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I have to say that the recent price hikes are certainly making me rethink my future buying policy and I shall definately have to abandon at least 1 out of the 3 'future projects' that I was buying for and sell these items to try to help fund future purchases ..... there is definitely a limit as to what I will go to in regards to what I consider the size/value ratio of N gauge models to be worth....and unfortunately for me we are not far from it now ! Incidentally I am also a 3mm modeller and it was the costs and my situation at the time (mortgage and young family) that partly pushed me in that direction and caused me to sell all of my then N gauge collection.....it is only the dramatic improvement in detailed models that tempted me to start buying N gauge once more.....admittedly I've ended up buying a heck of a lot more than I originally intended to. Regards, Ian.

I should add for the sake of this topic that my Video 125 Steam to Mallaig dvd is also watched on a regular basis !

I've also recently picked up on how much the 'classic pink' WHL ballast fades and weathers whilst (yet again) studying the line searching for ideas on the Southern stretch of the line between Garelochhead and Rannoch snow shed. I've spent several happy hours recently watching and rewatching my 'Drivers Eye View' and 'Heavy Metal' dvd's which were filmed in 1993 and 2001 respectively where the ballast appears distinctively brown for large parts except for patches where newly laid. This has altered my perception of how I intended to model it, there is a photo on the rear cover of the Video 125 'DIV' dvd that illustrates this, I had intended to just use lightened red ballast throughout as I once owned (acquired) an N gauge American layout which I intended to Caledonianise as it used this to good effect throughout. I've added the Channel 5 programme to tonights viewing as I totlly missed it ....along with a new (to me) Telerail dvd that has just arrived today heavily featuring Eastfield Depot in the late 80's. Regards, Ian.

Wasn't 08 525 a York engine IIRC ?

Information at the rear of Nick Meskell's Scottish Class 37s Vol.2 (also like 'RHS' to get hold of apparently) mentions the 06.05 7D10 FW to M/end and gives a detailed timing path which also passes 7Y31 at Tyndrum Upper. These are also reportedly taken from the 1987-88 WTT but I don't know how they fit in with the info already given from young37215. Regards, Ian.

08 938 wore the Westie when in Railfreight grey livery, there is a photo somewhere of it in the Fort William area on the internet that I have viewed recently but which I now can't find !

Still can't believe that 'They' were allowed to build a bypass over what was the most beautiful bay in the World that I've ever seen, still love the walk down the beach ....but it's not what it was, criminal in my opinion !

Have just been looking through David Ratcliffe's Freight Train Formations book and found two references to OWV and UCV wagons either destined for or returning from Corpach. 23/9/80 x16 OWV with x4 UCV mixed in along with 15 other wagons and a brake van on the 7M86 St.Blazey - Carlisle. 23/9/80 x8 OWV with x2 UCV and 27 other wagons and brake heading in the return direction to Severn Tunnel Jnc (including another 10 OWV's heading back from other sites) on the 7V30. Wagon numbers are given. Regards, Ian.

I take it back regarding the oversized Minitrix brake van chimney having looked at the above facebook picture .....well it's either the chimney or an ostrich wearing sunglasses looking over the top !!

I'd thought about posting this earlier but now might be a good time, the following Eastfield passenger loco diagrams are taken from my understanding of the information to be found in 'Loco-Hauled Travel 1985-6' (Metro Publications) and 'Scottish Class 37's' vol's 1 and 2 (Train Crazy.) :- Dia. 37.12: 09.50* GQS - FW 16.05 FW - Mg 18.50 Mg - FW 21.05 FW - Mg Dia. 37.13: 10.05 FW - Mg 12.20 Mg - FW 14.15* FW - GQS Dia. 37.14: 06.50 Mg - FW 08.40 FW - GQS 16.50 so GQS - FW Dia. 37.15: 11.05 sx GQS - Perth 16.50 sx GQS - FW Dia. 37.16: 12.20 GQS - Ob 18.00 Ob - GQS Dia. 37.17: 03.07 Mo Yd - FW (21.00 ex Euston) (Sleeper) 14.05 FW - Mg 15.50 Mg - FW 17.42 FW - GQS (to Euston (sx)) (Sleeper) Dia. 37.19: 08.20 GQS - Ob 13.00 Ob - GQS 18.20 GQS - Ob Dia. 37.20: 08.00 Ob - GQS Dia. 37.23: 10.16 Sun Cowlairs - Ob (08.55 ex Edinburgh* (Summer only)) 15.30 Sun Ob - Cowlairs (to Edinburgh* (Summer only)) Dia. 37.24: 12.25*Sun Ob - GQS 17.20*Sun GQS - Ob Dia. 37.25: 17.50 Sun GQS - FW Dia. 37.26: 17.42 Sun FW - GQS (to Euston) (Sleeper) The Eastfield 1985 loco pool being:- 37 011/2/4/7/8 022/6/7 033/7/9 043 051 081/5 090 108 111/2 124 144/7/8/9 157 171/2/5/8/9 184/8 190/1/2 237 253 265. By Aug 1986 28 of these had moved on with the arrivals of :- 37 401/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9 410/1/2/3 422/3/4/5. So as can be see, for the modeller, whilst there is great loco variety (if you like Class 37's) there's also a good excuse for the same locos turning up repeatedly at your station(s) !! Unfortunately I don't have any info regarding Frieght diagrams, can anybody suggest any printed sources, please ?

Fort William - Mallaig Steam Trains 5407 (LMS Black 5) (B/grey SRb) Mk.1 TSO x3, BSO, TSO x2 SLOA 'West Highlander' FW - Mg - FW 27/5/84 673 'Maude' (NB Black) (B/grey) Mk.1 FO x3, (Pullman) BSO FW - Arisaig - FW 28/5/84 673 'Maude' (NB Black) + 44767 'GS' (B/grey) Mk.1 BSO x2, TSO x3 SLOA 'Glenfinnan Flyer' FW -Mg -FW 1/9/84 ....to be continued !

Thanks for posting this Phil, it gives a great snapshot of some of the workings on the WHL over a period of several days and how some locos appear and reappear across them. Regards, Ian.

Hello Duncan, Have the replacement Brake Van wheelsets made a difference to running please or is it just a personal preference ? Regards, Ian.

Hello Duncan, The two things that stood out for me when I compared my Minitix vans to the Farish ones was the missing solebar brackets and the girth of the roof chimney. I have two 3mm brake van models on the 'to finish' stockroad which also lack these brackets which I think do make a difference to appearance. I may now try and do these and the Minitrix ones altogether. Regarding the 'large' chimney, I wanted to check a few more prototype photos before deciding whether to try and replace them with something finer, I think that the shell vents look Ok but also not too sure about the rainstrips which are too noticeable even at a glance....again, I need to double check against prototype photos. Painting finish is great and will look better once you've picked out the handrails. Good stuff as ever, thanks for sharing. Regards, Ian.

Thanks w124bob, I did wonder about whether people would recognise these as I wrote them last night (the first 3 are copied straight from the Rail Express 'Train Formations Handbook') and had to look up to see exactly what type of wagons came under OWV, as you say they were 10' 5 plank opens from the big 4 companies plus some BR versions, mostly fitted with roller bearings and BR W irons. I did add 'fish' descriptions after IIB vans as whilst I knew the vans in question I didn't know the Tops Code. Most of the others I worked out from photos in Tom Noble's West Highland Mallaig Extension book ....I may not be wholly correct with some of the OBA, OAA, VBA, and VDA identifications due to the distance or angles of the photos but they can be easily edited if I've got them wrong. Regards, Ian.

Fort William - Mallaig Diesel Freight inc Engineers (1980's) 27 111 (BR Blue), UUV x15, CAO C/larich L - Cph 06/80 37 112 (BR Blue + Y ends) VBA, VDA x3, OAA, VDA, OAA x2, VDA, OBA x3 (all Brown) Cph - Cadder Yd 06/81 37 021 (BR Blue) OWV x18 Cadder Yd - Cph 06/81 20 114 (BR Blue), PRA x3 (1 sheeted), OBA (Brown), OCA (Red), OBA (Brown) (all sheeted) Mg Jnc - WT Corpach 8/83 37 188 'Jimmy Shand' (L/L) CCT (Blue, DB 977222), TTV x3 (Grey, pos 56960/1/2), FA99905 exLMS Bke Tourist (diag.2161/lot1506), FA99906 exGWR Bke (ex diag.K44/PP026A), 99903 exLMS TO (lot.1401 diag.PP023A) (all Red/cream) - Fisons W/K train* FW - Mg - FW 31/5/85 37 409 (L/L) + 20 213 (BR Blue), VGA, VBA Mg Jnc - WT Cph 14/7/86 20 048 (BR Blue) VDA (R/g), VDA x2 (Bn), VDA (R/g), VGA x2 (R/s), VDA (R/g), VGA x4 (R/s), VDA (R/g) WT Cph - Mg Jnc (M/end) 4/8/86 37 402 'Oor Wullie' (L/L) FW Bogie Tool Van (Yellow) TNaF - WT Cph 20/5/87 37 425 'SRMcA / C Bob' (L/L) IIB (I/F Fish) x7 Mg - Mg Jnc 23/5/87 37 407 'Loch Long' (L/L) Seacow x2 (Green), Bogie flat (?) (Carrying x2 m/c's) Mg - Mg Jnc 1/7/87 37 401 'MQofS' (IC) (B/grey SRb) BSO x2, TSO FW - Mg - FW 6/9/88 WT Cph Shunter exBR 08 077 (Blue) 5/3/85 (*Fisons Weedkilling Train extra info added after consulting Paul Bartlett's excellent website.)

I wonder if any body can point me in the right direction of a good view of the rear of the original 10 (J23) J50/1 locos, please, with their extended coal rail bunkers as I'm trying to work out the exact shape. I can find several good side views and one reasonable 3/4 view but no end on views; I can't decide whether or not the upper rails are vertical, angled in a 'V' shape or just flared out at the top. I've got several sources, Yeadon's register, Locos Illustrated, RCTS, GN Engine Shed 3 and several general books on railways in the West Riding but still can't find a definitive view, the best one is of 68898 at Osset in Railways Around Wakefield and Pontefract but even from this I can't tell properley....the LH side looks angled, whereas the RH side looks vertical which I'm sure that they will both be the same in reality. T'internet's not given me any better pictures as of yet either and I only have drawing's of J50/2's. Any help greatfully recieved, Thanks, Ian.

As a Yorkshireman I can appreciate that ! I also found a couple of Minitrix ones in a collection that was passed on to me, I was going to just let them go with along with most of the other stuff but will see how you get on, I'll admit that I've spent more than £50 on B/GF ones recently....but you can never have too many brake vans in my opinion. Looking forward to the rebuild. Regards, Ian. (Correction....I've just found them both in my retained boxes....so I must have been reasonably impressed with them.)

Thanks for the reply Peter, I'll give it a go, it was the shiny plastic bit that bothered me. Admittedly the last ones that I fitted I did use superglue and a trackpin but they were a rush job to get me through a two day exhibition and expect them to fall off at some point. The ones I use I've screwed on but don't particularly care for this method, I've also used Super Steel but I think they also fell off after a while. Regards, Ian.

Any particular reason for Minitrix over the GF offerings, Duncan ? Regards, Ian.

Hello Peter, Interested to see that I'm not the only one using the smaller type of OO couplings, I've managed to screw and then pinned most of mine on so far but am I correct in thinking that yours are stuck on with adhesive, if so what type are you using to get a hopefully permanent joint, please ? Regards, Ian.

Aaagh, that explains why I keep seeing photos of Bolsover colliery wagons in trains running on the Somerset & Dorset, ie running through the heart of the Somerset coalfield. Thankyou for that as it's puzzled me for a while. Regards, Ian.

Is the top floor colouring not just due to it being in the sunlight ? The left hand set of windows on the next floor down also look to be the same colour as the top, the rest of the building being in shadow, which is also evident on the building further to the left. Regards, Ian.

Hello Grahame, I'm finding this thread both informative and inspirational, I started following via the fish van thread as I have the West Highland at heart but have continued having seen your buildings being created. I've just started my much desired and long overdue N gauge WHL layout and was intending to only include the railway related buildings and maybe an odd basic cottage....but now having seen your constructions I'm inspired to try and include more, such as a Lochside hotel at least. I have to say that you are a bit of a modelling machine ! Regards, Ian.

Mine arrived this morning from Amberley ....but it would have been cheaper and quicker from Charlie !