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Strachur - BR blue in the West Highlands


Max Legroom
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I couldn't resist including a few roster shots in the time-honoured tradition!

 

The through passenger workings will be in the capable hands of 27037 (ED vb) assisted by 25087 (vb ED/HA). 25108 (ED vo) can run summer passenger trains as well as freight.

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Most freight will be in the hands of class 20s:

 

20002 ED xo 

20175 HA xo

20205 HA xo

 

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37154 and 08883 (both ML xo) will also appear from time to time.

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I plan to back-date the timeframe occasionally so here is the start of a roughly 1970 roster.

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I would like to add a class 29 eventually. The Clayton is one of the early dodgy runners that I picked up cheaply and I'll probably remove the motor and gears so that it can be towed around in prototypical fashion.

 

All the best 

 

Max

 

Edited by Max Legroom
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I managed to run a few trains at the weekend. I'm still getting to grips with dcc. At the moment the line only extends to the overbridge so I need to get on with the fiddleyard. I'm planning to try frog juicers when I wire up the fiddleyard.

 

Meanwhile, here is a snap of the station. I think it captures the atmosphere quite nicely.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
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Hi,

 

Managed to miss this one so far.

 

Fantastic layout and you have made great progress in a relatively short time. I like your choice of buildings, their placement, and how you have blended the scenery into the back scene.

 

Lots of nice BR Blue action too - I've got a lot of BR blue stock myself but have been modelling earlier stuff recently - makes me want to go back to this run down, sparse era!

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Regards,

James

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Hi James

 

Thanks for your kind comments. If I’m completely honest, I’ve stolen most of the ideas from various other layouts! I have given a bit of thought to the placement of the various elements and tried to avoid cramming in too much. All of the buildings are from kits or ready-made which has saved some time. Also, dcc has been a bit of a learning curve - especially the wiring!

 

All the best

 

Max

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A quick snap of the Wickham trolley and the mottley track gang with big Rab facing backwards as usual! I’m still building up the courage to fit a dcc chip but I think I’ll replace the bogus ballast with something more realistic.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

The new fisheries building is in place behind the station and next to the imaginary quay.

 

 

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Here is a shot of the older abandoned building which is a bit of a tribute to Ian Futers’ original St Catherine’s. Both were put together from Wills sheets.

 

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The carriage siding in front has recently been reballasted following a couple of derailments - hence the fresh ballast. The ancient Lima BEV is due for replacement soon. Below is the station sign though I will probably get a better print of the lettering at some point. 

 

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The platform surface at this end of the station is tile grout on plastic sheet and has warped in the recent warm weather so will need to be replaced at some point.

 

All the best 

 

Max

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  • 2 weeks later...

The fiddle yard is now finished and the first train can run!

 

D024FC13-7D0C-4319-8B74-040BB40C344B.jpeg.75b95a8e2e1f90d61ddcdca73f747714.jpegE4DD77A6-1EAB-4C68-9DAF-ACD4D2691DD4.jpeg.80abc28e2f882c647cced50c5c9f6991.jpeg

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I wish I’d used frog juicers on the scenic section! I stupidly thought that just relying on clean point blades would be ok. All part of the learning process I suppose. I deliberately went for hand thrown points as I like the idea of getting up close to the action. Lance Mindheim talks about this quite a bit. I know I’ve mentioned this in an earlier post but dcc is great fun. 

 

All the best

 

Max

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Another shot of the first train. The mark 1 coaches are due to pass through the works shortly for renumbering and removal of end steps.

 

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The daily coal delivery waits unloading in the goods yard. The figure is from the excellent Modelu range.

 

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Great pics . I know Strachur very well . Love the trip over the Rest and Be Thankful and then via Strachur down Loch Eck (beautiful  Loch) down to Dunoon , then ferry back . So , obviously there is no railway there, but I think you are capturing the area very well . Love the Greater Glasgow  railcar. Is that the Dapol 122?  Really some outstanding modelling there

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5 hours ago, Legend said:

Great pics . I know Strachur very well . Love the trip over the Rest and Be Thankful and then via Strachur down Loch Eck (beautiful  Loch) down to Dunoon , then ferry back . So , obviously there is no railway there, but I think you are capturing the area very well . Love the Greater Glasgow  railcar. Is that the Dapol 122?  Really some outstanding modelling there

Thanks Legend

I did drive the route last spring but turned back at Strachur and headed north to Fort William. I must follow the road across to Dunoon next time. The GG class 122 is Dapol and one of my favourites. I know there was some criticism on here but I like the way it is put together. I’ve got a second waiting to be redecorated in early 70s blue.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just found your topic, Max! Scottish themed layouts are of particular interest and especially these ‘shelf’ layouts which capture a lot in a small space! I enjoy browsing through Ian Futers books and also research some of my own favourite places, in the hope that I might have time to model them at some point in the future. Thanks for sharing  details of your Strachur model! 

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On 09/08/2019 at 12:03, Marly51 said:

Just found your topic, Max! Scottish themed layouts are of particular interest and especially these ‘shelf’ layouts which capture a lot in a small space! I enjoy browsing through Ian Futers books and also research some of my own favourite places, in the hope that I might have time to model them at some point in the future. Thanks for sharing  details of your Strachur model! 

I was looking at the new Peco Highland signal box and contemplating a Highland micro layout as a home for my class 26. I think the thing that attracted me to the original St Catherine’s was the lack of a run around which makes operation interesting at times.

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On 09/08/2019 at 18:11, PJ10 said:

Had a particularly busy and tiring week at work. A gin and tonic and a read about this fantastic layout and I feel better already. Thanks.

 

PJ10

Thank you for the compliment. I’m glad this little slice of Scotland helped you relax. I must admit to pouring a beer and just watching the railcard go up and down on occasions. Very therapeutic!

 

 

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On 15/06/2018 at 15:09, Max Legroom said:

The station building is Peco and I think it looks the part. The intended line was to be a light railway so I wanted something that would fit that scenario but still look substantial enough to go alongside the canopy and storm wall. It will go across the buffer stops at the left-hand edge of the layout so I've modelled it in half relief.

 

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After a bit of thought I went for a cream finish with brown trim. I think white and blue might be a bit bright for this outpost. At some point it's going to be weathered to reflect the exposed location.

I don't think any stations on the West highland /C&O lines were ever white and blue. Very few Scottish stations were White and blue. The above looke about right for steam era but on most wooden buildings the below window ledge area was usually brown. In the early sixties, C&O stations were painted in what were described as 'Pastel' colours Pale blue pale pink ect. some were also green. I think West Highland stations were originally cream with dark blue framing or green. In the mid eighties they were an 'Interesting' two tone green which didn't have universal approval. If you are modelling Strachur, remember that James Bond (AKA Sir Fitzroy MacLean) was the landlord of the Strachur Inn :)

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1 hour ago, Max Legroom said:

I was looking at the new Peco Highland signal box and contemplating a Highland micro layout as a home for my class 26. I think the thing that attracted me to the original St Catherine’s was the lack of a run around which makes operation interesting at times.

 

Although I haven’t got anything planned, I am going to order one of these Peco Highland Signal boxes, as well!

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22 hours ago, Violets49 said:

I don't think any stations on the West highland /C&O lines were ever white and blue. Very few Scottish stations were White and blue. The above looke about right for steam era but on most wooden buildings the below window ledge area was usually brown. In the early sixties, C&O stations were painted in what were described as 'Pastel' colours Pale blue pale pink ect. some were also green. I think West Highland stations were originally cream with dark blue framing or green. In the mid eighties they were an 'Interesting' two tone green which didn't have universal approval. If you are modelling Strachur, remember that James Bond (AKA Sir Fitzroy MacLean) was the landlord of the Strachur Inn :)

Thanks for the info. The whole station colour thing is a bit of a minefield! I didn’t know about Sir Fitzroy. Might be scope for a cameo. I wonder what car he drove?

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  • 5 weeks later...

I managed to have a decent running session this weekend. Next step is to draw up a timetable.

 

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The class 25 is shunting an ex-works brakevan and is one of the very few items of stock that hasn't been weathered. I'm undecided whether to weather! I've also been weathering a few more road vehicles. The Mini has a Union flag painted on the roof so it must be around 1977! Maybe it belongs to Sir Fitroy's family?

 

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I've pushed the boat out and bought a couple of 1980s items of stock. Loch Awe is sound fitted, my first sound-fitted loco, and the PRA gives a feel of the WHL though out of place in Strachur.

 

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I've got enough stock to run a 1980s timetable. 

 

The 37 has really shown the flaws in my pointwork at the station throat with sound cutting out in places so I'm going to pull up all of the points and add juicers or possibly point motors. The pointwork in the fiddleyard has juicers and runs flawlessly.

 

One thing to point out about the lovely Kernow PRA is that the buffers are very long so the screw link couplings have to be installed slightly proud of the bufferbeams to avoid derailing when coupled to adjacent stock.

 

The biggest problem with DCC sound is that it is very difficult to go back to no sound!

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25 minutes ago, Max Legroom said:

I've pushed the boat out and bought a couple of 1980s items of stock. Loch Awe is sound fitted, my first sound-fitted loco, and the PRA gives a feel of the WHL though out of place in Strachur.

 

IMG_1080.jpg.166440f8c0551ef5ac64c9491cc1913c.jpg

 

I've got enough stock to run a 1980s timetable. 

 

The 37 has really shown the flaws in my pointwork at the station throat with sound cutting out in places so I'm going to pull up all of the points and add juicers or possibly point motors. The pointwork in the fiddleyard has juicers and runs flawlessly.

 

One thing to point out about the lovely Kernow PRA is that the buffers are very long so the screw link couplings have to be installed slightly proud of the bufferbeams to avoid derailing when coupled to adjacent stock.

 

The biggest problem with DCC sound is that it is very difficult to go back to no sound!

Hi,

 

In my experience, adding a frog juicer to the points isfairly simple and can be done with the points in situ.  Drill a small hole through your baseboard in the vee of point crossing, thread a wire through, solder to the inside of ythe vee then connect to your juicer.  I've done this in N gauge with points already laid. It also helps to bond the stock rails to the swith rails, and this can also be done in situ.  Just make sure to clean the spot where you want to solder thoroughly first.

 

If you like operating points by hand then why go to the expense of adding point motors, more witing etc?  On my curent N gauge project I've gone back to using wire-in-tube after trials and trribulations with point motors and servos.  Simple, cheap, reliable and satisfying to use.

 

Roja

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Hi Roja

 

Thank you for your advice. I'll have a go at wiring for the juicer in situ. It would certainly make things easier. I must admit that I quite like to change the points by hand as it gets me up close to the action and saves quite a bit of hassle. Wire in tube or good old coat hanger wire through the front of the baseboard would work nicely.

 

All the best

 

Max 

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How have I missed this one!

 

Lovely layout, one I've thought of doing many times when flicking through my Ian Futurs books. Of the many layouts I have in my head I keep coming back to a play on Killin.

 

I think frog juicers in situ should be easily achieved without ripping up the track. 

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On 22/10/2019 at 11:49, Rhb Simon said:

How have I missed this one!

 

Lovely layout, one I've thought of doing many times when flicking through my Ian Futurs books. Of the many layouts I have in my head I keep coming back to a play on Killin.

 

I think frog juicers in situ should be easily achieved without ripping up the track. 

Thanks Simon

 

Something based on Killin would be great. I'm looking at the new Peco Highland signal box and thinking of the possibilities. I started a layout based on an imaginary line to Portmahomack but never got beyond basic scenery before the foam core card baseboard split when I inadvertently lent on one end!

 

All the best

 

Max

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