Foyers - The Great Glen Late 1960's/Mid 80's

[SHerr]

Thanks for that, I have looked at your thread a few times and wondered about chopping down a turnout. At first it seems OTT but the more you think about it and put it into context again other options (kit or scratch build) it does seem a more viable option. In the grand scheme of things your probably talking a tenner more than a ready made unit even if I t existing. 
 

I’d thought I had seen one somewhere like Marcway but I think I may have inadvertently been looking at O gauge.

 

Out of interest, have you cut yours in the place you have because that’s the length you wanted or because that’s the first place you can cut without damaging the through rail or to miss something else?

[SHerr]

4 hours ago, Eddie R v2.0 said:

I cut it there because having stared at them through the front window of the cab for 7 years, I felt it looked right. What I have noticed is that none of the ones on the routes I sign are like the Peco one so this “seems” right. It could have been a bit shorter but only by a few sleepers. 

Thanks, I must admit my initial thought was to think they should look more like the Peco one but having looked on various photos (particularly West Highland etc) they are all 2 switch blades not one. The one thing from some quick research is they all seem to be different arrangements, lengths, angles etc. Modern ones are probably standard designs now but in the 60’s and 70’s I expect they were more bespoke.

 

 

[SHerr]

A quiet week after the recent good weather, but late last week some more Bullhead turnouts arrived.   I was still undecided what to do about the catch points and whether to have a full turnout or not. After laying out the track a full unit took up too much space.

 

I decided to take some brave pills and cut up a Bullhead turnout as suggested above by Eddie R. Generally it has worked well with one issue, as mentioned the units are quite flexible and after cutting the through rails the rails moved and dislodged the point mechanism and spring. I managed to get the rails back (sort of), but wasn't convinced the would operate properly. I dropped some superglue on the last few chairs at each end to hold the rails but couldn't get the points to swing reliably so took the decision to drop some glue on and set them open.

 

Obviously they now won't work but will hopefully work reliably. In hindsight I should have glued the rail ends before cutting which may have helped.

 

Despite this set back I am really pleased with how they have turned out and after testing no problems encountered.

 

 

 

 

 

[SHerr]

Little has happened on the layout over the last few weeks other than fixing of backscene boards and a couple of running sessions to test things. The other reason is I've been waiting for the shops to re-open to get the final 2 turnouts for the yard/smelter turnback and other scenic bits and pieces.

 

I have though started my unhelpful trait of commencing multiple projects at once:-

 

Firstly, a month or so back I purchased the Pop Up Designs wooden laser cut kit of Rannoch station, this was done knowing it wasn't quite what I wanted (mainly too big) and lacked a bit of relief and detail for something so prominent at the front of the layout. After fitting it up 'loose' I came up with the optimum place to cut a section out and removed about 80mm, tis also meant cutting the roof sections and making some new slots to take formers etc. I wanted something that represented the West Highland/NBR style but a bit more subtle like the smaller building that used to be at Craigendoran.

 

Now I've got to the model shop and got some plastruct strips I have started to detail the wooden framing and overlaying slaters embossed brick to give a finer look - I'm quite happy with the results so far although I have not yet decided whether to leave the upper render section as the base wood or cover it with a textured plastic sheet.

 

 

 

 

 

Also I have commenced some wagon projects after getting a bunch of Parkside kits on eBay - I've made a start whilst the weather has been warmer - so far a 20t tube, Vanwide and Dapol Prestwin have been started and I have refurbished an unused Plate wagon. 

 

Researching the Aluminium finished products it looked like they were all transported in Tube and Pipe wagons as made by Parkside and Bachmann but I've also found some really good photo's on Earnie's site of Plate wagons from Invergordon. I'm hoping where possible to use kits rather than RTR and also have some interesting builds to come with a clue in the photos attached above.

 

 

 

 

 

[SHerr]

I have been continuing with the wagon building bug, first up is the old Dapol Presflo kit - in essence a test to see whether it can scrub up well enough against the Bachmann model - considering you get 3 for the price of 1. I can't finish until I get some more superglue to fix the brass pipes etc but I am pretty happy to date.

 

 

Next up, a little more adventurous is this; a Slaters NER Coal hopper converted to an Alumina wagon, strangely Slaters do the Alumina wagon in O gauge but not OO. There is a drawing on RMWeb that helps a little although conversion so far has been fairly simple. The tricky bits to come are walkways and the hatches on the roof. Link below to the real thing that appear to have lasted to the late 60's and there are distant shots of trains with generally 1 of these mixed in with Covhops and Presflo's.

 

 

https://hmrs.org.uk/photographs/17t-bulk-alumina-wagon-lne-157330-wooden-conversion-in-train-f3r-lne-diag-82-steel-versions-either-side-part-lne-229084-on-right.html

 

I've also completed the backscene board in the loft, along with getting the last 2 turnouts I needed allow most of the track to be finished although not yet glued down. I have decided to add an extra 'private' siding for the smelter which will add to some shunting interest. 

 

 

 

 

[SHerr]

Following a trip to the model and DIY shops yesterday I have stocked up on Plastruct sections and various glues so could get back onto the station.

 

I have now completed all the timber framing, brick lower sections and glued the end pieces together and onto the flat roof underside. Luckily this seems to have cured the slight warp on the roof. A few (cruel) close ups but I am pretty happy. I have now started on what will be the tricky bit which is around the bay windows. I hav’nt quite worked out yet how to get the bigger window posts in and fill the big gaps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SHerr]

A bit more completed on the station building. The whole main building halves have been glued together and I’ve completed most of the bottom sections of the bay windows, these were fiddly but not particularly difficult just needed a bit of patience with the ledges etc.

 

I’ve also attempted the first bay window frames, larger section of Plastruct pushed into the opening and filed a little on the inside where needed. All seems to have gone ok but I did start with the best fitting gaps!

 

Photo attached of an unfinished one for comparison. Again very close up photo looks much worse than to the naked eye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[David Bell]

Very good work. The addition of the plastikard brickwork is particularly effective.

Cheers

David

[SHerr]

Slow but steady progress on the station building, after getting some more plastic strip I have now finished the timbering around the windows.

 

I was also unsure initially whether to leave the upper rendered sections of the building as they were and just paint the wood. I have some clear textured plastic that I think was a cover from a bound report or something, but the dimpled texture looked good for render.

 

After a trial piece which I painted I decided this would look much better as the wood grain did show through slightly. Cutting and fitting this tight has been quite time consuming (and boring) but i think will be worth the effort when painted.

 

 

The photos don't really show up the difference at present.

 

All the doors have also been completed - again a bit tedious, the Popup kit are fully recessed to the width of the main laser cut sheet which is too deep so i have carefully cut with a razor saw (knife splinters the wood) and then chipped off 2 of the 3 plys around the outside of the door. This means they sit a more realistic depth.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by SHerr

[David Bell]

Great piece of work.

I will need to do the same to mine!

Cheers

David

[SHerr]

33 minutes ago, David Bell said:

Great piece of work.

I will need to do the same to mine!

Cheers

David

Thanks, Much appreciated. It's not particularly difficult just time consuming and the Pop Up kit is a great template to start with and helps to position everything. I couldn't have got anywhere near by scratch building so worth the £40 for the kit. Framing the windows and Timber work having done it I'd say is essential to get a decent amount of relief . The brickwork is also needed as the gaps around the bays are far too big.

[Ben Alder]

Looking good. I'm at much the same stage with Plockton  and Dornoch, but with less relief needed thankfully. Although I'm slightly non neutral in all this I do agree the basic kits are a very reasonable starting off point - your one less than the price of two Bachmann 12ton vans, for example. I think doors are something we will have to get Iain to look at, especially shed ones.

 

[SHerr]

9 hours ago, Ben Alder said:

Looking good. I'm at much the same stage with Plockton  and Dornoch, but with less relief needed thankfully. Although I'm slightly non neutral in all this I do agree the basic kits are a very reasonable starting off point - your one less than the price of two Bachmann 12ton vans, for example. I think doors are something we will have to get Iain to look at, especially shed ones.

 

Yes doors need a bit more thought for a serious model. Below is how I have tacked them but you have to make the cuts with a fine razor saw as a knife tends to splinter the wood everywhere. The problem then is making an accurate enough cut with a saw. The one below is waste as it went too small.

 

 

I presume with laser cutting you could get something accurate enough to fit within the door frame with a thinner material and then glue some card behind to hold. They could even  be produced or sold separately.

 

I think part of the issue is the kits have a bit of an identity crisis- on one hand they are great pieces of bespoke semi specialist subjects but on the other their roots are still in the pop together card market. 
 

Personally as a modeller I have quite enjoyed turning a bespoke but slightly crude kit into something fit for the detail of a model railway but yes finer doors and windows would have made it easier, the other stuff is straight forward with a bit of care and patience. That’s ok as long as the price stays in a place to reflect more work is required.

[Ben Alder]

After a bit of lobbying Iain, he is now doing windows in a thinner ply, which makes a big difference to these kits. The more recent releases have them and he may revisit some of the  the earlier ones. They are supplied as a glue behind but can be trimmed to fit the apertures for a more flush finish. I never thought about the doors when suggesting this to him but I'll mention it.

 

[slow8dirty]

Great plan, how did I miss this thread!

Very interesting seeing the work you've done on the station kit, will be very helpful once I make a start on smartening up mine. But I think we all agree it's a great base and has made a West Highland building finally possible for a modeller of my ability/confidence.

Any plans to do anything to the windows themselves?

[SHerr]

3 hours ago, slow8dirty said:

Great plan, how did I miss this thread!

Very interesting seeing the work you've done on the station kit, will be very helpful once I make a start on smartening up mine. But I think we all agree it's a great base and has made a West Highland building finally possible for a modeller of my ability/confidence.

Any plans to do anything to the windows themselves?

Thanks for the comments. I’ve not done much over the summer months but had been wondering about the Windows. I will probably have a try at ‘clear glaze’ liquid. As I’ve got the off cuts of the shortened building I can have a go on a test piece first as I have never used the stuff.

[SHerr]

As mentioned above all has been quiet for a few months, but I realised that I hadn’t posted any photos of the semi complete painted station. A long way to go but getting the idea. I thought glueing the timber framing was tedious, the painting is worse!

 

Colours took a bit of finding against reference material but I have gone for Humbrol 29 for the brown and Humbrol 41 for the cream which looks ok against photos, half of the problems is most 60s photos are either poor quality colour or the paint looks faded.

 

 

 

[BoD]

I'm enjoying watching you model the station from this kit.  

 

Are you hoping to model the 'shingle' tiles on the walls so typical of the chalet style station buildings?

 

 

 

 

 

 

If so, one possibility that I have used is the Redutex self adhesive sheets. I used the N gauge  rounded slate, painted appropriately.  They are not the cheapest but I think they give a reasonable (if overscale) approximation of the real thing.  Here they are on a building I bodged together (before that kit was available).

 

 

Edited August 17, 2021 by BoD

[lmsforever]

 I have built several Pop Up kits and am pleased with them the base is good and adding extra detail gives you a very good model.Like the way your layout is progressing.

[SHerr]

4 hours ago, BoD said:

I'm enjoying watching you model the station from this kit.  

 

Are you hoping to model the 'shingle' tiles on the walls so typical of the chalet style station buildings?

 

 

 

 

 

 

If so, one possibility that I have used is the Redutex self adhesive sheets. I used the N gauge  rounded slate, painted appropriately.  They are not the cheapest but I think they give a reasonable (if overscale) approximation of the real thing.  Here they are on a building I bodged together (before that kit was available).

 

 

Hi there, in simple term no! I looked for different materials but couldn’t find anything- that said yours looks good.

 

There also appear to be some stations that were rendered and the assumption is that this line was built around the same time as the Mallaig extension where pebbledash was used. I used some photos of the old upper platform building at Craigendoran as a reference being a smaller building of the standard WH chalet and that certainly looks to be rendered.
 

I have used a textured plastic sheet that is actually for report covers etc but gives enough surface to give a texture.

[SHerr]

I've not had much to post for a while over the summer, mainly as other things take precedence and also its a bit warm in the loft. However I have been doing a lot of planning that has ended up in a bit of an unexpected turn.

 

I always intended that the other half of the loft would host a development of my previous 1980's Norfolk based layout. After much playing around with different plans I was struggling to get the right balance with everything feeling too crammed in, limited operations and trains that were too short. In parallel I have enjoyed following West Highland Line V4 and Forsinard topics on here, both of which feature more than one station and good lengths of scenic running.

 

I started to think about the option of expanding Foyers to the full size of the loft but also having a 1980's option alongside the late 60's option to satisfy the 80's interest. The additional station will likely be a little more make believe, I am assuming that the line differs from the proposed but never built line which was I believe was planned to enter Inverness from the South (although I'm not fully clear on those parts of the plan). I have instead assumed the line will cross the Caledonian Canal at Lochend/Dochgarroch and then head north to connect with the Dingwall line somewhere near Clachnaharry.

 

I am assuming a station at Lochend or Dochgarroch where following the railway a small town developed on the shores of Loch Ness, and even included a Distillery that was rail served. For a bit of architectural interest I am also assuming that the Highland Railway built the Inverness to Lochend section under the joint railway arrangement so this station will have more of a HR feel.

 

The small goods yard and Distillery will allow a bit more operational interest.

 

I have developed 2 plans at present, one based around a fairly typical HR arrangement drawing on bits of Dingwall, Lairg, Tain which will have a headhunt into the Distillery which is off the scenic section and the other one with more of a Muir of Ord feel with large grain elevators. (maybe even a future excuse to run a class 40!)

 

I am still playing around with the 2 options loose laying tracks to try and get a feel for size and space.

 

The 2 plans are below:

 

Based around Muir of Ord

 

 

 

Based around Tain/standard HR

 

 

 

 

[BoD]

Interesting development.

 

The first, based around Muir of Ord seems a better idea. Facing the right way for better operation between the two if you see what I mean.  Unless there will be a continuous loop right around the loft?  
 

If there isn’t a continuous loop then one could act as a fiddle yard for the other the give yet another  operational dimension. 

[SHerr]

19 minutes ago, BoD said:

Interesting development.

 

The first, based around Muir of Ord seems a better idea. Facing the right way for better operation between the two if you see what I mean.  Unless there will be a continuous loop right around the loft?  
 

If there isn’t a continuous loop then one could act as a fiddle yard for the other the give yet another  operational dimension. 

Thanks, I know what you mean about seeming ‘the right way round’. It will be a dead end fiddle yard at each end due to water tank in the loft. In theory I can get a continuous loop but wouldn’t be able to get to the sidings. The only thought with the other option was I could have sidings off scene but I think it may well be better the Muir of Ord way. Plus I do have the Walters Cornerstone large Grain elevator which is quite impressive.

[BoD]

Having a fiddle yard beyond either end makes a difference.  How would a train running clockwise drop off  wagons in any of the sidings at ‘Muir of Ord’ without becoming trapped?  Or did you envisage them running around a train off scene?

 

it is possible but freight trains would have to drop off running anti clockwise  and leave in that direction too.

[SHerr]

1 hour ago, BoD said:

Having a fiddle yard beyond either end makes a difference.  How would a train running clockwise drop off  wagons in any of the sidings at ‘Muir of Ord’ without becoming trapped?  Or did you envisage them running around a train off scene?

 

it is possible but freight trains would have to drop off running anti clockwise  and leave in that direction too.

The trains would run round in the station, the end of the loop is off scene - there is a short narrow section of board where the hatch for the loft is which gives some room before the fiddle yard starts, certainly enough for a loco.

 

Inverness is beyond 'Muir/Lochend' so the grain train would approach from this way, run past and propel into the sidings.

 

Some photo's after a play with some track tonight.