Train Sketching

Today was the annual model railroad show at the Ogden Union Station.  I'm not a model railroader but I have been a model builder so I appreciate all kinds of scale modeling and this is the biggest model railroad show of the year in Utah so I often attend it.  This show is also a sketching opportunity. Ogden Union Station is a museum and there are a lot locomotives, cabooses and railroad cars on display all around the property.  I didn't know if I would get the chance to sketch today though, the weather forecast did not look good.  Thankfully the weatherman was wrong and we had a very nice day, the only time I was uncomfortable was when a breeze kicked up while the sun was behind a cloud.

I  decided to use pen and watercolor today. First I sketched the end of this old gondola;

My biggest challenge today was the clouds, they often blocked the sun at the worst times and I'd have to wait until the sun came back to see the light/shadow patterns.



This is the back end of a fairly modern diesel locomotive.  I really enjoyed making these close up sketches rather than try to fit the whole thing on a small piece of paper.  I took lots of close up photos as well, maybe I'll make some small paintings following this theme.