Clermont - Painting tracks - Part 2

Painting track in Clermont is a long process, but a rewarding one. Last week, we started applying the oil paint wash over the primed ties. While I expected to complete the task in a single application, it took much more time than thought.

In term of pigmentation, I tried to alter my initial recipe to better fit what can be observed on the prototype. My initial experiment in Villeneuve was quite brownish, which was OK, but not for Clermont. While it's true creosote gives a deep brownish tint to ties, in the case of Clermont yard, most ties were old enough to appear a light gray in colors. For this reason, I tried to create a greyish hue similar to the one I used when creating old weathered wood on my kitbashed Revell plastic barn and telegraph poles.

I think the results speak for themselves and show how giving attention to such details is a good way to both enhance realism and tell a story. It would be foolish to treat every tracks on a layout as a single block. In the case of Clermont, I want to streamline the yard by emphasizing the mainline while making the sidings "disappear" into scenery as was the case on the prototype. This difference helps to create a hierarchy of use, making it easier for operators to tell tracks appart.

If you've been following how were rebuilt Clermont, you will understand this differenciation is achieved by taking into account multiple parameters. All tracks have a different elevation and roadbed profile, tie spacing, tie color, quality in ballast and vegetation grow. While this is done to strive for realism, I must admit my ulterior motive is to make the main line the focus. This is an optical trick so the layout looks longer than it really is, particularly given the weird configuration of this yard in the middle of a peninsula.