Argos

Forgive the mess! hopeful this photo will start to give a feel for the scene. The track bed starts at 6" above the frame top and rises to 7" above (approx 1 in 70 as the real thing) the thin supports will be aligned to the piers which will be built around them. This will allow plenty of space for the ground to fall away toward the viewer. The backscene will be a further 12" above the track bed so hopefully the landscape will dominate. Hopefully this is the view that will be replicated by the modelled scene. So far the layout has cost nothing other than time but I'm going to have purchase a 6'x2' sheet of ply for the backscene soon.

It wouldn't be my first choice of month to visit the West Coast but our holiday was rescheduled from Easter for obvious reasons. Clearly timed to provide fodder for the local insect population who are no doubt ravenous having missed out the normal tourist feasting.

Hi Jim, Whilst I'm no civil engineer I have worked in construction for some 30 years now. The arches need to be supported whilst being built and, as Andy suggests it would be so much easier to make the arch regular with the piers tapered. Imagine have to build a tapered arch support consistently across 12 arches, it would tax even the most skilled joiner. My plan is draw out the front and rear face independently with piers at the rear thick to allow for that longer dimension. Just to make it more awkward the viaduct is on a 1:70 gradient which I am intending to replicate , so there is about a half inch rise along the length of the viaduct. I'm not planning on start the actual structure until after a holiday to the area in August when I can get some detailed photos and dimensions. At present everything is estimated from Google earth and other peoples' photos.

Thanks Jerry, I am increasingly finding that shop bought timber is really poor quality and has a tendency to warp once home even if straight in the shop/yard. Old furniture has always dried out and on the whole straight so provides a better starting point. It's a bit of a problem is you need a lot of certain size though, it doesn't lend itself to multiple standardised module construction. I just don't want anyone thinking my kids lose their bed every time I decide to build a model railway!

A bit more work done today with the track bed cut out. The narrow section are the two viaducts and as can be seen a significant portion to the module is on a bridge. I'll have to give careful consideration as to how I support the track bed for the long viaduct. The two halves are current being glued together along with some risers so hopefully all can get mounted tomorrow.

Fortuitously a trip to the builders merchant is not required. My son has kindly donated his bed frame (we have bought him a replacement, I'm not that cruel.........) This has enabled the frames to knocked together from the "up-cycled" wood. As the board will be mostly scenery I'm intending to leave the framing open and use an expanded polystyrene to build the contours. The track will sit on some 9mm ply about 6 inches above the framework to allow enough drop for the height of the viaduct (44ft according to Railscot so about 3.5") and then a couple of inches for the scenery to slope toward the front of the layout. The ground will rise steeply behind with no sky visible on the back scene. Creag na h-loliare the hill behind the viaduct tops out at just under 2,000' and the line is at about 750'. No sky is visible in any photos of trains crossing the viaduct when viewed from the side. I have widened the boards out another 3" to 1' 6" to give a bit more depth, none the less space behind the viaduct is cramped so the ground will need to be steeper than reality. The AnyRail plan has been printed out ready to cut the ply sub-road for the track. A task for the weekend ahead. I'm looking forward to getting this up and running as I hope it will give me the spur to get some of the stock I want built. Without some where to run them I was have difficulty getting the enthusiasm to attack the carriages required to replicate a days working on the C&O.

Hi Tricky, I find those PCB drill bits very brittle and snap at the slightest provocation, this effect is exacerbated by the fact are aggressively fluted so tend to "grab" and pull the bit into the hole. I do use them in hand drill though. Proxxon make some nice shanked drill bits that retail at less than £4 for a box of three (same size) but not all diameters are available, Tamiya also market some down to 0.2mm diameter although these are more expensive for single bits.

Ah! thanks I misunderstood and thought you were using some exotic tool!

Hi Tim, forgive my ignorance, what's a TC trimmer? Thanks Angus

Hi itsthegman. Dapol wheels can be turned to 2mm finescale standards and the Association offers a wheel turning service for members. If you have a lathe you turn the wheels down yourself, I should point out I've never done this but the people on here who have. Some details here (midway down the page), it is for Farish wheels but the approach is the same:-

Thanks Pete, That seems to be the consensus of opinion, although I can't disguise the fiddle exits without some unprototypical trees planted at the front of the layout. Still, I suppose compromises have to made!

Signalling plan for Oban goods junction here: http://www.oban-line.info/obj1/obj1.html

Some pictures here:- You need to go to page 2 & 3 for the pictures around Oban.

As well as the etched carriage I've now also invested in a 3d print of the charismatic MGWR brake 3rd After a few hours smoothing I was left with this, with which I am sufficiently happy to carry one building a chassis. Taking a brake from stock building I had a play around with the backscene for the layout today. The original intention was the layout would be viewed from the rear of the station with the station building, goods shed and signal box all acting as view blockers for the fiddle yard exits. This works (apologies for the poor photos the sun was coming in the window behind) This has the disadvantage of not being able to see the wheels of any stock as the platforms prevent this. Up to now I have been presenting the layout in the more traditional front view. Obviously here there is no view blocker for the fiddle yard exits from the mainline, there is also a bank in front of the station that might look a bit odd in this view. Still not convinced which is better though, any opinions out there? The mock up of the station building is scaled from various photos, it looks way too tall but I've double checked the measurements, if the is an error it is only a mm or so. I'll need to draw on the windows and dividing line between the stone lower and rendered upper floor to see if breaking up the surface change the appearance.

I thought it was getting a bit nippy down here.....

Those washout plugs look great Ian (not to say the rest doesn't!)

Superb Mike, really inspirational stuff!

The start on the module will be slightly delayed, the wood salvaged from the bed had obviously been stored in the shed too long and had warped. All longitudinals were warped in the same direction, so I didn't notice at first, it was only when I turned them back to back the bend became apparent. I sooner start out with straight wood so a trip the builder's merchant is required once I can get there. The bed will become firewood.

Indeed Jim, the viaduct section appears to be on a radius of around 650' and on a 1 in 70 gradient, any engine would be working hard in spectacular scenery. What more could one want? I've been following the Strathyre conversation over on the CRA forum although out of all the C&O station Strathyre is the one I like the least. Not sure why.

For those unfamiliar with the line here is the scene I am trying to capture as taken from the A85 the runs along side the other side of the valley (it is a cropped Streetview image from Google Earth). I've slightly compressed the scene in the planned model as fit the smaller bridge in a 6' length I need to reduce the distance between the two bridges. The main viaduct is just over 450' long so 900mm (3') in 2mm scale. I've not a lot of room behind the viaduct to model that land and given the size of the mountain behind (it continues above the viaduct for around another 1,000' or 2m in 2mmscale!) a skyline would be inappropriate. I'm guessing some kind of 3d backscene will be required to generate the feeling of scale and wilderness.

Given it was 18 months ago when I said this and haven't as yet started I may be accused of being a little on the optimistic side..... The layout as drawn won't be built as it doesn't really work in the location I had planned. I am struggling to find the motivation to model some of the stock required as it would look a bit out of place on Glencruitten. Stripping out the Glen Ogle section should give a simple build (no pointwork) that would act as a nice display to frame trains of different eras. It will run parade fashion with a traverser at either end. I can also run N gauge stock awaiting conversion. The current plan is a 6' module shown below The lengths relate to the two bridges in the section. Eventually I can build extensions out to include Killin Junction, the ultimate aim to have several scenes from the route with station scenes interspersed equally with open running sections. The C&O route gives plenty of opportunity for this and in many respects the open running section of the route are more well known than the stations. The impetus to get started was the dismantling of a bed that my daughter had stored in our shed, she no longer wants it (after letting us store it for several years....) however the frame will be upcycled (who needs a bed? ) into a baseboard for this module. Lockdown permitting we've a holiday planned upto the region in August when I can take some detailed photos and measurements of the bridges. In the meantime getting the baseboards built, track and basic scenery down should fill time in between working on my Irish module for the DJLC.

Hi Jim, the carriage looks great, what is your source of Havok ventilators? Etched Pixels has them on his website but they have been out of stock for ages. Thanks Angus

Hi Dseagull, That is the same soldering iron I have and it has served me well for the past couple of years. I set the temperature dial to about 325, this seems to work best.

Thanks for the suggestions, I quite like Richbrummet's idea and will give it a go, assuming I can find the address labels we've had hanging around for years that now seem to have disappeared! Actually that isn't so daft, they were heavily rebuilt in later GSR and CIE days, however the panelling was changed so I don't think I could get away with that!

The MGWR meat van is now (nearly) finished. I've used the Associations new 3D printed combined axle boxes and springs, the LMS versions being a good representation of those used by the MGWR. They need careful cutting off the print support but are very effective. I did have to drill out the hole in the back a bit to fit over the axle bearing. I said "nearly finished" at the start because something had been bugging em about the van all the way through the build. I now realise what it is. The planks in the side panels have not been etched. Investigation reveals this is a fault of the etcher as the planks are on the art work. Still too late now! It's funny how you sometimes miss the blindingly obvious! As I see it I now have four options:- Ignore the error (not something I could live with) Pen in the planks after painting (not sure I could make a good job of that and make it look effective) Scribe the planks in the brass on the van (that might have worked with the etch in the flat before I started, but now it's built I think I would be more likely to bend the etched sides) Adding the planks in 5 thou plasticard is the favourite unless anyone has another suggestion? I've also started on a Worsley works six wheeled GS&WR coach. The basic work is done and the cleminson chassis builds up nicely.The supplied roof is too small though (not wide enough), a problem I've also had with some 7mm kits. It's easy enough to make a new one though.