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Gairloch - 1970's Scottish Harbour Terminus in 'N'


gwrkev

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Yes, another one....it's beginning to look like the Scottish BLT is the new GWR BLT!

 

Anyway, introducing my third attempt in N gauge (the last two were pre-Bachmann/Dapol era and quickly abandoned). It's a fictional branch off the Kyle line to Gairloch. The original idea came from Iain Rice's 'Light Railway Layout Designs' while the track plan is based on the suggestion for 'Roshven' in 'Modelling the British Rail Era' by Steve Flint, et al.

I've been wanting to model this subject for years but don't have the space in my usual modelling scale of 4mm EM, so the introduction of the Bachmann '24' and Dapol '26' in N was all the incentive I needed.

Modelling time is limited so progress is slow (the photos represent about 4 months work so far) but I will hopefully be able to post the occasional update!

 

8555034068_442ca97b0c_n.jpg
P1060621 by GWRKev, on Flickr

View from the fiddle yard end.

 

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P1060627 by GWRKev, on Flickr

Main station area

 

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HR Signal Box by GWRKev, on Flickr

Signal box build in progress (modelled on Helmsdale)

 

Kevin

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  • 2 months later...

Hi Kev,

 

Sorry to drag this thread from the past but it looks like a really interesting little project! Has there been any further progress and if you don't mind me asking... what is the size of the layout?

 

Thanks,

David

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Hi David, thanks for your interest. As I warned in the first post, progress is slow! I've made the platform and started on the station building (based on Carr Bridge), and I've also sorted out the storage cassettes. I'll try and get some photos over the weekend and post an update.

 

The layout is 54" long and 12" wide, with the scenic section being 37", allowing for 17" cassettes. These will just about hold a Type 2 with a couple of Mk1 coaches and an SPV or a box van. A couple of extra inches would have been handy, but the layout is designed to fit in an alcove in my home 'office' so the max length was fixed.

 

Kev

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Hi David, thanks for your interest. As I warned in the first post, progress is slow! I've made the platform and started on the station building (based on Carr Bridge), and I've also sorted out the storage cassettes. I'll try and get some photos over the weekend and post an update.

 

The layout is 54" long and 12" wide, with the scenic section being 37", allowing for 17" cassettes. These will just about hold a Type 2 with a couple of Mk1 coaches and an SPV or a box van. A couple of extra inches would have been handy, but the layout is designed to fit in an alcove in my home 'office' so the max length was fixed.

 

Kev

Thanks Kev that is really interesting.

 

The track layout has a lovely flow to it and it just shows you what you can do in n gauge! It doesn't look cramped at all despite the scenic section only being 3' long. I'd be interested in seeing some more photos, including of the fiddle yard arrangements.

 

Thanks again and keep us updated!

David

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Carrbridge Station and Helmsdale Signal Box - Are you Steve Flint in disguise?! ;-)

 

Lovely job of the signal box. Do you have any pictures of the construction of it? How did you elect to represent the 'board and batten' shell?

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Thanks Tom, I must admit that Steve's 'Kyle of Tongue' was another big influence!

 

No photos of the construction of the signal box I'm afraid, but it's basically all plasticard, with the smallest available microstrip for the battens. It's actually a bit overscale but I don't think it really notices.

 

Windows are clear plasticard with frames cut from sticky labels and glazing bars scribed on and filled with white paint. They don't bear close inspection, but look OK from normal viewing distance. The corrugated roof is from the Ratio product.

 

Kev

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 A couple of photos showing some modest progress.

 

The cassette system is set up and working well:

 

9193634350_61c084cd02_n.jpg
P1060773 by GWRKev, on Flickr

 

I've tried to keep it simple. The 6BA bolts on either side of the cassette pass through the deck and wires soldered to the bolt heads are connected to the adjacent track feed so all you need to do is slide the cassette into place between the sprung brass strips to make electrical contact. I just need to add some locating blocks for accuracy.

 

I've also started on the station building:

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P1060776 by GWRKev, on Flickr

 

All plasticard and microstrip, same as the signal box, with roof slates from the adhesive strips sold by York Modelmaking. It takes a bit of practice to get this laid straight and true, but the result is quite effective.

 

Kev

 

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Finally, an update showing some modest progress. Ballasting completed, scenery started, and station building, signal box and road bridge in various stages of construction:

 

9616027566_2131c59a96_z.jpg
P1060825 by GWRKev, on Flickr

 

 

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P1060820 by GWRKev, on Flickr

 

 

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P1060822 by GWRKev, on Flickr

 

Apologies to those who've already seen these on the N Gauge Forum!

 

Kev

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

 

Yes, another one....it's beginning to look like the Scottish BLT is the new GWR BLT!

 

 

Suits me! 

 

Nice flowing track - what size/radius points have you used here? - to fit it in your min.space?

 

Your buildings and the overall effect look great, will watch with interest. :)

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Suits me! 

 

Nice flowing track - what size/radius points have you used here? - to fit it in your min.space?

 

Your buildings and the overall effect look great, will watch with interest. :)

 

They're medium radius Russ. No more progress to report since last posting (apart from trialling various couplings) as modelling time has been non-existent. Week's holiday coming up soon though!

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  • RMweb Gold

That's great, I could see you had not used the smallest of N gauge points!

 

its a plan that's often appealed to me, though I think I might be tempted to stick to the original West Highland line extension context - I often thought one of the sidings (nearest the station) was unduly short in the plan but it doesn't appear so here. Still tempted but sold all my N gauge stuff - might get some more lol :) !!

 

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