Scots We Hae: Scottish RMWeb Layouts

[agt613]

Only when I am having a nostalgia fest................

 

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Really I model the 1920's (just because the Highland's engines looked so good in lined red) but we do grant running rights for the pre-group stuff when the mood gets us!!

Just picked up my interest in pre-group Callander and Oban again but am just finishing off long incomplete stock from my youth (pre 1973) so far. 55 class Oban Bogie nearly complete and some WCJS coaches waiting. Graham

[Sulzer Bear]

Lots of nice layouts in this thread,from which some 5 or 6 are outstanding.

Being from the Netherlands I can't visit a lot of shows in the UK, but some of the layouts are really worth seeing live.

 

As I like the Scottish railways I planned building a Scottish themed layout some 4 years ago.

So started purchasing roling stock, mainly pre-tops diesel, but also some middle 80's stock.

I drew up some plans that were not definitive for me (to ambitious or to restricted, I still have to find the right in between)

Then, for the last 3 years the hobby came to a stop because I started on a study for my job.

That is sorted now, thus recently I picked the modelling up again, first on a French/Belgian themed layout that I'm building curently.

 

But because of some building activity that is going to happen this spring that layout is stored now, and after purchasing some books and browsing the web I got some ideas about what it might be.

Because starting the layout is still a couple of years away (first finish that other one, which I will start a topic of in the continental part of the forum) I started on some roling stock projects.

 

Thereby I decided to expand my period from after the end of steam to 1972 to 61-72, where I can phase out stock and draw new stock in in one running sequence.

So consequently some RTR and kit kettles were bought over the last months (luckily I found some nice second hand stuff, so my credit card didn't melt)

 

The theme will almost sure be one of the proposed links between WHL and HML, or one of two variants I worked out myself using OS maps and Google Earth.

Some of these are already used as themes but it is difficult nowadays to find an original theme when you want to run locomotives from the highland sector, and like the rugged scenery you find there.

 

When I have a finalised plan I will start a topic in the Scottish railways section.

 

So for now I start a topic about what's OMWB, just was looking where to put it, I rather like to do it in a proper forum topic than in a blog via RSS. That's when I stumbled onto this topic 

[westhighlandline]

Dag Sulzer!

 

The WHL is what I am most interested in, so if you do start on that one, I will follow your activities with the greatest interest. I myself am planning on recreating the line between Rannoch or Corrour down to Roy Bridge in N gauge, after I have given up plans on including the Extension, too. It'd be just too much cramped in limited space and would take decades to finish.

 

I am taking part in a microlayout competition though, for which I am currently building Fort Augustus Station on the former Invergarry & Fort Augustus Railway, set in present day. If you're looking for places to run Highland engines in, the I&FAR might be a subject worth looking at, though it was short-lived and closed down in the 1920ies. One might consider that - apart from the truth, that the line was a financial disaster from the beginning - it might have survived into modern times and been expanded through the Great Glen into Inverness.

 

Also, the Callander & Oban might be of interest to you, as it is the closest link between the WHL / HML that really had existed.

 

Whatever your decision will be made on - I'll add you and follow your progress.

 

Cheers from Zurich

Kosta

Edited January 28, 2016 by westhighlandline

[westhighlandline]

@meanach

 

I totally overread your post. The road is Noch landscaping plaster,finely sanded down and coloured with airbrush colours in several grey tones.

[meanach]

Just out of curiousity: I've seen a lot of beautiful images of WHL Swiss chalet-style stations in both N and OO gauge. Can anyone tell me if there is a manufacturer around that produces those stations, as they all don't look like they were scratchbuilt.... ?

Hi . I think you will find they are! Mines very heavily kit bashed . To my knowledge there is no company that produces them. I used 3 American station building kits and built the roof from balsa . The ends were off the ancient air fix Gwr station kit. Others have done a far more accurate job than me though .

[westhighlandline]

Let me guess - you used to cut up Pola's "Rico" / Model Powers "Erie R.R." Station to create your WHL station, as it's the closest thing you could get to resemble them?

Edited March 11, 2016 by westhighlandline

[Guest eddie reffin]

Scottish layouts you say? Well, Kinloch Laggan is my N gauge interpretation of a "might have been" line between the West Highland and the Highland Mainline. It is based in the period from 1984-1992 if I stretch it a little. The link to the thread is in my signature. It is hoped that it will be out at some shows in 2017 once it is presentable.

[meanach]

Let me guess - you used to cut up Pola's "Rico" / Model Powers "Erie R.R." Station to create your WHL station, as it's the closest thing you could get to resemble them?

Hi . No actually ! But I'll look at that kit now you've told me about it . It was an American Walters suburban American station kit x2 with the wings taken off an old air fix station kit and the roof made of balsa. The roof is too large unfortunately but I know for future builds .

[westhighlandline]

Hi . No actually ! But I'll look at that kit now you've told me about it . It was an American Walters suburban American station kit x2 with the wings taken off an old air fix station kit and the roof made of balsa. The roof is too large unfortunately but I know for future builds .

 

Close guess then. I'll soon start my own thread on "Drumnadrochit" - found a layout inspiration by Ian Futer in his "Modelling Scotland's Railways" book and found this to be the perfect "prototype" for my testing layout, which I had started with no particular location in mind two years ago. It has undergone a few changes in the past, and I've learned all my lessons from trying different modelling techniques, so I was up to either dismantle it to start on the WHL, or make something else out of it. Drumnadrochit seemed to be almost perfect to integrate everything I've had built so far, so I only recently started reshaping and refurbishing work on the layout. It's currently listed in a microlayout competition, so I can't show more of it than a few trees that I've built during the first two days of sunshine and warmth out in my very own garden. 

 

 

More to come!

 

Cheers, Kosta

[aardvark]

A beginners attempt to model 1950's Banff, based on the design in Ian Futers most excellent book Modelling Scotland's Railways, described here.  The layout is still in the thinking stage.

[Violets49]

Heres some photos of a Scottish themed layout I am currently working on (When I can get the chance) Scale is 'N' and the loaction is Bonkle, a real village in Lanarkshire just to the north of Wishaw. Bonkle never had a railway but nearby Newmains did. The Station Buildings are based on those of nearby Wilsontown. The Signal cabin and water tower are based on those at Upper Greenock and which I could see out of my bedroom window for the first 21 years of my life. The W/T was the subject of an intresting discussion on the CRA Forum which resulted in drawings being published in the 'True Line' Not mutch of a senic nature has been done yet. I need get a Round Tuit.

[Caley Jim]

Heres some photos of a Scottish themed layout I am currently working on (When I can get the chance) Scale is 'N' and the loaction is Bonkle, a real village in Lanarkshire just to the north of Wishaw. Bonkle never had a railway but nearby Newmains did. The Station Buildings are based on those of nearby Wilsontown. ,,,,,,,

My current layout project (link in my signature) is based on the premise that a line was built from a junction around Murdostoun, on the Glasgow to Edinburgh via Shotts line and passing between Bonkle and Allanton, to link up with the Climpy extension of the Wilsontown branch.  Kirkallanmuir being imagined as lying to the south of Allanton.  After planning the layout I've been led to believe that such a line was indeed proposed.

 

Jim

 

(Edited to correct typos)

Edited July 2, 2016 by Caley Jim

[keefer]

not really familiar with a lot of the lines/stations in that area, but I have heard of Bonkle!

 

http://www.centralsmt.co.uk/Routes/MT1.html

[Ian Smeeton]

Heres some photos of a Scottish themed layout I am currently working on (When I can get the chance) Scale is 'N' and the loaction is Bonkle, a real village in Lanarkshire just to the north of Wishaw. Bonkle never had a railway but nearby Newmains did. The Station Buildings are based on those of nearby Wilsontown. The Signal cabin and water tower are based on those at Upper Greenock and which I could see out of my bedroom window for the first 21 years of my life. The W/T was the subject of an intresting discussion on the CRA Forum which resulted in drawings being published in the 'True Line' Not mutch of a senic nature has been done yet. I need get a Round Tuit.Bonkle 009.jpgBonkle 036.JPGBonkle 014.jpg

 

Love the signal box and water tower.

 

I am currently building Paisley St James station, and due to the lack of decent photos of the 'box, I am struggling with the dimensions.

 

Is there any chance that you could tell me the sizes you used for the main windows, please.

 

I had read that the maximum size for plate glass before float glass was 4' x 2', but I am struggling to reconcile the sizes with what little photo evidence that there is.

 

Best regards & watching with interest

 

Ian

[Caley Jim]

Is there any chance that you could tell me the sizes you used for the main windows, please.

 

I had read that the maximum size for plate glass before float glass was 4' x 2', but I am struggling to reconcile the sizes with what little photo evidence that there is.

P320 of Jim Summer's book on CR signalling has a drawing of Cambusnethan box.  The glass is quoted as 32oz sheet glass and the windows on the upper section are 2'3 wide and scale at c6'6" high overall (including the immediate frame).  Also in the same book on p209 is a drawing of the standard signal box for the Lanarkshire and Ayreshire railway which quotes the same glass  and width, but the height scales at nearer 6'9" (neither drawing quotes the height).  These dimensions correspond closely to measurements a friend and I took of Haughhead Junction box in the late 1960's, literally just before it was demolished (we went back a week or two later to check some measurements and it was gone!).  My notes for that have 2'3" for the width and 6'4½" for the height.  I have the divider between the sashes (and the handrail) at 2' down from the top.  The uprights between the windows were 3" wide.

 

HTH,

 

Jim

[Ian Smeeton]

P320 of Jim Summer's book on CR signalling has a drawing of Cambusnethan box.  The glass is quoted as 32oz sheet glass and the windows on the upper section are 2'3 wide and scale at c6'6" high overall (including the immediate frame).  Also in the same book on p209 is a drawing of the standard signal box for the Lanarkshire and Ayreshire railway which quotes the same glass  and width, but the height scales at nearer 6'9" (neither drawing quotes the height).  These dimensions correspond closely to measurements a friend and I took of Haughhead Junction box in the late 1960's, literally just before it was demolished (we went back a week or two later to check some measurements and it was gone!).  My notes for that have 2'3" for the width and 6'4½" for the height.  I have the divider between the sashes (and the handrail) at 2' down from the top.  The uprights between the windows were 3" wide.

 

HTH,

 

Jim

 

 

Many thanks, Jim.

 

My guesstimates weren't too far out.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Corrour]

Westhighlandline....I've acquired some nice images of original drawings of Fort Augustus stn...drop me a PE if you'd like copies

[westhighlandline]

Will do @Corrour!

[westhighlandline]

I just finished an American Inglenook to play with out in the garden. It turned out so nicely and almost West Highland Line-like, that I couldn't resist "abusing" it as stage for some of my Scottish rolling stock:

 

 

 

Edited July 16, 2016 by westhighlandline

[ianmccreadie]

Blair Atholl towards Drumochter

 

After "resting" since 2003, Blair Atholl is due back to the exhibition circuit next year starting in June at Perth.

 

A full refurbishment is now underway which will see a new control panel, full re-wire, introduction of servo control to the signals with "bounce" new layout display lighting and many other improvements.

 

It is hoped to appear at other shows following Perth, the model is 32' x 15' (widest point) and requires a 7.5 tail lift truck for transport (not the cheapest guest layout)

[kingfisher24]

Blair Atholl towards Drumochter

 

After "resting" since 2003, Blair Atholl is due back to the exhibition circuit next year starting in June at Perth.

 

A full refurbishment is now underway which will see a new control panel, full re-wire, introduction of servo control to the signals with "bounce" new layout display lighting and many other improvements.

 

It is hoped to appear at other shows following Perth, the model is 32' x 15' (widest point) and requires a 7.5 tail lift truck for transport (not the cheapest guest layout)

its a case of hello to an old friend, i wondered what had happened to this wondeful layout it will be good to come and see it when (if) i get a break from operating.

 

gary patterson

[black and decker boy]

Some more recent pictures of Kirkmellington (1970s Ayrshire colliery) which is far more complete than my last post in 2014.

 

 

 

 

Plus a recent video

 

[westhighlandline]

Relocation to a new hobby room meant no work on the layout in the recent months, as there's no room to set up any of the modules. So I kept myself busy building this little gem:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Waverley West]

Relocation to a new hobby room meant no work on the layout in the recent months, as there's no room to set up any of the modules. So I kept myself busy building this little gem:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love it!

[westhighlandline]

 

... been playing around a bit ... with my cam ... sitting in a boat ...

Edited March 9, 2017 by westhighlandline