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

[03060]

2 hours ago, sulzer71 said:

Unfortunately they aren't going ahead with the production of these

 

Thanks for that @sulzer71 , I came across a thread on here yesterday, whilst looking for those additional photos to the one that Rob posted, which I didn't read through fully but I gathered that there was something amiss. In the few posts that I read there was mention of a kit that had been available at some point.

Regarding the photos, I couldn't find the follow on photo to Rob's but did find the ones at Crianlarich (Railscot site) which turned out to be taken in 1987 behind a 37/4 ....but the vehicle between the loco and crane was indeed a faded Railfreight red BDA !    (.....and that was the end of my afternoon as I got drawn into WHL photo gallery after WHL photo gallery.  )

 

Regards,

Ian.

Edited January 29, 2021 by 03060

[03060]

4 hours ago, BoD said:

On the 'ungrassed' side might a small vertical rockface suggest a ledge cut into it and also allow you to raise that slope so it looks continued from the lower slope?

Possibly with a much smaller rockface on the other side.

 

I agree with @BoD suggestions, I tried watching both of my drivers view DVDs which cover this end of the line but frustratingly both miss this paticular area south of Garelochhead out. The area northwards of the station gives a few 'ledge' type views but they don't seem as dramatic as the ledges on the line between Arrochar & Tarbet and Glen Falloch but I'm sure that you (Rob) know in your own mind's eye what you want to achieve.

The trees did seem to play a big part in defining the hillside grade on the DVDs, strangely those on the uphill side appeared to be disproportionately higher than those on the lower side, although I can see that you are tight for space uphill but it may help with creating the illusion of 'the ledge.' Some of the lineside vertical rockfaces are not all that long in length but still have some reasonable height at least to cab side and possibly higher, they seem more visible in 'Heavy Metal' than in the Video 125 DVD (go on ....you know you want to !  )

 

These observations are probably far too late to the race as I expect that you've probably already solved your problem to your own satisfaction. Looking forward to seeing the results.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Edited January 29, 2021 by 03060

[young37215]

On 29/01/2021 at 20:40, 03060 said:

I tried watching both of my drivers view DVDs which cover this end of the line but frustratingly both miss this paticular area south of Garelochhead out.

 

Thank Ian. Garelochead is not a popular location for pictires or video it seems. The best DVD I have for this is Railway Recollections Cab Ride No 49 which is an unedited view from Glasgow through to Crianlarich and is most useful for research. Although filmed outside of my time window in 1994, other than a reduction in the lineside maintenance and control of vegetation, little had changed in the intervening years. 

 

Within the constraints of the available space I managed to get comfortable with the gradient both sides of the line and decided that it was time for scenic materials. As so often is the case, the addition of the scenic material hides a multitude of sins and it finished of the 1m or so of section rather nicely. I added some fine leaf foliage to give height and was pleased with the effect although more is required to get the density of undergrowth that I want.  

 

On 29/01/2021 at 16:16, BoD said:

On the 'ungrassed' side might a small vertical rockface suggest a ledge cut into it and also allow you to raise that slope so it looks continued from the lower slope?

  

Thanks Warren, I may add one or two pieces of vertical rockface but the DVD shows that there is very little exposed rock on the approach to Garelochead. Given that the next section heading south will be a rock faced cutting, I will have plenty of rockface in the area.

 

I wanted to get the feeling that the line had been carved from the landscape.

 

 

Eastern embankment dressed with material

 

Garelochead station approach

 

 

Looking south

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by young37215

[BoD]

I think it looks good. ‘Dressing’ it has really improved it and it does look as though it is cutting its way through that landscape.

[young37215]

37175 heads 7Y31 0510 Mossend to Mallaig Junction Yard on the approach to Garelochead. There is work still be done to finish off the new section but running trains is reward for the efforts of the last week or so. 

 

[young37215]

27041 had charge of loaded ballast wagons seen arriving at Crianlarich. I am not 100% certain of the sources of ballast used on the WHL, I believe there is/was a quarry on the Oban line somewhere and another south of Glasgow near Lanark. If anyone can add any more detail to this I would be grateful.

 

 

[03060]

On 29/01/2021 at 20:40, 03060 said:

 

I agree with @BoD suggestions, I tried watching both of my drivers view DVDs which cover this end of the line but frustratingly both miss this paticular area south of Garelochhead out. The area northwards of the station gives a few 'ledge' type views but they don't seem as dramatic as the ledges on the line between Arrochar & Tarbet and Glen Falloch

 

I now have to retract this statement regarding the ledges south of Garelochhead having rewatched Cab Ride 49, which I'd forgotten about until prompted by Rob.

Having been filmed on a cold, damp February day the lack of green leaf vegetation really shows just how steep a slope the line cuts across and how high and narrow the ledge is, strange that Video 125 people chose to edit out this section.

 

If you are going to watch the CR49 DVD make sure that you have a flask of coffee ready as I felt decidedly chilled by the time we got to Crianlarich ! 

 

Regards,

Ian.

[03060]

Cloburn Quarry near Lanark seems to be the supplier of the red ballast according to another thread on here, possibly from the 1960's onwards.

Newburgh Quarry was rail connected on the line between Bridge of Earn and Ladybank and supplied British Rail, certainly in the 1970's, so may be a source of the grey ballast - 4 photos on p.110-112 Scotland's Railways, W.J Verden Anderson.

 

I've seen both examples used on the WHL at various times and there are several photos of loaded ballast hoppers such as Sealion,Seacow,Dogfish, Catfish and Trout, also of Mermaids and possibly Grampus wagons but I've never seen a Shark nor any photos of spoil trains and have often wondered what wagons were used to remove the old ballast ?

 

Hope this helps.

Ian.

Edited February 1, 2021 by 03060
More waffle added.

[young37215]

12 hours ago, 03060 said:

I've never seen a Shark nor any photos of spoil trains and have often wondered what wagons were used to remove the old ballast ?

 

I am not so sure that much spoil was actually removed, the only major piece of work that took place during my timescale was the Crianlarich remodelling in 1985/6. From the pictures and other media I have seen the main focus of WHL maintenance was occassional rail/sleeper replacement and infrequent ballast drops to top up levels that had diminished over time. 

 

A new arrival to WHL4 is 37043, Loch Lomond complete with the trademark Eastfield white stripe seen on its first outing with a Glasgow to Oban service at Garelochead. 

 

 

 

 

[young37215]

37085 passes through Crianlarich with 7D10, the first southbound freight of the day. Last weeks discussion on the nature of freight carried on the WHL led me to spend time looking through Flickr at WHL freight trains. I concluded that southbound trains contained open wagons loaded with more timber and aluminum ingots than I had appreciated. Creating additional timber loads is easy enough but I am not sure yet on what to use to represent aluminum ingots.

 

[03060]

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/an-employee-marks-aluminum-ingots-in-a-storage-yard-at-the-news-photo/634112712

 

Well, at least we know what dimensions they are : 600mm deep, 1350mm wide and 4100mm long ....I don't think that we need to bother with the weight !

 

Aluminium bar is available but I don't know whether it would look right, especially if it got marked and may or may not be too heavy. I would have thought that pieces of say Evergreen or Plastruct plastic square sprayed silver would work in N gauge but I'm not sure whether you would get it big enough for 00 and wood might not be smooth enough without the grain showing depending on how it was painted ?

Plastic would also be easy enough in which to replicate the lift crane damage that is sometimes in the ends and shown in the Telerail dvd.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[ISW]

4 hours ago, young37215 said:

but I am not sure yet on what to use to represent aluminum ingots.

Rob,

 

I'd suggest lead sheet cut to size, painted silver. The extra weight would give the trainload a more realistic 'sound' over your track.

 

Ian

[young37215]

Wagon loads occupied my thinking yesterday. I want to construct removable loads of timber and aluminum to fit into OCA and OBA open wagons. The timber loads are fairly simple, logs glued onto a strip of plasticard. Representing aluminum rolled slab is more of a challenge. I have some roofing lead sheet and considered making one or two moulds into which I could poor molten lead. This seemed like a lot of effort and so my current thinking is buying a strip of flat bar aluminum from Ebay costing about £5 and cutting it into suitable lengths. After some research on Flickr the best picture I found indicated that there was no uniform size to the rolled slab, at a guess it is either smelted or subsequently cut into custom sizes reflecting customer requirements. Whatever the reasons for the various sizes, modeling them as wagon loads looks straightforward and as Ian highlighted, the additional weight of the loads can only help with reliable running. 

The real 37108 at Spean Bridge with various sizes of aluminum rolled slab in 1983. 

 

 

 

 

[BoD]

An interesting photo, Rob.

 

The facing signal puzzled me for a few seconds. It has lost the bottom half of its post and is just floating there with its ladder running up where the post should be.  I’ve worked it out now and bet you don’t see something like that modelled too often.

Edited February 4, 2021 by BoD

[03060]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/curly42/6700623443/in/photolist-2kfLoGh-2jv5xm9-2jwfRsK-22LVyTW-2jdX61t-2hPRd8X-2ajzrVs-2kfGq48-2jtFurj-2if4c4g-zgNRZr-2jbKxZZ-2hAjarm-2gTrgLS-2ipq4eW-2imBYzL-2eozp3j-DcokTS-2jcq1tg-2iqYZoV-2gAj3qU-2k1Vbyr-2i17TWS-2icrQTw-mKjhiv-2kfEyZC-2e7geyd-Rt6wwW-2gB42UD-2hYk21j-RiXyZv-MPUk7t-MW798G-2keGB45-2hZvJah-VBrQsZ-bd7rUp-24vYkXB-jPcBJk-GF2FEQ-NnJbf5-cYqH7u-hSDxDq-2jjYfvo-2hH46Xj-2hYodYS-2hYqtjp-2hYrMrk-2hZZupA-Decsdf/

 

Sorry for the slight drift Rob as this is just outside of your period but I came across it after looking at your last photo but the vehicle behind the loco seems a strange addition by this time .....just a transfer or maybe a dispute between unions ?

[young37215]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

An interesting photo, Rob.

 

The facing signal puzzled me for a few seconds. It has lost the bottom half of its post and is just floating there with its ladder running up where the post should be.  I’ve worked it out now and bet you don’t see something like that modelled too often.

 

I had'nt even noticed the unusal signal post, it just goes to show how we all notice different aspects within a picture. Fortunately I dont need to worry about this as there are no plans for Spean Bridge to appear on WHL4!

 

 

[young37215]

22 hours ago, 03060 said:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/curly42/6700623443/in/photolist-2kfLoGh-2jv5xm9-2jwfRsK-22LVyTW-2jdX61t-2hPRd8X-2ajzrVs-2kfGq48-2jtFurj-2if4c4g-zgNRZr-2jbKxZZ-2hAjarm-2gTrgLS-2ipq4eW-2imBYzL-2eozp3j-DcokTS-2jcq1tg-2iqYZoV-2gAj3qU-2k1Vbyr-2i17TWS-2icrQTw-mKjhiv-2kfEyZC-2e7geyd-Rt6wwW-2gB42UD-2hYk21j-RiXyZv-MPUk7t-MW798G-2keGB45-2hZvJah-VBrQsZ-bd7rUp-24vYkXB-jPcBJk-GF2FEQ-NnJbf5-cYqH7u-hSDxDq-2jjYfvo-2hH46Xj-2hYodYS-2hYqtjp-2hYrMrk-2hZZupA-Decsdf/

 

Sorry for the slight drift Rob as this is just outside of your period but I came across it after looking at your last photo but the vehicle behind the loco seems a strange addition by this time .....just a transfer or maybe a dispute between unions ?

 

It's a brake van? Unusual but I dont think anything to cause surprise. Its position in the consist shows that it is not being used as a brake van so, presumably, it is an empty stock movement. 

 

37178 heads north through Crianlarich with 7Y31 comprised of vans and TTA's so no wagon loads to worry about! 

 

[03060]

57 minutes ago, young37215 said:

 

It's a brake van? Unusual but I dont think anything to cause surprise. Its position in the consist shows that it is not being used as a brake van so, presumably, it is an empty stock movement. 

 

 

With a little thought, I realised that it was probably just Fort William's P way crew van being transferred south, Bauxite ones sometimes caught in photos of Tom-na-Faire depot or Mallaig, I think that it was the livery that threw me initially. However I must have seen the photo before as when I checked my stock box ....I already have one ! (My memory is really getting worse .....and I'm only 52 !!  )

[young37215]

You think you have a memory problem. How do you think I feel with all these duplicates?

 

[young37215]

Or how about these

 

[BoD]

I thought it was only me who did things like that.

[mallaig1983]

I can feel an eBay listing coming on ;-)

[young37215]

37085 heads 7Y37, 1223 Mossend to Corpach at Garelochead. The extended scenic area has been further tweaked and looks better as a result although more bushes are required on the embankment. The weathered track could do with another pass with the airbrush as there are a number of gaps in the paint caused by realigning the track after painting.   

 

 

[David Bell]

That is really looking the part.

Cheers

David

[young37215]

My next piece of work is to further develop the Mallaig section but I am enjoying playing trains too much to start this at present. New arrival 37043 Loch Lomond returns from Oban with the 1300 to Glasgow where it passes 37017 at Crianlarich on the reverse 1220 Glasgow to Oban.