratch-building. This shed are based on the tool sheds in the UP yard in Oakridge, OR. Paint and detailing to come.
New Workbench
And finally, here is a picture of my new workbench, which happens to be in a finished shed in the backyard. The modular desk and chairs are from Ikea. All my supplies fit in the 3 drawers to the left of the chair. I have a small shelf for models and my airbrush just out of the photo to the left.
Look for another update from the workbench this winter. I have some great projects in the pipeline for myself and others. Happy modeling!
-John
In my last post, I introduced slow weathering, a deliberate and consistent
approach to tackle complex weathering projects and achieve high-level results. However,
in that discussion I failed to address the major (and obvious) issue with the
approach: its slow! Compared to other weathering approaches, except
procrastination or avoidance, slow weathering is not very productive. And so, for
modeler’s seeking to weather an entire fleet of rolling stock and locomotives
and achieve high-level results, the question becomes how should slow weathering
be applied?
My solution to this problem draws from the Pareto Principle, or “law of the vital
few.” The principle states that in many instances 80% of an outcome can be
attributed to just 20% of the causes. Or, stated more broadly, most of an outcome
can be attributed to a few “vital” contributors. Applying the principle to
model railroading, it follows that just around 20% of weathered models will
contribute to 80% of the visual perception of a highly detailed and realistically
weathered fleet.
It may seem that applying the Pareto Principle to model
railroading is a stretch. The principle describes an economic theory, and it is
not clear if it applies to art and visual perception. Regardless of an
imperfect fit, the principle contains the important lesson of project selection
and prioritization: Allow a few "showcase" models do the heavy lifting for the desired
result of the whole.
Let’s consider a case study:
A typical train on my layout consists of 20 cars and two
locomotives. Setting a discussion of locomotives aside for now, under the
Pareto Principle, only 20% of the cars (4) will contribute to a vast majority
of an operator’s perception of a realistically weathered and detailed train.
This means, that when I sit down at the bench to weather a train of cars, I can
focus on devoting special attention and adopt a slow weathering approach to a
small number of cars in the train to achieve most of the desired visual outcome. The
remaining cars in the train, the other 16, can be weathered with a more
efficient “fleet” weathering approach. Granted, these cars still contribute to
the overall outcome and so it is important that they are weathered skillfully
and adequately support the vital few heavy lifters.
Locomotives, as I alluded above, are a special case. On model
railroads, locomotives tend to have a greater impact on the perception of the
overall quality of the fleet than other equipment. Therefore, I consider any
locomotive to be part of the vital few and adopt a slow weathering approach when
weathering and detailing locomotive projects.
So, if you find yourself stuck at the bench slowly weathering your fleet of rolling stock or endlessly constructing structures for your town or city, consider applying the Pareto Principle and allow a vital few models to do the heavy lifting.
