Perthshireman

Thanks for that. Now I know which one to buy. I rather doubt that I’ll be able to achieve results up to your standards, but I’ll give it a try. I just look forward to your next update. James.

Stunning as always! I was looking at the Affinity software, and I see that it is now on version two, and there look to be three different versions, Designer, Photo and Publisher. I’m not sure if all three come as one package, or are purchased separately. If the latter, can I ask which one you use? James

Hi Dave, I've had a quick look through my records, and the mineral traffic for Kelvinbridge in 1909 shows that just under 71,000 tons were delivered to the station, while 1,711 were sent out. As I was concentrating on the Glasgow Central Railway, I don't have the figures for L&D stations such as Partick, but I would think that the figure would be come thing similar. It would certainly add up to quite a lot of wagon loads. For or the year ending 1899/1900, the number of wagons (waggons, as shown in the original document), delivered to Springfield & Mavisbank, Queens Dock, and Princes Dock were 98,406 or 346.90 daily. I suspect that the vast majority of them would have originated from the coal fields to the east of Glasgow, but it might justify you building a fair few extra coal carrying wagons! Perthshireman

What a wonderful layout! I have only just discovered your blog, and thoroughly enjoyed catching up with it. I have often thought that Kelvinbridge would make an excellent prototype for a layout. Tunnels at both ends, and the sort of intensive train service that many models of rural branch lines seem to enjoy! As part of my undergraduate studies, I wrote a dissertation about the history of The Glasgow Central Railway, and have often wondered whether it could be expanded into a book. I doubt that it would interest many people, and I'm a lazy so-and-so, so I very much doubt that it will happen. Whilst at uni, my girlfriend (now wife) and I had a flat in Kensington Gate, and we often used to walk the old GCR lines, particularly around Maryhill. Happy days! As you say, there was a large amount of coal for domestic consumption handled at the various (above ground) stations. Though I haven't seen any photographic evidence, one very elderly chap that I made contact with assured me that during the summer months, as the coal was stockpile in readiness for winter, the piles were whitewashed in order to prevent, or at least show, any pilferage. He also said the he remembered, during WW1, the Royal train being berthed in the tunnel between Kelvinbridge and Botanic Gardens, with soldiers posted at each end in order to protect King George. The Royal Train running through Partick - that would be something different! As a point of interest, how big is your layout? I am almost tempted to divert my modelling interests from the Southern Railway to the Caley! Keep up the superb work, Xavier Onassis

Really delighted to see that Dock Green will survive, and I'm sure that the new owner will have many happy hours playing with it! Quite why it didn't occur to me that had it been heading for the skip, you would have retrieved whatever you could from it. Perhaps a senior moment? Anyway, like so many others I look forward to following progress on whatever you do next. Thanks for all the enjoyment following DG.

I would love to buy this layout, but sadly finances wouldn't allow it as things stand just now. Surely you aren't serious about such a work of art ending up in a skip? If you really are thinking of doing so, just let me know when, and where, the skip is, and I'll make the journey down from Scotland! Mind you, if you post the details on RM Web, I suspect that there would be the most almighty rush to the skip site. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts over the past few months, and look forward to whatever you plan for the future.

Hmmm, All these views, but no answers! A little worrying, don't you think?

Hurry on back - we are all missing you!

Does anyone know what has happened to this range of kits? They seem to have disappeared, as when I Google them, nothing is showing. The only connection seems now to be with Terry Russell, but his site doesn't show the range that was available until recently.

Don't forget that like most (all?) Scottish pre-group companies, the Caley used interlaced sleepers on its point work.....

What about "Me and Jane in a Plane" as an appropriate soundtrack to the photographs? How on earth you manage some of the modelling is quite beyond me. I tried 2mm stuff about thirty years ago - the eyes worked well enough, but being very hamfisted proved my downfall! Thanks for one of the most original and most entertaining threads that I have ever read. Ian