Ben Alder Posted December 3, 2012 Author Share Posted December 3, 2012 Ahem, the last lot of pics sent me back to do some more tidying- why is it that omissions only appear on screen, despite scrutinising the images before posting? So, the point rodding was extended round the curve of the Helmsdale platform, and the piece of uncut brass wire that I used to position the cranks was removed as well.. Pic here of the Mk 2 version- it looks terrible in this shot, but to the eye it is more acceptable- I might tweak it a bit though. The sheds are getting populated- this is a variation on one of the last lot. The somewhat jaunty gait has been altered on the layout. Another real veteran has made another appearance as a fitter at Thurso. This is a Hornby Dublo original, part of a set I got in 1965,IIR, most of whom are still around, and has been a regular on every layout I've had since. The quality of these figures takes some beating, and I'll sort out the rest once I find the box they are hiding in. A Thurso fitter? Well, in my alternative world, some of the planned branches from here were built, and it became necessary with an allocation of four or five engines to have the ability to do running repairs on the spot, so here he is. Another small job done was fitting discharge pipes for the small oil depot that lay below the station. Gravity was used to empty the wagons, and some Knightwing moulding was adapted to give an idea of the piping. Here is a shot I took of the siding area, with a fortuitous glimpse of the valve set-up in it. Of course, this was another piece of the station fittings that I managed to ignore until it had gone, so this is my sole record of it. Finally, overviews of the two stations as they stand- repeats of what I have posted before pehaps, but this time showing them more or less completed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted December 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 4, 2012 Those details like point rodding and the oil pipes really lift the scenics.Like you I didn't record enough (no camera and film to expensive when a lad) I used to cycle in the woods behind Erleigh now I wish I had made a record of the oil installation there. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 I'm intrigued by what is growing in the field in the background of the real oil pipes. Looks like a vineyard? In Scotland? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Not too well up on the FNL. What were the proposed branches from Thurso ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold A Murphy Posted December 4, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 4, 2012 Surely you've heard of Pinot Thurso? Cote du Wick?? This looks excellent. Best wishes, Alastair M Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted December 4, 2012 Author Share Posted December 4, 2012 I'm intrigued by what is growing in the field in the background of the real oil pipes. Looks like a vineyard? In Scotland? scrub of some form or another, I'm afraid- no vineyards here, although there is a distillery being built in the town- on an industrial estate next a call centre- this is going to be a real hit on the tourist trail....... Not too well up on the FNL. What were the proposed branches from Thurso ? The factual proposals were a branch to Scrabster, two miles away, and a very important link to Scapa Flow in the two world wars. In fact, it was originally meant to terminate the line there, and would have been a logical destination in traffic terms. Another one was a branch to Gills Bay, about fifteen miles east ,and again a crossing point to Orkney- this has since been developed as a short passage , but with no rail connection. The other branch planned was from Forsinard to Melvich and Port skerra on the north coast, which almost started but was abandoned after 1918. An intriguing might have been was mutterings from the Admiralty during the Great War about extending the main line up from Helmsdale along the coast to Lybster, to avoid the long passage over the moors, and to allow heavier engines and traffic to work the route.This came to nothing due to the end of the war, but would have transformed the working of the Far North Line, and makes for interesting modelling scenarios! So much for reality- my take on all this is that the branch to Scrabster was built, and is now a freight trip worked from Thurso, with fish being the main traffic, and perhaps a branch as proposed to Gills, or maybe the Melvich branch having started from Thurso rather than Forsinard. Apart from the Aberdeen shire and the Border farmlands, nearly all population settlement outwith the Central Belt is along the coasts, and much of the Highland and West Highland track goes through many miles of nothingness. I know this is due to a mixture of topography and the investment patterns of the original builders, but it hardly reflects a sensible mileage/ passenger rate. Therefore I reasoned that it would be more sensible to link up the various villages along the coast rather than have another stretch of line passing through more emptiness. This would have the advantage of passing Dounreay- originally a FAA aerodrome built during the war, and subsequently a nuclear reactor site- and allow a daily freight working separate from any branch traffic, all of which offers much operational potential for this terminus once I get things tidied up. Hope this look at "my " part of this world helps!.. Thanks to all once again for their appreciation of my efforts- I don't think my next plans- cobbling together of Bachmann chassis and ancient WM castings will go down so well in some quarters though Here is a sketch showing the rough layout of the schemes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sixteen 12by 10s Posted December 4, 2012 Share Posted December 4, 2012 Surely you've heard of Pinot Thurso? Cote du Wick?? This looks excellent. Best wishes, Alastair M i haven't but i have eaten here, and its not far away. http://www.cotedunord.co.uk/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 Thanks for the info'. I had heard of the plan to go to Scrabster, but not the others. I used the crossing from Gill's Bay last year and certainly the topography is suitable for a railway. To the west, I have read of proposals to go to Ledmore Junction from Culrain. Presumably this would have followed the route of the A837 and eventually gone on to Lochinver, as there is sod all at Ledmore and the only place on the route is Rosehall. And also the proposal to go to Laxford Bridge from Lairg, probably following the A838. In my opinion, this would have been the best scenic route in Scotland, but apart from a couple of bungalows at Laxford Bridge and the small settlement at Achfary, hardly any population. I drove from Lairg to Scourie on a December evening a couple of years ago and saw one other car in 44 miles! i haven't but i have eaten here, and its not far away. http://www.cotedunord.co.uk/ And very good it is too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 If that's scrub then it has been planted in straight lines! I think it's a failed attempt at Chateau du Plonk that never got out of the ground. As for the link to Cote du Nord restaurant - looks like excellent food and so cheap as well (only £35 for a full selection). I am about to pay $69 NZ for a 3 course meal at the top of the Sky Tower in Auckland. That map of the far north - it's so far north it's almost in the arctic circle!!!!! I remember a trip I did around there a long time ago - lovely scenery and miles of empty roads. I must admit I find the back story to most of the layouts on this forum as fascinating as the building and running of the model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted December 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 5, 2012 I think it's a failed attempt at Chateau du Plonk that never got out of the ground. Chateau Auld Alliance? Don't tell the English! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stuartp Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I'm intrigued by what is growing in the field in the background of the real oil pipes. Looks like a vineyard? In Scotland? 1967 1:2500 map shows 'Animal Pens' at the station end of that field along with an auction mart, and larger enclosures like allotments between there and the high school (the square building at the top of the hill). They're still visible on Google Street View but overgrown, my guess is the pic actually shows the fence posts separating the larger enclosures. If they weren't allotments I presume they were for penning sheep or cattle in a bit more comfort than the smaller pens. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted December 5, 2012 Share Posted December 5, 2012 I'm intrigued by what is growing in the field in the background of the real oil pipes. Looks like a vineyard? In Scotland? OT, and further south in Scotland, but try googling 'Kippen vine'! I saw it not long before it was taken out . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted December 6, 2012 Author Share Posted December 6, 2012 I'm intrigued by what is growing in the field in the background of the real oil pipes. Looks like a vineyard? In Scotland? I'm afraid my knowledge of greenery doesn't extend to this sort of thing, and it has now vanished under the builder's merchant that took over the yard, but alongside the fence leading into the yard is what I presume is similar vegetation- seen here in June, but I must go up and see what it looks like in its died back state. Perhaps more recognizable like this, but I doubt you could extract anything potable from it.... I tried to do a representation of this at the boundary of the yard, but am not too sure about it, but it isn't a central feature so will probably live with it- a couple of shots of it, and another of the discharge pipes- the hoses have yet to be coiled and weathered=- they are tucked under the tanks for tidiness ATM. 1967 1:2500 map shows 'Animal Pens' at the station end of that field along with an auction mart, and larger enclosures like allotments between there and the high school (the square building at the top of the hill). They're still visible on Google Street View but overgrown, my guess is the pic actually shows the fence posts separating the larger enclosures. If they weren't allotments I presume they were for penning sheep or cattle in a bit more comfort than the smaller pens. Yes, - there were allotments on the field behind the station but the mart extended and took them over as holding pens. The August lamb sales and later cattle ones were massive affairs, with thousands of stock being sold- once upon a time transported by rail- and the sounds of despondent sheep and cows echoed over the town for days on end. The grass pens were used for overnight stock and there was much activity on sale days as the animals were herded through the auction ring and back to pens or onto lorries. All gone now, and the site is part of Tesco's master plan to rule the Highlands, although nothing is likely to happen soon there, if at all, it seems. They demolished the mart buildings a year or two ago, and left piles of rubble and a security fence in corporate colours round the site, but a winter gale brought that down, and the rubble has been removed, and it is all gradually reverting to greenery. The various schemes to extend to the further reaches of Ross and Sutherland defied reality, and then some- Garve to Ullapool might have had some credence, but all the others would have ran through nothing to reach nowhere. There would have been no possible economic case for any of these lines- Google Earth the area to see where they were planning to go-and although it makes for interesting what-if models, they would have been a drain on an already struggling HR. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JZ Posted December 6, 2012 Share Posted December 6, 2012 The various schemes to extend to the further reaches of Ross and Sutherland defied reality, and then some- Garve to Ullapool might have had some credence, but all the others would have ran through nothing to reach nowhere. There would have been no possible economic case for any of these lines- Google Earth the area to see where they were planning to go-and although it makes for interesting what-if models, they would have been a drain on an already struggling HR. I seem to remember that there was a layout based on Ullapool at one time. Certainly a line there would have seen it develop more as a fishing port, but intermediate traffic would have been virtually zero as there is scarcely two dozen houses between Garve and Ullapool. The biggest advantage of modelling these 'what-ifs' is that you would need very few trees Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher24 Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 richard as per our discussion i have been playing with a couple of shots of helmsdale by simply putting them in the image editor on rmweb and adding smoke etc and heres the half finished result, the result of around ten minutes playing about, i find that changing the image to sepia and then adding smoke has the desired effect. i have put up a picture without smoke and then one with smoke and steam etc added to show the differance. gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted December 27, 2012 Author Share Posted December 27, 2012 Thanks for that- some interesting takes on the originals, and food for thought here. I have never done much in the way of image manipulation bar adjusting contrasts and the suchlike- old darkroom stuff mainly, although the clone and smudge buttons are very handy at removing backscene joins/gaps , I must say... Anyway, after seeing these I went to the site editor and spent some time playing around with the various options, and eventually came to the conclusion that there is a lot more to this than I thought, so will probably leave this for sometime later, and start looking at photos of steam engines breathing more closely. However, here is one at The Mound I fiddled with and kept, rather than having a completely unproductive session! Not too sure about it, and open to suggestions. There should be a progress up date sometime over the New year break if things proceed as they have been, and it is calm enough for some undercoating, so watch this space- work pressure up to Xmas has meant very little time or inclination for the bench during most of December, but I'm back in the swing of things now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 27, 2012 Share Posted December 27, 2012 Hi Richard, Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a good Christmas. I keep popping in for a look, Great photos WONDERFUL. Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted December 28, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 28, 2012 Like weathering, I feel that added steam and smoke effects are something we either like or don't. That Kiwi chap Rob on here somewhere makes some stonking images based around RTR locos - but his effects are of trains at high speed with loads of exhaust. I'm afraid I am less convinced by smoke added to locos that are at best stooging around making the odd shunt move. Given the very fine modelling in 2- and 3-D on the layout, I don't find the faux exhaust adding much value. Sorry! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 Thanks for the feedback- I'll keep this on the backburner for the moment, as there is plenty planned for the next few months, but I may come back to it sometime.I have been working away fitfully on the Stanier 2-6-2T that was a feature of the Thurso branch for its last steam years, and it is coming together slowly. The body is one of the white metal dinosaurs- I can't remember who first marketed it, but I got a casting from Autocom last (2011) Christmas, before one of his final retirements, and intend putting a Bachmann 2-6-0 chassis underneath it. This has some glaring faults in wheelbase, and some lesser ones in diameter, but it will run, and that is what I want- I also suspect that this might be an exercise in futility, as requests for this type are bubbling under in the annual polls, and no doubt one of the Two will announce a model of it soonish. Whatever, I am getting on with it , and I had hoped to have it primed by now, but slow progress in December has stopped me reaching that target, but it is fairly near it now. Here are a couple of workbench shots- the tip on the bench isn't as bad as it looks, as I had just opened the doors and pulled the tray out, and the pile of tools will be dispersed in an orderly fashion as is my methodical way of working..... The usual collection of gathered images help with modelling a specific engine, as various mods were done to these engines over the years, and a cruel view of the body is also seen- hopefully primer and a couple of sprays of black will sort out some of the flaws, although there is still a lot of finishing to be done to it yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 Great last couple of pics Richard, I now feel so much better, I thought it was only me that worked in the middle of a pile of tools, paint, filler and plasticard. I wish more people would post pics of their workbench on the Web as I am sure it would be a real eye opener. IT ALSO PROVES YOU ARE A REAL MODELLER,ha ha ha . all the best Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted December 31, 2012 Author Share Posted December 31, 2012 Well, this has been some year for me- working at a rate previously unknown and thought unattainable or sustainable, I have created the bare bones of a layout that has been bubbling away in my mind for almost forty years now- and to a great extent this has been helped by all the encouragement, advice, and general goodwill shown to me here. It certainly was a major factor in me keeping up progress, and I would like to express my thanks to all who have visited the thread and helped me on my way. Perhaps it might encourage some more ScR steam layouts- who knows?- a trio of R-T-R Caley locos would be a more likely catalyst, but that I suspect is some time away...... As the construction phase is now largely complete I think I will start a new thread featuring the layout, as while it might have been of interest reading the build as it happens, it now extends to 14 pages, and probably is better left as it is- and any future images will be of something not half built. Anyway, wishing everyone a peaceful and productive New Year, Good Modelling! Richard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold McRuss Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2013 Richard, I wish you a happe new year, with lot's of model railway mojo. Markus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted January 1, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2013 I am with Olddudders on the addition of smoke. Your pictures are so evocative that the absence of smoke does not register. You don't need to as the modelling captures the atmosphere. Have a good new year. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
landscapes Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Hi Richard a very Happy New Year to you. Looking at your recent photos I put "The Far North Line" in the same category as Gilbert's Peterborough North and Eric's Longdrem Layouts and I rate them as two of the best layout's I have seen. Great detail. Look forward to more photos in 2013. All the very best. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
benachie Posted January 1, 2013 Share Posted January 1, 2013 Richard, Thank you for all your sharing in this thread and we look forward to its successor. Happy New Year and all the Best in 2013. Alan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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