kevo Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Hi all . have ing seen max's highland layout Portmahomack summer 1978 i remember back to two scottish highland small layouts i built a few years back and was so impressed with max's i just had to have a go my self .its a bit of a coppy cat one in its early mock up stages but see what you think . cheers all 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke the train spotter Posted June 5, 2020 Share Posted June 5, 2020 Love it! Big fan of the 24 and you've got a great Scottish feel about it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 6, 2020 Author Share Posted June 6, 2020 Hi luke thanks glad you like it . i have got a lot of tweek ing to do on it yet . one thing i am not sure about if the station building needs lowering by 1and half cm looks a bit to tall to me . not haveing any figures to hand at the mo makes it hard to judge and i am not a scale ruler type of modeller by any means . the base board is my recycled china clay layout that bit the dust when problems with the traverser killed it off . Then about 3 ins were swan of the end and it became a american based grain layout. all the buildings were made and thats when i saw max's layout and thats how it came to be . what you see now . the scenic side of the layout is only 50 cm long by 26 cm wide there are no points all three tracks converge under the road bridge and a single track sector plate deals with the switch ing of the tracks . i would have liked to have included one of the lovely highland signal boxes like max has used but there is not enough lenth on the platform . i do need to squeez a smiphore signal in at the end of the platform . i like the Dapol ones i doint think they do a scottish lattice type one and i doint really want to do a kit one . only thing i can come up with is a SR region one and place a finial on top might get away with that . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke the train spotter Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 I'd say that the station roof could be a bit lower. Looking at this photo of wick the roof doesn't seem to be that much higher than the loco.. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 Looks great, I am really liking these little highland layouts and I agree the station would look better lowered a little. Jerry. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peak experience Posted June 9, 2020 Share Posted June 9, 2020 if you placed a wall on the left hand end it would remove the impression that your station is only half size Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 10, 2020 Author Share Posted June 10, 2020 Thanks good idea on that i did find a pic of some ones layout a o gauge one that had a small wall do you mean something like that . or i may try a higer wall on the platform side that may look better . 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 12, 2020 Author Share Posted June 12, 2020 Hi all . managed to get some more work done . i have now lowered the station building so hopefuly it looks more to size than towering above the loco . and i have added a side wall as peak experiernce mention would help inprove the looks because of its small size. allso i have been able to paint the side walls platform etc in colours that blend in with its highland setting . its still in the mock up stage things like inner waitng room and parcels office have been placed on the platform but it looks more like a shed to me so i may change that . offered up a phone box and a small platform bench just to get a feel till happy . my park royal rail bus arrived this week that will take care of the passenger taffic tilll i can build up some more motive power like a 121 class . any way loads more to do will post more as progress goes on 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kevin Johnson Posted June 13, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 13, 2020 Kevo the station building looks much better lowered. Nice work weathering the stonework. The Class 24 is my favourite. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke the train spotter Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Looking great thee Kevo. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Legroom Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Hi Kevo It’s looking good. I like your station. I think the lower height works really well. Max Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 Hi max . glad you like it . next bit will be to tackel the roof . not sure if i will go for a slate tiles or corogated roof yet . and inside the station the waiting parcels office may change . I had built a very similar station on a layout some 8 years ago i think that had a corogated roof i have found a pic of it . the class 26 blocks the view abit . funny how you miss old layouts as it got sold on . 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
1722 Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 I’d missed this layout until this morning. Excellent start, looking forward to more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanG Posted June 17, 2020 Share Posted June 17, 2020 (edited) Looking good - right up my street this. Nice to see the 4 wheeler railbus, shame they weren't successful as may have kept some smaller branches open to passengers rather than just freight. Edited June 17, 2020 by SeanG Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 Hi all . just a few bits i have been beaver ing away at over the last week . progress on the road bridge got a bit bogged down as i couldnt make up my mind on how it should look . so with a mix of Wills Vari-Girder spans and some Jarvis Stone walling i have putt this together . it of course neeeds blending in with paint and grass tuffs at he sides of the road but so far i like it . All so i have started on the station roof so far its just resting on the top till ime sure that its ok but i do need to cutt some sky lights in the slates as it sure is dark in there . The other thing i have done is to block in the gap from the end of the waitng room to the bottom of the front boarding . Think it looks more solid like that . i have inc a before and after pic to show what i mean . So thats whats i have been up to of late . But next i need to tackel some sort of platform signal not sure what yet i really want to use a nice semaphore . but platform length is short so even with a rail car jutting out the station the driver would have it nearly in his face . so ile look at a colour light as well . which could even be mounted on the bridge above the track . all food for thought . 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 26, 2020 Author Share Posted June 26, 2020 Hi jim thank you . pleased you like it yes it is a bit cramped for space some bits have been chopped off as it has been two other layouts before it got to this stage . the PCB is the the plug in scoket for my NCE power cab controller its just resting there till i find some where to mount the panel i might have to make a box up or something . thats when i get round to tidy ing it all up . when the layout is near finished i will make a front panel up to give it that old TV look or fish tank look if you know what i mean . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke the train spotter Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 6 hours ago, kevo said: Hi all . just a few bits i have been beaver ing away at over the last week . progress on the road bridge got a bit bogged down as i couldnt make up my mind on how it should look . so with a mix of Wills Vari-Girder spans and some Jarvis Stone walling i have putt this together . it of course neeeds blending in with paint and grass tuffs at he sides of the road but so far i like it . All so i have started on the station roof so far its just resting on the top till ime sure that its ok but i do need to cutt some sky lights in the slates as it sure is dark in there . The other thing i have done is to block in the gap from the end of the waitng room to the bottom of the front boarding . Think it looks more solid like that . i have inc a before and after pic to show what i mean . So thats whats i have been up to of late . But next i need to tackel some sort of platform signal not sure what yet i really want to use a nice semaphore . but platform length is short so even with a rail car jutting out the station the driver would have it nearly in his face . so ile look at a colour light as well . which could even be mounted on the bridge above the track . all food for thought . Looking great kevo! You may be giving me ideas of a far north line micro... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multigauge Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 Kevo, I like the look of this. Scottish train operation has always been interesting IMHO as you can run prototypically short trains which lends itself to micro layouts in particular. Can I ask about your uncoupling? Looking at your kadee magnets, have you cut them in half? They look shorter than mine. How did you do this successful? And with a shorter length, do you find they still work as well? Regards M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 Hi multigauge . yes my Kadee magnets have been cut. in half i used a dremel with a cutting disc . its a bit fiddley to do and smelly once u get cutting . i am not sure where i 1st saw this but i have had success with it . but it all depends on setting the uncuplers up right. ive ended scrapping some layouts because of the nightmare of it all due to this . i allways use a kadee height gauge. and use ing half the size magnets i have found its got to be on a good stright bit of track . hope that helps . 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bo-Bo Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 This looking great kevo. The class24 is a favourite of mine. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 27, 2020 Author Share Posted June 27, 2020 Cheers mark glad you like it . yes i like the class 24's as well mine is a E BAY one brought from pro weather ing . i have a few locos from him . i do like wather ing my own normaly but for quickness i brought this one to get my BR loco stock up to a few as i had sold most of mine off a few years back . i have got to get a decoder for it as at the mo its only DC . 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Well i have had a bit of a sett back regards motive power wise with my class 24 . as i said i was going to put a D CC decoder in it . yesterday i removed the body shell only to find it has no 8 pin socket . i have owned this loco over a month it was shown in the add as dcc ready i tested it on anolog and never give it a thought . so it looks like i will have to hard wire it in which considering how much i paid for it ime none to pleased . so in the mean time only other loco available to me is my irish railways 141 class so doint be alarmed if this apears from now on. i havent given up on a scotish theam its just till i can sort things out . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 Hi @kevo Really liking the look of this micro project Yes, definitely better since lowering that roof - it looks more prototypical, and more "in proportion" IMHO I understand your frustration at the loco not being as described.... But don't despair totally - there are online videos on YouTube which can help explain how to fit decoders into non DCC ready locos such as this one, for example Funnily enough, I have been reading (yet again) through my old copy of Paul Karau's book on GWR Branchline terminus stations And I briefly toyed with the idea of a micro layout based on one of the locations such as Mortonhampstead, which has a similar type of roof I was particularly taken with the concept of the cattle dock being opposite the station building in this case To me, it screamed "view-blocker" and operating potential - especially, I thought, if I could place the goods shed part of the way along the platform, as a view-blocker on the other side of the small scene..... Unfortunately, I'll never get this idea built.... I've already got too many layouts, and way too many ideas I'd like to build Best of luck with this one - I'm interested to see this one progress Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevo Posted June 29, 2020 Author Share Posted June 29, 2020 Hi Marc thank you for the info regards fitting decoder i will have a look at that . i have managed a hard wire job on a loco a few year ago but it was sheer luck it worked so a refresher vid will not go a miss i think i have seen some of Jenny Kirk's vids before really good she is dam clever . marc your idea for your micro sounds really good . and yes i am the same all ways tons of layouts on the back burner .i have had faulse starts before espicialy with my version of John spencers Ruyton road its a small EM gauge layout there are some vids on u tube of it it could easy be turned into a scottish type layout . it has a dissused cattle doc etc . PS here is my irish loco i said about that will take over track running trials for uncoupleing etc . cheers 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted June 30, 2020 Share Posted June 30, 2020 17 hours ago, kevo said: Hi Marc thank you for the info regards fitting decoder i will have a look at that . ...... .i have had faulse starts before espicialy with my version of John spencers Ruyton road its a small EM gauge layout there are some vids on u tube of it it could easy be turned into a scottish type layout . it has a dissused cattle doc etc . PS here is my irish loco i said about that will take over track running trials for uncoupleing etc . cheers Hi @kevo Hope you fit the decoder without hitch. Just thinking - might be worth contacting the seller of the loco anyway. Just explain that you've only just recently opened it up & discovered it wasn't DCC ready.... worth a try at least? Send them a photo - perhaps they didn't know? Explain you're not expecting a full refund, but perhaps they can give a partial refund.... Anyhow - funny you should mention John Spencer's "Ruyton Road" - don't know if you're aware? But I'm the current owner It was on seeing it for the first time (twenty odd years back!) that was the turning point for me, and I have modelled small & micro layouts ever since..... It remains a design icon, and a "classic layout" in the eyes of many. I've been restoring & modifying it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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