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

[young37215]

Warley yesterday which was quieter than I recall previous Sundays but still well worth the trip. Plenty of things to see although I left my reading glasses at home which meant looking at detailed stuff was impossible much to my annoyance. Hopefully the show will have stimulated my motivation to crack on with the mountain pass scenery this week.

 

From the previous days running 37114 has charge of 7D12 seen arriving at Garelochead. 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by young37215

[billywhizz]

Was at Warley yesterday too and agree, it seemed much quieter than previous years. The space used for the show also felt smaller overall but aisles were nice and wide. Some people I have spoken who were there on Saturday were saying it was packed. 
Completely feel for you, I have forgotten my glasses in the when going to an exhibition, really frustrating! 

[young37215]

I lifted the mountain pass upper section corner baseboard again yesterday morning to start the scenic work on it. It is 4 feet in length with the other two that make up the mountaneous upper section 6 feet each. My plan is to divide the work into 3 parts in an effort to make it more manageable and work on 1 baseboard at a time before joining the 3 together. First of all I airbrushed sleeper grime onto the rail to weather it and once this was dryish, I dropped ballast which was glued in place. Hopefully this will all be dry this morning so that I can start building up the mountains that will provide the back drop for the section.

 

 

 

Whilst the airbrush was plugged in I applied a coat of primer to the longstanding project of creating 37111. Assuming this dries OK I will add a coat of blue when using the airbrush next. 

 

[Dunalastair]

You have probably told us before, but what variety of red ballast are you using? Do we know when red ballast was first used on the WHR / ME (presumably from the quarry still used in Lanarkshire - Cloburn?)? I have tried using red ballast on a trial stretch of my N gauge NBL era layout of The Fort / Banavie, but compared to photographs of the era it looks too red to my eye (as well as too chunky). I think in earlier years ballast might have come from a pit on the hill above Neptune's Staircase.

[Fishplate]

1 hour ago, young37215 said:

I airbrushed sleeper grime

 

Hi, this is something I am going to do. I was given an airbrush several years ago but haven't tried it out yet as I'm still in re-assembly  mode for my layout. Please can you tell me what make of paint you use?

[young37215]

1 hour ago, Dunalastair said:

You have probably told us before, but what variety of red ballast are you using? Do we know when red ballast was first used on the WHR / ME (presumably from the quarry still used in Lanarkshire - Cloburn?)? I have tried using red ballast on a trial stretch of my N gauge NBL era layout of The Fort / Banavie, but compared to photographs of the era it looks too red to my eye (as well as too chunky). I think in earlier years ballast might have come from a pit on the hill above Neptune's Staircase.

 

Geoscenics N gauge red ballast. It is not perfect but is the best I have found. 

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Fishplate said:

 

Hi, this is something I am going to do. I was given an airbrush several years ago but haven't tried it out yet as I'm still in re-assembly  mode for my layout. Please can you tell me what make of paint you use?

 

Railmatch enamels thinned about 50/50. In my opinion airbrushing track is the easiest way to weather it and learn about your airbrush at the same time. The only negative is cleaning the airbrush after use which I hate!

 

[young37215]

None of the latest work was totally dry yesterday so I decided to be patient for once and wait. Although the upper level was out of use, I was able to move a few trains around on the lower level. 37027 continued its journey south and is seen arriving at Ardlui with 1T45 where it passed 37022 heading to Oban with 8B05. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[E100]

On 28/11/2023 at 07:11, Dunalastair said:

Do we know when red ballast was first used on the WHR / ME?

 

I would also like to know the answer to this if anyone has it.

[young37215]

 

 

12 minutes ago, E100 said:

 

I would also like to know the answer to this if anyone has it.

 

I am afraid I have no idea, red ballast was widely seen on the WHL but not exclusively either as the picture below shows.

 

 

I spent a little time working on the mountain pass baseboard No 1 attempting to get the right profile of mountainside. What felt like several hours of wasted time delivered nothing tangible by way of progress but I think I am clearer in my mind how it should look which involves more rock face so I need to get casting. In an effort to show something for my efforts I got a first coat of blue paint on 37111. Regular readers will be aware of my colour blindness hence I am always reluctant to express an opinion on colours. On this occassion I am far from convinced by the Railmatch faded blue and wonder if it is just the uniformity that looks wrong or if the colour is unrealistic? I will wait until a second coat and weathering has been applied before reaching a final judgement. 

 

 

 

What I am trying to copy, 37111 Eastfield April 1983.

 

 

 

[Daddyman]

I think "faded" colours out of the tin always look wrong, and Railmatch's are worse than most. What happened to rail blue on the WHL in the early 80s is that it darkened rather than faded - probably absence of sun and, if I recall, no washing plant at ED; clapped-out East Anglian rejects wouldn't have helped cleanliness either. 

 

I'd be using standard rail blue, and then apply a dark airbrushed filter coat aka exhaust filth on the top half and frame dirt on the lower. Leave fading for 08s. 

[Dougjuk]

I will have to look at that body next time I am over but the blue does not look right.  It certainly a long way off that picture even if given a good weathering.

 

 

[ruggedpeak]

I'd agree the colour in the photo looks way off, I wonder if that paint is designed for those few locos that did genuinely fade and is designed to be applied with a very heavy distressing/weathering afterwards?

 

Does not work as a base colour for 'normal' locos IMHO based upon the photo.

 

The ballast in the photo of 37408 looks very fine grade as well, almost gravel like?

[mallaig1983]

With my own colour blindness and complete lack of experience in repainting models (I’ve stalled whilst trying to strip EWS livery on one of my own) I don’t feel in a position to offer council on this but I must comment on that photo of the prototype. What a wonderful example and with that terrier in its alternative position and the cowels still in place I can see why you’ve elected to go with this example. 
Im looking forward to seeing her when finished and plying her trade on WHL4. 

[billywhizz]

I agree, the faded blue does not look right. WHL locos and stock didn’t seem to fade. My preference on BR blue is Phoenix P132 (1966-1985) Blue. Thinned 50/50, it sprays very nicely. It is what I am currently using to rework Hornby MK1’s 

Cheers. 
Bill. 

[Waverley West]

4 hours ago, young37215 said:

 

 

 

I am afraid I have no idea, red ballast was widely seen on the WHL but not exclusively either as the picture below shows.

 

 

I spent a little time working on the mountain pass baseboard No 1 attempting to get the right profile of mountainside. What felt like several hours of wasted time delivered nothing tangible by way of progress but I think I am clearer in my mind how it should look which involves more rock face so I need to get casting. In an effort to show something for my efforts I got a first coat of blue paint on 37111. Regular readers will be aware of my colour blindness hence I am always reluctant to express an opinion on colours. On this occassion I am far from convinced by the Railmatch faded blue and wonder if it is just the uniformity that looks wrong or if the colour is unrealistic? I will wait until a second coat and weathering has been applied before reaching a final judgement. 

 

 

 

What I am trying to copy, 37111 Eastfield April 1983.

 

 

 

 

 

To copy 37111 in that photo, I think I would be starting with all-over standard Rail blue, rather than faded blue. Faded blue never looks right until weathering and other variations have been added to the body sides. 08s and 20s seemed particularly prone to fading. I guess they were a long way down the repainting list as much as anything. That 37 looks unfaded to me and ready for darker weathering on top of standard blue (I would be looking to use Railmatch Sleeper Grime, Frame dirt, Roof dirt and Weathered black).

 

I did use a base coat of Railmatch Faded blue for my 20048 below, but it was only after the final stages of weathering that I became happy with it. I spent most of the project wondering what on earth I was doing with a £150 locomotive. It only came to life after I added lighter faded streaking and darker patches and a coat of matt varnish. It's actually one of my favourite locos now!

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Waverley West

[Daddyman]

Another point to bear in mind is that the photo of 37111 has captured the side that's in the shade. Maybe look at photos of locos in the wild, with the sun on them? Meskell book 2 has some very accurate portraits of banger blue with the WH sun on it.    

[billywhizz]

Phoenix P132 sprayed over white primer for reference

[young37215]

The overwhelming opinion is clear, the faded blue is not the colour I want and I don’t feel sufficiently confident to attempt to improve it. Earlier today I sprayed 37111 with a thin first coat of Railmatch BR Blue which is deeper and darker and if dry tomorrow, I’ll add a second coat. I used the same paint when creating 37112 in its first iteration of large logo and know that it looks good once finished with a Matt varnish.
 

My intention is to swap the nose end from 37111 with 37011 whose body shell will get a bit of a freshen up at the same time. I’ll also use 37011’s chassis for 37111 because I’ll need a chassis with buffers for 37011. 

Thanks to those who have commented and expressed their views.
 

 

 

[Dunalastair]

I generally prefer green BRCWs, but if blue Co-Cos float your boat, then what about making do with two front windows instead of three? 2011 is presumably equally out-of-period for you. More sensibly, it is noticeable (at least to my eye, on a screen) how different the blue looks depending on whether it is raining or the sun is shining.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJsOKk92N_U

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Dunalastair

[young37215]

14 hours ago, Dunalastair said:

if blue Co-Cos float your boat, then what about making do with two front windows instead of three?

 

I could live with a few more blue Bo-Bo's but the cost of a class 27 fleet sufficiently large enough to run the WTT is prohibitive. I should make more use of the 20 and 27's that I have and would love to reprise the Deltic hauled adexes that did Edinburgh to Oban in 1981 using a push pull Mk3 rake of rolling stock but until Accurascale do 55021 in the correct livery, I'll have to wait.  

 

In amongst the faffing with paint and rock casting I shuffled a few trains around. Repainted with the same Railmatch BR Blue as I am applying to 37111, 37112 had charge of 1636 Glasgow to Mallaig and is seen approaching Gareloched. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2023 by young37215

[meanach]

On 29/11/2023 at 17:18, E100 said:

 

I would also like to know the answer to this if anyone has it.

Although all our minds (mine included) seem to fondly remember red ballast in association with tractors and Mk1s , in reality this isn’t quite accurate. I only found this out after I’d ballasted Meanach.
 

Although there were pockets of red ballast (from the quarry near carstairs) on the extension , red ballast up until 1989 was, It seems, almost none existent on the WHL. 

 

The platforms at many locations gained red ballast at various stages from about 83 onwards and by 88 most on the WHL had it. The track beds were predominantly grey though or a mix of ‘pinkish’ and grey, more rounded stones,  whose origin I’m afraid escapes me!
 

I am by no means an authority on the subject I have only learnt via people I’ve spoken to on here and a couple of people I’ve met who worked as drivers and guards in the late 80s.

Nothing much comes up on the subject on a web search, so please don't take my info as gospel.

However, for my next west highland based layout, I shall stick to predominantly grey ballast! 

Ian 

[37081LochLong]

6 hours ago, young37215 said:

 would love to reprise the Deltic hauled adexes that did Edinburgh to Oban in 1981 using a push pull Mk3 rake of rolling stock but until Accurascale do 55021 in the correct livery, I'll have to wait.  

 

I found 55005 from the first run from Accurascale to be a decent close enough match to convert to 55021 for the same reason. Just like most things I still haven't done it yet but it's sat on a shelf in front of me taunting me :)

[Dunalastair]

49 minutes ago, meanach said:

Although all our minds (mine included) seem to fondly remember red ballast in association with tractors and Mk1s , in reality this isn’t quite accurate. I only found this out after I’d ballasted Meanach.
 

Although there were pockets of red ballast (from the quarry near carstairs) on the extension , red ballast up until 1989 was, It seems, almost none existent on the WHL. 

 

The platforms at many locations gained red ballast at various stages from about 83 onwards and by 88 most on the WHL had it. The track beds were predominantly grey though or a mix of ‘pinkish’ and grey, more rounded stones,  whose origin I’m afraid escapes me!
 

I am by no means an authority on the subject I have only learnt via people I’ve spoken to on here and a couple of people I’ve met who worked as drivers and guards in the late 80s.

Nothing much comes up on the subject on a web search, so please don't take my info as gospel.

However, for my next west highland based layout, I shall stick to predominantly grey ballast! 

 

 

Thankyou - most useful - and rather confirms my impression. My model of The Fort and Banavie is perforce set pre-75 as it represents the original FW station. I shall either have to replace the bag of Maxey red ballast or experiment with recolouring when laid. I tried a short stretch by my version of the Banavie swing bridge, so perhaps I'll try recolouring that. Not Maxey's fault - I picked the red on the basis of what I understood at the time.

 

https://www.maxeymodelsandballast.co.uk/collections/n-gauge?filter.v.price.gte=&filter.v.price.lte=&filter.v.option.color=Red&sort_by=best-selling

[young37215]

Some progress on the renumbering programme yesterday. I got a second coat of blue on 37111 which was sufficiently dry by the evening to allow the transfers to be added. This is always the transformational bit and I was pleased with the outcome even though the paintwork is not perfect. I want 37111 to look like a well used loco, not something ex works which means the paintwork blemishes contribute to the effect I want. All being well I shall add a matt varnish coat today and then leave for a while for it all to harden off. Further detailing, glazing and weathering will have to wait despite my impatience to have the loco in service.

 

Following several hours in the freezer I managed to get the nose ends off of 37011. The glazing all fell out with minimal and in some cases, no effort on my part but the nose ends required a little more effort before I won the battle. By the end of the day I had two bodyshells looking largely as they will going forward although I want to check the SDEG class 37 book because I think that the headcode panels on 37011 need to be yellow, not black and I want to confrm that I have not missed anything else for either loco before finishing them off.

 

 

 

 

 

[young37215]

Watching paint dry can be boring so what else to do but run some trains. 37022 departs Crianlarich with 8D09 heading to Oban. The lights were off at the time of taking the pictures creating a noticeably different environment, very much in line with yesterdays cold, damp and overcast conditions.