robgregson1 Posted October 30, 2011 Share Posted October 30, 2011 Having returned from a summer holiday on the Isle of Skye this year and seeing the West Highland Line for the first time, I decided to build a layout based around the area. I took my inspiration from an article in Modelrail about a 4'x2' roundy layout called 'Gullant'. Having booked our holiday for next year at Plockton (frist stop after Kyle on the Inverness line) I have decide to use this as the name of my layout. Although my layout will not have a station on it, I will use a bit of license implying that it is just east of the station running at the side of the loch. My layout is constructed on a 5' x 3' board. I started out with a 2" x 1" frame and then covered this with 3mm MDF. I then aquires a piece of 9mm MDF and using my jigsaw set at an angle, I cut out the Loch. This board was then placed on top and painted brown. The sides and the back where then put in place. The backscene is going to be hills formed from polystyrene and filler. The loch is going to be painted and then have many coats of clear varnish applied. The entire area is going to be covered in trees and vegetation along with a few small buildings and plenty of sheep. The stock on the layout will be made up of two timescales. BR Blue era, classes 24, 26, 37 etc blue and grey mark 1's Modern era, classes 67 etc on caledonian sleepers. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted October 30, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 30, 2011 Hello there, This is an excellent start - please keep posting updates as you progress. I particularly like layouts that are as much about the scenery as the trains. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted October 30, 2011 Author Share Posted October 30, 2011 Cheers Ben. The main reason for the layout it somewhere for me to look at my trains. I really like the idea of single branch lines running through high sided hills with glistening water. It it also because of my love of class 37's and the n gauge society snow plough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted October 30, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 30, 2011 Excellent start, remember the Gullant article and being quite inspired by it! - quite fancy something like this myself as more interested in scenery than operation. I was thinking of 2mm finescale so would not get the sharp curves in, but then I'm thinking if no points on the front section, could use easitrack in the front and normal N on the non scenic bits, mmm tempting! Will watch with interest! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixteen 12by 10s Posted October 31, 2011 Share Posted October 31, 2011 Looks good to me, Tingle Creek? http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&sugexp=kjrmc&cp=6&gs_id=o&xhr=t&q=kyle+of+lochalsh&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=608&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x488e9b80e4abd0ab:0xa0c681c77dfe370,Kyle+Of+Lochalsh,+Highland&gl=uk&ei=km-uTv3uD4yMswbno9AG&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CD0Q8gEwAA Gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted October 31, 2011 Author Share Posted October 31, 2011 i have tonight laid the track for the main circuit. the curves are a little severe but i wanted to keep the board at 2' width. it is just a single track on the scenic area. the fiddle yard at the back will have a few loops and sidings. now that the track is in place i can start the scenic process. 1. paint the rail sides. 2. balast the track 3. paint the Loch 4. varnish the loch (about twenty times) 5. construct the hills. the list would go on forever. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted October 31, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 31, 2011 Lots to do then! will definitely be following your build with interest. Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold jamest Posted November 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 1, 2011 Hi, I can only add what others have already said - fantastic idea and location - good 'solid' start with the foundation. I too like the idea of flowing lines and a feature bridge at the front. I will follow with interest. Cheers, James Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 Last night I painted the rail sides with railmatch rust. Tonight I will start the process of ballasting. Luckily I don't have any points on the scenic side. Hopefully by weekend I will be able to start carving the hills out of polystyrene before covering them in filler and my favourite method of emulsion paint and toilet roll. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 3, 2011 Author Share Posted November 3, 2011 cheers Russ, Gary, Simon & James i have tonight ballasted the track (very easy being as it is just straight track with no points) and applied the pva, water and washing up liquid method. very busy day tomorrow (fifteen hour day) so it will have p[lenty of time to go off. the track and ballast will then be heavily weatered with watered down brown emulsion. the loch has also received its first coat of colour. the good thing is that it is painted on a white surface which when you drag the paint, it looks like waves. i need to apply some darker colours over this and then start the clear varnish application. the sky in the background has also had its base coat ready for the polystyrene to move in on sunday. Let the carving commence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 i have earlier tonight given the ballasted track a coat of brown wash. i think that my paint was a bit too watered down so i will have to persist with many more coats until i am happy with it. after finishing work at 10pm tonight, i set about the task of carving the hill formers out of polystyrene blocks. this will be glued in place tomorrow and then i will start the process of filling the worst of the angles and then i will cover it with emulsion paint and toilet roll. a few layers of this forms a very strong and rigid covering yet is also very light. i would of hoovered up before i took the photos but s.w.m.b.o. was asleep in the next room. better not to wake her. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew F Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Hello Rob. I'm not sure the poly peaks should be all prominent in the foreground like this. Maybe the 3D stuff should be concentrating on the low land whilst the high points of the mountains should be relegated to a hazy distant backscene, kind of 2D feel. Hard to tell at this stage but those mountains look sort of in your face. I'm pretty interested to see what you'll do with it all...maybe it'll look amazing like this? looking forward to more progress Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 6, 2011 Author Share Posted November 6, 2011 I have today finished off the polystyrene cutting. A trip to transport models yesterday enabled me to get my tunnel entrances. I am letting the glue dry today and then tomorrow night the hills are going to be filled and smoothed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted November 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2011 I'm not sure the poly peaks should be all prominent in the foreground like this. Maybe the 3D stuff should be concentrating on the low land whilst the high points of the mountains should be relegated to a hazy distant backscene, kind of 2D feel. Hard to tell at this stage but those mountains look sort of in your face. Looking at the latest pics it may becoming more reminicsent of Strathcarron to Stromeferry section or possibly the bit of Mallaig line at Glen Nan Uamh where it goes over the loch and then into a tunnel? Still think its gonna look good anyway Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted November 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hi there, I'm enjoying your progress - thanks for posting the updates. Judging from the height of the tunnel mouth, I'd say the hills are around a foot tall at the back, which equates to around 140' approx. Since we know we are on the shore of a loch, I think the hills in this area would be predominantly wooded, with some rocky outcrops perhaps. Ignoring the hotel behind the railway, this photo sort of shows how I would expect such hills to appear near a loch: http://www.flickr.com/photos/besthorpe/4831613244/ Trees would hide the sharp edges of the hills I feel. In reality, the tops of any mountains would a mile or more distant, so if you are intending the peaks to represent mountains then the perspective is being forced to a huge degree! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 7, 2011 Author Share Posted November 7, 2011 Thanks for the comments. The image below is sort of what I am aiming towards. This picture is roughly where my layout is based. The hills at the back of my back scene are not intended to be mountain peaks. It is all going to be rocky out crops covered in pine trees. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishlocos Posted November 12, 2011 Share Posted November 12, 2011 Hi looks good glad to see more Far North/Kyle line layouts a class 37 and a couple of coaches are all you need regards Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share Posted November 12, 2011 Cheers Dave. I have got a recent br blue 37. Just need.some mark 1's. done some more work.on the hills. ready for the ground cover. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted November 29, 2011 Author Share Posted November 29, 2011 After a couple of busy weeks at work I have managed to get a first coat of ground scatter on the hills and the right colour for the Loch. I was toying with the idea of using the modeling water available in a bottle but at £18.00 a go, it is a bit expensive. I have today attempted to use the clear varnish method and so far I am very pleased with the results. Hope it dries as clear and reflective as it is now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 After a trip to Manchester yesterday I as able to get hold of some suitable gravel from Model zone. I have now placed it all round the edge of the Loch and glued it in place with the usual pva and water method. It will need some more glue on the screen slope area as the gravel is quite deep there. the gravel will then be weathered before the loch will be topped up. If you look at the picture in post 16 it is starting to come together. Now I need quite a few trees to cover the entire hills. I also bought a Model zone limited edition Farish RTC pull an coach. Stunning model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted December 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 1, 2011 Coming together nicely... Blue era, 24,26, 37's and MkI's gets my vote... With the water, did you just apply layer(s) of gloss varnish? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 Cheers Pete. It is going to be a blue era layout. plenty of blue and grey mark 1's. The water was painted the colour i wanted and then I got a couple of little tins of clear varnish from the local pound shop. I opened one and just poured it over the area in question. there was just enough to cover the area. I will give it another tin on saturday morning after this has fully set. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
westerner Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 I do like the reflections in the Loch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robgregson1 Posted December 1, 2011 Author Share Posted December 1, 2011 Cheers westerner. It does create quite a good effect. I can't wait to see a BR blue 37 with some blue and grey mark ones behind. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Russ (mines a pint) Posted December 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 1, 2011 Looking very nice now, the conifers you have put in do put the hills in the right perspective despite the earlier concerns (IMHO anyway). The loch looks good too, one of those 'flat calm' days that there aren't enough of! - can only get better as you add in the further detail/weathering etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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