The Skarloey Railway 1942-1960: Scaca Fell Forestry Crossing

[Sandhole]

8 hours ago, Aire Head said:

Yes you can he’s in the bottom left corner 

No7 has always been a favourite of mine.
She was still a set of frames when I stopped volunteering. I have had numerous great trips behind her on subsequent visits.
I assume she's too modern for your period of the SR, Tom.
I look forward to seeing more posts from this layout as well as the subsequent layouts you build.
Take Care,
Regards,
Chris.

[Tom F]

3 hours ago, Aire Head said:

Out of interest will you be able to join the layouts together to give a longer run?

Possibly, it would nice to join Scaca to the next board. Something I'm very much keeping in mind.

[Tom F]

23 minutes ago, Sandhole said:

No7 has always been a favourite of mine.
She was still a set of frames when I stopped volunteering. I have had numerous great trips behind her on subsequent visits.
I assume she's too modern for your period of the SR, Tom.
I look forward to seeing more posts from this layout as well as the subsequent layouts you build.
Take Care,
Regards,
Chris.

 

Yes No. 7 'Ivo Hugh' is a bit too late for my modelling period. I'm pretty much covering up to 1960, which covers the period before the quarry closes and the MoD take ownership, plus before the loop line opens.

 

The sale of the quarry to the MoD funded a loop around Skarloey Lake, used predominantly in the summer months.

[Tom F]

1 hour ago, 1722 said:

Tom, I have no words for your work and I'm fairly certain it would be impossible to over-saturate us with such wonderful modelling! 

 

A quick question, if I may. Where do you get the sea moss trees from - I'm most impressed from them and am thinking something similar would work on my planned layout. Thanks.

 

I'm sure I speak for many when I say 'keep posting, whatever it may be!'

 

Thanks Chris

The sea foam I went with is from gaugemaster. Quite expensive using for the entire tree rather than just branches, but for my autumn period they have worked great.

 

I wasn't going to post another photo for a bit, but here is one I hadn't shared from yesterday.

 

No. 2 simmers by the aqueduct, waiting for a loaded of set to come down the incline.

 

[AdeMoore]

Tom top drawer stuff, read the whole thread over the last couple of days after Rob @NHY 581mentioned it.

What a fantastic build you have achieved, so realistic like all of your work though!

The photography is a credit to you too.

Looking forward to more of your quest to build more of the railway.

I’ll be also interested to see how the foam board holds up.

cheers

Ade

[Asterix2012]

I too am interested in how you get on with the foam board.  Particularly in joining 2 boards  together.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Asterix2012

[Tom F]

Good morning from Ward Fell Quarry!

 

[Tom F]

"Trucks!" snorted Sir Handel, "TRUCKS!"

"Yes," his Driver repeated, "Trucks."

Sir Handel jerked forward; "I won't!" he muttered, "so there!" He lurched, bumped, and stopped. His Driver and Fireman got out.

"Told you!" said Sir Handel triumphantly.'

 

[2ManySpams]

Very naughty engine.

[Sandhole]

18 hours ago, Tom F said:

"Trucks!" snorted Sir Handel, "TRUCKS!"

"Yes," his Driver repeated, "Trucks."

Sir Handel jerked forward; "I won't!" he muttered, "so there!" He lurched, bumped, and stopped. His Driver and Fireman got out.

"Told you!" said Sir Handel triumphantly.'

 

Just like No3 did when she first came to the TR.
She wasn't keen on the TR's 'interesting' permanent way!
Love the shot.
Get the jacks out boys.
In this time period, is Mr Rusty/Midlander working on the line, or is it too early?
Regards,
Chris.

[TrainMan2001]

I think if Duncan's there, Rusty would be, too. I'm pretty sure they were introduced in the same book.

[Tom F]

"Right old boy, let's drop off these empties, pick up them loaded ones.......and then we'll head home"

 

[Sandhole]

On 01/09/2021 at 14:21, Sandhole said:

Just like No3 did when she first came to the TR.
She wasn't keen on the TR's 'interesting' permanent way!
Love the shot.
Get the jacks out boys.
In this time period, is Mr Rusty/Midlander working on the line, or is it too early?
Regards,
Chris.

No5 is a favourite of mine.
I cut my diesel driving teeth on her on the Nant Gwernol extension.
She taught me a lot.
In those days, she had four separate exhaust pipes. To stop water getting down the pipes, tin cans were put over them.
One morning an over-enthusiastic working party member started the starting cycle.
Decomp engaged, throttle set, start winding the handle like a maniac. When the engine was turning he threw the decomp just as I shouted, "DON'T"
Too late, four cans went flying into the air and bombarded us as the engine fired!
Regards,
Chris.

 

[AdeMoore]

Liking the video you just posted @Tom Fcouldnt praise it there as you decided against comments on there.

I get that on that platform!

looks spot on.

[Tom F]

10 minutes ago, AdeMoore said:

Liking the video you just posted @Tom Fcouldnt praise it there as you decided against comments on there.

I get that on that platform!

looks spot on.

Thanks Ade
Yes, chose against allowing comments as I feared it would be the same old 'why don't they have faces?' or 'are you making a series?'

For those interested, here it is:

 

[Tom F]

I was very touched this evening that my friend Tim Dunn (transport/railway presenter, writer and broadcaster) tweeted out some of my photography of the layout, with a lovely write up.

 

 

[Tom F]

I'm absolutely loving taking different photos of the layout. I think it's fair to say, this is my favourite location.

It has a real remoteness and isolation that perhaps I crave deep down myself.....a reason I enjoy my hiking I think.

 

'It's 1946 in the Eastern District of Sodor. The diesels on loan during the war have gone, and with No.1 'Skarloey' in poor mechanical condition the full weight of the railway's existence lies fully on the four little wheels of No.2..... 'Rheneas'.

On a cold October afternoon, Rheneas heads up to the quarry with No. 4 'Beatrice' on the last slate pick of the day.'

 

[Tom F]

It is a grey autumnal morning over the eastern district of the Island, as No. 2 heads up the valley.

 

A combination of damp rails and fallen leaves have made this a difficult journey for the crew.

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Tom, 

 

I've been looking back through the thread, can you just confirm if the track you've used is the PECO 009 trackwork ? 

 

Your thread has inspired me to think about a little something for a Bachmann Hunslet or two............{ Well, they are on the way......ish}. 

 

Rob. 

[Tom F]

15 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Morning Tom, 

 

I've been looking back through the thread, can you just confirm if the track you've used is the PECO 009 trackwork ? 

 

Your thread has inspired me to think about a little something for a Bachmann Hunslet or two............{ Well, they are on the way......ish}. 

 

Rob. 

Morning Rob!

I can confirm that the track work is indeed peco 009.

I'm going to have to acquire some more in due course, as I'm planning the next Skarloey layout with my friend @BritishGypsum4 

[Sandhole]

Hope Mr Rusty's on that layout.
That last shot cheered me up immensely on a down morning.
I can hear the wind in the trees, smell the damp undergrowth and the sound of Rheneas as he slowly gets closer and closer.
Regards,
Chris.

[Tom F]

Driver Bill Thwaite backs down No. 3 to ‘Thie Ushtey’ as fireman Ben Valentine prepares to have the hose at the ready. 

Looks to be plenty of water this morning.

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

I just saw this on Flickr and thought of your delightful layout. Here’s the run-down ‘Skarloey’ in the back of the shed in 1948 while ‘Rheneas’ keeps the line going:

 

[Tom F]

Hi everyone!

 

I decided to take a break from posting this week, as I felt I was running the risk of saturating the thread with photos of the layout.

 

I have been busy working away behind the scenes though. The layout is now fully operational with working fiddle yards. I've been working out a sequence (depicting 1942-1945) so I can now disappear into my own little world and play trains.

I now have more rolling stock to build. As well as finishing 'Skarloey' I have some RNAD/War Department vans to build along with an 'on loan diesel' to build. This gives the layout three locomotives to work with during the 1940s period.

 

[Tom F]

'Arrival of the empties in 1943'