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Operations resumed

young37215

Entry posted by young37215

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Like buses, you wait for days for a post and then several turn up together! An enjoyable days operations resulted in the following pictures:

 

Tamper sits in the sidings at Garelochead as 8B05, the 14.55 Mossend to Oban passes
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37039 at Garelochead with 8B05
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37039 departs Garelochead
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Class 20’s sit idly at Mallaig Junction Yard awaiting their next turn of duty
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37085 at Ardlui with 7D12, 12.30 Corpach to Mossend
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37014 arrives at Ardlui with 7B20, 13.50 Mossend to Corpach
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37191 at Bridge of Orchy with 1T45, 12.45 Mallaig to Glasgow
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37264 arrives at Bridge of Orchy and passes 1T45
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37085 departs Garelochead with 7D12
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27105 arrives at Fort William with the ECS for the 16.30 to Mallaig
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20045 draws the ECS of the steam service out of the platform and back to the carriage sidings
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DCB

Serious jealousy creeping in.   My garden railway is Scotland 1987 ish, large logo 37/4 era as we have been to Scotland Ft William Inverness etc every year since 1987.

But one thing rankles, operation, are you running wrong road?   The West Highland loops were mostly laid with a straight road in and a curved road out to suit conventional left hand running. However with the coming of RETB s and spring points and the loss of signalboxes and semaphores the approaching train has to take the curved road so at the WHL stations I have observed the  they run right hand road,  It does not seem to apply on the Mallaig line (at Glenfinnan) .  I like the way you modelled the station at the Fort. But again all my photos show the steam train in the right hand platform.  I have never seen the departures but on arrival the steam engine runs round and takes the stock back to Mallaig Junction. It does not hang around as there is a service train due. Currently it is not unusual to see three trains in the two platforms. There always seems to be the sleeper stock in the siding nearest Morrisons though I never saw it in ETHEL days. Nothing happens for hours and then everything happens at once.  That is a feature of north scotland railways generally, bursts of activity with very long periods of inactivity between. 

I am fairly sure the K1 was green in Green Cream stock days, I remember 5MT George Stephenson as a regular but the most impressive performer was the 8F absolutely storming Glenfinnan summit a good 10 MPH faster than the slippery footed Black 5s which appear to be absolutely on their limits slipping on the climb from Glenfinnan even on dry rail.  Still I must bite the bullet and get my locos fitted with RC gear so I can get some running sessions in before the summer ends.

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young37215
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Hi David

 

I am glad that you like WHL3, it is has provided me with hours of trials and tribulations as well as a great deal of enjoyment. To clarify and put your mind to rest, there is no wrong way running on WHL3 because the semaphore signals still control the line. As you observe, wrong way running started with the advent of RETB.

 

I bought the green and cream coaches in a moment of exuberance on Ebay. They are the first incarnation of the two sets of Mk1's painted for the steam service and just about fit my period modelled. I will defer to those that know more than me about the steam services regarding the platform used at Fort William because I know little about them. In my mind I recall a video showing a departure from P2 but I cannot recall which video it is!  However I think that in the early days of the reinstated steam service the timings allowed more time for clearing the platform. I am away from home at present and so cannot check my WTT's to clarify but I will when I get home. Whilst WHL3 is a representation and not an absolute facsimile of the west highland line, I would not want to operate inaccurately. As for my dreams of a K1 in green, I am happy to admit this running in the 1980 and 1985 period is pure fantasy on my part because the K1 did not arrive on the line until 1987. Nevertheless, in the event that Hornby produce the K1 in green I will be in the queue for it.   

 

Thank you your kind words, good luck with your own modelling. 

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young37215
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OK

Back home and had a look in the 1984 wtt at the steam service. Return Fort William 15.24, next service train not until 17.20. This suggests minimal pressure to exit the platform. However no detail on which platform was scheduled.

 

Question therefore is was it always P1? I will raise the question

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HealeyMills

A great collection of locos.... and the ones I remember that frequented the line.

 

Keep going with this blog.... loving your work!!

 

Cheers

Lee

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young37215
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Finally I have managed to find a video with the steam service on P2 at Fort William although, admittedly, it is mid 90's. It is on Road to the Isles Part 1 and can be found at 1 hour 26:30 into the video.  

 

I am not sure how relevant this is anymore but I am glad to have scratched the itch that has been niggling away for several months!

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