Tigh Charrann - The History and Track Plan
Entry posted by wollastonblue
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Right then, firstly a huge thanks to Andy and the team for this superb new forum. 
Secondly, a big thank you to those who proffered advice, and suggestions on my previous Layout post "Norton St. Georges".
Right then, down to brass tacks.
Tigh Charran.
The name Tigh Charrann comes from a house we stop at during Hogmanay in Lochcarron, and thought (and hope) this layout would be a fitting tribute to the hospitality we receive up there.
The History:
Tigh Charrann is a large village situated on the banks of Loch Torridon, and is famous for it's Loch Torridon prawns. In order to get the catch to market a railway built from Achnasheen as a branch from the Kyle of Lochalsh line. In order to get the prawns to market in peak condition, a locomotive shed was built in order for the locos to be ready early in the morning for the run to Inverness with the catch. A station was also built to allow the villagers a direct access to Inverness. The local timber merchants also saw the benefits of using the railway so two sidings were attached to the layout, so that the local timber could be transported to Inverness, and then onto the world.
After seeing the railway, the Laird of Shieldaig was eager to get in on the act, and has a branch line built to Shieldaig, where his estate saw traffic mainly from Shooting and Fishing parties. So a bay siding was added to the station. Life continued serenly until the 1950s when the fish traffic declined, but a local oil distributor saw the opportunity of utilising the sidings and set up an oil loading facility on the old fish van sidings. By some remote miracle Dr Beeching over looked the branch line, and traffic still continues to the day. Although the diesel depot has gone.
The Layout.
Tigh Charrann is set in the mid 1980's when the traffic was still quite heavy for such a branch line. Stock consists (or will consist of) numerous 37s, 24s, 25s, 26s, 27s and a 101 for the Shieldaig branch. Buildings are mainly Hornby/Bachmann RTP. The track is PECO code 100, and of course DCC sound will feature.
To date the baseboards have been built, the track laid, some electric work, mostly from it's previous incarnation, and soon ballasting will begin.
Photos will follow later. Any comments or critisism is most welcome.
Cheers for now.
Track Plan:
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