Glen Loch 1980's Scotrail Branchline.

[Simon Moore]

Yesterday has got to be one of the best days i've ever had on the Settle & Carlisle / Shap. First stop was Horton in Ribblesdale station which is just up the track from where Austwick is & so it was a perfect stop for inspiration for the layout. 

First up was Britannia in place of the Scot & this was on of the most memorable moments i've ever had chasing steam. Britannia was going well & after a disappointing first encounter of Britannia at Horton the second time was fantastic. It shot through the station in fine style & you could hear it climbing & digging into the drag for a good 5 minutes after it had gone out of view. It was simply magnificent & it made my day

 

Here is Britannia moving out of the loop at Hellifield to hook up to its train.

 

 

Britannia later storming through Horton in Ribblesdale station

 

 

Later in the day after a super foot long cumberland sausage at the Sun Inn in Dent we headed to Kirkby Stephen to catch the Union of South Africa head south.

 

Here is number 9 heading south at Kirkby Stephen.

 

 

After Kirkby Stephen we headed to Penrith for the southbound Britannia working on the WCML. It stormed through full speed & really was gunning for it. We had the bonus of watching come down Shap as we went down the M6 & caught it at the Lune Gorge for a brief moment.

 

 

To finish off we went to Pleasington near Blackburn to see number 9 but it was too dark for a photo. 

Now if that lot doesn't make your modeling juices flow like Niagara falls i don't know what will

Anyway back to the layout !

I'm really happy with my work so far this weekend i've got the banking behind the bay almost finished & i must admit i think it looks superb & i cannot wait to get it to the next stage now. 

 

 

This afternoon i am going to work on getting the banking on the goods yard done. I want to cut the Wills sheeting down to so it makes the retaining walls & hopefully get them primed up. I'm also aiming to have the banking cut, formed & plaster sheeted before the end of the day then i can get it painted in the morning & then that is ready for detailing with various grasses & hedges, 

 

I've had to compromise with over bridge by using the Peco the girder bridge pieces but i think it will look fine & certainly won't ruin the overall look of the layout. For about the tenth time i am reading, Ganger, Guard & Signalman which is a tale by Dick Fawcett & his personal account of working on the S&C & the area around it which is brilliant for giving me more inspiration for the layout.

I am going to have to tackle the electronics at some point because the layout needs wiring for DC power. I have almost all the gubbings for this job but i am dreading it as i am not a electrician & this isn't my strong point. 

More to follow,

 

Simon



 

[Physicsman]

That's a great post, Simon.

 

I last saw Britannia at Grosmont last year and she looked in fine-fettle, as in your photos. Lovely to see the A4 - I've got a green Union on pre-order.

 

The work on the banking looks good and the old maroon and cream bus fits the scene very nicely. Enjoy the electrics - just remember the mindset - "Don't let the bas**rds get you down - if it doesn't work first time, I'll eventually get it to work!!"

 

Jeff

[Simon Moore]

Cheers Jeff,

I've had a really productive day on the layout & got a lot more done than i thought i would do. I've managed to get all the retaining wall pieces cut & i've also cut the remaining platform sheets & glued some formers between the platform walls so that the plastic sheeting will have something to keep them level when i glue them to the layout. I've also painted the platform tops & tomorrow i shall give them a grey wash to give the color some texture. 

I'm really chuffed with my work this weekend i have got a lot done. Certainly have a long way to go yet but the balls rolling once again & hopefully it'll keep going now. I'd like to get the control panel done next once i've finished off the scenic work on the hills. 

The cassettes are going to need completely re doing because the rails have warped because of the temperature has changed through the seasons so thats after the control panel.

Thats it on Austwick for this weekend, once the glue has dried the layout is going back into its home & the house will become a house once again.

Simon 

[Simon Moore]

Thought it was time to do a bit of an update on Austwick as it has been a bit quiet of late.

I've been putting off the electronic side of the layout because i have been dreading it !! I've finally succumbed to it & tomorrow i hope to make it to Haworth weather permitting to get some supplies for doing the electrical work on the layout. I've decided that i am going to completely re-wire the layout & hopefully this might solve some of the previous running issues i've had.

I rang Pennine models this morning to check if they had the bits i needed to do the work & they have everything i need so i am really excited about getting my project done by monday evening. 

I did build the control panel recently & got the studs fitted for the point control so it is ready to go. My plan is to split the layout into blocks so i can isolate each of the lines with some simple on/off switchs. Hopefully the next part of the puzzle can be fitted in my timescale & get it ready for finishing off. It'd be great to get the electrical work totally finished by easter then i can just work on finishing off the scenic work.

As it is my birthday a week on monday the wife has told me i am allowed to treat myself to a new loco for the layout so i am keeping an open mind & will see what is on offer tomorrow

Simon  

[Simon Moore]

Well today Didn't go exactly to plan !

 

I was hoping to get supplies from the model shop at Haworth but the road over the hills was terribly covered with snow.

 

In the end I turned back & headed to Maplins in Blackburn. I got everything to do the electrical work & I've had a real run at the layout.

I've had a surprisingly productive day & got further than I expected & will continue tomorrow.

 

I've managed to build & mount the control panel & I've got the wiring started. I've also done the re-wire of all the track work. Tomorrow I want all the point motors & track sections wired & tested & the Dapol signal fitted in.

 

I will take some photos of my progress tomorrow when I resume work.

 

Simon

[Simon Moore]

For the past 2 days i have been slaving away on Austwick & trying my best to rectify the problems i have well documented in past posts about the elctronics. 

After finishing up this evening i can finally say that all the demons i've had with the electrical side of the layout are well & truly behind me. I've completely re-wired the layout top to bottom & i think now looking back the copper tape i used as a bus around the layout could have been the reason why it was bad. 

I did hit a brick wall this afternoon when i came to test everything, i found that the isolation sections would not work & the double slip had no power. I cured this by stripping back some of the wiring & going very basic which has paid off. I like things that are simple especially when it comes to wires because this is not my strong point admittedly in modeling.

Anyway here are the fruits of my labour from the past few days.

This is the control panel with a detachable probe & controller.

 

 

I think the control panel has come out pretty well & it works a treat. Its taken a good few weeks of planning & thought to work out exactly how i am going to make the control panel as it is something i have never done before.



The internals look like a spag bol but the main thing is it works. Maplins didnt have any tag strips so i improvised by using some holed pcb  which as it happens has worked well.

I've finally got the Dapol signal fitted to the layout too & it really is a super piece of kit. I'm really happy with how this looks its enhanced the layout hugely. Now i've got all this done the scenic work can be given full attention & i'm enthusiastic about the layout once again. 

Next up is going to be the cassettes, The trackwork on it has buckled & needs relaying which isn't a major task. I also want to re do the connectors because some of the diesel locos foul them. 

 

 

I've packed away the layout once again but it will be out again real soon for some scenic work i think. If i can spare a few hours i will have it out to do what i can. 

 

Thats all for now

 

Simon

 

[Physicsman]

Good work, that man!!

 

The modelling mojo has well and truly returned! Great progress, Simon - good to see.

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[Simon Moore]

Thanks Jeff, 

I must admit i felt like Austin Powers when he lost his Mojo  

I think finally it is back for good & i'm already planning more work on the layout this coming saturday as i have a spare day. Think i will conquer the cassettes & then i may have an operating session on the layout as i have not had one of those for over a year. The Super D should arrive tomorrow so i need an excuse to run it. 

I have a few bits coming from Harburn Hobbies to detail the goods yard so all being well they'll turn up by weekend & Austwick can be set up in full scenic mode  
I might get the video camera out this weekend & film a few trains for the thread.

Simon

[Physicsman]

I've always found Harburn Hobbies an excellent source of material - from flower beds, to walling to a rather grand house I used in a farm on my old layout.

 

Their flowers in wooden tubs - little pot renditions - look great on the station platform.

 

I hadn't realised how much stuff I'd bought from them until I ripped the old layout apart a month ago. They do some lovely stonewalling, but it'd cost me millions to use their product on KL - due to the vast amounts needed!

 

I haven't got a Super D - I've been tempted a number of times. Have fun.

 

Jeff

[Simon Moore]

Jeff,

 

The Super D arrived today & what a smooth running piece of kit Bachmann have produced. This is one of the best running models I own I am really pleased with this one.

 

The Harburn Hobbies products are really nice & highly detailed. I'm really pleased with these too. I think they'll really enhance the goods yard scenes once fitted to the layout.

 

Whilst on my travels today to pick up my parcel from the sorting office I thought I'd have a look to see if Pendle Models were open ( Tuesdays usually half day in Nelson ) As it happens they were open so I nipped in & purchased some brass tube & bar to replace the oversized plugs I made for the cassettes. I'm planning on doing some of the cassettes on Saturday afternoon then I can run my first train since the rewire.

 

I've also picked up from West End Models a pack of Wills yorkstone paving so I can complete the platform & get it glued down.

 

Simon

[Simon Moore]

After spending a considerable amount of time re wiring the layout for DC operations i finally did another running test the other day. The results were not brilliant & after all the problems i've had trying to get the layout to work properly i've finally given in.

The choice to use Peco pointwork with SMP flexi wasn't a brilliant choice for a steam era layout. The double slip has proved to be a big problem for small wheelbase locomotives & after trying everything i was truly beaten. 

I've had to make a decision as to what to do with the layout after coming so far. As it stands it is around 18 months work & i really didnt want to tear it up & start over & i didn't want to relay the trackwork with peco throughout as it would not only cost a lot to re do but the time factor involved too. 

After much head scratching & thinking of what to do next i decided to try a few diesels just to make double sure. All of my diesel fleet ran without fault on the whole of the layout at the slowest setting on the gaugemaster controller which brought a huge smile to my face. All was not lost & it was time to sit down & think upon how this could be adapted to a diesel layout. 

The layout is designed to go into a cupboard & the cassettes can only hold a full size loco & 2 coaches so i am limited to what i could do from the off. Having thought things through i decided that the layout would move to Scotland & have a time period from the early 70's to early 90's which gives me a scope to run 17's, 20's, 24,s, 25's, 26's, 27's, 29's, 37's, 47's & even the odd 40 thrown in for good measure. It also means i can run green & blue era locos along with sector colour's from the 90's. 

The plan now is to change the sidings to a log loading facility where the cattle dock was going to stand & where the coal & goods shed once stood will be a small oil unloading point & a engineers shed. Hopefully it'll still make a nice layout although not what it was intended as. 
 

[Simon Moore]

Well it seems like ages since i actually did a thing to the layout & after months of wondering wether or not to finish it off i have decided to plough on & get cracking once again with the layout.

 

I've had a good look today & i have set myself some tasks for the next couple of months to get the project back on track, up & running. I've been weathering stock for the layout recently & i shall add some photos of my work later this week. Hopefully someone will see my add in the classifieds for a Scenecraft building which is a perfect scottish station building which would fit my layout perfectly so thats the next thing to get hold of.

 

I really do need to purchase some code 75 flex track to finish off the cassettes because the rail has warped badly due to a bad design on my part. 

 

Simon

[DLT]

Glad to see you back Simon, and ready to crack on with the layout.

Problems like you have described can be seriously demoralising, but a break from the task can bring back the inspiration.

Best of luck,

Dave.

[Simon Moore]

Thanks Dave,

I'm going to at some point tomorrow go & get some code 75 from the local hobby shop & get those darn cassettes fixed. I was looking at the yesterday & there in a dire state. The whole mess up of the layout not working will with steam really knocked the wind out of me with this one & its taken a lot of soul searching to get it finished but i wil plough on with it.

 

Simon

[Ramblin Rich]

Simon, I missed your post in April, so although I'm surprised by your need to re-think, I'm glad to see something is happening, I've a fondness for short diesel-hauled trains! Looking forward to some more pictures with new stock....

[Simon Moore]

Thanks Rich for the comments

 

Well it has been a while since anything big happened on the layout but the time has come & i've started to move along & i have some progress to show.

 

When i put the layout up recently i decided that i wanted to get the platforms finished off & then the rest of the layout will start moving along. I decided to use Tulloch station as a prototype to use for ideas & it struck me that i was using the wrong materials. With the original layout being based on the S&C the platform was going to be stone flags which was Wills sheets cut to shape. Tulloch station has a chipping on the platform which is almost a iron ore colour so i've ordered some woodland scenics fine iron ore chippings & started to cut the platform tops from plasticard.

 

Works stopped for the moment until the local model shop re opens from holidays so i can get some peco platform edgings. I did have some but i think it's been thrown in a clearout & i need a piece to finish off the edging so i can start the station building area. Once the edging is in place i will cut the rest of the plasticard & make some formers for it to sit level on the layout & paint it once finished. 

 

Well anyway enough of the chat heres the progress so far.

 

The cut & painted platform tops.

 

 

I've also placed on the layout some fir trees & the new Bachmann scenecraft signal box.

 

 

How my planning process works

 

 

The next job is to fit the platforms on the station & fix the iron ore scatter to finish off the platform top. Once i've done this i can continue the road & finish off all the scenic work behind the station. I'm going to pick up some paint tomorrow so i can paint all the wood backscene a white colour. I'm going to draft my mum in at some point to paint a proper highland backscene on to the layout. My mum is a very good artist & i think she'll do the backscene more justice than i would. 

 

There's a long way to go but i'm glad i am starting once again. i've been away from the layout for some time & i want to really get it done & finished off then see if i can get it into a modeling magazine.

 

Cheers

 

Simon

[Simon Moore]

Today i've been hard at it again working on the layout. I'm really enjoying it as well

I've not been able to do a great deal where the platforms are concerned but i have managed to get all the remaining pieces of platform top cut & painted ready for gluing down. I've also ordered some Peco platform edging to finish off the edging around the bay platform. 

 

I've had a thought of a name for the layout too " Glen Loch " after my Isle of Man campsite  

 

The backscene has been troubling me for some time too as to what kind of scene i want on it. I know that it was to be a highland scene but i wasn't sure of colour etc. Anyway whilst i was walking to the doctors this afternoon i looked over towards the hills on the other side of the valley & there it was, Wet Inspiration !

Basically the hills were covered with a very dark grey mist which has now turned into a awful rainstorm which is perfect for my layout. There are far to many summer layouts with bright colour's & backscene's for my liking when in the real world it is usually far less sun & more cloud & rain.

 

I've also cut a small branch off the conifer in the back garden to test out what my log loading area might look like. I'm pleased to say that i think the overall finish will be fantastic & really set the scene of a scottish branchline with prototypical traffic. Over the next few weeks i am going to turn my attentions to what was my goods yard which has also had to change with the times. I'm going to fit a Knightwing oil tank set in there for what was the coal siding along with there unloading facility. The other siding is going to be a engineers siding with maybe a concrete yard shed from Ratio.

 

After a very long period of no work on the layout i am really happy to say i am back at it & hopefully you'll see some real progression on Glen Loch over the next few months.

 

Thats all for now

 

Simon 

[Simon Moore]

Yesterday I took delivery of all the materials needed to complete the platform top & the edgings so tomorrow & Tuesday are going to be layout days. I'm also hoping to try & get my hands on the knightwing oil tanks to further finish off my collection of structures.

 

Within the next 3/4 weeks I really am hoping to bring this layout on leaps & bounds. Another thing I've done us pencil on the back scene hills to paint at a later date. Me & the wife are off for a walk in the morning so I'm going to take the clippers & chop a few branches so I can make the wood piles in the log yard too.

 

Simon