06-24-2014, 02:46 PM
jwb: Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I do agree, most of the time, rail and ties are almost the same color, particularly on well maintained track. It is more of a concern when the track is less well-maintained and ties are older and in bad shape. A scene is a complex assembly of track, ballast, roadbed geometry and several other "usual" things as utility poles and signs. In some parts of a layout, track will really catch the eye. In other ones, it won't. I don't mind paying attention to details like painting my track, it is a part of this hobby I actually enjoy. Anyway, There is not that much more effort involved in adding a wash and just spraying the track. But you're right, a crappy ballast job is the best way to ruin a layout, whatever the effort put on painting the track. Our eyes will always see the roadbed first. There's no way to redeem such a big mistake, so I agree with you on that, it really catch the eye first.
As for Mr. Mindheim, I see him like any other modeller, following what I think may work for me, trying out and altering the technics or just not doing them. He's merely passing down, like most people out there in the hobby, what he learned from others and tried himself. The day I'll think a human being hold the Truth hasn't yet come. But some provoking thoughts are sometimes needed to reflect on our own actions and to figure out what's really goind on. On the same way, you very pragmatic comments help to balance things.
I won't comment about the NEC corridor because I don't know what the customer asked. It's easy to throw rocks at the guy doing the job, but you must know before what were the constraints put on him. Maybe it was a specific request to not include the catenaries, maybe the give will add them himself or just don't have the cash for them... maybe not. Who knows? It's not because one is ready to throw away a lot of cash to make talented people do the job for him that he's got taste!
About the tie color, anyway, once you determined a color, applying it isn't different that applying the wrong color. But, if we have to judge a layout depicting the NEC without the iconic catenaries, I also agree the guy will have a hard time trying to convince me (I've seen too much posts by GEC to be duped!). Too often, people overlook those "boring" details. Planting telegraph poles isn't just about poking them on the layout. Many lines had specific crossarms arrangement and that is a big hint to get the sense of the place. I wouldn't depict the Murray Bay Subdivision with triple crossarms poles!!! Just two lines were enough for their minimal needs.
Anyway, I prefer to put a little bit more time on my track work than doing seminal stuff like nude people bathing under my bridge or a truck crash spilling oil in a river. And trying a technic on a 2-3 inches long piece of track isn't taking a lot of time and it's the best way to figure out how to do things and know first hand what works and what doesn't work.
In the end, yes, someone could get a nice mainline track with minimal effort, just spraying it with Krylon camouflage brown and maybe adding an india ink wash between the rails once everything is ballasted and maybe a few hints of weathering chalks where needed. That would be more than good enough, even for the camera lense. But I think, a few more efforts on disrepaired sidings could pay off. Thus, I think I will probably segregate parts of the layout where more efforts are needed and act accordingly to make sure the ratio effort/effect is pertinent to the project.
Matt
As for Mr. Mindheim, I see him like any other modeller, following what I think may work for me, trying out and altering the technics or just not doing them. He's merely passing down, like most people out there in the hobby, what he learned from others and tried himself. The day I'll think a human being hold the Truth hasn't yet come. But some provoking thoughts are sometimes needed to reflect on our own actions and to figure out what's really goind on. On the same way, you very pragmatic comments help to balance things.
I won't comment about the NEC corridor because I don't know what the customer asked. It's easy to throw rocks at the guy doing the job, but you must know before what were the constraints put on him. Maybe it was a specific request to not include the catenaries, maybe the give will add them himself or just don't have the cash for them... maybe not. Who knows? It's not because one is ready to throw away a lot of cash to make talented people do the job for him that he's got taste!
About the tie color, anyway, once you determined a color, applying it isn't different that applying the wrong color. But, if we have to judge a layout depicting the NEC without the iconic catenaries, I also agree the guy will have a hard time trying to convince me (I've seen too much posts by GEC to be duped!). Too often, people overlook those "boring" details. Planting telegraph poles isn't just about poking them on the layout. Many lines had specific crossarms arrangement and that is a big hint to get the sense of the place. I wouldn't depict the Murray Bay Subdivision with triple crossarms poles!!! Just two lines were enough for their minimal needs.
Anyway, I prefer to put a little bit more time on my track work than doing seminal stuff like nude people bathing under my bridge or a truck crash spilling oil in a river. And trying a technic on a 2-3 inches long piece of track isn't taking a lot of time and it's the best way to figure out how to do things and know first hand what works and what doesn't work.
In the end, yes, someone could get a nice mainline track with minimal effort, just spraying it with Krylon camouflage brown and maybe adding an india ink wash between the rails once everything is ballasted and maybe a few hints of weathering chalks where needed. That would be more than good enough, even for the camera lense. But I think, a few more efforts on disrepaired sidings could pay off. Thus, I think I will probably segregate parts of the layout where more efforts are needed and act accordingly to make sure the ratio effort/effect is pertinent to the project.
Matt
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/