Invernevis based on Fort William in N Gauge

[pH]

Is that the works staff in the background of those pictures?

 

Seriously, lovely modelling. A bit later than I knew Fort William - various times between 1962 and 1974.

[DCB]

That layout brings back memories of Scotland circa 1987.   37 418 was Inverness based and I am fairly sure I remember it on the "Orcadian" made up of those green/ cream Mk2s.. The West Highland had a Green / Cream Mk 1 set and a bit for the Steam to Mallaig.   I missed the 25/26/27 s except the grey liveried 26's  as the West Highland was 37/4s and the Highland 47s south of Inverness and 37s both 37/4 and non eth 37/0s north.

 

There were no two 47s alike by then, few had matching cabs at both ends, one  Charles Rennie Mackintosh, had a blue stripe crudely painted over the red stripe of Inter city livery so badly that the red showed through.

 

However what jars about the model is the lack of activity.  Today circa 5pm  Ft William had a 6 coach sleeper in the siding, a 156 at one platform and 2 X 156 at the other.  one 156 departed, a 73 appeared and pulled the sleeper stock, 2 X day cars and 4 X sleepers into the vacated platform.   The 2nd steam train was still en route from Mallaig so there were a lot of trains using the four available roads.  Operation is of the nothing happens for hours then all hell breaks loose variety.  In both post and pre 1975 full size Fort William, two trains Mallaig Glasgow and Glasgow Mallaig crossing in the old station was common, the first I believe went down the quay pre 1975 and was trapped in by the second which was too long for the platform, both needed replacement locos from the shed, 3 Glasgow passenger trains and 4 Mallaig seemed to be about the summer norm plus excursions but they all turned up together.

 

As I said brings back memories as did revisiting Fort William this afternoon and chasing 44871 to Glenfinnan.

[rob D2]

Surely the trans rail, EWS early era would look great.

37s of all colours, 2 freight trains a day, trip workings to compact and the smelter etc...

[David41283]

I visited the Plymouth Show yesterday and was very impressed with your layout.

 

Several questions for you -

1. Did you use Peco platform edging?

2. Which paints did you use to weather the platform edging and by what method?

3. Which paints did you use for weathering the rails and sleepers?

 

Many thanks

Mark

 

Hello,

 

Glad you liked it!

 

Yes - they are Peco concrete platform edges, although I reduced their height by a good couple of mm by cutting off the base at the bottom of each section. I built the platform off the layout, not in situ. I sprayed it Halfords grey primer. The edges were painted Railmatch concrete, and the tops a mix of loads of different greys and browns, everything was then washed with various thinned dark greys. I think the main colour on the surface may even be "executive dark grey" - the colour for the top half of intercity coaches.

 

The rails and sleepers were painted with a mix of Railmatch sleeper grime and Phoenix weathered wood and a bit of Railmatch dark rust, plus other colours splodged on too!

 

Cheers

 

David 

[David41283]

Hi everyone,

 

Just a couple of phone pics from the Plymouth show on Saturday. We had a great day at the exhibition and the layout performed well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next exhibition for Invernevis (and now the only confirmed booking in the diary) is a small show just outside Plymouth at Yealmpton on 13th October.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

 

 

[grahame]

Hi everyone,

 

Just a couple of phone pics from the Plymouth show on Saturday. We had a great day at the exhibition and the layout performed well. 

 

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The next exhibition for Invernevis (and now the only confirmed booking in the diary) is a small show just outside Plymouth at Yealmpton on 13th October.

 

Cheers

 

David

Plymouth, that's a long way from Scotland!

 

A nice, neat, compact layout. I'm impressed you managed to get the BRUTEs finished, assuming they're the etched kits. I found them a real fiddly ordeal and made quite a mess of them.

 

G

[David41283]

Hi everyone,

 

Long time, no posts..

 

Yesterday saw our 5th exhibition outing with Invernevis, at a small show organised by Plymouth model shop Chris' Crafts and Model Railways (from where I purchased most of the parts of the layout.) The show was only a few minutes from home in the village of Yealmpton just outside of Plymouth.

 

The layout performed really well, and we had loads of nice conversations with interested people - in the way it was built, the water effects and surprisingly many who had visited the real station in Fort William before it was demolished.

 

Here are a couple of photos from the show, with my eldest son in the driving seat.

 

 

 

Netx update should be the completion of a Clayton kit which I'm working on.

 

Cheers

 

David

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David41283]

Plymouth, that's a long way from Scotland!

 

A nice, neat, compact layout. I'm impressed you managed to get the BRUTEs finished, assuming they're the etched kits. I found them a real fiddly ordeal and made quite a mess of them.

 

G

 

Hi Grahame,

 

Sorry for 4 month delay!

 

I found the BRUTES really fiddly too. In the end I just folded and soldered up the main body and used sections of round plastic rod to represent the wheels.

 

David

[GWRPhil]

Any updates on the layout recently?

[David41283]

Any updates on the layout recently?

 

Hello everyone,

 

No, no updates at all really!

 

Since the layouts 5th exhibition in October it has returned to it's home in the corner of the study.

 

I have been working on a Parkwood Models Clayton kit, but this has stalled as I haven't found the appropriate combination of spare time and good weather recently to get out in the garden with the Dremel to mill down the Kato chassis to fit. Noisy and messy modelling activities are hard to arrange when your usual hobby window is in the study while the kids are in bed!

 

I have written and submitted the copy for an article about Invernevis in Railway Modeller magazine, but the photos are yet to arrange. There may be some time before the article appears as there have been a lot of small N guage layouts and several scottish layouts recently published.

 

I don't actually have any more exhibitions booked at the moment. I have completed the paperwork for TINGS 2019, but I suspect the cost of getting me and a helper up to Leamington for 3 days from Plymouth may be an issue.

 

If any exhibition managers are reading this feel free to get in touch!

 

Thanks

 

David

[danstercivicman]

Just out of interest (fantastic layout btw), how did locos/engines run round their stock for shunting?

 

We’re there some off scene loops and or carriage sidings?

[David41283]

Just out of interest (fantastic layout btw), how did locos/engines run round their stock for shunting?

We’re there some off scene loops and or carriage sidings?

Hello,

 

At the old station there were no run round facilities, but there was a small loco shed just outside the station. From my reasearch it looks like when a train had arrived another loco ran down from the stabling point and dropped onto the back of the train. (Class 21/29 then class 27) It wasn’t unusual for all the plaforms to be in use at once. There are photos of class 20s being used as a pilot. When this station was closed in 1975, the new station was built with a run round loop on platform 2. This is the station which is still in use today.

 

There were no carriage sidings, the long siding along the dockside was used to store spare carriages, as were the shorter bay platforms. When we exhibit we recreate the sleeper arriving, the day coaches continuing onto Mallaig and the sleepers being shunted into platform 2 for cleaning ready for the two halves of the train to be reunited at the end of the day for the return journey to Glasgow and London.

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

David

[David41283]

Hello everyone,

 

Time to resurrect this thread. We've had the layout out over the last few days, the first time in a quite a few months. Everything worked nicely, although I suspect a spider has set up home in the station building. I have also been experimenting with the settings on my phone camera, and I think I managed some better photos as a result. Here are some pics from today.

 

 Class 27 drifts past the signal box as it approaches the station.

After uncoupling the 27 pulls forward along the loch-side past the station building.

The station pilot drops onto the back of the train to remove the fuel tank and to release the loco.

 

Class 24/1 on a mixed train on the quayside.

A full length view of the train.

Class 37/4 awaits its departure time.

And heads out of the station, heading for Glasgow.

Class 26 waits for it's next duty in the loading dock.

Intercity Scotrail 47 backs down onto it's train.

 

Cheers

 

David

[Pacific231G]

Hi David

Really good to see your layout again  ( I have an H0 layout that I really ought to bring out and play with) 

 

I have a very major soft spot for the old Fort William Station, the first place where I enjoyed watching diesels at work in the 1960s, and my copy of John McGregors' "All Stations to Mallaig" is particularly well thumbed. I think you've captured the atmosphere of it wonderfully.

One question, given that I'm looking seriously at Minories, (which is arguably just a double track version of Ft. William)   and looking at Invernevis has inspired me to progress that, how do you find operating Invernevis in terms of sustained interest?

Re Dan's query from two years ago, something I do find interesting about the old terminus is that there had been a loco releasing crossover between the two "bay" platforms. It was still in thesignalling diagram from 1955 but I'm pretty sure it had been removed well before I saw the station so certainly by your period. Apprently, once the Mallaig extension had opened, it was very rarely used as the Fort became a reversing terminus for most train (after a certain amount of shunting to add or remove vehicles) with a new loco taking over.  

[David41283]

12 hours ago, Pacific231G said:

how do you find operating Invernevis in terms of sustained interest?

 

I guess this is really subjective, but it keeps me entertained for a whole day at exhibitions, and it will hold the attention of my 9 year old for about an hour.

 

I am not usually someone who enjoys operating a layout for its own sake, hence why the layout stays put away for so many months at a time, but rather I take enjoyment from recreating realistic formations and operations, but everyone is different. If you usually enjoy a really complex layout then you may find this limited, but for me this has the right balance of realism vs interest to keep me occupied.

 

Having the 6 road fiddle yard is a huge help, as you can have plenty of trains ready to bring in.  I also think it would be even better in 00 as your options for hands-free shunting are that much greater than in 2mm.

 

[Pacific231G]

1 hour ago, David41283 said:

 

I guess this is really subjective, but it keeps me entertained for a whole day at exhibitions, and it will hold the attention of my 9 year old for about an hour.

 

I am not usually someone who enjoys operating a layout for its own sake, hence why the layout stays put away for so many months at a time, but rather I take enjoyment from recreating realistic formations and operations, but everyone is different. If you usually enjoy a really complex layout then you may find this limited, but for me this has the right balance of realism vs interest to keep me occupied.

 

Having the 6 road fiddle yard is a huge help, as you can have plenty of trains ready to bring in.  I also think it would be even better in 00 as your options for hands-free shunting are that much greater than in 2mm.

 

Thanks David

I'm not a fan of really complex layouts.- Minories with a goods yard is probably about as complex as I'd care to go- My current H0 layout has just five points and is great fun to operate for about an hour but it's restricted to very short trains giving me no chance to operate Pacifics and Wagon Lits etc.

How closely are your formations and operations based on the former Ft. William?  

Edited January 4, 2021 by Pacific231G

[David41283]

1 hour ago, Pacific231G said:

How closely are your formations and operations based on the former Ft. William?

 

My formations are broadly prototypical of interesting trains from across the WHL and the far north lines. I go for trains which look right for Scotland around 1980ish, but it's pretty broad.

 

My usual set up is 4 prototypical rakes of 3 coaches, with close couplings in the middle and magnetic couplings only on the outer ends. All the coaches have been renumbered using a 1980 coaching stock pocket book from ebay. I then have various individual NPCC, vans and additional coaches to add or remove to/from these rakes in the station. I would also have a mixed freight - very cliche scottish layout - timber, vans, grain, fuel and a train of parcels vans to fill my 6 fiddle yard roads. The freight and parcels trains then rotate with the vehicles added to the passenger trains which adds interest. There a plenty of photos of WHL trains with vans, fuel tanks and even open wagons on the rear which I recreate. The longest train I run is 5 coaches, most are 4 which looks about right for many photos of the period. 

 

I use a class 20 as the station pilot, of which there is plenty of photographic evidence.

 

So overall, I feel my formations are a fairly good representation of the trains of the era, without being completely accurate.

 

 

[Neils WRX]

On 04/01/2021 at 15:32, David41283 said:

 

My formations are broadly prototypical of interesting trains from across the WHL and the far north lines. I go for trains which look right for Scotland around 1980ish, but it's pretty broad.

 

My usual set up is 4 prototypical rakes of 3 coaches, with close couplings in the middle and magnetic couplings only on the outer ends. All the coaches have been renumbered using a 1980 coaching stock pocket book from ebay. I then have various individual NPCC, vans and additional coaches to add or remove to/from these rakes in the station. I would also have a mixed freight - very cliche scottish layout - timber, vans, grain, fuel and a train of parcels vans to fill my 6 fiddle yard roads. The freight and parcels trains then rotate with the vehicles added to the passenger trains which adds interest. There a plenty of photos of WHL trains with vans, fuel tanks and even open wagons on the rear which I recreate. The longest train I run is 5 coaches, most are 4 which looks about right for many photos of the period. 

 

I use a class 20 as the station pilot, of which there is plenty of photographic evidence.

 

So overall, I feel my formations are a fairly good representation of the trains of the era, without being completely accurate.

 

 

 

Must be honest from what I remember and what I've seen in books the formations look spot on !!

 

Stay safe,

 

Neil

 

 

[Signaller69]

Hi David,

Very nice to see photos of your layout again, looking super as always. I particularly like the Class 24/1, long a favourite of mine.

 

Martyn.

Edited January 9, 2021 by Signaller69

[David41283]

During the first lockdown, I built a very small layout, all basic set track. This now means I've got a quick and easy test track to play with when we can't leave the house.

 

I have quite a lot of stock which rarely gets used on Invernevis, so this seemed like a good opportunity to give it all a run and hopefully get some more trains into a condition where they can be used more frequently on the layout.

My new Clayton had a good run-in. I added some of the most visible bufferbeam pipes. Unfortunately with the unusual coupling mount, I just couldn't figure out a way to attach the mini-ploughs and the coupler.

I thought about sticking these two EWS Seacows on eBay, they were some of the first items I attempted to weather when I started out in n gauge 10 years ago. With the imminent arrival of the EFE mermaids and sharks I think I will respray them into very rusty olive green in the coming weeks.

I just can't get these kit-built OTAs to run well enough, and with the plaster loads they weigh a ton. They look great, but remain in storage.

I do want to run a timber train, so I made some loads for my rake of OBAs which is probably more appropriate for the late 70's/early 80's anyway. Very simple, just chopped up cocktail sticks on a plastic base, but once painted to look like pine trunks, I reckon they will look the part.

This Tamper seems to have real issues, the drive shaft just isn't moving the wheels. It remains in the reserves box waiting further investigation.

I finally got round to sticking some cars down onto one of my Motorail flats. They just need a waft of matt varnish to take the shine off now.

The Eastfield celebrity 26's arrived via eBay a couple of years ago, only a day or so before an exhibition, so I weathered them in a bit of a rush. I was pleasantly surprised today that I actually didn't do too bad a job. They had a good run as they're relatively lightly used.

It all ended up a bit crowded with stock during my testing session!

 

A useful few hours.

 

David 

[03060]

Hello David,

 

Just out of interest, what size is the new layout, please ?

 

I think small layouts like this certainly have there merits in the hobby and can be good for both beginners to start out with or more experienced modellers, like yourself, where maybe some new techniques can be tried out before committing them to the 'main' layout or as in your case just for running in stock and dare I say....fun !   I still always find the Settrack planbooks interesting and this certainly beats my 'bare baseboard oval' test track.

 

One final question, please, but relating to Invernevis - what width does the station area with it's 4 tracks and platforms take up ? Your original plans were looking at a 12" baseboard width but did this include the couple of inches for the Loch ? I'm wanting to replicate the newer 1975 Fort William station trackplan and reckon that I can fit it onto a 9 or 10" baseboard (4 tracks and a single double sided platform, no Loch.) Just wondered what the reality is.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Edited January 31, 2021 by 03060
More waffle added.

[David41283]

Here is an aerial view of the "lockdown train set":

 

It is only 2ft x 3ft, there are no electrics to speak of and the points are manual. I built it purely as I wanted to build something over the summer and I thought it may be fun to build something like a traditional train set, but trying to make it a bit more interesting. I scratch built the lower goods shed and the fuelling point, everything else is kit-bashed from things I already had in the cupboard.

However, not having properly thought things through, much of my stock is set up for Invernevis and has close coupling with knuckle couplers, which really don't like settrack points.

 

[David41283]

Regards the width of Invernevis station, 

The loch is more than 2" wide on the right, and there is more than 1" space behind the station wall on the left. The whole thing is only 12" wide so the station area comfortably fits in 9" width, while appearing surprisingly spacious.

[David41283]

I finished my timber loads for my OBAs.

For a quick idea using cocktail sticks, I reckon these have turned out pretty well.

Edited February 1, 2021 by David41283

[03060]

Excellent views of both layouts, David, thankyou very much for the replies.  

Regarding the 1975 Fort William plan I was fairly confident that it would fit into 9" or 10" having roughly laid out the points but just wanted to double check before I start cutting any more wood. I want it as narrow as reasonably possible  as it will be sitting over my workbench with a fiddle yard behind it, so that 2" or 3" narrower could be a big help.

 

Regards,

Ian.