PAINTING MONTIETH ROCK

Once I completed the rock surface encasing Montieth Rock, I still needed to provide color.  Two previous posts describe my rock surface molding for the Rock.  

https://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2025/01/sculpting-montieth-rock.html

https://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2025/02/sculpting-montieth-rocksecond-section.html

Paperclay provided a smooth surface, unlike plaster rock castings, but that provided the surface needed to model the volcanic plug that is Montieth Rock.  

 

The paperclay needed to be sealed, which I did with a coat of polyurethane.  In contrast to my Sculptamold work that had paint included in the mix, the paperclay was an off-white.  I began coloring with a coat of gray paint.  I briefly experimented with a black wash over this uniform gray, but that quickly ran off the smooth surface.  I next turned to a base paint coat using a mix of raw umber and Payne’s Gray artist’s acrylics.  This provided a deep dark grayish brown which needed lighter paint streaks as highlights.

 

Montieth Rock paint.  A mix of raw umber and Payne’s gray has been applied over a base coat of medium gray.

 

I added streaks of lighter mixes that began with the raw umber and gray base.  I added more gray. The next mix added a bit of burnt sienna.  Another mix added ochre to the mix.  All of these additions were seen in color photos I have of Montieth Rock.  I just needed to lighten the original dark mix of raw umber and Payne’s Gray.  

 

Others have written about coloring rocks where they begin with raw plaster and then add washes that stain the plaster rock casting.  That was not an option here, as the paperclay dried/set to a hard ceramic-like surface that then needed to be sealed.  Instead, I chose to start with the darkest coloring and then gradually lighten it with streaks using ever-lighter colors.  

 

Montieth Rock with streaks of lighter and redder overcoats.

 

Completed Montieth Rock coloring with more gray added and a hint of ochre (yellow).

 

While I was working with the color of Montieth Rock, I refreshed the ground cover of the eroded area next to the rock.  This can be seen in the “completed” photo above.  I also applied the rock coloring to the adjacent Tunnel 21 rock faces.

 

Montieth Rock and the adjacent Tunnel 21 rock face.

 

 

MARCH 2025 OPERATING SESSION

Kicking off what was a very busy railroad month of March was my regular monthly operating session on the first of the month.  The session had a modest crew size as a number of regulars had other duties as they prepared for the rest of the busy month.  This cleared the way for several in the crew to experience new operating positions.  This was the 81^stoperating session on my full railroad.

 

Occupying the Dispatcher’s chair was Dave H., one of the regular Dispatchers for the railroad.

 

Serving as the switch crew for the Eugene Arrival-Departure Yard was Pat LT, shown here setting switches in the complex trackage between the Arrival-Departure Yard and the Depot and Classification Yard.  Arrival Departure Yardmaster Craig L. has his back to the camera in the distance.

 

The Eugene Classification Yard crew works their yard with West Switcher Gary N. in the rear, Yardmaster Rick A. in front of him, and East Switcher Loren M. in the foreground.

 

Mike L. works the Marcola Turn, one of three Springfield area locals.

 

A different Mike L. works the mill at Westfir with the Oakridge Turn.  The Oakridge Turn plugs the mainline as it works Westfir on its return to Eugene from Oakridge.

 

Jim M. receives track authority from the Dispatcher as he waits at Crescent Lake.  Crescent Lake is the RR-West end of the railroad.

 

Steve K. guides his train through the Eugene depot area on his way westbound toward Crescent Lake and California destinations.

 

Mike W. watches his train leave Cascade Summit on its way to Crescent Lake and RR-West (upper) staging.  Trevor P. is below Mike at Oakridge, watching his train leave Oakridge and begin the climb toward the summit.

 

Keith K. (left) and Jim L. guide their train past Montieth Rock as it climbs out of Oakridge.  Keith is the road engineer and Jim is the helper engineer.  I have been working on Montieth Rock and the scenery is this area which will be reported upon in another blogpost.

 

Trevor P. has made it to McCredie Springs on his climb up “the Hill.”

 

Rodger C. watches his mid-train helper locomotives as they cross Shady Creek Trestle on their way up toward the summit.

 

This March session was a “good” session with minimal problems.  That often happens with a smaller crew count.  Still, there are good reasons to let the crew count float upward to allow more folk to operate and train individuals in new roles, often by doubling up on a crew. 

 

Winterail—the priemier photo with music and narration event is March 15 at Corvallis High!