Oregon Pacific & Eastern - Quick Trip Down Memory Lane

[ricklawler]

Hi everyone,

I want to thank Marc for encouraging me to post these images on the forum.  

Over this past weekend I went out and purchased an inexpensive rail car produced by Branchline to use as a painting subject.  The intent of the weekend's exercise was simple; to get familiar with some new paints and techniques and have some quality "fun" time.

Mid-day on Saturday I headed to one of my local train dealers and purchased a car.  My original intent was to simply weather an existing "pre-painted" train car.  On my way home after the purchase I decided that it might be best if I went ahead an repainted the entire thing, but that would involve recreating the logo's and I didn't feel much like stenciling.  I swung by another local shop near my house (yes, it does seem like there are a lot of train stores in Portland) where I cruised through their limited supply of HO decals.  Much to my surprise I saw that they had these wonderful OPE decal sets....Perfect!!!

As it turns out the OPE line was based in my home town of Cottage Grove, Oregon.  Owned by Bohemia Lumber Company (who my Dad was a Forester for nearly 30 yrs. and I worked for during college summers) the line transported lumber from the local mills to where it would connect with the larger Southern Pacific lines.  In later years OPE also operated a steam engine, The "Blue Goose, which took passengers on day excursions to some of the outline areas.  The movie "Emperor of the North" with Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine was filmed using the Blue Goose and around the Cottage Grove area.

Finally in the mid 90's the line was sold/abandoned and most of the stock sold off or scrapped.  Eventually the repair yards in the center of town were taken down and now a grassy park takes it's place.  The tracks that ran from town, along Dorena Lake and out to Culp Creek have been removed and replace by a bike path.

What I present to you today are a few progress shots the OPE rail car and then a couple finished shots.

Getting started.  Painting over the kit's Southern Pacific scheme. No science here - just some blue colors to get it close to what I remember.



As the intent of my weekend activities were mostly about having fun and trying new paints and techniques I had no hesitancy about portraying a heavily weathered car....after-all, that's what makes it fun!!!   A little chipping and peals to get things started.



The graffiti.  The graffiti is mostly personal and the type of stuff that I might have written back in the day.  The slogans and scribbles are snapshots into my life as a teenager in Cottage Grove.  The LIONS tag was quickly printed and used to make a very quick outline stencil on the side of the car.



The school colors (yellow and blue) were added by hand.  Matter of fact almost all of the tags are brush painted rather than airbrushed.  Thinned paints were applied around the edges of the letters to give them a softened look as if they had be rattle can applied.(?)



Now the tricky part - there are a few stages of weathering that take place, but unfortunately I am not at liberty to share those images with you at this time - it's a business thing.  My apologies.   However, in summary, the next steps included adding some chips and scrapes using a fine brush and a number of washes/filters - both enamel and acrylic.

Skipping head we come to the final presentation.

This side features the colorful LIONS (HS Mascot), Van Halen Rocks!, Gonzo (Ted Nugent), and a small red heart near the door with the letter "m" for my best friend in high school, Margie (now wife of 28 yrs.)



The reverse side features a large '80 (as in Class of..), CG (Cottage Grove H.S.), the green "wasted" was an homage to my friend Scott (who always was) and of course AC/DC.



All-in-all, from the time I opened the kit box to the time I took the snapshots was less than 8 hrs of bench time over my Saturday/Sunday.  Quite enjoyable.


Thank you for taking the time to look.

Rick

[Chuck Doan]

Came out great! I hope to come across the article/chapter on the full process someday. It's nice that it has some personal touches too. That movie was one of most authentic in terms of the railroad stuff.

[lab-dad]

That looks pretty realistic to me!
-Marty

[5thwheel]

Beautiful (if grunge can be beautiful) job Rick,

I grew up in CG, worked for Bohemia, on the veneer green chain.  Have hitched many of rides on the Old Poke & Easy. 
Go Lions, ho-rah for the Blue and Gold, On Old CG and all that stuff.

Bill Hudson

[ricklawler]

Hey Bill,

Really, CG?  What mill did you work at?  As I mentioned my dad was a Forester for them and eventually moved out of the field and was up at their Oakway offices.  His charge was all of their Oregon and Northern California timber lands.  I worked for a while on the fire crew out of Dexter, then did some scaling studies out of Saginaw.  I also flew for their aerial fire watch for a couple of years in a little Cessna 172/182 over the Bohemia District in conjunction with the Forest Service.

What years were you in CG?  Where are you now?

Rick

PS>>>  Bill, got your PM.  Thanks for the info.

[5thwheel]

Rick,

I lived in CG from 1945 to 1958 with four years off for a hitch in the Navy. I pulled on green chain at Skelton mill in town the summer of 46, Worked for the City in 47. Worked for PJ Bush and Son pouring sidewalks and pouring the wall for the stadium.  I worked for Woodard in the shipping shed and later on in the plywood mill until they sold out to Weyerhaeuser, R&R shingle, Weyerhaeuser and for several gypo mills, usually on the green chain.  Also worked for the newspaper as Printers' Devil until I went in the Navy. I first lived up Mosby Creek and went to Blue Mountain school, worked in the woods with my dad bucking logs with misery whip (chain saws were just coming in then) and logging poles out with a horse team.  Moved up Bennette Creek for high school. Have lived in Eugene for 54 years.

Had given a lot of thought of doing an N scale of OP&E.  Would have to be a long one with lake on one side. 

[ricklawler]

Well what a small world!!  I grew up on the Lorane Hwy a couple miles outside of town.  The back edge  of our property goes over the top of the hill to the Bennett Ck side.  This past summer I logged 100 acres of our land and sold most of it to the CG Weyerhaeuser mill - no trains involved - just about 450 loads by truck.

Thanks for chatting, it's been fun.

Rick

[TRAINS1941]

Nice job.  And realistic to.

Jerry

[marc_reusser]

Simply splendid! Thanks for posting this.

Russ, are you seeing this?...can you say SBS article for Modelers Annual? Imagine a contemporary box car in your mag...heaven forbid!


Marc

[shropshire lad]

Simply splendid! Thanks for posting this.

Russ, are you seeing this?...can you say SBS article for Modelers Annual? Imagine a contemporary box car in your mag...heaven forbid!


Marc

Sorry , Marc , Russ couldn't possibly consider including an SBS of this rather fine model because it is not Colorado and not RGS .

  Nick

[finescalerr]

Wrong, Nick. It's not D&RGW. Haven't you noticed that Mal Ferrell has written about nothing but the Denver & Rio Grande for the past five years? He will continue doing so through September 2014 after which time I shall discontinue the Narrow Gauge Annual.

Now, about that boxcar, perhaps a Modelers' Annual ....

Russ

[Gordon Ferguson]

Well I don't mind where it is published , its great work  and would love to know more about it

[JohnTolcher]

Hi Rick
That does look like fun! Looking forward to an article also.

[azflyer2001]

Great looking car Rick. As a child that grew up in Medford, I got to ride the Blue Goose around 1980 for a birthday present. Thanks for the memories and for sharing your work. Hope to see more from you soon.

Travis
Tempe, AZ.

[Ray Dunakin]

Superb weathering/graffiti!