Kinlochmore – West Highland, 4mm P4

[Kylestrome]

 

Introducing my 4mm scale layout, featuring a fictitious West Highland station vaguely reminiscent of those on the Mallaig line. It has just received some basic ‘green stuff’ and there is plenty of detailing still to be done.

 

Kinlochmore is meant to be the penultimate stop on a branch from Fort William to Kinlochleven. Apart from the Kinlochleven aluminium smelter, I have invented a small whisky distillery, giving the reason excuse to run some grain hopper wagons. I have assumed that, at some time in the late sixties, there was a massive rock fall which caused the line to the terminus to be permanently closed. Now the station at Kinlochmore acts as the passenger terminus, with a bus connection to Kinlochleven and Ballachulish, and the line beyond the station has become a long siding to the local industries. By a wonderful stretch of the imagination, the whisky company’s own private loco is allowed running rights as far as the station to pick up or leave wagons to and from the distillery.

 

The main period modelled is some time around 1968/69 which allows the odd loco in green to appear as well as a variety of older freight wagons. A later period (approximately 1985) can also be operated with air-braked wagons, Class 37s and a regular steam-hauled service. As you might be able to tell by now, this layout provides me the opportunity to run just about anything I like with the absolute minimum of justification! 

 

The track standard on this layout is what I call PP4 (Pragmatic P4) which is P4 without the hair shirt. Instead of trying to “get it all right”, as the Scalefour Society advertising goes, I attempt to get most of it right even though some of it is quite definitely wrong.

 

I hate long, wordy posts so here, with no further ado, are some recent photos.

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Jub45565]

Awesome!

 

For 'a bit of green stuff' it's an impressive start. I think the colour blend of the backscene is very good, some bits the image doesn't quite match but I'm sure there is plenty that can be done to blend them together.

 

I look forward to seeing it develop!

[outcastjack]

I really like this, the back scenes are superbly blended

[Guest Q663389]

Wow !.

[phixer64]

Like the look of this, excellent modelling.

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Regards Jeff

[Neil Watson]

Lovely start and well done, I shall look forward to seeing this progress. Can I ask where did you get the backscene?

[Kylestrome]

On 26/12/2017 at 21:02, Jub45565 said:

Awesome!

 

For 'a bit of green stuff' it's an impressive start. I think the colour blend of the backscene is very good, some bits the image doesn't quite match but I'm sure there is plenty that can be done to blend them together.

 

Thanks for the kind comment.

 

For the green stuff it's still early days. This layout has been far too long in the building and I'm really pleased to have finally got past the scorched earth stage (base coat of burnt umber). There are still plenty of bushy things to add as well as more trees, weeds, and general weathering.

 

David

Edited March 3, 2020 by Kylestrome

[andy stroud]

Layout looks beautiful, so is the weathering on the wagons and bridge.

[Griffin Road]

Spectacular start . I look forward to seeing more .

 

Mike b

[Kylestrome]

On 26/12/2017 at 22:07, Neil Watson said:

Lovely start and well done, I shall look forward to seeing this progress. Can I ask where did you get the backscene?

 

Thank you. The backscene is my own concoction and is base on a couple of digital images I made in County Mayo, of all places. It actually only consists of two photographic elements (see photo below) that have been copied mirrored, stretched and otherwise b*ggered about with in Photoshop. The whole thing was then backed by a nice atmospheric sky, printed out by an internet printer on an extremely large piece of paper (3.5 metres long!) and laminated.

 

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Ben Alder]

 

 

 

"The track standard on this layout is what I call PP4 (Pragmatic P4) which is P4 without the hair shirt. Instead of trying to “get it all right”, as the Scalefour Society advertising goes, I attempt to get most of it right even though some of it is quite definitely wrong.

 

I hate long, wordy posts so here, with no further ado, are some recent photos."

 

Spectacular stuff, and look forward to seeing more. Please, be wordy about this and go over your work in detail for us; this sort of thing is what the forum really is for, and it is refreshing to see such a well put together layout make its appearance. Could you elaborate on your PP4 as well please.

[46444]

Great modelling David. This is coming together nicely and look forwards to seeing more as the scenics develop further.  Will also be interesting to see some detailed accounts on the loco roster and rolling stock side of things.

 

Will follow with interest..

 

Thanks,

 

Mark

[Kylestrome]

On 26/12/2017 at 23:10, 46444 said:

Great modelling David. This is coming together nicely and look forwards to seeing more as the scenics develop further.  Will also be interesting to see some detailed accounts on the loco roster and rolling stock side of things.

 

Thanks. I'm also rather looking forward to getting more scenery done. This being my first 'scenic' layout, I'm just making it up as I go . So far I have found that you can read as many books on the subject as you like, but you still have to try things out yourself to see what works and what doesn't.

 

As for locos and rolling stock here are a few bits and pieces that I've already posted:

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/index.php?/topic/106053-bachmannhornby-rat-sandwich/page-1

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/index.php?/topic/107181-Hornby-class-29-–-ex-works/

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/index.php?/topic/118922-kylestrome’s-4mm-workbench-–-a-load-for-a-bogie-bolster-c/

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[McRuss]

Hello David,

 

your layout is looking very good. May I aks if the cottage above the station is scratchbuilt or a kit?

 

Markus

[Kylestrome]

On 26/12/2017 at 23:05, Ben Alder said:

 

Could you elaborate on your PP4 as well please.

 

Basically, my approach is to do things as simply as possible and with the minimum of extra work. I don't want to start a debate here on the merits, or otherwise, of P4 but many modellers have gained the impression that it is hard to do and only for the real engineers and technicians. While it might be true that for a big layout like Mostyn you will need all the rolling stock to be sprung or compensated, I have found that for a small, slow speed  'shunting plank', like my layout, you can really get away with all kinds of mechanical sins. 

 

At the start I made two short wheelbase wagons, one compensated and the other sprung. The compensated one stayed on the track and bangs its wheels over rail joints just like an uncompensated wagon. The sprung wagon stayed on the track and was very quiet. I next tried an RTR wagon just with replacement wheel sets (with just a little bit of slack from rounding off the pin-points). It stayed on the track just as well as the other two wagons. So the only benefit I could establish was that I could make everything run quietly. I have sound decoders in my locos so that cancels out that advantage. My philosophy now, if I may use such a grand word, is to only spring the long wheelbase wagons and the rest just get replacement wheels. I also make sure that all wagons have roughly 25 grams weight per axle.

 

With locos it's even simpler – they just get new wheels, and maybe a few washers to reduce side play, and that's it. No beating myself up because everything is not sprung or technically 'perfect', and it works. 

 

David

Edited March 3, 2020 by Kylestrome

[Kylestrome]

On 27/12/2017 at 09:43, McRuss said:

your layout is looking very good. May I aks if the cottage above the station is scratchbuilt or a kit?

 

Scratchbuilt using Wills 'Limewashed Stone' sheets and Kibri corrugated iron for the roof.

 

David

Edited March 3, 2020 by Kylestrome

[ullypug]

Very nice indeed. I especially like the colour and weathering on the layout and stock.

Is the layout portable?

[danstercivicman]

Very nice!

[KDG]

Delightful

[bcnPete]

Great stuff David - am guilty of asking a few times to see this on your work bench threads and it’s been well worth the wait

 

Was hoping to see your terrific 25/1 hauling the BR Blue Mk l’s too

 

Do you have a track plan or Google Earth type shot to see the overall layout?

[BoD]

What a charming little layout.

As others have said the back scene is very effective.

[Kylestrome]

On 27/12/2017 at 09:51, ullypug said:

Very nice indeed. I especially like the colour and weathering on the layout and stock.

Is the layout portable?

 

The layout is more or less permanently installed on a bookshelf/cupboard unit, in what used to be my office and is now my railway room and workshop. One of the advantages of having been self employed is that I didn't need any 'planning permission' for the railway room, it just  kind of evolved into one! 

 

David

Edited March 3, 2020 by Kylestrome

[Kylestrome]

On 27/12/2017 at 11:48, bcnPete said:

Do you have a track plan or Google Earth type shot to see the overall layout?

 

I took one or two photos when the layout was under construction. It's frightening to note that I started building it in 2001 and these photos were taken in 2004. You can see where I made changes to the track layout.

 

The second photo shows one reason why the layout is not very portable. The main construction is from 10mm Birch multiple ply plywood, 100mm deep at the sides to accommodate Tortoise point motors. At an early stage I decided to damp the sound a bit with some 20mm MDF boards screwed and glued on top. These boards are heavy! 

 

David

Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome

[scottystitch]

I think this is a fantastic layout. What strikes me is that it is so minimalist; no clutter in the yard and the grass and track work is so "well kept".

 

Lovely stuff, very inspirational.

Edited December 27, 2017 by scottystitch

[Daddyman]

Super! Until now I've never seen WHL buildings that get the "look" right. The weathering on the overbridge is absolutely stunning (and the wagons and platform face are pretty good too). 

 

But sorry, the matt finish on the loco is just wrong - but maybe your weathering will bring it to life.