Albannach

[45157]

It was my intention to wait until I had something complete and worth showing, but as progress is currently very slow (12 hour working days at the moment) I thought I would just show the current state of things.

 

I simply do not have the room to model a prototype location, so it is/will be a mixture of various (much compressed) ex GNSR locations with a bias towards Macduff (which in itself is a very compact location but still a big 7mm layout)

My time perion is late 50's because that's what I remember, although as a Glasgow boy I don't know where the GNSR interest comes from.

There is just enough room for a Clyde Puffer (Langley resin casting) in the harbour.

The layout has been wired for DC and DCC but as I don't have anything DCC yet (on the work bench though) it has only worked in DC mode to date.

 

As time permits I will fill in the story and learn how to use the camera properly before adding more photographs.

I was a bit shocked how rough the ballast looks although in my defence it has only just been laid and has yet to be cleaned, tweaked and weathered.

 

Anyway, may I humbly present Albannach (Gaelic for Scottish) to the forum.

 

regards

Stewart

[MartinWales]

That's realy nice work there sir! Am I thinking this is 7mm scale O gauge???

[frame69]

Very nice work.

Regards Frame.

[pwr]

Are these C and L points? By the look of the interlaced sleepers I would say not!

 

Paul R

[Wizard of the Moor]

Great to see another GNSR layout on the forum, Stewart. It's looking good so far!

 

Good luck getting your modelling-work balance sorted out.

[45157]

Are these C and L points? By the look of the interlaced sleepers I would say not!

 

Paul R

 

 

All C+L components used with the exception of the turnout tie bars which are from JLTRT.

Individual plastic sleepers and 4 bolt plastic chairs.

The "passenger" line is in 8'6" sleepers and the first turnout with long timbers, the story being it has been maintained and replaced over the years for passenger safety and this line will be lightly weathered as generally well looked after.

The yard area is all 9'0" sleepers, interlaced for turnouts, this area will be fairly unkept and overgrown.

Intimate detail on GNSR turnouts is not easy to find, so the plans were a mixture of Templot and a North British drawing of an interlaced turnout.

Providing you know nothing about track (which is me) they look ok and most importantly, work.

[45157]

That's realy nice work there sir! Am I thinking this is 7mm scale O gauge???

 

 

Thank you for the kind comments, yes it is 0 Gauge.

I did toy with the idea of 31mm track as I have a friend who models in this standard and his running is faultless but in the end stayed with Gauge 0 Guild standard finescale dimensions.

[45157]

Great to see another GNSR layout on the forum, Stewart. It's looking good so far!

 

Good luck getting your modelling-work balance sorted out.

 

Thanks for the kind comments, I don't know what it is about the GNSR, but I do like it.

 

The work thing is a bit of a bind but as I have less than 3 years to go it's good for the pension!!

[MartinWales]

Great to see another GNSR layout on the forum, Stewart. It's looking good so far!

 

Good luck getting your modelling-work balance sorted out.

 

 

That makes three of us then James!!!

 

BTW Are we to see your little project too??

[45562]

Don't often post but I am a big fan of the GNSR. Have to say your layout's looking great. I will be watching developments with great interest!

[60B]

Nice to see it represented. I could do anything along the Speyside line as I live at the bottom end of it. Cromdale might be my next layout (BR blue with no passenger service and the little distillery "pug" still going um... strong).

[Wizard of the Moor]

That makes three of us then James!!!

 

BTW Are we to see your little project too??

 

Och, you'll be sick of seeing it afore long

 

There's the little matter of getting to Florida and back next week. I just hope that Witch of the Moor's broomstick can cope with a bit of volcanic ash

 

</thread hijack>

[45157]

The way in/out, I hope I have captured the very distinctive curved wing walls of over bridges from the area.

Got a bit silly when making the bridge and modelled the beams underneath, which now cannot be seen from normal viewing angles

 

Everything is still very much in a "raw" state with no bedding in or weathering yet done as I wanted to get all the basics done so that I had something to "play trains" with while the detailing and finishing work continued.

The "grass" needs cutting/trimming and will have more foliage and static (need to try out the home made electric tea strainer) grass added to detail.

 

Not sure if that was the right way to go as I am now not happy with the geometry of the first turnout after the bridge after looking at the photographs, as from some angles the curve does not look to be smooth and natural.

When measured/gauged it follows a smooth curve and running is fine, but now that it is in my head I keep seeing a kink!!

[eldavo]

Looks like some very tidy work. Nice.

 

Cheers

Dave

[45157]

Looks like some very tidy work. Nice.

 

Cheers

Dave

 

Many thanks for the comment.

 

I used the link and had a look at you layout, very very nice, absolutely full of atmosphere which I think is very difficult to achieve, but if you can get it it really shows, well done.

It was only as I was closing the link that the penny dropped with the name, brilliant.

regards

Stewart

[Portchullin Tatty]

Nice layout 45157, good to see some more interesting prototypes than the norm turning up and this looks to be the bigginings of a great layout! You did not mention what era it is, but your tag suggests post 1948?

 

Intimate detail on GNSR turnouts is not easy to find, so the plans were a mixture of Templot and a North British drawing of an interlaced turnout.

Providing you know nothing about track (which is me) they look ok and most importantly, work.

 

I would not get hung up about the absence of intimate detail about turnouts - prior to standardisation in the grouping era I sense that there was an awful lot of leeway from one day to the next. If your turnouts are in the yard, they are also likely to have been relaid at least once in their life, so it will have got shaken about somewhat. My father and I did some research on interlaced points on the further north line in the early 80's and found that the timber spacing of the interlacing very different from one to the other.

[45157]

Nice layout 45157, good to see some more interesting prototypes than the norm turning up and this looks to be the bigginings of a great layout! You did not mention what era it is, but your tag suggests post 1948?

 

 

 

I would not get hung up about the absence of intimate detail about turnouts - prior to standardisation in the grouping era I sense that there was an awful lot of leeway from one day to the next. If your turnouts are in the yard, they are also likely to have been relaid at least once in their life, so it will have got shaken about somewhat. My father and I did some research on interlaced points on the further north line in the early 80's and found that the timber spacing of the interlacing very different from one to the other.

 

 

Thank you for the comment and the information on interlaced turnouts.

From what recearch I have done I totally agree with you that much leeway was allowed (or taken) as I am now finding this when trying to get some idea of signalling and turnout operating practices on the GNSR from photographs.

At the moment it seems providing I apply some basic logic I can find a prototype to suit whatever I choose!!

 

The period at the moment is "the fifties" but I am looking to have it easy to change as I do love 4 and 6 wheeled coaches.

 

regards

Stewart

[Supaned]

Very nice indeed , and a pity the period can't be move forward to the 1960s and allow the use of those NBL type 2 diesels...

[Portchullin Tatty]

The period at the moment is "the fifties" but I am looking to have it easy to change as I do love 4 and 6 wheeled coaches.

 

 

I can only quote for certain for the Highland, but I would be surprised if there was much in the way of a difference over in the east. Precious little changed between the late pregrouping era and the early 70's! The big changes in these remoter areas came about when layouts got themselves fully signalled and then when the BR rationalisation came - which tended not to be until the late 70's for the Highland lines, possibly a bit sooner to the GNSR.

 

My layout has yet to be back dated, but it is intended that it will and this is what I think is needed to do so:

• change the signals to the pregroup ones
• repaint/replace all wooden buildings and other things that had a "livery"
• change all signage, back to the originals
• make the layout environs a bit less scruffy
• replace anything like people/vehicles etc that have a date to them

And of course, come up with all the stock!

 

I suspect if you look at photos of the two eras, you will come up with a similar conclusion. My layout thread has a number of 1970's pictures and also some 1920's one - it takes a very educated eye to spot the inconsistances (I hope!).

 

 

 

 

 

[45157]

Very nice indeed , and a pity the period can't be move forward to the 1960s and allow the use of those NBL type 2 diesels...

 

Oh I have every intention of using modellers license to the full here as an NBL Type 2 (21 rather than 29) is very much on my wanted list along with a class 26.

I just have to save up a lot as JLTRT kits are a bit on the pricy side (for me anyway) although I have one of their Gresley coach kits to build and it looks lovely and the 26 is now available with a 21 hopefully on the horizon.

 

regards

Stewart

[45157]

I can only quote for certain for the Highland, but I would be surprised if there was much in the way of a difference over in the east. Precious little changed between the late pregrouping era and the early 70's! The big changes in these remoter areas came about when layouts got themselves fully signalled and then when the BR rationalisation came - which tended not to be until the late 70's for the Highland lines, possibly a bit sooner to the GNSR.

 

My layout has yet to be back dated, but it is intended that it will and this is what I think is needed to do so:

• change the signals to the pregroup ones
• repaint/replace all wooden buildings and other things that had a "livery"
• change all signage, back to the originals
• make the layout environs a bit less scruffy
• replace anything like people/vehicles etc that have a date to them

And of course, come up with all the stock!

 

I suspect if you look at photos of the two eras, you will come up with a similar conclusion. My layout thread has a number of 1970's pictures and also some 1920's one - it takes a very educated eye to spot the inconsistances (I hope!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, all the stock, it's good fun looking at all the stock from different time periods and a bit depressing to realise that I wont live long enough (nor ever be rich enough) to get anywhere near building all I would like.

I was wondering about building the signals as lower quadrant as there were still quite a few left in the fifties although most had replacement upper quadrant arms on original GNSR lattice posts.

The unkept appearance of non passenger track is more of a problem to backdate though.

I have found that very few "station complexes" in the far north were repainted into the official Scottish region light blue and white (I have only found one) so I will be doing Albannach as LNER green and cream (I know for sure that was how Banff remained until closure in the sixties) giving me a wide operational spread.

Even then, I have some drawings for the GNSR steam railmotor and I do like the look of it but it was long gone by the grouping, and worse still I do like the Scotrail and large logo blue desiels, so I suppose I need to get a grip and get on with what I am doing at the moment or nothing will ever get done.

My problem is I just like model railways, all regions and all periods.

 

regards

Stewart

[Supaned]

Stewart ,

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the varied interests - I think many of us are like that (I know I certainly am) - you've made a great start in having a good layout on which to run whatever you choose to build.

 

As they often say, all in good time....

[MartinWales]

Stewart-stick with the 60's era theme like myself you are trying to represent the final few years of the ex GNSR lines which makes it really interesting!

 

Take it you'll be adding a 20 before long then.....

[45157]

Happened to be in W.H.Smith at the weekend and for those who also model Scotland's railways in the 50s / 60s they are selling an exclusive publication called "British Steam North of the Border" "Golden Decade of scottish Steam 1955 - 1965, priced at £7.99.

I treated myself and would highly recommend it, a wonderful collection (some colour) of photographs and worth it to me for the photos of D40s alone (next new job on the work bench)

 

Quick photograph of the unnecessary bridge detail, I suppose I know it's there but I don't think I will waste time like this in future.

Only because I had the board outside to photograph the goods stock constructed to date (which will follow shortly) was I able to get the camera into position.

 

regards

Stewart

[45157]

Some pictures of goods stock built for the layout to date.

Items of rolling stock are very few at the moment with the usual modellers cupboard full of kits waiting to be built.

All wagons are compensated in some manner or another and moulded detail such as chains/hooks etc replaced with wire as it's a very small shunting layout and that sort of thing is quite noticeable close up.

I am not convinced that compensation is necessary but (cost apart) I find it an easy way to build a wagon with all four wheels firmly on the rails.

Absolute minimum weight of any wagon is 2oz. per axle

In addition to the wagons that follow there is an 08 (got a cab ride from Glasgow Central to Polmadie as a youngster to had to have one) on the work bench and a D40 to follow.

There is also a Bachman 101 (many combined Birthday and Christmas presents!!) waiting to be detailed and painted as new in service.

 

I modified a Slaters kit to a photograph in the original LNER wagon book as I am a fan of something different (vac fitted, short footboards, no end weights and spoked wheels)

 

Standard Parkside Dundas.

 

Standard Parkside Dundas.

The numbering on this and the one above are from the correct "Scottish Allocations" but I have no idea what numbers the actual wagons were given (or if they survived until nationalisation)

 

 

Standard Slaters with the additional pipework detailing kit (to supply the small harbour with marine diesel)

 

Standard Parkside Dundas.

Pure fantasy on my part simply because I like the prototype.

 

Standard Slaters.

I didn't notice the coupling was tucked up and although the body looks bowed, it isn't, honest.

 

Standard Parkside Dundas with the addition of Slaters container chains (a consignment from the far south)

 

Standard Slaters Conflat with much detailed Slaters container and chains.

Conflat modelled as new in service, container as used.