Waverley West, Princes St Gardens and Haymarket MPD

musher42 · November 18, 2023

On 16/11/2023 at 06:24, Waverley West said:

Hi all,

Thank you for the kind words. Interesting that nostalgia is such an important reason for people liking the layout. Nostalgia was one of the main reasons why I opted to "do" Waverley (I also considered doing Carlisle at the time). I wanted to recreate my visits to the station and the gardens in the 80s, when my sister lived in Kinghorn across the Forth. Whenever we visited her (from deepest Cornwall!), I would try and nip down to Kinghorn station for a few hours or, best of all, take a trip across the bridge into Waverley. I think I've achieved my aim, as the layout does bring back the feeling of "being there" whenever I'm operating it. Even better, I get to choose which trains I see on any given day. 😀

As promised, here is a track plan, taken from the BRM article (I presume this is OK to post here).

Waverley West is shown in the top right, Princes St Gardens in the top centre, Haymarket West and East Yards on the lower board and a freelance countryside section for trains to stretch their legs in on the left.

This shows the current (and probably final track) plan. There are also two looped fiddle yards, one on either side of the layout. These can hold around 31 trains of varying lengths ranging from a 24-wagon MGR rake and an 8-coach sleeper set, to sidings which can just hold a couple of 2-car DMUs or short freight/departmental rakes.

Hope to be back soon with another update. Plenty of projects under way at the moment. A second Accurascale 37 in the shape of Railfreight Distribution 37026 Shapfell is about to be released from the works, along with Bachmann Large Logo 37404 Ben Cruachan, which has had a difficult birth, but more of that anon.

Also on the bench is Accurascale Petroleum sector 37051, which is being renumbered as 37099 Clydesbridge. As far as I've been able to find out, the only significant difference between the two is the roof panel at the number 2 end, which is riveted on 37051 but fully welded (and therefore flush) on 099. I think this must be the only time I've ever counted rivets on Waverley West!

Happy modelling,

Dave

Morning Dave,

Thank you for sharing.

This is fantastic. Your attention to detail is quite awe-inspiring, not only in yourphotography, but also in your descriptions. ( my wife did ask if i was planning on building something similar, to which I replied.... my layout will probably be the Aldi version, not this Harrods example).

You have set quite a high bar with this layout and from the posts we all see, you a rightly, a very proud man.

Thank you again.

Cheers

Neill

Waverley West · November 20, 2023

On 18/11/2023 at 07:55, GWRPhil said:

Great to see the track plan. Does make me doubt my eyes though. Every photo you take is so realistic now I know a track plan exists it’s strangely made it even harder to convince myself it’s models your photo graphing. Your photography is stellar there is never a hint of ‘railway room’ in them. Please keep posting it’s the most realistic recreation of a real location I’ve seen on Rmweb.

are you still based in Cornwall?

Thanks Phil, that's very kind. I'll keep posting as long as people want to see more piccies of the layout! I sometimes find it hard to keep coming up with new angles to show, so I hope people accept that there are only so many different views of the layout. The stock is constantly changing though, so hopefully there is still plenty of interest for people there. There are lots of different lighting conditions too of course, with the night time views and the sunny scenes.

I'm actually based in West Cumbria these days. I spent my formative years in Cornwall, from age 8 to 18. It made getting to see the rest of the rail network difficult once I'd become interested in trains, as it was a long way to anywhere, especially Scotland, but they were happy days.

Waverley West · December 11, 2023

Hi folks,

Just thought I'd post a few pics after a trip down to Waverley West last night. Some interesting new stock passed through.

First up is a new Accurascale 37 in the shape of 37099 Clydebridge, renumbered from 37051. As 37099 has a fully welded roof at the no. 2 end, I have smoothed off the roof here. Otherwise, I couldn't find any significant differences between the two locos, especially as they both have fabricated bogies and ran for a time with the car headlight-style headlights.

Here it is in careworn condition, passing through Princes St Gardens at the head of a rake of steel wagons...

Another new 37 on the layout is 37404, this one a Bachmann version, renumbered from 37430. This loco has had a difficult birth. I originally bought it at a knockdown price only to find that it had a damaged gear wheel in one bogie. I bought a replacement bogie from Bachmann and fitted it, only to find that it still ran extremely poorly. It turned out that the other bogie had suffered exactly the same damage. So another call to Bachmann's excellent spares centre was made. The replacement bogie arrived and was duly fitted. The loco now ran very smoothly. However, during removal of the body on various occasions up to this point, I had managed to pull off one of the plug sockets at the ends. And yes, I had read about this weakness on here, but still managed to do it. I managed to solder two of the connections back on, but could not get the other two to work, so I ended up hard-wiring those wires.

The loco then passed through the WW works and I now have a very nice, smooth-running 37404 Ben Cruachan for a (reasonably) affordable price even with the two replacement bogies...

Another new item of stock on the layout is a 2 x 2-car class 158 in Regional Railways Express livery, fitted with legobiffoman sound chips. Both units have been renumbered to Haymarket-based units and weathered, fitted with passengers, etc., etc. Their liveries have been changed slightly through the addition of the "Express" branding on the bodyside stripes. These units mark the end of the period represented by WW, i.e. 1990ish. I decided it was a step too far to recreate the miniature snowploughs, at least for now. These units did apparently run for a short period of time without them after their construction.

Also new on the layout is another Accurascale 37 in the shape of 37026 Shapfell. I haven't got round to photographing that yet, so hope to be back soon with some piccies of it. Having now tried both Accurascale's and Bachmann's new 37s, I think the Accurascale version wins it for me, mainly because of the better quality sound/speakers. It really does sound like a miniature 100-ton locomotive. I do still like the new Bachmann 37s though and if Bachmann produce the right number/livery combinations, I could still be tempted. I've noticed some of the earlier releases now being heavily discounted by some retailers, including 37423 Sir Murray Morrison, which I think Santa may be bringing (well, OK, I know he will be bringing it, as I ordered it 😀).

Another couple of 47/7s are now in the works, again picked up as "bargains" (in the modern sense of the word). These are likely to be renumbered as 47716 "The Duke" (to replace my existing version) and 47711 Greyfriars Bobby.

Also soon to enter the works is Accurascale 37027, which I think will have its white stripe removed, but otherwise remain as 027.

Plenty of work in progress!

I've reached my upload limit again, so onto another post...

Edited December 11, 2023 by Waverley West

Waverley West · December 11, 2023

Here are some general views looking from the west. Of particular interest is 37423 (an older Bachmann version renumbered) at Platform 15, ready to depart for Inverness. A nice change from the usual 47. The Perth push-pull set is in Platform 17 and the stock from a service from Aberdeen is in Platform 16. A blue/grey 3-car 101 is in the bay platform, Platform 18. Plenty of buses on Waverley Bridge too... 😀

An interesting selection of rolling stock in Platforms 12 to 15, including two Strathclyde-liveried units (a 3-car 101 and a 156)...

47704 is still on the Perth service...

47550 arrives on the evening sleeper service...

A look along the path above The Mound Tunnels...

Well, I think that's all for now, folks.

Hope to be back soon with some more pics of my latest projects.

Happy Modelling!

Dave

Edited December 11, 2023 by Waverley West

Waverley West · December 11, 2023

One final photo that didn't make the cut above:

Work continues into the night down at Haymarket depot...

mallaig1983 · December 11, 2023

Thanks for the update Dave. Plenty going on by the looks of it.

Lovely work.

WCML100 · December 11, 2023

Some great photos there, weathering is spot on and I am loving the shots with the lights reflecting along the rails! Just lavvvely!

lmsforever · December 18, 2023

Thank you for sharing your brilliant layout with us ,we have not seen many just lately thank you very much.

meanach · December 19, 2023

Being a fan of 37404 I absolutely love your version of it. I was considering doing the same . How have you done the nose, was it a nose swap or filler to remove the centre lamp iron? Also interested in whose ploughs you’ve used.

Approximately half of the new tool Bachmann 37s I have bought have had that nose end socket problem, yet Bachmann told me I was the first person to have mentioned it !!!

There is a path to better sound , but it’s not a straightforward one ! (See photos).
- Last option doesn’t involve milling the chassis but using a Rail exclusive baby boomer in the tank and a ‘boomer’ in the fan recess.

Waverley West · December 21, 2023

On 19/12/2023 at 18:44, meanach said:

Being a fan of 37404 I absolutely love your version of it. I was considering doing the same . How have you done the nose, was it a nose swap or filler to remove the centre lamp iron? Also interested in whose ploughs you’ve used.

Approximately half of the new tool Bachmann 37s I have bought have had that nose end socket problem, yet Bachmann told me I was the first person to have mentioned it !!!

There is a path to better sound , but it’s not a straightforward one ! (See photos).
- Last option doesn’t involve milling the chassis but using a Rail exclusive baby boomer in the tank and a ‘boomer’ in the fan recess.

Thanks Ian! I used filler to remove the centre lamp iron. Not perfect, but it'll do, as the location of the missing lamp iron is not really visible from normal viewing distances. I used Accurascale ploughs. These fit pretty well on the Bachmann version without too much fettling.

Haven't decided what to do about the sound quality of the Bachmann 37s. I haven't really investigated any options, partly because I invested so much effort in getting 404 to actually run smoothly after its bogie damage issues and the socket problem. I may have a think about what to do as regards the sound in my new tooling 423 when Santa brings it though (if he does, of course).

Cheers for now,

Dave

Waverley West · December 21, 2023

And that just leaves me to say:

May Santa bring you all the trains (and maybe modelling time too) you are hoping for. I have two new tooling 47/7s (11 and 16) on my desk and a banger blue 37027 from Accurascale (with white stripe removed) almost finished now. I'm hoping to finish them off in time to run them over the holidays.

Seasons greetings one and all

Dave

Fair Oak Junction · December 21, 2023

Merry Christmas everyone!

MarshLane · December 21, 2023

Merry Christmas Dave (and family),

Here is to much more push-pull and 'tractor' action from Waverley in 2024.

Rich

Waverley West · December 22, 2023

20 hours ago, MarshLane said:

Merry Christmas Dave (and family),

Here is to much more push-pull and 'tractor' action from Waverley in 2024.

Rich

Thanks Rich. Yes, there's definitely plenty more push-pull and tractor action to come in 2024.

December 22, 2023

Merry Christmas Dave.

I've also a blue LL 47711 on my desk. I'm thinking about changing it's identity to 47712. I'm also not too happy with the Bachmann sound file, and am considering reblowing it with the free ESU file. Just worrying that it'll be a one way desision and there'd be no going back!

Steve

Waverley West · January 14

Hi folks,

Well, a very belated Happy New Year to you all. Not a lot of modelling has been done recently, but I've had quite a few operating sessions over the past few weeks, so I thought I'd post some photos.

First up is a trip to Haymarket MPD, courtesy of a depot pass...

Eastfield-based 47004 in its Construction subsector guise was on shed...

ScotRail-liveried 47461 was also on parked on road 5...

As the space-time displacement machine was set to the late 1980s, 47s were in the ascendency, with 47541 The Queen Mother and 47562 Sir William Burrell being given attention...