Neil Watson Posted May 24, 2015 Share Posted May 24, 2015 Hello just a quick introduction to my blog that may take a few months/years to complete. I have been had lots of false starts in n gauge for years until i finally finished my end to end layout last year and wanted to start a new larger layout. i could blame carl woodward and vale of oxbury that i have helped exhibit with carls sound loco's and excellent modelling skills. Anyway this layout is 12 x 3 foot in n gauge using code 55 track.This will be fully dcc wit use of sound locos. I am using track plans of Aviemore station dated around the 60's whilst it was still a fairly busy junction from Perth to Inverness and Grantown on spey. I have changed the layout in places so i can fit it on the boards but the basic plan is there. I have found a few pictures and referances to the location but if anyone would like to offer any information i would be grateful. The following pictures are just a start as i plan out the track etc ready next for raising the track bed and wiring. Anyway i hope you enjoy seeing any progress made. pics will be upoaded once i can get them on. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 A few pics of progress so far... 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrysoham Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Very nice Neil. Why Aviemore though? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Legend Posted May 25, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2015 Nice . Will look forward to following this. I remember Aviemore being modelled before in "oo". I think it might have been by East Kilbride model railway club, and probably about 20 years ago. Great quality layout but I was also struck by the operation of it. Really very interesting layout with 2 routes to Inverness and I think banking up Slochd. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted May 25, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 25, 2015 Hello Neil, Interesting layout - thanks for starting the thread! Cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanchester Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Minor detail for when you come to the finishing touches. When I used to ski out of Aviemore circa 1965-7, there was a very decrepid 7-plank exPO mineral wagon permanently parked in the Northbound bay (not enough paint left for identification) which I think was used as a coal bunker for the fires in the station buildings. No pic I'm afraid, but a nice excuse for a totally out of period wagon, if you happen to have one about your person with sentimental attachments! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Nice . Will look forward to following this. I remember Aviemore being modelled before in "oo". I think it might have been by East Kilbride model railway club, and probably about 20 years ago. Great quality layout but I was also struck by the operation of it. Really very interesting layout with 2 routes to Inverness and I think banking up Slochd. It was actually more like 30 years ago - here is a photo looking from the north end of the layout. One of these days we will get around to adding some words and pictures to the club website. Regards. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted May 25, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 25, 2015 Neil, Looking forward to seeing this develop, although just think, if you were doing it in 4mm and in a period 20 years earlier, I could have loaned you some stock..... ;-) Mind you, that station building will take several late turns to build won't it? Andy G (Neil works at the next box up from me!) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilchris Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Good another N-Gauge layout to follow,I will be watching this develope with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 Very nice Neil. Why Aviemore though? I Terry I chose aviemore as we spend our time there about 2-3 times a year and it has a nice variety of stock through there over the years. Most of my stock is from the late 50's as you know but I may use a little 70/80's stock as if nothing has really changed in the way of the track layout. Hello Neil, Interesting layout - thanks for starting the thread! Cheers Ben A. thanks Ben Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 It was actually more like 30 years ago - here is a photo looking from the north end of the layout. Station from north.jpg One of these days we will get around to adding some words and pictures to the club website. Regards. This is great to see thank you. It is nice to see that my plans are nearly right to what your picture shows and if I can get anywhere near to that I will be over the moon( or Cairngorms lol). Do you have anymore pictures? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 Minor detail for when you come to the finishing touches. When I used to ski out of Aviemore circa 1965-7, there was a very decrepid 7-plank exPO mineral wagon permanently parked in the Northbound bay (not enough paint left for identification) which I think was used as a coal bunker for the fires in the station buildings. No pic I'm afraid, but a nice excuse for a totally out of period wagon, if you happen to have one about your person with sentimental attachments! Thank you for this info I will be sure to add it as little things like this add to the detail and I was not really going to use the bay's for running anyway. If you do have any more memories like this or pictures i would be grateful. I am trying to find picture references as much as possible and have a few but not in great detail of the bay's and sidings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted May 26, 2015 Author Share Posted May 26, 2015 Neil, Looking forward to seeing this develop, although just think, if you were doing it in 4mm and in a period 20 years earlier, I could have loaned you some stock..... ;-) Mind you, that station building will take several late turns to build won't it? Andy G (Neil works at the next box up from me!) Oh no you ain't here as well lol thanks again for the plans it made a start, it has taken two weeks for one of the signal boxs and I'm still half way through the footbridge. Now shaping the marvellous curved railings for it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted May 26, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 26, 2015 You really need to thank Ben Alder (of this parish) for the plans, visit his Far North Line thread to get your juices flowing... Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted May 26, 2015 Share Posted May 26, 2015 (edited) This is great to see thank you. It is nice to see that my plans are nearly right to what your picture shows and if I can get anywhere near to that I will be over the moon( or Cairngorms lol). Do you have anymore pictures? As requested - the track plan is not the final version - it ended up with two (then style) Fulgurex turntables in the fiddle yard and the double slip in the shed area was changed. Some modellers' licence was also exercised with the line to Boat of Garten. The layout was 20 feet long by 10ft 6in wide. I hope you find these useful. Regards. Edited May 26, 2015 by 66C 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Well a little update on aviemore. After seeing these brilliant pictures I have raised my game and updated the track plan which is simpler and more accurate. I have also got round to raising the boards where the track will be ready for fixing permanently. Anyway the two pictures I have attached are the curved metal panels on the footbridge which I am making from florists wire. This has so far taken 1 1/2 hours to do this one with three more to do. It will make my shifts at work go quickly, my only concern is removing it from the wood I have used to frame it on. I might try doing the other three on plasticine or similar to make removing easier once dry. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
66C Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Hi Neil Once upon a time I also started a lattice footbridge for the Aviemore layout and then promptly gave up when Hornby introduced their model - not quite the same as that at Aviemore but it did the job. There are two possibilities that I know of in 2mm scale: Lochgorm kits do an etched Highland Railway footbridge - you can download their 2mm catalogue here: http://www.lochgormkits.co.uk/html/catalogue.html A bit less prototypical but probably a bit easier to build is the plastic kit from York Modelmaking - details here: http://www.yorkmodelmaking.co.uk/n-scale/detailing-steps-signs/n-scalefootbridge-kit Both are worth considering on the basis that life is too short! Regards. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MRDBLUE17 Posted June 10, 2015 Share Posted June 10, 2015 Hi Neil, This will be an interesting layout, I stopped at Aviemore a few weeks back on my way to and from Dornoch and by luck saw the Tesco train heading southbound on both occaisions. Smithys chippy is very good. The lochgorm kit is very good and suits your prototype, I've built a 4mm one for Rannoch and it went together well. All the best Mark Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted June 10, 2015 Author Share Posted June 10, 2015 Hi Neil Once upon a time I also started a lattice footbridge for the Aviemore layout and then promptly gave up when Hornby introduced their model - not quite the same as that at Aviemore but it did the job. There are two possibilities that I know of in 2mm scale: Lochgorm kits do an etched Highland Railway footbridge - you can download their 2mm catalogue here: http://www.lochgormkits.co.uk/html/catalogue.html A bit less prototypical but probably a bit easier to build is the plastic kit from York Modelmaking - details here: http://www.yorkmodelmaking.co.uk/n-scale/detailing-steps-signs/n-scalefootbridge-kit Both are worth considering on the basis that life is too short! Regards. Hello bill and mark thanks for your input. I didn't know about these until now and have spent ages with this ratio kit and have not been very happy with it. So now I have seen these works of art this is going to one side whilst I place an order for something a lot better. I will post the finished item. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted June 13, 2015 Author Share Posted June 13, 2015 Well bill I am very impressed with your recommendation on the longhorn kit of a Highland footbridge. It arrived this morning and I have just started. This has taken an hr to just this point whilst I perfect my soldering. I normally am ok with it but this is my first time on a kit which is rather therapeutic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted June 14, 2015 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 14, 2015 So Thats why the bells were slow! Here was I making a Caley 0-6-0T and you were doing a footbridge, what Scottishness in the middle of the Fens! Looking very nice so far! Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted June 14, 2015 Author Share Posted June 14, 2015 So Thats why the bells were slow! Here was I making a Caley 0-6-0T and you were doing a footbridge, what Scottishness in the middle of the Fens! Looking very nice so far! Andy G Yes matey I was in the middle of soldering lol, oh why couldn't the trains be delayed for one day. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 In terms of information, I would get Neil Sinclair's Highland Main Line, it has a good few photos of Aviemore; as does my father's Highland Miscellany and the two Highland Albums will have some. The shed area was written up in LMS engine sheds; volume (6 I think, the Highland one) including a high quality OS plan of most of the station - a fair no of photos. Look also at the http://www.ambaile.org.uk/site, I think it has drawings of the Aviemore station buildings (which are substantial, as Andy says here will be a fair amount of time invested in making these). If it is not Am Baile, then it might have been http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/. I would also look on the planning register as there was a big refurb of Aviewmore a few years back and as it is a listed building it will have needed planning/listed building consent. The signal box web site (http://www.signalbox.org/) has some photos of the signal cabin and Peter Bond did a model/drawings of the Kyle in Model Rail about 2012 (September/October I think) which may well be similar. Aviemore is close to untouched in respect of its signal cabin, shed, bridges yard crane and station building, so there is plenty to look at there. Some of the signals remain too. I am doing the large water tank at Kyle; it may well be possible to adjust the drawing to do the one at Aviemore if it is similar - see if you can get drawings. I am only talking about the actual tank, but it is a 3d CAD file and I have printed the sides as a rapid prototype for my purposes. I would also join the Highland Railway Society; it is their drawings that are on Am Baile. http://www.hrsoc.org.uk/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted June 20, 2015 Author Share Posted June 20, 2015 Hello Mark Many thanks for the very useful information, I have found loads of photographs doing my research but those plans if the station are a great help. Still trying to find information on the coal? Store of the shed where it's all hedges now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Watson Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 Just a small update here is one of the future working signals for the layout.that I am having done by a very skilled modeller. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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