The Glenbreagha Light Railway

[Gypsy]

A lot of people seem to have come up with some pretty elaborate backstories to justify their application of Rule One. This is mine, honed over many months prowling the web and walking the dog. I hope it gives a flavour of what I'm planning. I've also posted it on NGRM...

 

The Glenbreagha Light Railway is a private estate railway somewhere in the west of Scotland. Construction began in 1922, in part as a philanthropic venture to provide work for unemployed former soldiers in the aftermath of the Great War. The Laird and his younger brother had served in one of the Highland Regiments, both surviving the horrors of the Western Front. The Laird however had been gassed at Hulluch in 1916 meaning he was no longer fit to tramp the hills. He therefore saw the railway as an ideal way to provide access to the Brae Frithe moor for himself and his shooting parties.

 

The Laird died of pneumonia during the hard winter of 1927, a consequence of having been gassed, or so the family believed. This meant that his younger brother, still a regular army officer, inherited the estate and the Glenbreagha Light Railway becoming the New Laird while serving on the North West Frontier, in Imperial India. His eventual return home coincided with the Great Depression of 1929 and so, having resigned his commission he set about finding what work he could for the estate workers and some of his former soldiers. This led to the expansion of the Glenbreagha Light Railway into the network we see today, extending the line to the dock at Inverbreagha to bring the local lobster, langoustines, and scallops to the mainline and so to markets as far a field as Newhaven in Leith and Billingsgate in London. An exchange siding with the tiny Uisge Naomh distillery was also constructed although the family never owned the distillery. The Laird’s military background and his employment of several of his former soldiers – not least the redoubtable Quartermaster 'Knuckles' Nixon and RSM 'Mac' MacLeary (the General Manager and Station Master at Glenbreagha respectively) – have ensured that the railway’s standards have not slipped in the same way the rest of the country seems to have done during the ‘Swinging 60s’!

 

The new Laird is now in the process of handing the day-to-day management of the estate to the Young Laird, ‘Red’ Rory. The Young Laird was something of a feckless youth preferring the bright lights of the city to the hills and glens. Nonetheless, he too joined the army, leaving Sandhurst just before the outbreak of the Last War. Unlike his father, called back up to lead one of the Territorial battalions in France and eventually escaping from Dunkirk, he did little but train. Bored, he tried to join the RAF during the Battle of Britain on the basis of a private pilots licence gained at university but some old duffer at the War Office blocked the transfer. Bumping into Lord Lovat, an old family friend, he talked his way into the commandos and was away training before the old duffer could stop him. Apart from a brief stint at instructing at the commando school at Achnacarry he spent the rest of the war running about causing chaos behind enemy lines. Rory’s taste for adventure means he careers around in a Jaguar sports car when not flying his RAF-surplus Miles Magister. Although the commando school has passed to the Royal Marines – and moved to Devon in 1960 – the Young Laird still invites commando snipers and Mountain Leaders up to practice their stalking and help with annual deer cull. When not on the hill they are usually to be found drinking with the ghillies and fishermen in the Creel Inn at Inverbreagha, well away from the officers staying up at the Big House.

[Gypsy]

This is going to be modular for several reasons - not least because I don't have the space to work on the whole of what I want.

 

The first board will just have the engine shed on a spur off the main line down the glen.

 

A couple of test pieces for colour and size.... The lime render and hose both need some work and there will be some light weathering despite Knuckles' ever present beady eye! The coal needs replacing too - anyone any suggestions for the best product for a more realistic paint/look?

 

The shed itself will be scratch built (with a few bits nicked from cannibalised second hand kits) but I've paused to work on the inspection and ash pits.

 

[RedGemAlchemist]

Welcome to the world of freelance independent railways, Gypsy! Glad to have you aboard! (I assume, this is the first interaction I've ever had with you.)

You looking at standard gauge or narrow? Just curious as to what to expect loco wise.

Edited July 23, 2018 by RedGemAlchemist

[Gypsy]

Narrow - I've got one of the new Bachmann Baldwins but I want to try a couple of kits when I feel brave enough!

[RedGemAlchemist]

Narrow - I've got one of the new Bachmann Baldwins but I want to try a couple of kits when I feel brave enough!

Nice. Narrow gauge locos always look good... though I am slightly disappointed at the now conspicuous lack of Caley 812s.

[sulzer27jd]

The railway of the beautiful glen. Nice, although as a place name, I think Inverbreagha works less well, as brèagha is an adjective.

 

's math a rinn thu.

 

Iain

[Gypsy]

Thanks Iain, Gaelic is not one of my languages unfortunately! I clearly need another name for the burn and its mouth What would you suggest instead?!

Edited July 23, 2018 by Gypsy