West Highland Line V4, a 1980's West Highland Line layout

[Module00]

what is really good with your network is that it is very realistic. on my side I went towards an evocation based on my memories. It's very good for me to follow a thread like yours. 

[young37215]

On 17/02/2023 at 07:27, 03060 said:

If you'll forgive me just one more tank train photo to share, please Rob, I came across this image yesterday showing not one but two of the noticeably larger 51t tank wagons included in this 1985 consist, 3rd and 8th wagons, bound for Oban.

 

Another example of the wide range of wagons that managed to traverse the WHL during the 1980's. Short of building a second layout to store rolling stock for WHL4, I'll have to accept that it is physically impossible to be have an example of every one that managed to appear on the line. That said I am most impressed with the Rapido Ferry Van and am sorely tempted to add one to the fleet; if I find a picture showing one or more on the WHL, I will buy one or two. 

 

Yesterday I finally managed to get to a position that I felt happy with on the current scenic project. This covers about 80% of the area I am working on, the approach to Arrochar remains outstanding because I want to sort the upper level at Mallaig Junction Yard before securing scenery on the lower level. Irrespective of this, the current project is a not insignificant 2000mm of scenery to complete and by the end of the day I had managed to paint most of the area. Next step is to fill the gaps either side of the line and get them painted before ballasting and dressing the area with scenic materials. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[young37215]

In between the scenic work I can still run trains which is a welcome break from the trials and tribulations of deciding what looks right and still allows access to the upper level. Late in the day 37112 arrives at Fort William with the up sleeper. The loco detaches and runs around before being held at the ground signal that allows access to the running line. An ETHEL and Mk3 sleeper await collection and adding to the day coaches before the train heads south.

 

 

 

 

[03060]

On 18/02/2023 at 08:59, young37215 said:

 

Another example of the wide range of wagons that managed to traverse the WHL during the 1980's. Short of building a second layout to store rolling stock for WHL4, I'll have to accept that it is physically impossible to be have an example of every one that managed to appear on the line. That said I am most impressed with the Rapido Ferry Van and am sorely tempted to add one to the fleet; if I find a picture showing one or more on the WHL, I will buy one or two. 

 

Morning Rob (and all),

 

The only Ferry van of a 'similar' design to the Rapido one that I can think of on the WHL was part in the Chipman's weedkilling train that toured the lines in 1989 behind two of the Hunslet Barclay class 20s ... so probably a bit late for you, I posted a photo link to this recently in the Weedkilling train thread so won't repeat it here.

 

The vans that we found photos of a couple of pages back associated with Oban trains are of a different design and I have a similar dilemma to you in that the NGS are about to release 2 versions similar to Rapido's, neither in the Dutch livery of the weedkilling train. In view of the fact that I'm unlikely to see a RTR model in N gauge of the type seen at Oban I think that I will probably just use these as 'lookylikeys' .... unless I get very, very brave with a scalpel and razor saw !

 

That's not to say that photos of the Rapido version (which is a superb model) don't exist on the WHL ....we just haven't found them yet ! (LoL)

 

Regards,

Ian.

[Module00]

Excellent pictures ! 👍😃

[young37215]

Trying to find the appropriate height for the mountains above Arrochar that looks right but does not obstruct access to the upper level at Mallaig Junction Yard is proving a challenge. The upper level baseboard is about 75mm higher than Arrochar with little potential to be raised further. Photographs of the area show that the mountainside rises at about a 50 degree incline away from the station. Irritatingly if I use 50' as the basis for the mountainside the resulting height is such that it makes accessing the upper level difficult because the resulting mountainside is considerably higher than the upper baseboard. 

 

Just to add some more fun to the mix I have also decided that the front to Arrochar needs to be a little wider. Firstly to reduce the risk of a trains falling off of the baseboard and secondly so that I can model some of the station frontage and the embankment that falls from the rail height down towards Loch Lomond. The extension to the baseboard is to the Loch side of the terrain, an additional 75mm of baseboard does not sound much but accessing the far side of Mallaig Junction fiddle yard becomes a stretch as a result. For obvious reasons it is essential that I can access all areas of the track in the event of a derailment.

 

Too high!

 

 

 

 

The section further north that leads to the viaduct is fine with an approximate 50' gradient. In part this is due to the baseboard being 25mm lower than the Arrochar area but also because it is not as wide. I am sure I'll find a solution that enables the upper and lower levels to blend together with a representative gradient, I just have'nt put my finger on it yet.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by young37215

[PaulRhB]

1 hour ago, young37215 said:

Trying to find the appropriate height for the mountains above Arrochar that looks right but does not obstruct access to the upper level at Mallaig Junction Yard is proving a challenge. The upper level baseboard is about 75mm higher than Arrochar with little potential to be raised further. Photographs of the area show that the mountainside rises at about a 50 degree incline away from the station. Irritatingly if I use 50' as the basis for the mountainside the resulting height is such that it makes accessing the upper level difficult because the resulting mountainside is considerably higher than the upper baseboard. 

If you want it higher could you make the hill as a series of ‘jigsaw’ pieces that lift off so you can access the tracks if there’s an issue. The Iain Rice jigsaw idea means you vary the join lines so they don’t look like a single straight fault line but they easily interlock. You could make the main block then cut it into three or four pieces and seal the sides, base and back with pva and paint them then only scenic the front face. 

 

Alternatively a low 6” tall backscene that lifts out as one or more pieces? You could have mirror tiles to see the pointwork is clear on the back wall. 
 

 

[03060]

6 hours ago, young37215 said:

Trying to find the appropriate height for the mountains above Arrochar that looks right but does not obstruct access to the upper level at Mallaig Junction Yard is proving a challenge. The upper level baseboard is about 75mm higher than Arrochar with little potential to be raised further. Photographs of the area show that the mountainside rises at about a 50 degree incline away from the station. Irritatingly if I use 50' as the basis for the mountainside the resulting height is such that it makes accessing the upper level difficult because the resulting mountainside is considerably higher than the upper baseboard. 

 

Just to add some more fun to the mix I have also decided that the front to Arrochar needs to be a little wider. Firstly to reduce the risk of a trains falling off of the baseboard and secondly so that I can model some of the station frontage and the embankment that falls from the rail height down towards Loch Lomond. The extension to the baseboard is to the Loch side of the terrain, an additional 75mm of baseboard does not sound much but accessing the far side of Mallaig Junction fiddle yard becomes a stretch as a result. For obvious reasons it is essential that I can access all areas of the track in the event of a derailment.

 

Too high!

 

 

 

 

The section further north that leads to the viaduct is fine with an approximate 50' gradient. In part this is due to the baseboard being 25mm lower than the Arrochar area but also because it is not as wide. I am sure I'll find a solution that enables the upper and lower levels to blend together with a representative gradient, I just have'nt put my finger on it yet.

 

 

 

Hello Rob,

 

Could you mask Mallaig Jct with trees and bushes so that they just block out the stabled trains from normal seated viewing but not so high as you can't easily reach over them when stood up to do the necessary fiddling, you could then paint mountains onto the back wall behind Mallaig Jct which would give an element of distance and perspective when seated, although the wall angle change might not help with this ??

 

*Possibly a combination of both Paul's and my own suggestion might work best as removable 'jigsaw' scenic sections would make maintenece work on Mallaig Jct easier.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Edited February 20, 2023 by 03060
*Added thought having looked again at Paul's recent posts.

[PaulRhB]

3 hours ago, 03060 said:

Could you mask Mallaig Jct with trees and bushes so that they just block out the stabled trains from normal seated viewing

I did a similar approach on my old Swiss layout to that, you can just see a loco on the rear yard  

It was mostly hidden from several angles. 

 

 

[meanach]

'Cause, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough Ain't no valley low enough’ … Ahem! 
it’s scary when doing a scale comparison. I was determined to build a scale Corbett until I got the tape measure out and realised it would be taller than me! 
Giving an impression is the key and I’m impressed by the jigsaw cut out idea. So impressed I’ll save that somewhere in the grey matter for a rainy day. I think that sounds by far the best compromise. The mirror idea is great too. That’s what is so good about RM web , people with helpful tips and ideas. 
 

P.S I also succumbed to a VIX ferry van! 

[young37215]

18 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

I did a similar approach on my old Swiss layout to that, you can just see a loco on the rear yard  

It was mostly hidden from several angles. 

 

 

 

The terrain in this looks very similar to what I want to achieve. Having spent much of yesterday pondering I think I have a solution that enables me to create the illusion of height whilst retaining the ability to access the upper level track through the use of a removable section. Clearly my post yesterday was not clear, what I meant to convey is that I am happy with the newly painted area behind which is the majority of Mallaig Junction fiddle yard. This will be dressed with scenic materials and the track ballasted once I have solved my issue with the mountaineous area at the north end of Arrochar station. It is easier to explain with pictures than words, the first picture shows the extent to which I am constructing scenery at this time. This because I need to access the upper level boards to create the scenery on them before starting on the lower level whilst the gap between the scenic boards allows for them to be removed in need. 

 

The picture shows a piece of insulation to the front cut at a 50' elevation which will be glued securely in place. The piece of insulation on the top needs shaping and treating with scenic material but it will not be secured. I see this as a variation on the ladder concept, in the event of derailment I can lift it to access the upper level track. Hopefull the majority of the time it will just sit there looking pretty. I dont need to be able to see the track for normal operations because the direction of the points is shown on the control panel. 

 

The picture also shows additional baseboard on the lower level which I reduced the width to just 50mm.  

 

 

From a different angle the appearance leading north is beginning to take shape. In the fullness of time I will paint all of the white walls as mountains in addition to adding scenic material and trees to create the landscape. 

 

 

Looking south the additional 50mm of baseboard is more evident as is the piece of the existing baseboard that I cut out. I need to do some more woodwork before adding and shaping polystyrene to finish this off but gradually it is beginning to take shape. 

 

 

Watch this space, I managed to move forward yesterday and hope to make further progress today.

 

[young37215]

Several hours of woodwork and fiddling with polystyrene resulted in the extended baseboards completion and a little progress with the scenery. More work is required with the polystyrene before plaster cloth gets applied. 

 

37051 and 7D13 depart Ardlui passing through the new scenic section before arrival at Arrochar. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Module00]

Incredible view on the layout. Absolutely perfect. 👍😀
interesting to see that you use all sorts of wood for the layout’s construction. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Module00

[young37215]

22 hours ago, Module00 said:

interesting to see that you use all sorts of wood for the layout’s construction. 

 

The baseboard is all 12mm chipboard cut to various shapes and sizes as required. The fascias are 3mm plywood  and supports are a wide range of whatever timber I have available to keep the costs down. 

 

Yesterday was a volunteering day so no work on the layout. I have finally cut the loop coupling on 37039 and reinstated the tension lock which meant I had to remove the snowploughs. The old bits of the loop will remain as bufferbeam pipework, they need a little reshaping and some paint on their ends. Hopefully 37039 will now prove to be a more reliable runner.  

 

 

[Module00]

Thank you for your detailling of construction woods. 

[young37215]

I ventured into the loft yesterday with every intention of completing the mountainside at Arrochar but became distracted when I started operating. In the end I spent a couple of hours marshalling wagons and locos in preparation for a new running day. It always surprises me how long it takes to arrange everything that is required for a new day, apart from the wagons with tail lamps which I physically lift and turn around, all other movements and shunting are undertaken by locos. All the excitement of getting ready for a new day meant that I did'nt make any progress on the scenic front!

 

37108 is seen at Crianlarich where it has deposited an engineers train in the sidings. 108 then pairs up with 37017 on another engineers train to head back south. 

 

 

 

 

 

[young37215]

I only run double headed occassionally and usually make sure that the 2 locos have the same type and model of DCC chip so that the only differences in their speed, acceleration and deceleration comes from the mechanics. On this occassion 37108 with a Loksound V3.5 and 37017 with a Loksound V5 meant that there was a noticeable difference in their speeds with 108 wanting to go faster than 017. The pair arrive at Ardlui on their journey south where they split with 108 being required for the spoil train waiting in the yard.

 

 

 

 

 

[young37215]

A little progress with the scenery at the northern end of Arrochar. It is not complete because I have not yet decided how high the mountain needs to be and to determine this I want to do some work on the upper level to get a better understanding of its interaction with the Arrochar area. The woodwork for the extended baseboard below the platform has been completed. Having done this much I'll add polystyrene to create the landscape which should not cause any issues with working on the upper level and will help me get the picture of the finished station clearer in my mind. 

 

I need to press on, a full fiddle yard awaits the start of a new day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by young37215

[CameronL]

8 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

 

That is the fiddle yard of a man whose philosophy is "You can never have too many Class 37s."

[6990WitherslackHall]

1 hour ago, CameronL said:

That is the fiddle yard of a man whose philosophy is "You can never have too many Class 37s."

I counted 12

Edited February 27, 2023 by 6990WitherslackHall

[CameronL]

34 minutes ago, 6990WitherslackHall said:

I counted 12

Or possibly 13? Is there one lurking behind those Railfreight VDAs (?) top centre?

 

Groan warning - what do you call the smile on the face of a man who owns a lot of 37s?

 

A tractor beam.

[6990WitherslackHall]

3 minutes ago, CameronL said:

Or possibly 13? Is there one lurking behind those Railfreight VDAs (?) top centre?

I didn't see that one. Yeah, so 13 then.

[billywhizz]

Latest scenic work coming on a treat Rob. Looking forward to seeing it develop.
That’s an impressive line up of Tractors awaiting their next turn of duty in the fiddle yard!

Cheers 

Bill. 

[young37215]

I dont have a particular fixation with class 37's even though there are currently 19 on WHL4 with Accurascale's 37027 on order. The WTT requires 14 locos to operate and I have thought it would be fun to move back a few years to the last days of the class 27's but the cost would be prohibitive. Eastfield had a class 37 steam heat allocation in the mid 20's during my time window so plenty of opportunity for more in the event that somebody produces a model with the right features, preferably an RSH centre headcode ex South Wales one.  

 

37108 sits in the yard at Ardlui awaiting morning when the signal boxes open on the line so that it can proceed south. 37108 was originally 37049 and was one of my first sound fitted locos way back when sound was just beginning to take hold. I renumbered the loco and swapped the round buffers to oval ones soon after buying it to create one of the first 37's that worked the West Highland. Irritatingly I was unaware of the fact that with a welded roof the loco has the wrong roof arrangement for 37108 and its plated roof. Not a problem, I have a renumbering programme planned for 4 of the class 37 fleet which includes 37108 becoming something suitable for its roof and buffer style. 

 

 

 

 

[PaulRhB]

Seen this thread Rob?