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Kyle of Lochalsh (West)


Defford
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Thank you Pete. I'm liking your version of Kyle - you've really captured the essence of the place in a very handy size. May I ask where you sourced the buffer stops? They look ten times better than the Peco equivalent.

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1 hour ago, Kris said:

That looks fantastic. 

 

Cheers Kris. I'm envious of the trackwork on your Coombe Viaduct layout. I did consider 2FS or N2 on this layout but chickened out in the end! (Plus already plenty of code 80 to hand). Maybe one day.

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1 hour ago, Defford said:

 

Cheers Kris. I'm envious of the trackwork on your Coombe Viaduct layout. I did consider 2FS or N2 on this layout but chickened out in the end! (Plus already plenty of code 80 to hand). Maybe one day.

Don't put yourself down, your trackwork looks great, this is a really nice model.

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3 hours ago, Defford said:

Thank you Pete. I'm liking your version of Kyle - you've really captured the essence of the place in a very handy size. May I ask where you sourced the buffer stops? They look ten times better than the Peco equivalent.


Thank you too Adrian - yes they are etches available from the 2mm Association.

 

http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/shops.php?shop_num=1

 

Staying tuned to see more progress...

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Yes, excellent modelling.  The Kyle shed layout is instantly recognisable and you've captured the loch side embankment perfectly. Unmistakable as the "Skye Railway".

 

I'm re-rereading John Thomas' book on the line just now and am seriously considering modelling Strome Ferry, just supposing it had remained as the line's terminus.

 

Great work, keep us updated.

 

Best

 

Scott.

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17 hours ago, Defford said:

Hi all. I’ve been meaning to begin a thread on here for a while and now seems a good time to try and focus the mind.

This layout is based on Kyle of Lochalsh as it was in the late 1950s/early 1960s with a few compromises. It’s a U-shape, with the first leg of the U being a cassette board, the second the coastal approach to Kyle plus the MPD and the third the western side of the station itself. Each scenic leg is about 2m long.

It’s a work in progress – fits and starts over about 3 years so far. The boards are a softwood/plywood mix with styrene, DAS clay, 3D printing and brass etching used for structures. Track is Peco code 80 with servo point control.

 

First, here are some ‘helicopter’ shots of the model as it stands:

IMG_2945_small.jpg.df707cb948b0f149a9e080f10f413d3b.jpgIMG_2948_small.jpg.a07f36b0ddeac030142f601b10087d65.jpg

The station and pier. The station building is not yet made but will be a low-relief model. I hope to include a traveling steam crane eventually. The second picture shows the station throat, fuel oil tank and signal box as the track runs beneath two road bridges. In reality the line divided before the signal box to run around to the eastern side of the pier. There were also carriage sidings leading up the platform ramp.

 

IMG_2944_small.jpg.94df4ec80cb052227111d7cf17537604.jpgIMG_2952_small.jpg.4817d9de02893e25e3f19948313f2614.jpg
The line disappears into a steep cutting, past the MPD and then runs onto a coastal embankment (the least complete section). The stone bridge is actually borrowed from further down the line but included for scenic interest.

 

Now for some cruel close-ups:

 

IMG_2947_small.jpg.2f09904493a2357ea038d019bf4faaea.jpg

Wagons at the quayside.

 

IMG_2937_small.jpg.d1dc9b4eb8fb1e79a04556a85c307fdd.jpg

A Black 5 runs around its train...

 

IMG_2939_small.jpg.f3318c23a9815abd5b41998b11587c65.jpg

...and backs onto the turntable.

 

IMG_2949_small.jpg.89f6d942a52131d5af17facbd1cbcf14.jpg

D5307 hauls a short oil train along the coast (I think the tide is out!)

 

That's all for now. Hope it's of interest.

 

Adrian.

 

 

 

 

 

A very impressive layout :) 

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Thanks all for the kind words and likes. I will certainly keep posting as things progress. :)

 

20 hours ago, bcnPete said:


Thank you too Adrian - yes they are etches available from the 2mm Association.

 

http://www.2mm.org.uk/products/shops.php?shop_num=1

 

Staying tuned to see more progress...

 

Much obliged Pete - I will check that out.

 

10 hours ago, scottystitch said:

Yes, excellent modelling.  The Kyle shed layout is instantly recognisable and you've captured the loch side embankment perfectly. Unmistakable as the "Skye Railway".

 

I'm re-rereading John Thomas' book on the line just now and am seriously considering modelling Strome Ferry, just supposing it had remained as the line's terminus.

 

Great work, keep us updated.

 

Best

 

Scott.

Thanks Scott. Good to here from another fan of the Kyle Line. I have the John Thomas book and can also recommend 'The Dingwall & Skye Railway' by Peter Tatlow if you don't already have it. A good read with many photos, large scale maps and some scale drawings. The Stromeferry project sounds interesting...you could perhaps include the cement silos that were installed for a short time in the 1970s if that's your scene.

 

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Funny thing - this layout reminds me that the first photos I saw of Kyle of Lochalsh were only of this side of the station - I thought that was it!! I was amazed a few years later to see photos of the other side & see how much more of the station there was!!

 

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Some limited progress to report. I have made headway on the third and final section of backscene (although none are complete yet). I've used 3mm ply with white undercoat and then a mix of acrylics on top to produce something like a sky. Not being any kind of painter, this was a bit hit and miss. It's perhaps a bit 'busy' in parts but I'm happy with the effect overall:

00017.jpg.c0e90eae488c5d624a0e7b4b52715f4d.jpg

I will eventually have a stab at painting the distant hills of Wester Ross to complete the scene.

 

Meanwhile, here's series of images following D5326 that give further impressions of the layout:

IMG_2978.jpg.c7dcceb736c00de1ce340bc3b2f13945.jpg

Arriving with the morning service from Inverness.

 

IMG_2984.jpg.d4253341764d9519e7ef3cdf9807f1dd.jpg

Idling on shed for a time (the shed is still missing its side office :-( )

 

IMG_2986.jpg.764a736299ee039ddcf520f006819b27.jpg

Heading back out for the late morning departure.

 

IMG_2989.jpg.6f4b0b96210cd68897d12beb3404cd32.jpg

Getting the return leg up to speed through the cutting.

 

IMG_3003.jpg.29759b1b4f7ff2914150a56de8cbba80.jpg

Well on the the way to Plockton.

 

And for steam fans, here's 45206 approaching Kyle with a rake of Stanier Crimson and Cream:

IMG_2997.jpg.1960bb3dea16dfa076ad44989e80a682.jpg

 

Hope you are all well.

 

Adrian.

 

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1 hour ago, Defford said:

Some limited progress to report. I have made headway on the third and final section of backscene (although none are complete yet). I've used 3mm ply with white undercoat and then a mix of acrylics on top to produce something like a sky. Not being any kind of painter, this was a bit hit and miss. It's perhaps a bit 'busy' in parts but I'm happy with the effect overall:

00017.jpg.c0e90eae488c5d624a0e7b4b52715f4d.jpg

I will eventually have a stab at painting the distant hills of Wester Ross to complete the scene.

 

Meanwhile, here's series of images following D5326 that give further impressions of the layout:

IMG_2978.jpg.c7dcceb736c00de1ce340bc3b2f13945.jpg

Arriving with the morning service from Inverness.

 

IMG_2984.jpg.d4253341764d9519e7ef3cdf9807f1dd.jpg

Idling on shed for a time (the shed is still missing its side office :-( )

 

IMG_2986.jpg.764a736299ee039ddcf520f006819b27.jpg

Heading back out for the late morning departure.

 

IMG_2989.jpg.6f4b0b96210cd68897d12beb3404cd32.jpg

Getting the return leg up to speed through the cutting.

 

IMG_3003.jpg.29759b1b4f7ff2914150a56de8cbba80.jpg

Well on the the way to Plockton.

 

And for steam fans, here's 45206 approaching Kyle with a rake of Stanier Crimson and Cream:

IMG_2997.jpg.1960bb3dea16dfa076ad44989e80a682.jpg

 

Hope you are all well.

 

Adrian.

 

 

Wow!   Incredible! 

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1 hour ago, Defford said:

Not being any kind of painter, this was a bit hit and miss. It's perhaps a bit 'busy' in parts but I'm happy with the effect overall:

 

Yeah, right - get away with yer!! :rolleyes:

 

 That sky is brilliant, in my book. Don't put yourself down!! :no:

 

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Smashing stiff Adrian.  

 

Always pleased to see models of the Dingwall & Skye lone - but then again I would wouldn't i!?!?

 

I  particularly enjoyed the view of the shed looking over from the turntable; a bit like this view from the Society's collection on Am Baile.

 

313191410_22823fromRailscot.jpg.974cd43d384929f0032cdf7b1d8787fb.jpg

 

You can see my slowly moving efforts to capture a number the same features on my blog or on my RMweb thread here.

 

 

Mark

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20 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Yeah, right - get away with yer!! :rolleyes:

 

 That sky is brilliant, in my book. Don't put yourself down!! :no:

 

 

19 hours ago, bcnPete said:

Looks great - sky included!

 

Thanks chaps! :) No Turner prize yet but I like the way this hobby gets you trying different things...

 

 

19 hours ago, Portchullin Tatty said:

Smashing stiff Adrian.  

 

Always pleased to see models of the Dingwall & Skye lone - but then again I would wouldn't i!?!?

 

I  particularly enjoyed the view of the shed looking over from the turntable; a bit like this view from the Society's collection on Am Baile.

 

You can see my slowly moving efforts to capture a number the same features on my blog or on my RMweb thread here.

 

 

Mark

 

Cheers Mark. I have seen that picture before and my earlier photo was a sort of reconstruction effort. Am Baile is a good resource.

Great blog and layout you've got there. That tandem point looks the business as do the water towers. I will have to have a proper read some time. I was actually pondering making a start on the coaling platform which looks a quite a rickety affair. That got me wondering how locos were actually coaled at Kyle - buckets and shovels or a crane...?

 

Also, I realised a little while ago that the LMS added a turnout to one of the engine shed roads to give a short coal wagon siding which I haven't included on my version:

 

kyle_engine_shed4.jpg.8ff18376fc89903be422706646fccb73.jpg

 

Translated to my layout, that would look like this (new bit in orange box):

 

eng_shed.jpg.a6ad4145f3a621207fbc47c5b4413cfa.jpg

 

Hmmm...it would fit and I even have a spare turnout. Disruptive but worth it? :scratchhead:

 

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1 hour ago, Defford said:

 

eng_shed.jpg.a6ad4145f3a621207fbc47c5b4413cfa.jpg

 

 

 

This turnout led to a short road to a covered "hut" that could cover two 16t minerals,  You can see this in the attached picture with thanks to the Armstrong Railway Photograph Trust (JM Boyles collection).  

 

325817696_021KyleofLochalshengineshedandcoalingstage11-05-63(JohnBoyes)ARPT080(2).jpg.d613ecfc38bcad51e8e64e68c6139200.jpg

 

This spur and hut were not in situ in the early BR era but were there by the late 1950s.  As the turntable was enlarged to take black 5s in about 1953 (I would have to look up the date) I suspect this was added at the same time.  If you do not have it LMS Engine Sheds volume  6 has a number of other views of this area - alternatively, spend some time on Ernie Brack's photostream as he has a lot of photographs of Kyle.

 

I think I can see a pulley and runner underneath the shed and this would make sense; they would have a bucket on this that they could raise and then discharge over a locomotive tender.

 

Make sure you have a nice grounded coach as a mess room.  That looks like a exLNWR brake in this picture; prior to this there was a magnificent WCJS 12 wheeler in the same spot.

 

 

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This is great info. Thank you.

 

28 minutes ago, Portchullin Tatty said:

This spur and hut were not in situ in the early BR era but were there by the late 1950s.

Interesting. Seems that steam infrastructure was improved just in time for Diesel! I think I'm going to have to add that coaling spur.

 

34 minutes ago, Portchullin Tatty said:

Make sure you have a nice grounded coach as a mess room.

Yes, they make an interesting feature. Another job (or two) goes on the list.

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On 06/04/2020 at 21:52, Portchullin Tatty said:

This spur and hut were not in situ in the early BR era but were there by the late 1950s.  As the turntable was enlarged to take black 5s in about 1953 (I would have to look up the date) I suspect this was added at the same time. 

 

I have the year of 1946 for the turntable replacement. [ source  A history of Highland Locomotives by Peter Tatlow and A.C.V Allchin ]

 it spelled the beginning of the end for the "Clan Goods" which some regarded as stronger engines than the black 5s which replaced them,

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21 minutes ago, Defford said:

This is great info. Thank you.

 

Interesting. Seems that steam infrastructure was improved just in time for Diesel! I think I'm going to have to add that coaling spur.

 

Yes, they make an interesting feature. Another job (or two) goes on the list.

Very nice work here Defford..

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