Kinlochmore – West Highland, 4mm P4

[Southwich]

Hi David - that’s great thanks for the additional photos. The solution is very neat and very nicely done. Unfortunately where I’ve opened out the moulded corners of the tanks I don’t think I’ll get an EM1 speaker in the fuel tanks - alternate solution required me thinks. Have you used the original circuit board or are you hardwiring the loco to the decoder?

 

Looking forward to seeing future updates - very inspirational as always! 

 

Kind regards,

 

Will

[bcnPete]

Absolutely stunning work on the 37 David and the photos are amazing too.

 

 

[meanach]

On 26/08/2018 at 18:55, Kylestrome said:

Here are some phone camera snaps of recent progress.

 

David

 

Station signs and signal wire posts & pulleys

 

Telephone box, fence, platform, etc.

Telegraph pole

 

Bushes and another tree!

 

Signal box area finished and weathered

I love this layout in every way . I’m interested in the buffer stops . Are they scratch built ?

[mallaig1983]

31 minutes ago, meanach said:

I love this layout in every way . I’m interested in the buffer stops . Are they scratch built ?

They look like an offering from Lanarkshire Model Services. I’ve used some of their North British and British Railways kits. 

[Kylestrome]

On 16/03/2022 at 20:30, meanach said:

I’m interested in the buffer stops . Are they scratch built ?

 

The buffer stop at the end of the long siding is scratch built from NS rail, which I had to anneal in order to make the bends. The two buffer stops that end in a platform/loading bay were made from one Lanarkshire Models North British whitemetal kit.

 

David

 

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Kylestrome

[thegreenhowards]

Hi David,

 

I’ve just found your thread and read it through from the beginning. Your photos are amongst the most realistic I have ever seen. Truly stunning. If I get half as good on Glenfinnan I will be very pleased.

 

Andy

[Kylestrome]

Right from the beginning this layout was never planned to be as it is now, it just sort of evolved. There have been a few changes, as various operational needs became obvious, and the latest requirement has been to provide a second road at the industrial siding end of the layout.

 

I've already described how I built a simple one road fiddle yard to represent the end of the line, where wagons are supposedly propelled to the distillery and aluminium smelter. I decided to retain the existing box structure, in order to keep the rail height the same, which meant splitting off the top board to re-use it as a sector plate. Fortunately, it came off relatively easily and, after cutting a curve with a fret saw, I was able to cobble up something useful with it.

 

The plate pivots at one end on a screw and the rubbing surfaces run on pads of Formica* which allows relatively friction-free movement. Track is a mix of RTR (SMP?) and ply sleepers/C&L chairs.

 

*An ancient, Avocado coloured off-cut – is it still available these days?

 

The electrics couldn’t be simpler.

 

The finished job. Another sponge rubber bumper was later added in the centre in case I shunt something down the main without first setting a road (it’s bound to happen!).

 

David

Edited November 12, 2022 by Kylestrome

[Kylestrome]

A quick post for the photo nerds amongst you.

 

Playing around with some camera settings, I just never cease to be amazed by the capabilities of my Olympus E-M1 MkIII. The IBIS (In Body Image Stabilisation) makes shots like this possible without having to use a tripod.

 

 

12-45mm F/4 @13mm, ISO 200, 1/6 sec F/8, 12 shot in-camera focus-stack, handheld under layout lighting (6500K daylight tubes).

 

David

[Kylestrome]

Ever since my last road bike was stolen from our cellar its replacement has been kept safely in our flat. Being short of available floor space, but having 3 metre high ceilings, meant that the only possible storage space left for it was on top of the layout! Fortunately, in an effort to reduce dust accumulation on ‘Kinlochmore’, I had already given the layout a sturdy roof. It's supported at the front by the lighting beam and by the backscene at the rear.

 

The bike only weighs 7 1/2 kg so it requires no great effort to lift it up to its slightly unconventional parking place. A white roller blind does a surprisingly good job of hiding it from view.

 

Now you see it ...

 

Now you don't

 

 

Here is a gratuitous layout photo, shot while I still had the 10mm wide angle lens fitted, taken at f/11, this time without focus stacking. I must do something about that baseboard gap.

 

David

 

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by Kylestrome

[03060]

35 minutes ago, Kylestrome said:

Ever since my last road bike was stolen from our cellar its replacement has been kept safely in our flat.

 

 

Well, if I was a thief .... you'd still be able to chase me on the bike as I made a break for it with an 8' rucksack on my back !! Lol .... super layout !

[Kylestrome]

Wandering Trees

 

 

I've been rearranging trees again – these things move around more that Triffids ever did! All the coniferous trees have come together at this end of the layout to form something of a mini forest, which I'm now happy with.

 

 

There's also been a subtle change behind the station, so subtle that I can't remember what's different ... 🤔

 

David

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by Kylestrome

[Southwich]

That last photo is absolutely outrageous, excellent modelling as usual! 
 

Kind regards,

 

Will

[Kinlochleven]

Hi Kylestrome,

brilliant layout. I'm thinking about coming the other way round with a fictional extension from the Ballachulish branch to Kinlochleven, but I guess my attempt will be somewhat simpler as my skills are not as good as yours.

 

A question about the station building. Did you scratchbuilt it oder did you use a kit (I think there's a plywood kit available somewhere)?

[Daddyman]

12 hours ago, Kinlochleven said:

Hi Kylestrome,

brilliant layout. I'm thinking about coming the other way round with a fictional extension from the Ballachulish branch to Kinlochleven, but I guess my attempt will be somewhat simpler as my skills are not as good as yours.

 

A question about the station building. Did you scratchbuilt it oder did you use a kit (I think there's a plywood kit available somewhere)?

The kit is here; it's a severely flawed design, though some people have made them look OK:

https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/shop/railway-scale-models/rail-ballachulish-railway-station-with-extension-oo-gauge-6-x-a4-in-3mm-thick-poplar-ply/

 

Edited August 21, 2023 by Daddyman

[Kinlochleven]

@Daddyman Yes, that's the supplier. They have a version of Glennfinnan as well: https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/shop/railway-scale-models/1-rail-oo-gauge-glenfinnan-station/

[Kylestrome]

1 hour ago, Kinlochleven said:

A question about the station building. Did you scratchbuilt it oder did you use a kit

 

Hi Kinlochmore,

 

Soon the the West Highlands will have better rail network than the rest of Britain, in model form at least!

 

The station building is scratchbuilt, mainly from styene sheet, as are the rest of the buildings.

 

David

 

 

[Daddyman]

11 hours ago, Kinlochleven said:

@Daddyman Yes, that's the supplier. They have a version of Glennfinnan as well: https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/shop/railway-scale-models/1-rail-oo-gauge-glenfinnan-station/

Peco have recently introduced kits of West Highland buildings too. Theirs is based on Arisaig: https://railsofsheffield.com/products/peco-lk-203-west-highland-railway-station-building 

It seems to be wooden too - which might explain the dodgy-looking joint at the front of the bay window... though the windows themselves look good. There's a signal box too and, I think, a platform shelter.

 

End of interruption, Kylestrome!  

[26power]

4 hours ago, Daddyman said:

Peco have recently introduced kits of West Highland buildings too. Theirs is based on Arisaig: https://railsofsheffield.com/products/peco-lk-203-west-highland-railway-station-building 

It seems to be wooden too - which might explain the dodgy-looking joint at the front of the bay window... though the windows themselves look good. There's a signal box too and, I think, a platform shelter.

 

End of interruption, Kylestrome!  

A thread here:

 

[Kylestrome]

 

 

Some wag in Control decided to send all available freight stock to Kinlochmore and this is the resulting log-jam. Now I have to come out on Christmas Day and sort out the mess. Call me when lunch is ready ... 😉

 

 

Happy Christmas!
David

[ChrisB]

Absolutely superb modelling but let down terribly by the lack of weathering on the Land Rover. 😄 Anyone that has owned one of that age will be familiar with mossy green bits on the roof and rusty spots on the wheels!!!

 

[Kylestrome]

15 hours ago, ChrisB said:

……. let down terribly by the lack of weathering on the Land Rover.

 
You‘re absolutely right, and it‘s been on my ‚to do‘ list for far too long already. 😐

 

David

Edited January 20 by Kylestrome

[allan31956]

Any updates?