Andy C Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 For the last year Ive been giving serious thought to a Parcels Depot in P4 as a successor for New Hey. However after some counselling and relooking at the track plan with colleagues, thats sensibly been put on the back burner as it may be a tad too ambitious for a first P4 project. Howver the P4 bug was not going away (particularly as i have the point kits and some stock now) so a new project has come along. To be honest its been lurking in the background for some years now, as someone who is frequently in the West Highlands, Ive always been struck by the "whatifability" of a station based on the area of land between the Loch and the A82 after you come over Ballchulish bridge into North Ballchulish - the sharp left hand bend at the north end has some thing that says build me about it. The scenario then is that the Callander and Oban did the right thing by building another "Connel ferry bridge" at Ballchulish Ferry and extended the line right up to Fort William not only that but the projected line through the Great Glen was built as well linking Oban / Fort Bill with Inverness. Taking advantage of the easier running over the north bank of Loch Leven a branch was made at North Ballchulish to enable goods workings to the Kinlochleven aluminium smelter. On the track plan attached below this is at the bottom end of the plan forking off to the left as you move in the Oban direction (South). Simple goods yard, possibly a goods shed, but the station building is likely to be based on Creaggan to the south along with a signal box. Set in 1970 /71 apart from passengers traffic by the ubiiquitous 27s there will be goods working to Kinlocleven (Presflos and Cov Hops from Burntisland) Oil and Timber workings as well as some van and 16 tom mineral traffic. Not too ambitious but the chance for some nice scenic modelling. it will feature the Church there, a few cottages and a very nice cottage group which is right on the bend of the A 82. Id be grateful of any thoughts at the planning stage - quick before the ply arrives though, construction will start after New Hey has been to Railex!! Must go up again soon for another survey. And a few more beers in the Clachaigh at Glencoe NB 3.doc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixteen 12by 10s Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Must go up again soon for another survey. And a few more beers in the Clachaigh at Glencoe Looks like a good plan to me, oh and the layout seams like a good idea too. Five weeks to go until my Highland fix, will i be taking a 2MM scale rule with me?. Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold John B Posted March 31, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 31, 2011 Nice idea, Andy, I'll be following this with interest. I have (somewhere) a copy of "Modern Railways" from 1964/65-ish, in which a news article suggested that plans were being mooted by the BRB looking at building a "second Connel Ferry" bridge at Ballachulish, and extending the line up Loch Linnie to Fort Bill - possibly as an excuse to abandon the WHR across Rannoch Moor. If it's of interest I'll dig it out and scan a copy for you. It's always appealed to me as an idea, especially introducing some modern, prefabbed structures into an otherwise traditional "branch line" environment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinWales Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Now I'll be following this with interest Andy-Look forward to the updates! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium ullypug Posted March 31, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 31, 2011 I'd heard a rumour Andy! End to end I presume? Looks interesting. What's your ruling radius? That inside siding top right looks about 2'6" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Interesting idea Andy, I've had a few potential schemes for this area rattle around in my head but nothing's ever really gelled. At that period you could probably justify the odd 29 (if one ever appears...) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Andrew - I see Karl has been talking!! maximum radius is 4' - I think the sidings may look deceptive but they are likley to be eased out anyway so i can bring the road in a little more and do some of the small cottages along that side of the road. The layout will be viewed from the inside of the L with cassettes in the fiddleyard - and yes Ian should the 29 appear (and pass muster) then one will definately be appearing. John that would be useful for that article - ive a few ideas for buildings - including one from about a half mile further on down the A82 towards fort bill and is a village hall made out of wriggly tin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 t may be a tad too ambitious for a first P4 project Andy, having seen your modelling (albeit too briefly at Nottingham as I only had three hours!) I think you'd have been fine! However... I do rather like this proposal! I think pre-TOPS diesels in Scotland have a huge appeal. It's one area and era combination I'd like to model, but for now I'm trying to concentrate on my chosen projects so I might actually be able to achieve at least one complete(ish) outcome! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizard of the Moor Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Andy, nice idea and I'll look forward to seeing it develop. One thought - what couplings are you planning to use? Those curves could be challenging for AJs and, assuming that you're planing on exhibiting this and operating from the back, then access for 3 links will need to be considered when designing the boards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Must go up again soon for another survey. And a few more beers in the Clachaigh at Glencoe .......or the Onich Hotel, as it almost looks down on your proposed station!! I take it you have "The Birth & Death of a Highland Railway"? It is about the Ballachulish line - I think it has a track plan of one of the wayside stations, so depending on the historical spin you are wishing to give this, you might want to copy it. I forget which of the West Highland books discusses the various proposals in and around Fort William but there were several schemes and quite probably some parlimentary applications. I will hunt it down and let you know. The north side of Loch Leven is quite realistic for a railway line to Kinlochleven (the south most certainly not). If you really wanted to go for it, there was a 3 foot (ish I am not too certain) overhead electric system serving the aluminium plant in Kinlochleven. It would not take too much imagination to run it along the north shore to an interchange station at North Ballachulish................... I run a few videos as part of my exhibition layout and will also be at Railex. Come over and grab me and we can stream through to where there is a little on both the Connel Ferry - Ballachulish and the Kinlochleven systems. If you can not wait; it is a DVD entitled "Railways of Scotland - The Western Highlands" and is still available. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted April 1, 2011 Author Share Posted April 1, 2011 Cheers all for the encouragement - Couplings at the moment im probably going to use DG - heresey I know from the chairman of the Manchester MRS - but if the truth be known i dont get on with AJ's. Portchulin - i'll come around and have a chat at Railex - hopefully the layouts wont be that far apart! - or failing that theres always the Hop Pole on saturday evening Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted April 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 1, 2011 Will definitely be keeping an eye on this, one of my favourite prototype lines. Its now a sustrans route and you can walk/cycle alot of it, this is the plan for us for next week! Good luck with the project. At that period you could probably justify the odd 29 (if one ever appears. Were'nt all the 29's odd? - you'd have to have the whole fleet! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McRuss Posted April 2, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2011 Your plan sound interesting, it is very near my own planned project for these or next year. But at the moment I'm still workin on my N scale Isle of Skye modules. My idea was to set my future project at Corran Ferry. By the way is 5522 Models still trading? Markus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Re6/6 Posted April 2, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2011 Love the plan Andy. I particularly like the shape and flow of the trackwork. Which will be the viewing side? Mad idea perhaps, but could you make it optional with interchangable backscenes? John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixteen 12by 10s Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 The Clachaigh , Onich Hotel. This is turning in to a bit of a pub crawl!, and if we go and have a look at Corran than there’s the Ardgour on the other side. Seriously, I will be following this one, as I like all things from up that way, I think its all to do with escapism. Interesting that the subject of couplings have come up so early in a project, the biggest problem I have had with Glenuig is getting the sprat and winkles to work in a desirable way, and I don't think hy methods would suite AJ's And Russ, having already “nicked one of your ideas, I have found myself looking at Creagans on the last few days, as well as BoO, and looking at 2mmfs, its tempting. Ps, don't miss the excursion across jubilee bridge for a fantastic view of Castle Stalker. Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 By the way is 5522 Models still trading? No, but a proportion of the range was taken over by Lochgorm Models Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McRuss Posted April 2, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 2, 2011 Thank you Mark for your answer. Markus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted April 2, 2011 Author Share Posted April 2, 2011 Love the plan Andy. I particularly like the shape and flow of the trackwork. Which will be the viewing side? Mad idea perhaps, but could you make it optional with interchangable backscenes? John. Funnily enough I have been thinking along similar lines. The layout theoretically should be viewed from the inside of the L as that is looking uphill - conventional wisdom tends to dictate this. But then again with the exhibition managers hat on i do know what a PITA it can be fitting in inside viewing Ls into a show - so the idea is not as off the wall as it seems. It might be a bit of the pain designing the lighting unit to fit both sides (I will be using New Heys lighting). Then again it would give Mrs C a chance to paint this as the backscene if we were looking into Loch Linnhe. Taken this January on our latest visit up to what has become over the years one the Cooper clan's favourite places in Britain. Yes as always we were staying at the Clachaigh. It did help that our youngest was the bar manager there till recently! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Heres a link to the would have been station site on Streetmap - an unusual sunny day but you can see St Brides church which will be modelled, and the row of White cottages -- ignore the bungalows they are a recentish addition! http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=56.699982,-5.183401&spn=0,0.054846&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=56.699888,-5.183301&panoid=D9WtwPJxdxrEZHa_ZPh03w&cbp=12,327.62,,0,8.77 Possibly a change of heart of station building as well now as a bit of research says the building could have been bigger - either Duror or Kentallen both buildings are extant - in actual fact Ive actually drank / eaten in Kentallen as its a hotel / pub now! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Andy, I posted all the books that I had that were of relevance to the lines of the western highlands here My link; find post 34. Seeing your street map views, you are also going to want to get into Butt'n Bens. I have a couple of books on scottish vernacular architecture; only I can not find all of them at present! The only one I have found is Buildings of the Scottish Countryside - My link but there is a second one that is possibly better. They are both really text books on understanding the features that appear in scottish rural vernacular architecture but they include lots of drawings of typical buildings including some just like those in the street view! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
63C Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Isn't there a copy of the plans for Kentallen station buildings on the wall of the bar inside the Holly Tree along with the old photos? WWW.oldappin.com has some interesting photos of the Ballachulish extension as does the RCAHMS website. There is an article in THE TRUE LINE (The Journal of the Caledonian Association) No. 81 about a proposed line from Oban to Fort William terminating at Banavie at the end of the Caledonian Canal. Before Kinlochleven was built, one of the options was to build the housing for the workforce at North Ballachulish and construct a narrow gauge (3 foot gauge) railway line to Kinlochleven along the north shore of Loch Leven. good luck with the modelling JIM Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 The Google panorama is fantastic. What a location for a branch line woulda coulda shoulda!!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted April 6, 2011 Author Share Posted April 6, 2011 I have just adjusted the plan a little by bringing back the sidings in towards the platform, to create a litle more space for the road and church and graveyard! (and if the truth be told, actually fit in the space available in the back room - the original plan worked out 3" too wide!! N B 3.doc Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rannoch Moor Posted April 6, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2011 Andy, Looking forward to following this one - Kilbrannan Ferry (see my too rarely updated post elsewhere) was very nearly called Ballachulish North. I too love adjusting the railway history of the West Highlands... I will look forward to looking at St Brides Church in a different light when I drive past next week on my wy to visit my mother in The Fort. Gus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy C Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Well tonight I should have been putting some new bogie wheels on the patriot for New Hey ( the unamed Bank Hall regular 45517) but decided instead to do some googling after a suitable station building for North Balachulish. Enthusiasm for the new project is starting to get the better of work i should be finishing off on New Hey Over the last week I've been more and more drawn to using Duror or Kentallen as a base for the station building model - particualrly taken by this photo on the Railscot site for the branch: http://www.railbrit....e2.php?id=26371 More googling on Duror has revealed that plans for the station buildings at Duror, Kentallen and Benderloch are lodged at the National Archives of Scotland. Game on. Particularly so as I find the Kentallen group of buildings eminently modelable, including the concrete hut in the goodsyard. if anyone already has any plans I'd be grateful for a copy, it doesnt look like Im going to get up to Scotland till October now (to coincide with a visit to the Clachaigs Octoberfest) and a trip to the NAS at Edinburgh may just be off the menu! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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