David Bell Posted March 26, 2021 Share Posted March 26, 2021 Anyone who follows me on here will know that I like to have a few things on the go at the same time. I like the variety and I like to move between scales too. So this is the latest project. I live less than 500 yards from the track bed of the Dornoch branch and walk on it most days.So I plan to make a model of the Dornoch train. This will comprise a 16xx pannier tank, a coach and a couple of vans. This will be unashamedly a shelf queen. No motor and mostly of plastic. The difference (for me anyway) is the scale. It will be Gauge 3, track is 63.5mm. Attached is the OO version, looks something like I am aiming for. Progress will be sporadic but hopefully the journey will be of interest. Cheers David 10 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Interesting. But one thing to check before you go any further building the coach is what type of coach as I'm pretty sure it would be a brake. Jason 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted March 27, 2021 Author Share Posted March 27, 2021 1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said: Interesting. But one thing to check before you go any further building the coach is what type of coach as I'm pretty sure it would be a brake. Jason You are quite right Jason. The coaches used on the branch were in the main brake composites. I have a picture which shows coach SC6742M. That appears to be a Stanier Diag 1720 coach. That is the one I will probably go for. That is obviously quite a bit different from the one I posed in my photo. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted March 27, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 27, 2021 Would the unfitted (grey) van on the tail require a brake van at the end? I am not knowledgeable about the working of mixed trains, but need to know for my own layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon A Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 Yes as the grey livery indicates it is not vacuum braked. If the coupling broke there was no automatic system to stop the vehicle and let the crew know something was up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted March 27, 2021 Author Share Posted March 27, 2021 My choice of a grey unfitted van when I posed the photo is I think an error. From what I can see Dornoch mixed trains don't typically have a brake van, but also don't typically include an unfitted van. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJCT Posted March 27, 2021 Share Posted March 27, 2021 (edited) 21 hours ago, David Bell said: My choice of a grey unfitted van when I posed the photo is I think an error. From what I can see Dornoch mixed trains don't typically have a brake van, but also don't typically include an unfitted van. This is a Dornoch to The Mound train at Skelbo in (I believe) 1957, and you can just make out the goods brake van at the rear, beyond what look like mineral wagons behind the vans, some of which could easily have been unfitted. Alasdair Edited March 28, 2021 by AJCT Correct date 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 4, 2021 Author Share Posted April 4, 2021 It was like Christmas here yesterday as all the Gauge 3 bits arrived at the same time. Driving Wheels, chimney, safety valve cover smokebox door,buffers, couplings and handrail knobs for the loco, LMS bogie sides and wheels for the coach, and some preformed ends for the ventilated van. I was not expecting the bogie sides or van ends to be available so that is a real bonus. Also bits to make a yard of track. I can't believe how big everything is. It will take me a while to get my scale eye in First task is to put the track together so I have something to put it all on. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
petemster Posted April 4, 2021 Share Posted April 4, 2021 Hello, David. That's a very impressive task you have undertaken. To find out something about Dornoch having GWR locos I went to flickr and keyed in "Dornoch branch" which brought up some fantastic pictures including one that seems to represent your choice exactly. It's from Ernie's Railway Archive and can be accessed by keying in the first part of the title HR 1959-09-01 dt3'7 1649 + Brake/Composite + two brown Vans. You're probably familiar with the picture, or maybe even working from it, but it will give the rest of us something to look at to see how you get on. Enjoy your project. As I said, it's very impressive. I'm in awe. Pete M. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 4, 2021 Author Share Posted April 4, 2021 Assembling the track turned out to be simple enough, just a case of threading individual sleepers onto the rail. I have one 900mm length. I have realised I will need another one as the attached pictures readily show. 1800mm should be enough for the locomotive, coach and two vans.The composite coach is 60ft over the headstocks which is 810mm in this scale. I have set the bogies at the correct distance in the photo. The other photo shows the driving wheels set at the right distance. The wheelbase is a little under 198mm. The loco in front is the Rapido 00 scale version. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 Like most of my projects this has grown arms and legs. I have decided to set the train in a diorama. So two boards each 900mm x 450mm. On these I will make a representation of Embo station. It is relatively simple. A single track in front of a short platform. The goods siding was south of the station so wont feature.By the time the 16xx's appeared the platform was brick faced but I will build the earlier wooden faced version. I think it will have more character than the later version. BR seem to have refurbished the platforms at Dornoch, Embo and Skelbo at some point in the fifties only to close the branch in 1960. A single wooden building sits behind the platform, built on stilts as far as I can see.The building had an external stove chimney which seems to be braced rather like a telephone poll.At one end is a gated level crossing. Station sign, single lamp and fencing and a couple of period vehicles will complete the scene. I might get away with using 1.24 scale kits for the vehicles, slightly undersize but i think will be ok. Heller do a Ferguson tractor which might fit the bill. The choice of Embo is a natural one for me I suppose on two counts. It is the closest station to where I now live and up until two years ago my wife owned the land upon which the station sits. Maybe we should have kept it and I could have done a full sized version! On second thoughts let's not go there! Cheers David 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 I have enlarged some drawings to the correct scale. Much fiddling with the printer but got there eventually. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 Here are a couple of postcard prints of Embo shortly after closure which shows what I am aiming for. Cheers David 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 More postcard prints of Embo 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marly51 Posted April 11, 2021 Share Posted April 11, 2021 What an interesting project, David! There are numerous Highland and Scottish stations I would love to model, but they cannot all be part of a layout! My foray back into modelling has been based on historical projects and an interest in modelling buildings. I look forward to seeing how this diorama develops! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 4 hours ago, Marly51 said: What an interesting project, David! There are numerous Highland and Scottish stations I would love to model, but they cannot all be part of a layout! My foray back into modelling has been based on historical projects and an interest in modelling buildings. I look forward to seeing how this diorama develops! It is quite a contrast isn't it. Glasgow Queen Street in the loft and Embo in the office. To be honest all of the Far North stations merit modelling. I had the Mound in my list particularly and enjoyed the recent Lairg article in Railway Modeller. The Embo model is like a giant Cakebox challenge. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 13, 2021 Author Share Posted April 13, 2021 There is nothing left of Embo station today, though the station house is still there 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 16, 2021 Author Share Posted April 16, 2021 I have found a kit of the perfect vehicle to park in the station yard 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted April 29, 2021 Author Share Posted April 29, 2021 Well it is not much of a start, but it is a start. At one end of Embo is a level crossing so I made the road crossing the four foot. Lots of plastikard and a couple of lengths of rail! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brylonscamel Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 (edited) 16 hours ago, David Bell said: Well it is not much of a start, but it is a start. At one end of Embo is a level crossing so I made the road crossing the four foot. Lots of plastikard and a couple of lengths of rail! That's very neat work David - I'll have to keep the standard up at my end! PS I'll drop you a message this weekend as regards GQS. Edited April 30, 2021 by brylonscamel Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkC Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 There was a rather splendid model of The Mound built many years ago. I don't recall seeing it, but I do remember that it featured in RM. Can anyone recall details of it? There may well have been some useful info to hand. Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 March 1972 or 3, IIR - I still have it around somewhere. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJCT Posted April 30, 2021 Share Posted April 30, 2021 There was a feature on the Dornoch Light Railway in "Railway Bylines" Volume 23 Issue 6, for May 2018 - locos pictured were mostly the HR 0-4-4Ts 55051 and 55053, but there are a couple of pics of 0-6-0PT 1649 with the mixed train. As I mentioned to Ben Alder some years back, my parents took us on holiday to a farm near Skelbo in 1957/8/9/60 and I have my Dad's photos from back then (eg in my post of 27 March above) - could maybe dig them out and scan them if of interest. Alasdair 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bell Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 11 hours ago, AJCT said: As I mentioned to Ben Alder some years back, my parents took us on holiday to a farm near Skelbo in 1957/8/9/60 and I have my Dad's photos from back then (eg in my post of 27 March above) - could maybe dig them out and scan them if of interest. Alasdair Thanks for that Alasdair. I have a copy of the magazine you refer to. If you could scan your Dad's photos that would be much appreciated. Cheers David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJCT Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 On 01/05/2021 at 07:47, David Bell said: Thanks for that Alasdair. I have a copy of the magazine you refer to. If you could scan your Dad's photos that would be much appreciated. Cheers David OK: all I have to do is find them.... Shall I post them on this thread or would you prefer me to start a separate topic under (say) "Railways of Scotland"? Alasdair Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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