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West Highland Line V4, a 1980's West Highland Line layout


young37215
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  • RMweb Gold

In the early 1980’s Cornish china clay was delivered to the Wiggins Teape paper mill at Corpach by rail. From 1984 this was delivered in PRA wagons, prior to this ancient 5 plank, wooden bodied 10’ OWV wagons were used. For WHL4 I have 4 of the excellent Kernow PRA’s which I intend keeping in pristine, as new condition. I am currently attempting to create a rake of 4 OWV’s which will be at the other end of the spectrum being heavily dilapidated and filthy dirty. Following comment on

I bought a triple pack of Hornby 5 plank wagons and changed the spoked wheels for 3 hole disc ones. The wagons have been weathered using Railmatch frame dirt and weathered black colours as a base and an off white aerosol china clay top coat. All that remains is for me to decide on construction the tarpaulins used to cover the china clay.

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Pristine PRA's are a contrast

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Rob,

 

I reckon we could prepare an overlay for you panels and once we get the drawing correct we could print it, laminate it and stick it over the current panel.  It would be worth a try.

 

Doug

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  • RMweb Gold

Fort William continues to be the focus of my attention. It’s taking longer than I had hoped but that’s nothing new. Yesterday I got to the stage where I was happy to secure the main platform in place. The gaps in the ballast were filled in and my usual dilute PVA water mix was dribbled on. This morning all seems well so I continued with the backscene and now have one of two panels completed.

 

The platform lights all worked prior to the platform being glued in place. The lights have'nt been secured in place yet hence they are not straight. 

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The services platform has been painted and ballasted

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The main platform ballasted in position

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The platform canopies were placed for testing, they will be secured later.

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An end board has been added and part painted to mimic the station building. This will get finished off once the paint is dry. 

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The staff car park that adjoins the platform is under construction.

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Edited by young37215
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On 02/07/2020 at 15:35, young37215 said:

Fort William continues to be the focus of my attention. It’s taking longer than I had hoped but that’s nothing new. Yesterday I got to the stage where I was happy to secure the main platform in place. The gaps in the ballast were filled in and my usual dilute PVA water mix was dribbled on. This morning all seems well so I continued with the backscene and now have one of two panels completed.

 

The platform lights all worked prior to the platform being glued in place. The lights have'nt been secured in place yet hence they are not straight. 

 

The services platform has been painted and ballasted

 

The main platform ballasted in position

586111056_020720021.JPG.3739119d3c9268a73ca77c3c5622c26a.JPG

The platform canopies were placed for testing, they will be secured later.

 

An end board has been added and part painted to mimic the station building. This will get finished off once the paint is dry. 

 

The staff car park that adjoins the platform is under construction.

 

 

Rob,

 

Have you made this station 'removable' from the layout, or is this its final position? If it's removable, then I'm impressed that you can manhandle such an, apparently, long baseboard.

 

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  • RMweb Gold
10 hours ago, ISW said:

Have you made this station 'removable' from the layout, or is this its final position? If it's removable, then I'm impressed that you can manhandle such an, apparently, long baseboard.

 

Short answer is yes, the 2.7m long, 300mm wide section is removable as are the other two sections on the upper level of Mallaig and Mallaig Junction fiddle yard which are of similar lengths. This is of necessity so that I can access both sides of the baseboards to work of them. I dont envisage any of them being moved on a regular basis but I know that I can access them in need should a problem arise. The boards are 12mm chipboard with 30mm deep, 12mm wide batton screwed along each side so as to provide stability. The upper level is elevated above the main baseboard by the use of 100mm high pieces of wood placed at a 90 degree angle onto which the baseboards sit. 

58BCDE3E-FA93-4884-8430-F11D3B524B9D.jpeg.eaa73a5316cebb6b5285bf71d975ae8a.jpeg

 

When I lifted Fort William it was not overly heavy, more awkward and by lifting at the mid points it was farly easy to make the short transfer and 180 degree turn to the work bench. I dont think that the scenic work will have added so much as to dramatically increase the weight. Worst case is I shall have to enlist a friend to help me return the baseboard to its position on the layout. Hopefully I shall get to the stage of finding the answer later next week.

 

 

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2 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

Short answer is yes, the 2.7m long, 300mm wide section is removable as are the other two sections on the upper level of Mallaig and Mallaig Junction fiddle yard which are of similar lengths. This is of necessity so that I can access both sides of the baseboards to work of them. I dont envisage any of them being moved on a regular basis but I know that I can access them in need should a problem arise. The boards are 12mm chipboard with 30mm deep, 12mm wide batton screwed along each side so as to provide stability. The upper level is elevated above the main baseboard by the use of 100mm high pieces of wood placed at a 90 degree angle onto which the baseboards sit. 

58BCDE3E-FA93-4884-8430-F11D3B524B9D.jpeg.eaa73a5316cebb6b5285bf71d975ae8a.jpeg

 

When I lifted Fort William it was not overly heavy, more awkward and by lifting at the mid points it was farly easy to make the short transfer and 180 degree turn to the work bench. I dont think that the scenic work will have added so much as to dramatically increase the weight. Worst case is I shall have to enlist a friend to help me return the baseboard to its position on the layout. Hopefully I shall get to the stage of finding the answer later next week.

 

 

Rob,

 

Pleased to hear you are not encountering any problems with removable baseboards. As you know, my layout is 'all' removable baseboards so I hope it all goes as well as your experience.

 

I found that it's not the actual lifting / weight of the baseboards, it's more about the 'reach' you need to hold it in the air and lower it into position. That's when your arms start to hurt:angry:.

 

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  • RMweb Gold
21 hours ago, ISW said:

I found that it's not the actual lifting / weight of the baseboards, it's more about the 'reach' you need to hold it in the air and lower it into position. That's when your arms start to hurt:angry:.

 

Agree, now we know how a crane feels! Fortunately the arm extension and reach required for my upper levels is modest hence I have not yet had any problems in moving boards.

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2 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

Agree, now we know how a crane feels! Fortunately the arm extension and reach required for my upper levels is modest hence I have not yet had any problems in moving boards.

Rob,

 

I'm sure my baseboards are heavier than yours as they are much wider:cry:, and that also leads to a larger 'reach' requirement. I hope I've overcome this issue by making the baseboard supports such that the baseboards can be 'slid' into position, thus reducing the 'reach' issue. I'll find out in the next few days ...:this:

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Currently working on the station throat at Fort William. The ground behind the station rises up and is usually overgrown. It’s a bit of a faff as I want to leave space at the rear of the baseboard for a hidden siding that will extend from Mallaig Junction fiddle yard. The ground elevation should ensure the siding is largely hidden, it just adds to the tweaking to make it look right and work.

B6035325-7789-4D38-9DD2-B7F07E217095.jpeg.26a05a7d55f91c3098923448dd6caef9.jpeg

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The station canopy will also get an extension in the middle of about 100mm.

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  • RMweb Gold

With the glue having set on the polystyrene used to create an embankment, I was able to Sculptamold the area. Once this dried it was painted and I fitted the retaining walls that separate the land from the railway. I am waiting for an order of ballast to arrive so that I can finish the area and secure the trunking. I placed a few trees to get a feel for how the area will look. 

 

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2 hours ago, young37215 said:

With the glue having set on the polystyrene used to create an embankment, I was able to Sculptamold the area. Once this dried it was painted and I fitted the retaining walls that separate the land from the railway. I am waiting for an order of ballast to arrive so that I can finish the area and secure the trunking. I placed a few trees to get a feel for how the area will look. 

 

*snip*

Rob,

 

I have a stash of polystyrene sheets that came from packing of cabinets and beds, so I'd be interested to know which glue you use on the polystyrene.

 

Also, any reason for using Sculpamold over the 'newspapers and PVA glue' method? In my imagination the latter would be considerably cheaper.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Hi Ian

 

Despite WHL4 having most of the polystyrene it will need already on it, my garage is still full of offcuts saved for the 'I'll use it one day' event! I use PVA to glue polystyrene and find it very effective at doing the job.

 

I am a recent convert to Sculptamold having seen Mr Everard Junction use it. I have just finished the 3lb first bag that I bought 18 months ago for about £10 which has done all of Crianlarich, Garelochead and the small amount used on Fort William. It is easy to mix up and simple to use when skimming over, filling and shaping the polystyrene base I typically construct. Having discovered Sculptamold, I would not think of using anything else for this sort of work. Try it out for yourself; I buy mine through Amazon although it is out of stock at present.

 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Ballast supplies arrived today allowing me to complete the station throat. The various concrete walls were weathered, the new ballast will get weathered once the glue has dried. 

 

A blend of Woodland Scenics materials was added to the scrub area on a bed of dilute PVA. I will add the trees once the station is back on the layout. One of the two backscene boards has been completed with the block of terraced houses painted.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

The second backscene board was painted and put back today. The new ballast has been weathered which is as much as I intend doing for now. Additional detail will be added over time with the station back on the layout. Tomorrow I will find out how much weight I have added when I return the board to the layout. 

 

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Edited by young37215
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22 minutes ago, young37215 said:

The second backscene board was painted and put back today. The new ballast has been weathered which is as much as I intend doing for now. Additional detail will be added over time with the station back on the layout. Tomorrow I will find out how much weight I have added when I return the board to the layout. 

 

*snip*

 

Rob,

 

Surely some polystyrene and ballast weathering can't add much weight. You'll find out how heavy that Scuplamold is though.

 

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  • RMweb Gold

I managed to return the Fort William baseboard to the layout earlier today. All in all it was very straightforward, the weight change was minimal and the only challenge arises from the fact the baseboard is only marginally shorter than the width of the loft. A couple of trees on the Crianlarich side needed resiting after being knocked over by trailing wires but otherwise it ony took a minute or two to complete. Once all of the wiring was re- connected, 37033 did a quick test run and everything worked as it should. The only adjustment required appears to be the guage on platform 1 which is rather tight although it should not take long to file off a mm or two.

 

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1 hour ago, young37215 said:

I managed to return the Fort William baseboard to the layout earlier today. All in all it was very straightforward, the weight change was minimal and the only challenge arises from the fact the baseboard is only marginally shorter than the width of the loft. A couple of trees on the Crianlarich side needed resiting after being knocked over by trailing wires but otherwise it ony took a minute or two to complete. Once all of the wiring was re- connected, 37033 did a quick test run and everything worked as it should. The only adjustment required appears to be the guage on platform 1 which is rather tight although it should not take long to file off a mm or two.

 

*snip*

Rob,

 

Spinning that baseboard around must have been fun. I guess you didn't have to take it out of the loft; that really would have been quite an effort. Nice loft by the way. My loft has a maximum height of ~4ft, so that was never an option.

 

What are you using for the wiring connectors, chocolate blocks or something more exotic?

 

Form your descriptions I'm assuming that the station platform / building(s) are attached to the baseboard. What are the advantages, as I was planning to make such things 'removable'.

 

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  • RMweb Gold
19 hours ago, ISW said:

What are you using for the wiring connectors, chocolate blocks or something more exotic?

Chocolate blocks, I do'nt do sophisticated or exotic when it comes to electrics!

19 hours ago, ISW said:

Form your descriptions I'm assuming that the station platform / building(s) are attached to the baseboard. What are the advantages, as I was planning to make such things 'removable'.

 

I find gluing the stations in place with ballast means that they stay where I put them thus avoiding them moving and causing collisions with trains and potential derailments. Making them removable is a layer of complexity I do'nt need, worst case for me would be having to disturb the ballast to remove the station should the need arise. 

 

 

A few pictures of glued and ballasted Crianlarich station where I used some surplus thinned paint from the Fort William project as a wash to weather the platform walls. It is a lot more effort to do this in situ compared with doing this on the workbench. Another point learned for future reference...

1069770753_120720018.JPG.0447c06de7cfd49a290668e8d69eb2bb.JPG

1791953365_120720017.JPG.8e365ab8b645b362bd66d74474ed2811.JPG

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2068636297_120720020.JPG.b1cb1be1fdf537eae6213223409d4083.JPG

 

 

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5 hours ago, young37215 said:

*snip*

 

A few pictures of glued and ballasted Crianlarich station where I used some surplus thinned paint from the Fort William project as a wash to weather the platform walls. It is a lot more effort to do this in situ compared with doing this on the workbench. Another point learned for future reference...

 

1791953365_120720017.JPG.8e365ab8b645b362bd66d74474ed2811.JPG

 

 

Rob,

 

Nice weathering on the platform edge. It sure does make a huge difference. It does, however, make the station building look a little 'too' clean. Is that going to get the same attention?

 

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  • RMweb Gold
17 hours ago, ISW said:

It does, however, make the station building look a little 'too' clean. Is that going to get the same attention?

 

A fair question but I am not sure that weathering is actually necessary as the vast majority of pictures I have seen show the building freshly painted as in the 1983 shot below. What the picture does highlight is the number of posters that were attached to it which I have not managed to replicate yet. For the time being I intend leaving the building prisitine although, as with most things, nothing is set in stone.

 

Crianlarich Station . Jul'83.

 

At Fort William I am trying to resolve the usual conundrum of both wanting more sidings and the maximum space to increase the scenic area leading away from the station. Trains leaving Fort William station run over a short 750mm baseboard before entering the Mallaig Junction fiddle yard. The board is 300mm wide and I think I can get 3 sidings off of the fiddle yard plus a small scenic section to divide the sidings from the running line.

 

The sidings will create operational flexibility with freight wagons where I want to avoid the situation of immedeately returning the wagons of an inbound train on the next one southbound. Even with a shunt to change their order in the consist, sending the wagons back south straight away again feels wrong. I think I have got the balance right, I just need to run some trains to test out how it works in practice.

 

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1166524784_120720049.JPG.98659c616366c760e2ecd8ad4b360954.JPG

 

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4 hours ago, young37215 said:

*snip*

 

At Fort William I am trying to resolve the usual conundrum of both wanting more sidings and the maximum space to increase the scenic area leading away from the station. Trains leaving Fort William station run over a short 750mm baseboard before entering the Mallaig Junction fiddle yard. The board is 300mm wide and I think I can get 3 sidings off of the fiddle yard plus a small scenic section to divide the sidings from the running line.

 

*snip*

 

168761224_120720051.JPG.d958c3f65731f79b816fa8a7e05dfcbf.JPG

 

*snip*

Rob,

 

Hopefully you can wangle a suitable scenic break that 'hides' the sidings sufficiently. Some nice tall trees for example?

 

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  • RMweb Gold

Managed to run a few trains today, 37033 and 37264 we’re captured at Fort William with 033 on the ECS of the green and cream steam set whilst 264 awaits departure with the 1630 to Mallaig 

 

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  • RMweb Gold

The Hornby 5 plank china clay wagons have had tarpaulins added. These have been fabricated from toilet paper and PVA which dries quickly in the warm. As yet they have not been painted although I am not sure if this is necessary. Another little job on the outstanding list completed.

 

08CEC915-D37D-4161-A35E-38E825E3BC50.jpeg.9e64f1fc4180f7c7c9487b67d86d4c31.jpeg83293537-D7CE-4AA2-AF58-4CA8EFCE2810.jpeg.3e8710b626bbbc35541f9fa23776e2bc.jpeg

E49495F9-75CC-44DB-9B30-2D90D1BD7418.jpeg.8020ba8495c9d1bcb89a2de5e3976fc5.jpeg

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Rob,

 

I was doing some sorting / filing of old postcards from the 1970s and came across the attached. Thought it might be of interest regarding coaching stock formations. The photo is of Class 24 5116 on an Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh service in 1973. The formation looks to be SO+CK+BSK+BG+SO.

31072020162949.jpg.ee41543c0699308720dd53565fb3fdc0.jpg

Edited by ISW
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