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


young37215
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Hi,

not a geologist but having an interest in geology.  I would assume that the rocks in the area are a mix of tuffs, granite, gneiss and other igneous rocks.  If you look at the hills they are angular and have hard edges with a thin, if at all, covering of topsoil whereas in areas of sedimentary rocks the hills are more rounded and smooth and the topsoil can be thicker.  The vegetation also reflects the different rock types too.  Granite and similar areas are acidic and, as gardeners know, this is good for rhododendrons, heathers and conifers.  In damp and boggy area you get tussock grass and cotton grass.

 

Around Oban, where I lived for a while, most of the surrounding landscape granite etc with some basalt intrusions but there are one or two areas, the isle of Lismore in particular, where there is limestone, and the landscape is softer and the vegetation more lush due to the different soil type.

 

Roja

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Thanks Roja, that is helpful counsel. Most of the pictures and video I possess show hard, sharp edged rock faces which I suspect is a function of the underlying rock and the blasting that took place when the line was built.  What I need to do with all of the information is translate it into which of the choice of 15 Woodland Scenices moulds will best replicate the west highland rock.

 

It is challenging doing this from a catalogue or computer screen compared with seeing the moulds first hand. Facet Rock looks an obvious choice but I am less ceratin about what others from the range might work. At £10 a throw, I do'nt want to have to buy too many. I need to think about this before splashing out, it's a good reason to go and play my favourite DVD, Locomaster Profiles Heavy Metal, and see if I can get any more ideas from this.

 

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Whilst I haven't updated my own thread of late I have been hard at work on the scenery which includes  a few rock outcrops both home made and from woodland scenic moulds.  As Roja said and you have realised pictures show light greyish granite type rocks.  Most pictures these days seem to show even the steepest sides covered with greenery and trees.  How they actually hang on in there goodness only knows.  Photographs of the Extension and the ex Callander and Oban seem to show many more outcrops and cuttings.

 

Back to the point.  I wasn't going to photograph things and update my thread until much nearer completion - things look pretty crap at the moment - but if you want a couple of photographs of what comes out of the woodland scenic moulds that I have I could do some over the weekend.

 

 

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56 minutes ago, BoD said:

if you want a couple of photographs of what comes out of the woodland scenic moulds that I have I could do some over the weekend

 

Yes please along with the name of the moulds you use to create them. 

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An unusually low key modelling day yesterday although it looks like there will not be much else to do for the next few weeks! Good job that I have plenty of work to do...

 

37033 heads north from Crianlarich with the Alcan alumina hoppers

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As promised a couple of photos of the woodland scenic moulds.

Apologies for the rough and ready photographs... it's Sunday morning and there was rugby on tv yesterday. 

 

The photos on the woodland scenics site are quite informative too.

 

I have three of their moulds

 

Mould C1243 Base Rock 

 

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Mould 1234 Random Rock

 

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A selection from C1230 Outcroppings

 

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I did do some others too using the biscuit tin and creased tin foil method.

 

A couple of photos of some in situ.  They are, obviously still a work in progress with a long way to go which is why I haven't updated my own topic  yet.  

 

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Woodland scenics' plaster, or whatever they call it, is quite expensive so I used casting plaster which you can buy in larger quantities for much less from the usual ebay/amazon etc sources.

Edited by BoD
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I am currently operating WHL4 based upon the 1981 WTT with a few sneaky rule 1 extra services. After several weeks running I have managed to fine tune the WTT which requires a little late running for a couple of services to avoid bottlenecks in the fiddle yards. Otherwise the WTT works well providing several hours of running to complete a single day of services. Now that I am satisfied that WHL4 works and am awaiting delivery of rock moulds, my intention for the first week of lockdown is to upgrade the currently rather crude Mallaig section which will be lifted onto the workbench for major works.

 

As 37012 watches, 37026 is seen running around the 1610 Ex Mallaig to which the London bound sleeping cars are added before the train heads south.

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3 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

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Rob,

 

I'm no signalling engineer, but I've worked with enough of them to notice that the turnout in the lower-right is not providing the requisite 'flank protection' to the departing train. Just an observation ...

 

Ian

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22 hours ago, ISW said:

the lower-right is not providing the requisite 'flank protection' to the departing train

Ian, guilty as charged. The point is not motorised because I ran out of space on the local servo controllers. There is a hole drilled underneath it to add a servo if I get around to using a double/split cable which I think is possible so that two servos are driven by the same controller socket. It is down the priority list at present as I will need to give this some thought and do some research before attempting it.

 

Yesterday was a day of preparation for the Mallaig work. 37039 had charge of 8V80, 1605 Oban to Glasgow Sighthill seen as it passes through Garelochead

 

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3 hours ago, young37215 said:

The point is not motorised because I ran out of space on the local servo controllers. There is a hole drilled underneath it to add a servo if I get around to using a double/split cable which I think is possible so that two servos are driven by the same controller socket. It is down the priority list at present as I will need to give this some thought and do some research before attempting it.

Rob,

 

The thought had crossed my mind as well to control my single slips (and crossovers), where both servos operate in tandem, never singly:stop:. However, the thought of trying to get the servo operating limits set on the MegaPoints servo board such that the limits are suitable for BOTH servos, and getting the normal / reverse directions correct, gave me the heebie-geebies:scare:.

 

In the end, I decided to 'keep it simple stupid' and install servos on all point ends. That sort of explains why I ended up with a requirement for 53-servos on my Upper Level of the layout. Thankfully, the servos were cheap:good:, although I had to pay the price at the MegaPoints shop ...:negative: Tilting the balance in my favour is the fact that all the wiring stays simple and modular.

 

Ian

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21 hours ago, David Bell said:

These close up shots are really effective. You do feel like you are standing on the platform. 

 

Thanks David. My photographic abilities are limited and my 15 year old Olympus camera reflects this. I do'nt profess to be anything other than a copier of the various pictures I have of the WHL. Garelochead is one of the lesser photographed stations on the line which makes it even more challenging because I have to find angles and profiles that look right. Your positive feedback provides me reassurance that I am somewhere near achieving this. 

 

37022 arrives at Garelochead  heading for Oban. 

 

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I think the low level shots in particular are very effective. These recent ones of the 37 remind me of some photos I took in 1983 at Arrochar and Tarbert. It was the first time I had seen a 37 on the WHL. Sadly I dont have the photos anymore.

Keep thè photos coming!

Cheers

David

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Rob,

Your 15 year old camera and your photographic abilities do you proud Sir. Always enjoy seeing photos of WHL4 sometimes having to 'look twice' as very realistic. I'm sure there's a nice well illustrated book to be written about the construction of your layout. It's always nice to start the day with a 'fix' when checking out this thread. 

 

Andy

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37014 seen at Crianlarich with 7D20, 1520 Corpach to Sighthill which incudes empty vacum braked china clay wagons being returned south. The train was otherwise comprised of air braked wagons and so I assume that the vacum braked ones were added to the rear to make up a partially fitted train. I do the same for the loaded wagons on their northbound journey. Prior to the arrival of the PRA's I have found it hard to find pictures of china clay wagons on the WHL which makes it difficult to confirm that I am following prototypical operations. 

 

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I like the layout the viaduct and the rolling stock ,you were asking about the china clay wagons they did run for a while at the begining .They were hauled by the class 29,s and then 27,s  but did not last long the hoppers you have were used for quite  long time I have seen a picture of a really old wagon with high wooden sides painted white.I can recomend two books  by John McGregor  The West Highland line Amberley Publishing and The West Highlwnd Railway 120 yrs again by Amberley .Both are excellent with pics and a good narrative  and in the first book on page 41 there is an excellent detailed picture of Fillan viaduct which will give you a good idea for detail.I bought my books from Amazon .Hope this helps.  Chris

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With respect Rob, the empties would be just that, empty with the tarpaulin folded up inside. I'm sure that I've seen an odd picture of them and definitely they appear near the start of one DVD behind a 37 at Crianlarich and in another at Mallaig Jnc Yard but can't remember which (possibly one of Roger Siviter's.) If you can bear with me to the w/end I'll try and find out where I've seen them. 

There's also a sample 'train' listed in one the train formations publications.

 

There are more photos available of them in transit to the WHL, particularly on such as the Settle & Carlisle line. There is one such photo in Aug 2020 S&C Journal  of 10  wagons, such as yours, heading North in June 1979.

 

Regards,

Ian.

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Courtesy of Rail Express Modeller - Train Formation Handbook -

 

37 021 (BR Blue) + OWV x18    Cadder - Corpach.   06/81.

 

 

(Information only, no photo.....and I can see from an RM Web search that you already are aware of this train :mocking_mini: .)

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8 hours ago, BoD said:

I’m trying to get my head round backscenes.  May I ask, Rob, did you paint yours first, last, or as you were going?

 

It's an early start so I'll begin with the easy questions first. My very simple backscene currently only appears in the Crianlarich area and was very much an afterthought once I had built the section scenery. It is rudimentary but effective comprising 3 different coloured emulsion paints. I intend adding further areas of backscene in the coming weeks, again these are likely to be the last thing that I do on a section. There is no good reason why I work this way, I suspect on a better planned layout the backscene would get dealt with at an earlier stage. The width of my baseboards is 800mm maximum which means it is easy enough to cover the scenery and reach over to paint at whatever stage I choose to do it.

 

37051 heads the northbound sleeper into Crianlarich showing the backscene and the home signal which have been restored to full working order.  

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Edited by young37215
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Morning Rob,

 

I haven't found the Crianlarich DVD footage yet but the Mallaig Jnc Yard shots are on Train Crazy - BR Remembered 4  - ( Class 37s in Scotland part one.)

 

20 mins in at the start of the Freight section, 37 190 collects 12 full wooden bodied clay wagons (+ a tube and a pipe wagon) and heads past the camera for Corpach. Several more full clay wagons remain in one of the loops. (Very good clear early 80's footage.)

 

Regards,

Ian.

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On 05/11/2020 at 21:13, 03060 said:

I'm sure that I've seen an odd picture of them and definitely they appear near the start of one DVD behind a 37 at Crianlarich and in another at Mallaig Jnc Yard but can't remember which (possibly one of Roger Siviter's.) If you can bear with me to the w/end I'll try and find out where I've seen them. 

 

Interesting thoughts Ian, you gave me the excuse to spend several hours watching dvd's yesterday on the hope of finding an example of a train with vacum braked OWA china clays wagons. I failed to find anything but thoroughly enjoyed watching some of the historic material. I will be chuffed if you can find an example whether in film or picture.

 

My interest in checking how the OWA's were marshalled stems from the fact that both they and my PRA's are the most derailment prone wagons. I think it is because both are relatively light and so in an effort to further reduce my low level of derailments, I have added 10 grams of lead to each OWA.  The weight has been seated on blue tack on the floor of the wagon conveniently hidden by the tarpaulins which has improved running considerably. I ran a typical length train with the OWA's on the rear around the loop yesterday at full speed for several minutes with no derailing. It means that the tarpaulins will remain in place to hide the weight in both directions of travel but I can live with the anomaly. All that I want now is to find out how to remove the PRA body from its chassis so that I can add weight to them. I have queried how to do this on the PRA thread but have yet to find a solution.

 

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After several days of preparation for its upgrade, Mallaig will probably get lifted today. On the to do list is a revised platform with walls being made from 15mm strips of plasticard with a 2mm square plastic rod painted in concrete and then heavily weathered. 

 

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