thegreenhowards

Thanks ‘GWR57xx’, I appreciate the thought and effort which must have gone into that post. I intend to use a much bigger central bearing like this one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcing-map-Aluminum-Turntable-Dining-Table/dp/B0CDT8DG6S/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=38LSB3H9M7VXG&keywords=last%2Bsusan%2Bswivel%2Bbase&qid=1707752141&sprefix=Last%2Bsusan%2Caps%2C249&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1 It claims to take 200 KG, so even if I filled the turntable with nothing but Heljan 37s, I’d only use half its capacity! Yes, you’re right about the 15 degrees and symmetrical nature of the turntable. The support underneath would just be in line with the turntable rather than right round. G&H do not recommend rollers. They suggest instead that the layers fit closely and are polished (beeswax?) for low friction movement. I’m slightly sceptical about this, but will probably follow their advice. A physical stop at the end is definitely required. Not least because DCC sound fitted locos have lots of momentum. I’ll ask G&H to engineer one in. Andy

I’ve now broken the back of the eastern station throat board. It’s difficult to know exactly what level of undergrowth I should be aiming at, as every photo I find is a bit different. I suspect there was less tree growth back in the ‘80s than there is now, but there was still some. Although more recent, this gives an idea of what I am aiming at. And although the gorse wasn’t in bloom here, this is more in era. A few days ago, my board was just plain grass. I’ve added a lot of weeds/ undergrowth and trees, plus a fence and some sheep. Not sure about the sheep, but they illustrate the point of the cattle creep. I’ve also laid my first stretch of point rodding. This is the Wills OO product, which everyone says is over scale for OO. So I thought I’d try it in O gauge. To my untrained eye it looks OK. But it was very fiddly, so before I do any more, I’d welcome other peoples thoughts on it. Andy

Thanks for the photo. It always gives me a buzz to see something I built running round PN.

I only have a basic sketch at the moment, with a full drawing promised in the next week. But from that it looks like he’s proposing a c.100mm deep framed ply baseboard for the turntable deck. I’m sure I could add some weight in the centre to move the centre of gravity if necessary.

I’ve never built or operated one either. I just think that they’re a very neat solution which avoids handling stock. I have seen 8’ turntables on O gauge exhibition layouts like Kensington Addison Road and they seem to work well. I think that inevitably all the trains will point the same way at some point. They should all face the layout to start with. One then runs through the contents of the turntables with all the locos ending at the outside ends. Then the turntables are rotated and one starts again.

You may well be right Rob. I probably am being greedy. I plan to run it as a through the ages sequence starting in the early ‘50s with a V4 and Thompsons …moving through green diesels. ..and ending with 37/4s in the late ‘80s. I should really stop with RETB in Dec 1987 but I like triple grey livery so I may push it a bit. I seem to have about 16 trains at the moment….but I keep buying more! Unlike your layout on the WHL proper, there aren’t really enough trains on the extension to maintain interest for a full day’s operation if I stick rigidly to one year. The alternatives would be to concentrate on either 50/60s or 70/80s for any particular exhibition or to incorporate some form of cassette system into the turntable. One also has to leave a spare road on the turntable so that trains from one end have somewhere to go. So a 4 Road turntable would mean 7 trains in total. Andy

Meanwhile I’ve been ‘weedifying’ another board.

That’s the big issue Ian and I’m nervous about it, but the guy at Grainge and Hodder thinks it will be OK. Each Heljan diesel can weigh up to 3KG so I could have 21KG hanging off the end. The plan is to use a large lazy Susan (24” diameter) in the middle. And of course, the coaches aren’t light so will balance the weight a bit. If the engineers amongst you think that’s impractical, please shout now! Andy

Changing the subject completely, I have been thinking about how the layout will operate when exhibited. In the garden it plugs into a circuit, but for exhibition use, I'll need a fiddle yard or two. I've been talking to Grainge and Hodder about their turntable baseboards. They have been very helpful and have drawn up bespoke design for a2400mm (8 foot) turntable with 7 tracks as shown below. I would need two of these which would fit onto my layout as shown below. I think this will work well. It gives a total layout size of 11.3m x 5m, but this could be a corner plot of 11.3m X 3M and 5m x 3m. I'd be grateful for any thoughts on the practicality of this and any other ideas. Andy

Thanks Rob, A great video which I don’t think I’ve seen before. It’s useful confirmation that the Glenfinnan platform seats were painted the darker of the two green colours. And the waiting shelter had been touched up in a particularly bilious version of the lighter green which looks distinctly yellow. I also noted how yellow the gorse looked. That makes me comfortable with my rather bright wax crayon shavings to represent the gorse on my layout. Andy

Mmm, I might have to add that to the shopping list!

Useful shots. Thanks for sharing. I’m just tackling the vegetation and fence shown in the third shot, so very timely. Andy

You were obviously in the posh seats! I was in the bashers coach on the end. I’ve now had a photo through from my friend with confirmation that it was top and tail in both directions. The train was well off the platform at Mallaig. It couldn’t wait in the station as a sprinter was due and our train blocked the whole station, so it went out to Arisaig where the sprinter passed westbound and returned eastbound. The stock then went back into Mallaig for the return journey. So no elaborate shunting at Mallaig on this train. Andy

I’m afraid I’m in agreement with NHN, the V2 is perfect is every respect. D16s are quite cute and 4-4-0s in general are more interesting than 4-6-0s, but they look a bit ‘fuddy duddy’ to me. The V2 looks well proportioned, purposeful and graceful. The best locos….. until Deltic came along!

I was on the Pathfinder tour in April 2016 with 37610 and 409. Unfortunately I didn’t do the stretch outward from Fort William to Mallaig as I decided that wasn’t a good use of a day. Instead I got the morning sprinter to Glenfinnan and climbed the two Munros behind the Glenfinnan viaduct. I then caught the evening sprinter to Arisaig where the tour and my friends were waiting to run back to Mallaig, and then Mallaig to Fort William. The tour had to vacate the platform at Mallaig for a service train. By that stage the tour was in top and tail formation. 37619 led back into Mallaig and then 409 took the whole formation back to Fort William. Here’s a photo of the train at Arisaig waiting to go back to Mallaig. I’ll see if my friends have any pictures of the run round at Mallaig. Andy

I presume that with longer trains the front loco came off shortly before arrival at Mallaig. And was then used for shunt releasing the other loco. That’s just a guess based on what happens elsewhere, so if anyone knows for sure I’d be interested. Andy

Thanks Ian, It’s clear that ‘blue is the colour’! But I haven’t seen that circular design before. I was intending to go for the more conventional design in John’s post earlier. Andy

Hi Stuart, That fits with my understanding. I think two six coach trains can pass at Glenfinnan, but anything longer won’t fit in the loop. I also understood that the run round at Mallaig would only take six, but I can’t remember where I read that. The Jacobite now runs to seven coaches so presumably the run round has been lengthened. Would pilot engines have come off at Glenfinnan? I’d have thought that they would work through from Mallaig to Fort William. It would be an interesting thing to include on the layout sequence if it did happen. Regards Andy

Like this you mean? In case the resolution is too poor to let you see, the coach numbers are in line with your list: 4643 4243 9312 (the transfer seems to have fallen off the side you can see - another one for the to do list!) 4050 I have a fifth TSO, but that won’t fit on the viaduct which is the only part of my railway which ‘over-winters’. From your description of the livery, I should probably darken the rooves. They are due some weathering anyway. Andy

To be honest Andy, when I posted that question, I was hoping that you or Rob would leap straight in with, ‘this is what I used’! I hadn’t heard of the Rainbow Railways colours but thanks for steering me away from them. I’m glad it’s been a a useful debate for more than just me. Thanks again Stuart for your input. Andy

Six coaches would take it past the platform starter, but not as far as blocking the loop the other way. Two six coach trains can pass at Glenfinnan…just. I'm modelling 1985 for my West Highlander - the first year of the green and cream Mk1s. It looked red in the black and white photos, but I’ve now found colour ones on Google which suggest blue would be correct for 1985. Should have done my homework more diligently. Thanks! Andy

Pleased to be of ‘service’!

Thanks, The darker green there looks quite washed out. Two other interesting points I noted were how far forward the Black 5 stopped at Glenfinnan. Well past the home signal. And the colour of the West Highlander headboard, which has a blue background. I was about to order one from Narrow Planet with a red background. Now I need to do some more research! Andy

Thanks Stuart, That’s a very useful summary. The Tamiya yellow green looks spot on, but I’m not convinced by the Tamiya park green. It doesn’t look ‘blue’ enough. But that maybe the effect of weathering. As for the station seats being black, that may have been the case for the NBR, but they look green to me in the 1980s photos. Any more views? Andy

I’m loosely working on a late spring (May-ish) timeframe with Rhododendron and goose in bloom. I suspect that’s too early for the crocosmia, but so be it! Anyway on that basis I think I can get away with raspberry and brambles looking very similar. I may add some tiny white flowers for the blossom. Andy