Gairloch (a slight change of direction)

[andyram]

This not a thread that I expected to be starting at this point of the year. When I walked out of Weston School for the last time, the last thing I expected to be doing was embarking on a new layout build in the summer holidays. After all, I have more than enough ongoing layout projects to tackle - firstly there is Skaleby. At 11ft long it is my biggest project. The baseboards were built by my late grandfather some 8-10 years ago. It features the terminus of a fictional preserved railway with the track work and station based on Goathland on the NYMR. Scenic work had started before a house move resulted in the layout being confined to the garage. It is currently hidden away behind assorted household junk that needs to be sorted for a tip run. At some point I hope to resurrect the build and extend it around the garage. That is a very long term project.

 Then I have Skaleby West. This layout is the only one I can consider to have reached a point of being "finished". Built in a nine month spell back in 2012 it was built for, and exhibited at, the first ever Weston on Trent Show. It has since been exhibited, in various forms, at every subsequent Weston show and made an appearance at Belper in 2015. Right now it has a few little jobs required in order to prepare it for an outing at Sheffield in October. These will not take long.

 Thirdly there is Skaleby East. Like the previous layout is has a 4ft x 1ft footprint - but the build stalled last year after track had been laid. Somehow I cannot get inspired by this build and the layout is stored in the garage. Also stored in the garage is a little 2ft shunting puzzle started as a Christmas project. Track was laid, ballasted and then one of the point springs broke meaning it will need to be replaced. This stalled the build.

 Out in the garden is the Keeper's Grange Light Railway - my G scale project. This is ongoing and more track laying should take place this summer.

 Finally there is Skaleby Quay. This is a long build and progress is slow because I want to get things right. Recently more buildings have been purchased for it, and the track layout has just about been finalised. I expect to make progress on this during the summer with track laid.

 With so many projects ongoing did I really need another one? Surely not! But I hold Paul Lunn and my daughter responsible! Last Sunday, whilst wandering around Brixham at the start of our holiday my daughter dragged us into a toy shop. It was one of those type of shops that double up as a newsagents. As she browsed the various items of Lego and Play mobil, my eyes were drawn towards the magazines and the August copy of Model Rail. It advertised various articles based around micro layouts and Inglenook shunting puzzles. I have always found such layouts interesting and so picked up a copy. Back in the apartment I flicked through the articles and found Paul Lunn's layout design contribution - and there it was! A plan for an Inglenook shunting puzzle based on Loch Tay Station on the Killin Branch. Now it just so happens that I have also developed a certain fascination with this particular line following our honeymoon in Scotland 7 years ago. Whilst there, I purchased a small book on the branch and always considered Loch Tay station as being a perfect prototype for a micro layout. My reservations were based on a thought that it would have limited operational potential. Paul's design incorporated the sidings from Killin Station whilst retaining the station, run round loop and loco shed. Here was the answer it seemed. Using this plan, with the card system suggested in Model Rail would provide plenty of operation. Since then I have looked further into the branch and found out something that the book neglected to include. Loch Tay actually had some sidings of its own - serving a pier as seen on the track plan below.

 

A map of the area also shows a saw mill and timber yard. That gives further reason for freight traffic. 

 

 And so I now have another layout project. I have liberated a spare 4ft x 1ft baseboard from the garage and planning is beginning. The plan is to include a representation of Loch Tay station, loco shed and add in the sidings to form the Inglenook plan. This has now become my summer holiday project. I can feel the creative juices starting to flow and the modelling mojo bubbling again.

Edited January 25, 2018 by andyram

[Psiborg]

This sounds interesting, I am looking forward to seeing its progress!

 

Simon

[andyram]

Today I have been experimenting with the track plan. Paul Lunn's plan in Model Rail was for a slightly larger baseboard than my 4ft x 1ft space so some compression will be needed. It will also mean that the goods sidings will need to be straightened out and run behind the platform. The station building will need to moved towards one end. The picture below shows the current thinking with strips of paper cut to track length. The Skaledale station platform pieces will probably be replaced with a narrower Metcalf kit. The fiddle yard will be at the far end with a Y shaped point providing access to the goods yard (to the rear of the board) and the station (towards the front). A side panel will be fitted to both ends. A full length loco shed will not be possible - the current thinking is to represent the front of the shed in low relief. The track is on order so hopefully I can post a clearer idea soon.

 

[Andrew P]

This not a thread that I expected to be starting at this point of the year. When I walked out of Weston School for the last time, the last thing I expected to be doing was embarking on a new layout build in the summer holidays. After all, I have more than enough ongoing layout projects to tackle - firstly there is Skaleby. At 11ft long it is my biggest project. The baseboards were built by my late grandfather some 8-10 years ago. It features the terminus of a fictional preserved railway with the track work and station based on Goathland on the NYMR. Scenic work had started before a house move resulted in the layout being confined to the garage. It is currently hidden away behind assorted household junk that needs to be sorted for a tip run. At some point I hope to resurrect the build and extend it around the garage. That is a very long term project.

 Then I have Skaleby West. This layout is the only one I can consider to have reached a point of being "finished". Built in a nine month spell back in 2012 it was built for, and exhibited at, the first ever Weston on Trent Show. It has since been exhibited, in various forms, at every subsequent Weston show and made an appearance at Belper in 2015. Right now it has a few little jobs required in order to prepare it for an outing at Sheffield in October. These will not take long.

 Thirdly there is Skaleby East. Like the previous layout is has a 4ft x 1ft footprint - but the build stalled last year after track had been laid. Somehow I cannot get inspired by this build and the layout is stored in the garage. Also stored in the garage is a little 2ft shunting puzzle started as a Christmas project. Track was laid, ballasted and then one of the point springs broke meaning it will need to be replaced. This stalled the build.

 Out in the garden is the Keeper's Grange Light Railway - my G scale project. This is ongoing and more track laying should take place this summer.

 Finally there is Skaleby Quay. This is a long build and progress is slow because I want to get things right. Recently more buildings have been purchased for it, and the track layout has just about been finalised. I expect to make progress on this during the summer with track laid.

 With so many projects ongoing did I really need another one? Surely not! But I hold Paul Lunn and my daughter responsible! Last Sunday, whilst wandering around Brixham at the start of our holiday my daughter dragged us into a toy shop. It was one of those type of shops that double up as a newsagents. As she browsed the various items of Lego and Play mobil, my eyes were drawn towards the magazines and the August copy of Model Rail. It advertised various articles based around micro layouts and Inglenook shunting puzzles. I have always found such layouts interesting and so picked up a copy. Back in the apartment I flicked through the articles and found Paul Lunn's layout design contribution - and there it was! A plan for an Inglenook shunting puzzle based on Loch Tay Station on the Killin Branch. Now it just so happens that I have also developed a certain fascination with this particular line following our honeymoon in Scotland 7 years ago. Whilst there, I purchased a small book on the branch and always considered Loch Tay station as being a perfect prototype for a micro layout. My reservations were based on a thought that it would have limited operational potential. Paul's design incorporated the sidings from Killin Station whilst retaining the station, run round loop and loco shed. Here was the answer it seemed. Using this plan, with the card system suggested in Model Rail would provide plenty of operation. Since then I have looked further into the branch and found out something that the book neglected to include. Loch Tay actually had some sidings of its own - serving a pier as seen on the track plan below.

Track plan.png

 

A map of the area also shows a saw mill and timber yard. That gives further reason for freight traffic. 

Loch Tay map.jpg

 

 And so I now have another layout project. I have liberated a spare 4ft x 1ft baseboard from the garage and planning is beginning. The plan is to include a representation of Loch Tay station, loco shed and add in the sidings to form the Inglenook plan. This has now become my summer holiday project. I can feel the creative juices starting to flow and the modelling mojo bubbling again.

Sounds very good Andy, I look  forward to the first pics mate.

[andyram]

Sounds very good Andy, I look  forward to the first pics mate.

 

 

Thanks Andy. The track is on order and is due to arrive later this week so hopefully I can show more progress soon. 

[andyram]

A frustrating start to the day after the parcel arrived containing my order. The package contained the platform ramps and the curved sections for the station loop, but none of the straights. These have, according to the delivery note, been delayed until next week. That means any hope of laying the track today will have to be put on hold. If I get out to the shed I may well cut the wood for end pieces so that I can begin to form the rest of the frame for the scenic section.

[Dzine]

A frustrating start to the day after the parcel arrived containing my order. The package contained the platform ramps and the curved sections for the station loop, but none of the straights. These have, according to the delivery note, been delayed until next week. That means any hope of laying the track today will have to be put on hold. If I get out to the shed I may well cut the wood for end pieces so that I can begin to form the rest of the frame for the scenic section.

Loch Tay 2.JPG

Great start Andy, looking forward to seeing the layout develop.  Kind regards Paul

[Psiborg]

A frustrating start to the day after the parcel arrived containing my order. The package contained the platform ramps and the curved sections for the station loop, but none of the straights. These have, according to the delivery note, been delayed until next week. That means any hope of laying the track today will have to be put on hold. If I get out to the shed I may well cut the wood for end pieces so that I can begin to form the rest of the frame for the scenic section.

Loch Tay 2.JPG

That sounds about right!  It's a good job there's always something else that can be done...

 

Simon

[Andrew P]

Looking very good Andy, but a bit frustrating, though.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

I always get a spooky feeling hearing the word "Killin". It appears on a map in the Hitchcock version of "The 39 Steps".

[andyram]

We have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous today. I had ordered the track from Amazon so that I could make use of my Prime membership. An email this morning told me that the missing part of the order (6 short straights) were due to arrive today. Two packages were delivered, looking rather bigger than expected. No wonder - they contained 25 short straights, yet the invoice clearly states only six were ordered and costed. Someone has made a monumental mistakes somewhere along the line - and it was not me!!!

 The final track plan has now been finalised and can be seen in the first picture:

 The loop is long enough to accommodate two coaches or the 5 wagons of the Inglenook puzzle. The two sidings at the rear of the board will both have space for 3 wagons each.  

 Encouraged by the arrival of the track I brought the layout board down into the living room and laid the cork base for the track. I had some willing help from my 5 year old daughter who happily applied the glue and stuck the cork to the board.

 

 The track now needs to be pinned down and weathered before scenic work can begin. That will, hopefully, become tomorrow's job.

Edited August 6, 2017 by andyram

[andyram]

Further progress today. This morning my daughter and I took a trip to Mech Models near Burton and picked up a few more items including a photographic back-scene and a small hut for the area near to the loco shed. All of the track has been stuck down this evening and the board is covered in the associated clutter. As this is a quick project I have not worried about fitting point motors. These will be hand operated. If I have time tomorrow, my next task is to weather the sleepers.

[andyram]

It has taken a few days to get back to the layout, but today I finally managed to weather the track. The side screen has also been fitted on the left side of the board. The weathered track and the side screen can be seen in the accompanying picture, taken towards the site of "Loch Tay Loco Shed". As mentioned previously, the shed will be depicted in low relief.

[class"66"]

Looks interesting little end to end your building..

[andyram]

Thanks. I had hoped to get a couple more jobs done today, but sadly this did not prove possible. The next job will be to mark out the location of the platforms so that I can cut out and glue the cork base. I will be using the Skaledale platform pieces shown in the recent photographs. The 2 x ramps and 3 x station pieces will fit the available space and will give a decent length station. Looking at the various photographs of Loch Tay station I am not sure if this would be too long for the prototype with 2x ramps and 2 x station pieces possibly being closer to the platform length of Loch Tay. 

 As with other layout, Skaleby West, I am aiming to use off the shelf products where possible to show what can be achieved with readily available materials.

[andyram]

Further progress today. The platform clearances were checked again and the cork underlay cut to shape and glued onto the board. The rolling stock still cleared the station after it was finished so that is good news!

 I have been playing around with the goods yard today. Although Loch Tay did not have a goods shed (the sidings ran onto the pier), I wanted to add some kind of goods building. Fitting this into the cramped space behind the platform, and leaving suitable space for the station building, was always going to be a challenge. However I think I have found the solution. This will result in the rear siding being extended in order to serve a loading platform attached to a small goods shed. I have used my old scratch built shed from Skaleby West as a test, but intend to replace it with the Bachmann Scenecraft "Provender Store". I also used this on Skaleby West and it is slightly smaller but, I think, it will look ok. Here are pictures of the latest progress.

A view towards the side screen where the loco shed will be. The small hut was a £1 second hand purchase and represents the small hut that stood at Loch Tay.

The test arrangement of station building and the rear of the goods shed.

Another view of the station building and goods shed arrangement. The rear siding will be extended to reach the loading platform.

 

Hopefully more progress soon.

Edited August 14, 2017 by andyram

[andyram]

Now that I seem to have finalised the track plan and goods layout I am beginning to mull over a name for the layout. Although based on Loch Tay, it is clearly not going to be an accurate representation so I feel that it needs to carry a different name. I have to confess that I am devoid of inspiration at this present moment in time.

[PeterBB]

How about Lochtin Tay or Locked-in Tay?  A title keeping the area but relating it to a small confined space - I prefer the first of the two.

 

Peter

[andyram]

How about Lochtin Tay or Locked-in Tay?  A title keeping the area but relating it to a small confined space - I prefer the first of the two.

 

Peter

 

 

Your first suggestion goes into the list of possibles along with Loch Tayish which was my only thought thus far.

[Psiborg]

What about "Loch Tyn" (inspired by PeterBB) or "Loch Taish"

 

Simon

Edited August 15, 2017 by Psiborg

[andyram]

Loch Tyn is a good idea. I quite like that one too. Loch Tey and Loch Toy came into my head this afternoon too.

[Peter Kazmierczak]

What about Loch of Sted?

 

I've already got my coat........

[andyram]

What about Loch of Sted?

 

I've already got my coat........

 

 

Definitely not anything with the any version of "Ofsted" in there - I do not wish to be reminded of work!

[andyram]

Finally another update on progress!

 

 Today a few jobs have been completed. Firstly the rear siding has been extended in order to allow it to serve the goods shed building. The building is still to be purchased, although I have one of the same type on another layout so I have been able to check all fits.

 

 Next I have made a start on the ballasting. The station loop has been the first to receive attention using a mix of different grades and shades of Woodland Scenics materials. This has been dry brushed into place and then treated to a spray of water, then the usual 50 / 50 mix of PVA and water before a final covering of cheap hair spray. The progress can be viewed in the photograph below. Once again my five year old daughter helped. She brushed some of the ballast into place and had charge of the water spray.

 

 

 I have also experimented with changing the look of the platform tops. Having looked at some photos of Loch Tay station, it appears that the platform surface was covered in stones rather than being paved or tarmac. I have had a go at representing this with some Hornby fine stones.

 

 

Hopefully more progress soon. 

Edited August 20, 2017 by andyram

[Andrew P]

It's coming on well Andy, you must be pleased with your little helper mate.