The Old Main Line Subdivision:: "Once it was Crayolas... Now, it's all PanPastels."

Saturday, January 9, 2016

"Once it was Crayolas... Now, it's all PanPastels."

I guess one of the beauties of having an adult hobby is the opportunity for loved ones to supplement the obligatory holiday gifts of socks, ties and underwear with something that still makes us feel like a kid on Christmas morning. But as I comprised a wish list for my wife and daughter, several ironies did dawn on me.

PanPastels topped my list so that I could begin to weather the roster I have been compiling, but it made me question just how far I had really come in 50+ years. Back then, Crayola Crayons were the ticket for all things coloring... book reports, posters, banners, etc. Had I simply exchanged one iconic product for a future one? No matter, at least now I knew that it was actually advisable to wander outside of the lines... and that Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna now had a rather important place in the color palate very near the head of a mature class.

Santa delivered the two primary sets of muted colors... the very same colors that were often left with hardly-worn near-perfect points in the old Crayola box. The wide choice of sponges should assure that I will deliberate far too long over which is best for any given application.

Tony Koester presented an article in the November 2013 Model Railroader on quick and competent weathering for large rosters specifically using this product. The author, editor and lifetime veteran of our hobby essentially advised that anyone could do this... which is probably easy for an author, editor and lifetime veteran of the hobby to say! But as far as I know, no one has ever confused with me Tony. Hmmm, should I remain skeptical?

But 'rock star' and former blogger Ralph Heiss of the Lehigh Valley Harbor Terminal Railway presented a clinic on this very topic to the Garden State Division almost two years ago. The theme? "If I can do it, then anyone can." OK Ralphie boy. Then I'm in.

I look forward to experimenting on some really old, toy-like Tyco boxcars and the like. But I would love to hear from any other blogger who may have posted about this, or any reader who may be able to provide a link or interesting tidbits about their own experience using PanPastels. Please add your own two cents in the comments section below. Thanks and happy coloring!

UPDATE: January 16, 2016
Click for WEATHERING TUTORIAL from Ralph Renzetti of Railroad Lines Forum.
Click for WEATHERING POST and other links from Chris Ellis of the Adena Railroad blog.

-30-

BONUS: JUST ONE MORE THING BEFORE WE GO...

As kids, we all knew that getting the Crayola 64 pack was like hitting the mother lode. Hallmark has cleverly marketed Christmas tree ornaments that tap into such nostalgia. My wife just had to have it!

10 comments:

Galen GallimoreJanuary 9, 2016 at 10:29 AM
One of my boys, both still in elementary school, got an ACTUAL 64-pack of Crayola crayons this year. I have yet to delve into the world of pastels, pan or otherwise. Looking forward to your weathering efforts, and other modeling adventures, in the new year.

Galen
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Chris EllisJanuary 9, 2016 at 12:40 PM
I also received the same two sets of PanPastels for Christmas! I started to practice on a hopper but then I read hitting your model with a flat finish first gives the product more tooth to adhere to. I hope to post about my experiences with the medium and look forward to seeing yours as well.
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Chris AdamsJanuary 9, 2016 at 8:01 PM
Nicely written - and congrats on your acquisition! :) I, too, look forward to following the trail you will be blazing...
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LittleArmiesFebruary 5, 2016 at 4:45 AM
Hi Jim,
I looked at all those "art supply" sponges and things - and my first thought was that you should pop into a wholesale beauty supply centre (here in the UK we have a few high street chains that sell all kinds of interesting bits) and take a walk around.

I suspect you will find industrial quantities of the sponges cheaper than your art supply versions - plus I think you may stumble across a number of women's doodads that could be re-purposed for more manly pursuits like model railways.

Malc
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Long Story Short: Circa 1960...

Running from Baltimore to Point of Rocks, through the wooded hills of the Patapsco River valley and the undulating Monocacy River plain, this 130 year old B&O sub-division was struggling to survive. The historic 65 mile OML, once a bustling double-track operation, had been reduced to single track. It relied on diminishing business from local mills and building materials suppliers. Sporadic through-traffic hauled coal, iron ore and quarried stone from points west over the serpentine route.

Passenger operation had been discontinued in 1949 and the long-rumored 'merger' with the C&O created paralyzing uncertainty. It was this inevitable partnership in 1963, combined with increasing reliance on the B&O's Washington and Metropolitan branches that made the 'Old Main' irrelevant to most. But ultimately it would be the 1972 devastation of the Patapsco River valley from Tropical Storm Agnes that would most clearly define the line's modest future.

So join us for this bumpy and irreverent ride and please share your thoughts, questions and comments with everyone. Thanks.

Layout at a Glance...

Name: Old Main Line Subdivision
Scale: HO (1:87.1)
Size: 15' x 21' plus 2' x 18' staging
Prototype: Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Locale: Northeast Maryland
Period: March 1960
Style: Walk-in single-deck around walls w/ peninsula
Mainline Run: 90'
Minimum Radius: 30" main; 27" spurs; 24" staging
Minimum Turnout: #6 main; #5 staging
Maximum Grade: 1% main; 2% spurs
Staging: (2) 4-track stub ended yards
Benchwork: Open grid 1" x 3" clear pine
Track Height: 50" - 53"
Aisle Width: 30" - 44"
Roadbed: Midwest Products cork on 1" Gatorboard
Track: ME code 83 main/spurs/staging
Scenery: Carved rigid foam and ground goop
Backdrop: Painted sheetrock and .040 styrene
Control: NCE Digital Command Control (DCC)

The Backstory...

Like most model railroaders, my introduction came at Christmas when I was about five years old with the traditional starter set. I was hooked, especially a couple of years later when every present from Santa was a Bachman Plasticville kit. The basement ping pong table became my 'set up.'

Unlike many modelers, my dad was not a train guy... something about working two jobs to support his family. But he and my mom did indulge me in driving to club layouts and riding trains whenever we could. Trips to my grandparents in Maryland put me over the moon as I knew we'd pass the Baltimore yards.

But as is often the case, college, career, family and the time-draining reality of coaching youth soccer and allegedly competing as a bicycle racer took me away from the hobby.

Fast forward many more years than I care to acknowledge and it's time to re-create some of my childhood memories in a new basement, minus the ping pong table... and the 'set up' shall henceforth be only referred to as 'the layout.'

A Comment on 'Comments'...

All readers may enter a comment at the end of any post. You do not need to sign in, register or become a member of this blog. Here's why you should contribute...

The objective of my uncomfortably-public endeavor is for the thoughtful presentation of ideas, opinions and activities related to model railroading to like-minded hobbyists.

But more importantly, the goal is for the healthy exchange with readers through their feedback to that which has been presented via constructive criticism, opposing viewpoints and/or supplemental information for the topic at hand... and of course a little kidding around is mandatory.

So please don't be shy. I do not enjoy talking to myself, nor am I in need of the proverbial 'attaboy.' But in the interest of learning, it is for everyone's benefit that there is dialog surrounding each post. All comments will be 'moderated,' and then acknowledged with a timely reply and a dry wit.

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But be forewarned about a few disadvantages to this method of receiving each post. You will only receive the post, not a link to the entire blog, and it seems to operate on a delayed basis of about 12 hours on average. Aesthetically, the email notification is not as pleasing as the blog's layout, nor does it provide any sidebars which I am continually updating. Also, it appears that while photos are included, video links are not.

Best bet is to use this notification as a timely convenience, but please check the actual blog for a complete array of features, announcements and listings. As always, thanks for your interest.

Photo Attribution...

The b/w photos on this sidebar were published in the B&O Historical Society's magazine, The Sentinel, Vol. 14 No. 1, in January 1992. They ran in an article entitled, "The Old Main Line Way Freight." Written as a day in the life of the railroad in 1952, the following excerpt beautifully captures the line's spirit during simpler times:

"Ride the 'Capitol Limited' if you want speed and efficiency! Ride the 'way freight' if you desire a folksy trip through some of the prettiest countryside in the East; land steeped in history half forgotten. You'll get a close-up view of what a multi-million dollar railroad means even to the smallest community. There, you'll see a big business looking after the small fellow."

The photos were made available to the Society by member John R. King, Jr. who got a collection of B&O negatives from the late Leonard Rice.