west highland Mallaig and the Road To The Isles

[David Bell]

2 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Hi Rob,

 

I intend to use the Wills stone plastic for the main building but I don't think I'll use it for the annex. I was originally planning to get something from the Squires stand at Warley. I'm pretty sure it's a Slater's product. It's a dressed stone and looks quite different to the Wills example. Trouble is the Slater's website doesn't have pictures on it. I just want it to look different to the original building and I think this fits the bill. Obviously the main building has only been rendered very recently. My heart sank when I first saw it as I turned around on the platform. It is however only that face that has had it applied.

Hi Andy,

Slaters have a pdf download which features all their embossed plastikard and it is designed to show the real size if you print it on A4

Cheers

David

[mallaig1983]

Thanks for that David.

You really couldn't make this up but I've just been rummaging around the eaves in the attic looking for something completely random and came across a box of odds 'n sods. In the box was two sheets of the embossed plasticard that I intended to purchase at Warley!! Spooky coincidence and I didn't even realise I'd bought it. As I've mentioned before I've been collecting things for the layout over a couple of decades. Anyway here is a photo of it. I have no idea who the manufacturer is but I'm pretty damn sure I must of got it at Squires. There is a code on it. 0424 if that helps you Rob.

Sorry about the rubbish photo quality.

 

Andy

[David Bell]

0424 is the Slater's reference for their 4mm dressed stone 

[mallaig1983]

For comparison I've placed a Wills sheet alongside. Wills will be used for the main building and the mystery sheet used for the 'modern' extension. Well it was modern in 1983 anyway. 

 

Andy

[mallaig1983]

7 minutes ago, David Bell said:

0424 is the Slater's reference for their 4mm dressed stone 

Jobs a good un. I'm not as barmy as I thought. Thank you David. Rob I hope this is of some help to you. 

 

Andy

[young37215]

18 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Jobs a good un. I'm not as barmy as I thought. Thank you David. Rob I hope this is of some help to you. 

 

Andy

All very helpful, thanks chaps

[mallaig1983]

A fairly random and maybe obscure question guys. The groundframe by the stone wall at the buffer stop end of the station, did this control the loco release points by a motor or rodding in 1983? I am assuming that it would of been controlled from the box originally until that got downgraded to a ground frame in 1982. I have noticed a grey cabinet adjacent to the ground frame but not really knowing about such things I'm merely guessing that this was part of a motorized point switching set up. Would really appreciate some help from someone a little more qualified than myself.

Thanks,

Andy

[young37215]

Hi Andy

 

The point, facing point lock and the catch point on the run round appear mechanically controlled from a ground frame dating back well before 1983. The picture below shows the signal box diagram which notes the existence of the ground frame. I am not sure what the electrically controlled No 17 was or could have been, maybe others more knowledgeable on signalling matters may be able to answer this.

 

 

The 1984 picture below shows point rodding continued to mechanically control the point following closure of the signal box. I suspect a locking mechanisim will have been added to the ground frame that I am guessing the Mallaig section token would unlock. Otherwise it looks like the ground frame was unaffected by the signal box closure. 

 

 

 

[mallaig1983]

Hi Rob,

Thanks very much for the info and supporting photos, a great help. It'll be a nice little feature to incorporate.

 

Andy.

[Ian Smeeton]

 

Just came across this on another forum, and thought, that although it is a bit early for your version, that it might be of interest.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[mallaig1983]

Thanks Ian. That's a great program. I've actually got that on a dvd. 

 

Andy

[pH]

1 hour ago, Ian Smeeton said:

Just came across this on another forum, and thought, that although it is a bit early for your version, that it might be of interest.

 

Regards

 

Ian

I didn’t realize there was so much engine changing and picking up and dropping of pilots on a trip from Queen Street to Fort William! 

 

Seriously - an excellent video, shame about large parts of the commentary.

 

Thank you for posting (really!).

[tonyg3]

Nice to see the old sidings  on leaving Mallaig 

[03060]

I've just received notification from The Friends of the WHL regarding a new book that is now available which I thought may be of interest to others, although I suspect that most of the 123 photos will be from a period much earlier than any of us model I'm sure that it will give a fascinating insight into the toil and strain that went into the building of the Mallaig Extension.

[mallaig1983]

7 hours ago, 03060 said:

I've just received notification from The Friends of the WHL regarding a new book that is now available which I thought may be of interest to others, although I suspect that most of the 123 photos will be from a period much earlier than any of us model I'm sure that it will give a fascinating insight into the toil and strain that went into the building of the Mallaig Extension.

That's brilliant, thanks for the heads up. Every time I ride the line I'm full of respect for those that built it. Will definitely be adding this to my book collection.

Thanks 03060 

[03060]

Another 'heads up' from the F of WHL .... Dec 31st, 9-10 pm, BBC Alba ....Coel na Loidhne (The Song of the Track.)

 

Featuring the Mallaig Extension and celebrates the newly discoverved photos of the WHL, which I would imagine are those in the book mentioned above.

I think (hope) that the program will have subtitles for us Sassenachs !

 

Regards,

Ian.

[mallaig1983]

I think there will be subtitles is it's watched live as opposed to watching a recording and trying to get subtitles up. That's what happens on S4C here in Wales. Thanks again for the heads-up. I'll pour a dram and enjoy 

[mallaig1983]

Just in case my lack of updates to this thread has you thinking I'm slacking that is not the case. I'm on the layout all week.

This pic shows the newly cast rockfaces glued into position on the preformed celotex sheet. The hill now requires sculptamold and the rock pieces need the gaps filling with carving plaster and then painting. Materials are all in hand but this is where we're at as oh 16:55 on Tuesday.

Progress has also been made at the other end of the layout so will update in a couple of days. 

Andy

[mallaig1983]

[young37215]

16 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

Just in case my lack of updates to this thread has you thinking I'm slacking that is not the case. I'm on the layout all week.

This pic shows the newly cast rockfaces glued into position on the preformed celotex sheet. The hill now requires sculptamold and the rock pieces need the gaps filling with carving plaster and then painting. Materials are all in hand but this is where we're at as oh 16:55 on Tuesday.

Progress has also been made at the other end of the layout so will update in a couple of days. 

Andy

 

You have made an excellent job of blending the rock faces into the landscape . I look forward to seeing the transformation when you get around to painting them. 

 

[mallaig1983]

20 minutes ago, young37215 said:

 

You have made an excellent job of blending the rock faces into the landscape . I look forward to seeing the transformation when you get around to painting them. 

 

I was very impressed by how easy the rock casts were to cut and shape. Initial cut was with a wood saw and fine tuning with pliers, chissel, Stanley blade etc. Very enjoyable part of the project. Google earth street view was a great aid in getting the shape of the terrain correct. Ironically a facility that would of been unavailable without the 'new' road from which the views were taken. Although I have many photos of the cliff face having the ability to just trot up and down the road and have a head on view really was a great help.

[mallaig1983]

Bit of a layout update. I have been painting the rocks over the weekend. Still little bits of dry brushing detail to be added but they now have colour. I'm not sure if they are a little bit to light tho or whether they just look so because of the stark contrast with the brown poster painted hillside. I'd value your opinions on this.

 

Andy

 

 

[mallaig1983]

Also I have added a MK1 BSO to the fleet. I didn't have any of these and it was an obvious gap. When they were released I was on my campervan project and sort of assumed that they would stay in the Hornby catalogue as the Bachmann MK1s do so I didn't get any at the time. So I tracked one down and made the purchase and it arrived on Friday. I could probably do with another one at some stage but happy I have secured one for the layout and it now sits with the other coach in my Rake E. All my takes are elastic banded together at the moment. They are mainly 2 and 3 coach sets as during 1983 the sets in service were split/reformed at Fort William. For example the two coaches on the early morning train from Mallaig had the through coaches off the sleeper added to them and they then ran to Mallaig before making a Mallaig to GQS service. The 08:34 ex GQS to Mallaig would of had the observation saloon added at FW before departing for Mallaig. On return to FW a great deal of shunting would ensue to remove the obs and then split the rake to add 3 coaches to the sleeper train and leave 2 to work the last train to Mallaig which would then form the early train back to FW the following morning. So lots of fun for when I get around to building Fort William. These mini sets will all be permanently coupled and have Kaydee couplings on the ends only. My only full length rakes are for the 6 coach 09:19 FW - GQS and it's return working and the 3 coach teatime FW - Mallaig local (mixed). 

Anyway here is a photo of the new addition.

 

 

[young37215]

Hi Andy

 

Good progress, I like the rocks even more now they have been painted although I think they could be darker. How they appear from day to day is a function of the weather. On a good old wet and windy west highland day the wet rock will look darker whereas on those numerous extended spells of bright and warm sunny weather, they will be lighter. The other point I have noticed in my research is how much grass has managed to grow on the rock faces. The picture below is from the mid 1980's which shows how green the rock faces had become.

 

I like the BSO acquisition, are you planning to renumber your coaching stock to SCR numbers?

 

regards Rob 

 

 

 

 

 

[mallaig1983]

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the kind words. Yes I am thinking that the rocks need to be a little darker too, I even gave them a second black wash but I didn't get the effect of hoped for, I will give it some thought. I used stone grey and black as my colours and I'm thinking perhaps I should of included umber. 

Yes indeed the grass does cover a lot of the rocks so much of them will be covered up eventually when I move on to the greenery etc. Love the photo you attached, it's actually one I have a print of and use regularly.

Yes all my coaching stock will be renumbered, in fact a few examples already have been. If I can't find a stockbook from the era I will go with what's on the transfer sheet. I do have a 1979 coaching stock book that I could use or at the very least just change the prefix. My mate works at the Bluebell Railway and has recently restored a BCK (number escapes me at this very moment) and there is an excellent photo of this coach on the mixed at Glenfinnan and it's sporting an M prefix. Obviously it would be rude not to......

 

Andy