West Highland Line V4

[mallaig1983 426]

On 06/01/2021 at 09:49, 03060 said:

 

I hope that steel is not for building that monstrosity of a bridge across the white sands of Morar bay !!

 

 

 

Also there was considerable work being done to Mallaig harbour at this time, rebuilding parts of what was there already and the construction of a new outer harbour wall so this probably accounted for much of the traffic although I'm sure a significant amount would of come in by ship. Noted on DTV's film 'Class 37 Tribute vol1" there is a BDA sat in the siding at Mallaig station.

Andy

[young37215 3,225]

The signals at Garelochead were working by the end of the day. As ever ironing out the bugs and fine tuning them took time but I got there in the end. Everything feels such hard work at present with short, damp dark days and a hermits existence; oh for the light and warmth of the sun. I hope to find the energy and enthusiasm to crack on with the Garelochead South scenic section today. 

 

A few trains ran in between the S&T work, 37012 arrives at Crianlarich with 1T32, 1226 Oban to Glasgow. 

 

[young37215 3,225]

An hour or so of enjoyable running but no work on the layout yesterday because my new laptop arrived and I spent the day setting it up. My 10 year old, Windows 7 laptop will be moved to the loft for possible use with the layout. The most notable thing on the new laptop so far is a considerable improvement in the picture quality which meant I spent quite a while trawling through my old pictures of the layout. 

 

37012 arrives at Garelochead where the eagle eyed will notice the missing signals at the northern end of the station. These were on the workbench at the time of the photographs.

 

[young37215 3,225]

Yesterday was all about running trains where I ran most of a days WTT and made a start on cleaning carriage wheels in between trains. 37039 had charge of the daily Oban to Glasgow freight which passes the reverse working headed by 37014 at Crianlarich where crews change over to return to their home depots. Wagons are picked up and set down at Crianlarich as required.   

 

[03060 380]

31 minutes ago, young37215 said:

Wagons are picked up and set down at Crianlarich as required.   

 

 

Now that could get complicated if both trains had wagons to shunt, would one train be held outside of the station whilst the other completed it's work ?

[young37215 3,225]

On 10/01/2021 at 08:13, 03060 said:

 

Now that could get complicated if both trains had wagons to shunt, would one train be held outside of the station whilst the other completed it's work ?

 

I have no idea is the short answer although the suggestion makes sense. There was a 40 minute pathing stop at Crianlarich so it was not as if there was any need for great urgency and I doubt that wagons were dropped off of both trains very often. I have seen pictures of trains dividing south of the station allowing the wagons for Crianlarich marshalled to the front of the consist to be dropped off before the loco returns to the remaining wagons. On WHL 4 northbound wagons for intermediate stations are marshalled to the rear of the consist. On arrival at their destination the loco detaches, runs around and shunts the wagons to the siding. The loco then returns to the train and departs on its journey; 37014 is seen doing this after 37039 has departed south. 

 

 

[young37215 3,225]

37033 seen at Mallaig depositing TTA's from 2B12 1630 from Fort William into the oil siding and then returning to head the 2B18, 1855 return working to Fort William. The shunt required for a load 4 train with TTA's on WHL4 is more complicated because the length of the train exceeds that of the run round loop. The train has to reverse onto the main line where it leaves the TTA's, return to the platform and run round in the usual manner. The coaches are then shunted to platform 2 before the TTA's are collected, returned to the platform where a second run round is performed. Only then can the TTA's be shunted to the oil siding. 

 

 

 

[mallaig1983 426]

This kind of move is what has fascinated me about Mallaig since I first saw a series of photographs of it in 83. Your photos this morning are just oozing atmosphere. It's a move that so far I have been unable to replicate myself as I'm using Kaydee couplings and the NEM pocket on the Bachmann TTAs sit to high and won't couple to my locos. Modification is on the 'to do' list. I have however had lots of fun with the observation saloon. A move which if done at prototypical speed takes 15 minutes, obviously time has to be allowed for the second man/shunter to operate the groundframe, rejoin the loco to catch a lift down the loop, unlock and the operate the signal box etc. 

Lovely photos and thanks for posting.

 

Andy

[young37215 3,225]

Cleaning of coach wheels continues. It is a thankless task compounded by the fact that I never paid enough attention to this in the past which means the condition of several wheels sets are thick with rubbish that requires clearing with a blade. So far I have gone through about 50 cotton buds and half a dozen rags which have all been consigned to the bin in a filthy state and I am only half way through the fleet. At least breaking up the work with running deflects attention from the tedious, mundane task.

 

37 081 with 1T45, 1245 Mallaig to Glasgow is seen at Garelochead

 

 

[ISW 767]

2 hours ago, young37215 said:

Cleaning of coach wheels continues. It is a thankless task compounded by the fact that I never paid enough attention to this in the past which means the condition of several wheels sets are thick with rubbish that requires clearing with a blade. So far I have gone through about 50 cotton buds and half a dozen rags which have all been consigned to the bin in a filthy state and I am only half way through the fleet.

Rob,

 

If it's really bad I tend to use a 'dremel' with a nylon wire brush attachment. That gets the bulk off quite quickly. Then a quick wipe with IPA on a cotton bud.

 

Ian

[young37215 3,225]

21 hours ago, ISW said:

If it's really bad I tend to use a 'dremel' with a nylon wire brush attachment.

 

An excellent idea, I have a cheap and cheerful multi tool to which I attached a fine wire brush attachment. This made short work of the crud and meant that by the end of yesterday I had cleaned all coach wheels and remarshalled the rakes. I have been working on the 1985 WTT which I intend running next; whilst the number of services does not change much there are some notable changes. First class was withdrawn and Glasgow trains all terminated at Fort William. These will remain 4 coaches with a further two rakes of 3 coaches providing Fort William to Mallaig services. The sleeper service became air conditioned Mk 3 sleeping cars and Mk2 D/E coaches with an ETHEL supplying the ETH.

 

27041 had a brief outing with the return of an observation salon seen arriving at Crianlarich from Oban. This will be the last train for a while because my new ESU Cab Control system arrived yesterday to replace my Guagemaster Prodigy. Having disconnected the Prodigy my initial efforts to get the Cab Control connected and working hit an obstacle meaning I am without power at present.

 

 

 

 

[young37215 3,225]

A frustrating day attempting to get the Cab Control system to work eventually ended in failure. For some as yet unidentifiable reason the CC will not apply power to the track despite everything appearing to work as it should. All most irritating and disappointing, I was so optimistic that CC would be a step forward. Hopefully I can get some answers from ESU as to what I am doing wrong but for now it is back to the Prodigy. 

 

In the end having re-attached the Prodigy I commenced running the 1985 WTT for the first time. Only by running the timetable do I find anomalies that mean the WTT does'nt work on WHL4 such as trains that cross at Glen Douglas. I do'nt have a Glen Douglas which means one of the trains has to run late so that it crosses at Garelochead or Arrochar. Not a big deal but one that you only learn through running. 37026 with 1S07, the overnight sleeper from Euston is the first movement of the working day and is seen at Garelochead.

 

 

 

[mallaig1983 426]

Sorry to hear you’re having a frustrating time with the new control Rob. I noticed a very brief clip popped up on YouTube. Hopefully ESU can give you the answer and it’s only something minor. 
 

more great pics again  this morning though.

[young37215 3,225]

After a day spent trying to work out what was causing the Cab Control system to short, a fellow RMWebber advised of a known issue in the US which others had solved by increasing the variable track voltage output. In a matter of seconds this solved the problem and I was able to move a loco up and down a piece of test track. Hopefully today I will get the CC running WHL4.

 

The second train movement of the day for the 1985 WTT is the first Mallaig departure 2Y52, the 0650 to Fort William seen with 37051 and its load of 3 coaches leaving Mallaig. The crooked lamp post is determined not to stand straight, it has been glued several times but still manages to break free!

 

 

[03060 380]

On 07/01/2021 at 10:43, mallaig1983 said:

 Noted on DTV's film 'Class 37 Tribute vol1" there is a BDA sat in the siding at Mallaig station.

Andy

 

Hope that you don't mind Rob but just a quick note regarding the above mentioned DVD ....there are two sets of DVDs with this working title out there and whilst they are both good the DVT version is the one with the excellent footage taken in the 1980's BR blue era, whereas the Globe Video title is set in the late 1990's / 2000's 'multicoloured' era but does at least have some WHL footage .....by the time I get DVT's vol.2 I will have spent £50 this past week learning this lesson, I should have read Andy's post more thoroughly first time around !! 

 

Regards,

Ian.

[David Bell 2,562]

Glad you have solved your power problems. 

 

That shunting sequence you described at Mallaig would make a great wee video sequence

Cheers

David

[mallaig1983 426]

Agree with David above. Hope you are now able to progress with the new control system. Would be interested to hear a little more about it when you’re up and running.

 

 Yes that Mallaig movement would make a great video if you ever get the time and inclination 

 

andy 

[young37215 3,225]

Video is a something I want to do more of but I am constrained by the lockdown because my experience is that videoing works best with two people. A driver and a seperate video person create the best outcomes, where I have tried driving with one hand and videoing with the other has not worked well. There are a number of clips from the DTV Class 37 Tribute videos that I want to recreate, most notably 37027 departing Crianlarich where the loco clearly has Legoman's drive lock and west highland thrash sound file fitted!

 

At least I managed to get the Cab Control to run trains and I got a quarter of the way through a day of the 1985 WTT.  I am on a steep learning curve and making frequent mistakes having got so used to my old Prodigy which had become second nature. The Cab Control has a few ideosyncracies but overall I am pleased with what it offers and feel confident that I will get competent with it over time. I will do piece on CC once I have got a little better knowledge and understanding of it.  

 

37026 continued its journey north with 1S07 passing through Crianlarich.

 

 

[ISW 767]

2 hours ago, young37215 said:

Video is a something I want to do more of but I am constrained by the lockdown because my experience is that videoing works best with two people. A driver and a seperate video person create the best outcomes, where I have tried driving with one hand and videoing with the other has not worked well.

Rob,

 

I guess video making is easier for one person if the layout is a roundy-roundy. No chance of accidents / derailments.

 

Maybe try making a video where the camera is static for each shot? Then you can 'stitch' each shot together to make up the whole video. No exactly professional, but we all have to start somewhere.

 

Ian

[BoD 27,229]

8 hours ago, young37215 said:

There are a number of clips from the DTV Class 37 Tribute videos that I want to recreate, most notably 37027 departing Crianlarich where the loco clearly has Legoman's drive lock and west highland thrash sound file fitted!

Do they say what speaker it was fitted with?

[mallaig1983 426]

My guess was the EM2 

[young37215 3,225]

One of the most notable changes that arises from the change to Cab Control from Prodigy is the increased sensitivity to shorts. Fortunately I don't get too many and those more knowledgeable than me advise that increased sensitivty to shorts is an advance in the technology and should, in general, be a good thing as it provides greater protection for DCC chips. These cause CC track power to cut out and requires the power to be turned on again to recommence running.

 

Turning power on or off is a simple button press but the systems sensitivity is such that with my 20 locos situated at various points around the layout, CC usually determines that there is still a short and refuses to restart power. I don't have a definitive answer but am guessing that CC determines shorts by voltage drop and the power draw of the initial start up exceeds the short parameters built into CC. Only by physically reducing the number of locos on the layout to 12 or 13 does CC allow track power to be restored. Once restarted there are no issues with having all locos on track again but having to lift several locos off and back on to the track is a pain in the rear. The solution appears to be the division of the layout in to several, independent power sections which are switched on in stages although the issue and solution remain work in progress for now. 

 

37011 follows the sleeper north with 7Y31 0510 Mossend to Mallaig Junction Yard.

 

 

Edited January 18 by young37215

[03060 380]

Morning Rob (and all other thread followers,)

 

Any idea as to what might be underneath the tarpaulins in the first 3 open wagons heading North ? I've noticed these in photographs from the 70's and 80's in both Northbound and Southbound trains, all being very regular in shape (ie boxlike) and assumed that the Southbound items may be whisky from Fort William (with hindsight not particularly theft proof !), although I think that I've also seen them in trains from Corpach. I can imagine odd machinery parts travelling Northwards and maybe some general goods but this type of square covered load does seem to have been a very regular flow.

 

Purely a question of interest rather than one that effects any modelling outcomes.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Edited January 18 by 03060
Extra info added.

[ISW 767]

1 hour ago, young37215 said:

Once restarted there are no issues with having all locos on track again but having to lift several locos off and back on to the track is a pain in the rear. The solution appears to be the division of the layout in to several, independent power sections which are switched on in stages although the issue and solution remain work in progress for now. 

Rob,

 

I have been using an NCE PowerCab (with built in short circuit detection - SCD) without problem. Then I installed a MERG Kit #57 SCD and that kept detecting shorts as a loco traversed an electrofrog point. It was clearly more sensitive. The MERG SCD has an adjustable SCD tripping setting (in milliseconds), and adjusting it to it's lowest 6ms setting fixed the issue. I'm guessing your Cab Control is having a similar problem. Can you adjust the SCD sensitivity in the Cab Control?

 

As for separate Power Districts, that's exactly what I did, splitting the layout into 8 Districts each with a MERG SCD.

 

Ian

[ISW 767]

5 hours ago, young37215 said:

The solution appears to be the division of the layout in to several, independent power sections which are switched on in stages

Rob,

 

If you do go down the separate Power Districts route, each with its own SCD, just make sure the SCD can react faster than your Cab Control, or else you'll achieve nothing. From what you've said so far, it looks like the Cab Control is pretty quick at detecting short circuits.

 

Ian