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Mallaig and the Road To The Isles


mallaig1983
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I'm not having any issues either on my tablet or my iphone other than having to cancel the odd advert that seem only to appear when I try to look at my first chosen page, no more after that.

 

I don't look at anybody's adverts on here, nor on You Tube and have given up watching the telly altogether since the new advertising and TV production policies came in.

 

Not sure what version my iphone is ...but it's certainly not the latest.

 

Correction - I also can't access my personal notifications on my phone due to a white band across the top of my screen.

 

Regards,

Ian.

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32 minutes ago, 03060 said:

 


That’s what I’m getting Ian. The white band blocking access to the notifications. I can see I have notifications but when I click on the link they are just hidden. Hopefully this will be sorted soon. Until then I’ll just continue to mutter obscenities to myself. Fingers crossed normal service will resume.

 

Andy

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Well I dropped in to see what progress was being made with the layout, but seeing the white bar is annoying everyone else…

 

I’ll try a few of those tips, meanwhile, nice progress on the scenery! It’s beginning to look really convincing. 

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Thanks, 

I was really to scared to start it to be honest so spent the time collecting materials. Must say how much I’m enjoying it now though. It’s really rewarding seeing the layout come to life. I’m pretty pleased with the results and surprised myself somewhat.

 

I'm answering via the notifications icon so dare I believe it might be fixed? Hopefully.

 

Thanks for popping by.

 

Andy

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Thank you so much ‘Ben’. As I’ve mentioned before these are all first time experiences for me and I’m really enjoying it. Kind words like that serve to encourage. To be honest I’m happier than I thought I would be with it so pretty chuffed. 
 

Also thanks for the tips regarding making this great forum work as it should. It seems alright at the moment so fingers crossed but should it all go to pot again you’ve given me good information to get around it. It wouldn’t be so bad if the ads were relevant but the worst is not being able to use the site.

Thanks again.

Andy

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Andy,

 

I’ve just finished reading through your thread. It’s all inspiring stuff, so thanks for posting. 
 

As I’ve explained on Rob’s thread, I am currently a OO modeller of 1950s ER steam and diesel but I’m starting up in 0 gauge and am basing my 0 gauge layout on Glenfinnan. I’m starting in the 1980s as that is the era in which I fell in love with the line spending far too much of my university days in Scotland (which considering I was at Southampton uni was a long journey!) My idea is that it will be eventually be a ‘through the ages’ type of layout with trains from the 1930s until the day before sprinterisation as I don’t think much changed on the line over this period.
 

As such your thread is very useful for me in filling in prototype details from my rusty memory.
 

Like others have commented I don’t remember the observation saloons despite a lot of journeys in that period. Do we know which trains they worked? As for modelling them, they look similar in basic outline to the steel/ ply 1930s LNER tourist stock. So I would be tempted to use Ian Kirk kits and cut and shut them to suit. The kits are no longer available but often appear on ebay. I will try this in O gauge where, luckily, Ian’s kits are still available. Does anyone know of a coach drawing for either of these vehicles?

 

You also mention class 20s working on FTW-MLG services. This is something I never experienced  on the WHL (apart from 20045 paired with 37051 on the sleeper) but there are plenty of photos around. Do we know how frequently this happened and which service it tended to be on?

 

Regards

 

(another) Andy

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4 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Andy,

 

I’ve just finished reading through your thread. It’s all inspiring stuff, so thanks for posting. 
 

As I’ve explained on Rob’s thread, I am currently a OO modeller of 1950s ER steam and diesel but I’m starting up in 0 gauge and am basing my 0 gauge layout on Glenfinnan. I’m starting in the 1980s as that is the era in which I fell in love with the line spending far too much of my university days in Scotland (which considering I was at Southampton uni was a long journey!) My idea is that it will be eventually be a ‘through the ages’ type of layout with trains from the 1930s until the day before sprinterisation as I don’t think much changed on the line over this period.
 

As such your thread is very useful for me in filling in prototype details from my rusty memory.
 

Like others have commented I don’t remember the observation saloons despite a lot of journeys in that period. Do we know which trains they worked? As for modelling them, they look similar in basic outline to the steel/ ply 1930s LNER tourist stock. So I would be tempted to use Ian Kirk kits and cut and shut them to suit. The kits are no longer available but often appear on ebay. I will try this in O gauge where, luckily, Ian’s kits are still available. Does anyone know of a coach drawing for either of these vehicles?

 

You also mention class 20s working on FTW-MLG services. This is something I never experienced  on the WHL (apart from 20045 paired with 37051 on the sleeper) but there are plenty of photos around. Do we know how frequently this happened and which service it tended to be on?

 

Regards

 

(another) Andy

Hi Andy,

The class 20s were usually on the teatime Fort William to Mallaig and return. The same service that would usually be the ‘mixed’ train when that ran. The use of class 20 I believe averaged once a year so not a common occurrence by any stretch. It was the FW shunting/trip loco being pressed into service when absolutely necessary to cover for a shortage of or failures to the class 37 fleet. It was rare but nice and quirky.

 

The obs cars have become my latest obsession. Watching Forty Miles to Skye on YouTube a few times over the weekend I was trying to get a good look at bothe 1999 and 1998. However virtually all the good clear shots were of the ‘wrong’ side. Obviously if anyone was to kitbash something to represent these vehicles both sides would need to be studdied but at the moment for research purposes I was trying to get a decent view of the side of the vehicles that would actually be visible on my layout. I also noted that although 1999 Lochaber had run at the FW end of the train from 1980 to 1982 it appears to have been turned by 1983 to operate at the Mallaig end with 1998 Loch Eil then positioned at the FW end. Research is ongoing but I have nothing currently to add other than what has already been contributed to this thread by the good folks who follow. Hopefully more will be unearthed as I really would like these coaches (one day). I’m at work currently and don’t have the 1983 timetable to hand but they were attached to the 08:34 ex GQS at FW and departed for Mallaig at 12:30ish This means on their return they would have passed the teatime mixed at Glenfinnan. A nice little though to get the modelling juices flowing.

I hope this is of some help to you.

 

Andy

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Sc1998 'Loch Eil' appears briefly in the DVD 'Paddy's Engine' in green and cream livery, nice clip of it bringing up the rear of a train hauled by 37 011. The DVD itself is solely about Black 5 5407 , the story being told by it's then saviour and owner Paddy Smith but features more than 20 mins of the loco in the West Highlands in 1985. The DVD is available from Telerail but isn't particularly cheap for 45 mins of film but it was a must have for me as it replaced a long lost VHS cassette that I used to have, I certainly enjoyed watching it again (several times over !)

 

Regards,

Ian.

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On 23/08/2021 at 20:06, 03060 said:

I don't think that this has been mentioned in this thread before but I've just watched 24 mins and 10 secs of quality 1983/4 Mallaig line footage that I've never seen before via You-Tube entitled Weir's Way: Forty Miles to Sky.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GasBGCLRgg

 

At least 4 different locos appear as the film crew follow the Mallaig service (over several days) which also features the two saloons Loch Eil and Lochaber throughout.

 

Also available via STV player I know of at least one other episode which features the WHL at Crianlarich and suspect that there are others in the 45 episode series with railway footage. Being a DVD man myself I'll now have to check for availabilty ....but what a film ! (IMHO)

 

Regards,

Ian.

 

(12 disc collection subsequently ordered for £20 inc P+P)  :yahoo_mini:

 

I’ve now managed to find time to watch the video. Superb stuff as others have said. Those observation cars look the business…I’m going to have to model at least one!  The rest of the train formation seems to be 2*TSO, 1*BSO and 1 * BSOT.  Interesting that there was no First Class. Other trains I have seen from this era seem to convey 1st so I’m wondering whether the observation cars were regard as 1st. Does anyone know?

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47 minutes ago, BoD said:

I’m guessing that you will have already seen this photo.

 

37114 at Mallaig

 

Yes many times but only now you have shared it has it hit me that that is the side of the coach I’ve been trying to get a decent view of so that’s a very well timed share. I love the way that you can keep going back to a photograph and realising there is such an important detail or vital piece of info that you completely overlooked before. Brilliant. Thank you.


With regard to the set make up of the observation saloon set from my studies I have noticed that there would usually (but not always) be two brake vehicles in the 4 coach set that had arrived from GQS. Now I have learned (and if others know better please say) that when this set returned to FW not only were the observation saloons removed but the 4 mk1s were split also. Two coaches were added to the sleeper set to work as far as GQS and the other 2 would then form the last train to Mallaig which in turn would form the next days first train to FW. All this shuffling around of coaches is a major pull for me to actually have a version of Fort William on the layout. This of course changed from 1984 onwards as the Mallaig extension was operated as a Branchline so very much a case of “Fort William, this is Fort William, all change for your onward journey and all stations to Mallaig.” Full buffet services and first class seem to have ended in 82 but I have seen evidence that first class accommodation was still in use in 83 but I’m guessing this was downgraded? Also I have seen some footage on Diesel and Electric Blue -The Movie vol1 of the observation car train on Glenfinnan Viaduct with a full buffet coach in the consist. However I wasn’t there, this is just the results of research and joining up the gaps with informed guesses. I’m sure there are others who are far

more qualified to comment.
 

well this morning I have excitedly unpacked my delivery of Wills point rodding and have been hit with the sudden realisation that I know absolutely nothing about point rodding! I’m now frantically watching any relevant YouTube videos to see what it’s all about so very definitely ‘back to school’.


I should of added in the first paragraph that for 1983 this coach was turned so this side is slightly more relevant to me as my layout is viewed from the sea.

Edited by mallaig1983
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  • 2 weeks later...

https://youtube.com/shorts/gW1TsQY5t9k?feature=share


I had to replace a section of bullhead flexi on the off scene curve with a section of old code 75 flexi as I thought this would better mate with the code 100 I’m using for the temporary fiddle yard mk2. The join was on a curve so I thought I better test it. It was fine so I thought I’d turn the sound on and just run a train. This led to just a quick video of the train. I sent the video to my mate who’s ill and needed cheering up. Next thing I knew he’s put it on YouTube and sent me the link. So here Mallaig makes its screen debut. This wasn’t intended and was filmed on my phone, without lighting or ceremony. I feel that this will lead to more video when we have a little operating session one day soon. I can’t imagine Richard of Everard Junction will be worrying about competition for his viewing figures but it was just a bit of fun that grew legs. Hope you like the clip.

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42 minutes ago, David Bell said:

Good sound from that 37 Andy,

Cheers

David

It’s a Legomanbiffo chip with a Roads and Rails double IPhone speaker. It’s got a good sound to it. I really do need to get other locos sound fitted or reblown/new speakers. Early Bachmann factory sound fitted locos are nowhere near this standard. That’s why I’m always using this loco when playing with filming hence it’s always in photos of the layout.

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15 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

It’s a Legomanbiffo chip with a Roads and Rails double IPhone speaker. It’s got a good sound to it. I really do need to get other locos sound fitted or reblown/new speakers. Early Bachmann factory sound fitted locos are nowhere near this standard. That’s why I’m always using this loco when playing with filming hence it’s always in photos of the layout.

 

Like the video, setting up your own Youtube channel is very easy.

 

Sound is very much a personal choice. For speakers my current preference is the Zimo double dumbo sold by Youchoose which aside from the much more expensive earth mover, has the best base sound to suit a class 37. It is an easy fit requiring just 2 solder joints, others must think the same because it is currently out of stock at Youchoose!   

 

 

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Great little video. The 37 sounds really convincing, it’s amazing how the newer sounds really date the older sounds; even though they used to sound good. 
 

The layout’s really beginning to look the part now. Great work!

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50 minutes ago, 61656 said:

Great little video. The 37 sounds really convincing, it’s amazing how the newer sounds really date the older sounds; even though they used to sound good. 
 

The layout’s really beginning to look the part now. Great work!


Thanks, it’s getting there slowly.

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If I had known Mark would pop this video up on YouTube I would have done some practice operating both the camera and the controller. I was just having a little play about. If I’d of known it was for public performance I would of gunned the throttle a bit on leaving the station environs. I’ll practice more and the next video release will have a bit more West Highland thrash.

 

Today had seen more clearance of the area where Glenfinnan will be built. Not that Glenfinnan is imminent but I want to make a start on the permanent fiddle yard as the line from that to Fort William will need to run behind where Glenfinnan will go and I need to build this before I can build the tables that Glenfinnan will sit on. Current thoughts are once this is completed I will make a start on Fort William. However thoughts and fantasies change like the weather here so it could well be Glenfinnan that gets tackled next. We’ll have to see which way the wind blows.

 

During my sort out and moving boxes about I found my McRat fleet. I thought I’d take an example of each and take a few photos. I’m not sure what the Inverness interloper is doing so far from home but the local spotters will be cursing the lack of Gen.

 

Today has been productive but on the work bench. Hopefully I will have something to share with soon.

 

Happy modelling folks…

 

 

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6 hours ago, thegreenhowards said:

Great video Andy,

 

it’s good to hear what the legomanbiffo chip sounds like. I received my XL (O gauge ) 37 chip from him on Saturday and I’m now looking forward to fitting it even more than before!

 

Andy

You’ll have to report back here and let us know how it sounds. Once you’ve had a few hours playing/testing of course.

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2 hours ago, mallaig1983 said:

You’ll have to report back here and let us know how it sounds. Once you’ve had a few hours playing/testing of course.

Will do. My o gauge is on the garden so it will probably be on the rolling road unless the weather is exceptionally good!

 

I like your MacRats. I have a 27 on order for when they’re released next year. I’d love a 26 as well but I don’t think I can justify one at Gelnfinnan! What’s your excuse?!

 

Andy

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