03060

Glen Falloch, April 1986 by Curly42,

That solves that one then ! LoL . I admit to knowing virtually nothing about Pelicans other than that they will eat things other than fish whole given half a chance .... and that they make road crossings to earn their living !

I wouldn't have guessed that the last photo was of a Pelican as it's head looks so streamlined from that angle instead of how we usually see them, easy to see how this would help them dive down into the sea. Great photos.

I dare not post this on Rob's WHL v.4 thread ... but sssh .... SPA wagons are on special offer at Rails of Sheffield today !! LoL https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/advent-calendar?_kx=RagLEzNewJJAHtVzB_G6SUCkiK8OgZ0Oss9seivrDq8%3D.RXkVMS&utm_campaign=Advent Calendar Day 14&utm_id=01HHKK4J8BKP7DXZ6KVRDW6ZMS&utm_medium=campaign&utm_source=Klaviyo

For a brief moment @Alcanman I thought that you had also captured in the Ardlui sidings the unique prototype BMA conversion wagon 965077 which was trialled / used on the FW aluminium traffic but on further study of your photo (enlarging it on my tablet) I reckon that it shows x3 SPA wagons as there are 6 'shadows' showing at rail level for the wheels with corresponding axleboxes above them, there should also be a slightly higher black section on the end if it were the prototype wagon. For those interested futher photos of 965077 can be found on both Paul Bartlett's photosite and several photos of it derailed, having runaway at the Alcan FW site, which can be found in Spannerman's Flickr pages. (I'll not post them here as they are 'off topic' to Rob's current theme but thought that the SPAs were worth pointing out as they don't appear in many photos on the WHL.) Regards, Ian.

Thanks for the quick response update James, I literally only opened my delivery 30 mins ago, I didn't think that Royal Mail worked so late but greatfully received. I'm in no rush to westernise my pair of Kerr Stewarts just yet but now realise that I need to order another set of numberplates for 667 anyway. Much obliged, Ian.

It's still amazing me that there was still this amount of undeveloped 'land' available to you on WHL v.4, it always looks pretty full in your photos, down to your carefully selected angles I suspect. Great work in progress photos, Rob, thanks. Regards, Ian.

Not a word that I use very often, Dave, but that looks 'awesome' ! I love that last photo, reminds me of locos long departed going around St. Dunstan's curve between Hammerton St. depot and Bradford Exchange / Interchange. Marvellous, thanks for sharing. Regards, Ian.

Loving the work so far Dave and mightily impressed with the wasp stripes (and your patience) but feel I'd better mention (very quietly) that 08685 is of the later style engine room door type and not the earlier long hinged type that your body is of, you may well be already aware of this in which case tell me to 'bog off' ! (LoL) Just as a slight anecdote regarding chassis for the 08, many years ago I bought a 12mm gauge one in a packet from Alan Docherty at a meeting which I didn't look at again for quite a lot of years having filed it in the future projects draw(s) .... when I did look at it again I found that I had inadvertantley picked up his whole stock of about a dozen or so chassis !! I hasten to say that all bar one were returned to him (rather red faced) at the next available meeting .... I think that he's watched me with a very 'keen' eye ever since !! Best wishes, Ian. (PS - I still haven't gotten around to making that chassis ... Doh !)

I'm oot !

I thought that this looked familiar, this is more or less the same trackplan as is used on Byway MPD built by John Gay and published at least a couple of times, most recently in Hornby Mag Oct '23. In 4mm he's fitted it into 4'6"x 1' and makes for a very nice layout on which to display a collection of locomotives. A much longer initial headshunt is used with a shorter one for access to the shed area. Regards, Ian. (A great fan of Ian Futer's layouts and articles.)

So far this 'bargain' £99 2nd Kerr Stuart Victory and etches (for 666/667) that PI have tempted me with has cost me another £250 .... firstly a book on railways in the Newport area ... a 2nd hand 42xx ... and very shortly a 15xx from my local model shop .... and I've seen 2 others that I'd like ... what's worse is I don't really model in 4mm .... I'm supposed to be building a West Highland layout in N and an S&DJR layout in 3mm !!!! Think I'll be glad when they've all gone ! LoL

This scenic section is looking very interesting ! I hope that you are now enjoying it's development as much as we are, Rob ? Regards, Ian. (PS - Not having a Bachmann 37 myself ... have you tried the body on the other way around or is it 'handed' ?)

Possibly OCAs but my first impression was that they were the lower profiled SPAs, would need to compare a few other photos to confirm one way or the other. I think that wagon 6 may be an OCA.

Hope that you don't mind Ian, a final post from me regarding the 1986 Belgian ferry van as I came across this colour image of the train previously shown as it left Crianlarich, posted as a link in respect to the photographer's request, Don Gatehouse. https://www.flickr.com/photos/lickeybanker/53137581897/in/photolist-2oXzZP8-2ajrA39-PQsoXz-2m2JNUt-9RAZ7e-2gzPgYj-29ty7Cv-jPhYtt-2iuTSEW-Ur4sFg-oMNAsF-2nsh7Qn-qtB9XE-TA6p83-FbGE4N-v88ZEG-rbxurw-2om7y8Q-wq1Kvx-2oPtYGz-f7qfPT-2nRgR2i-QhsfsE-YhV7vk-TZqu4T-q3J6Qx-29uZLr5-vttVV6-2gCPMsX-pMBXBF-2o9oSre-2n2qJRn-S9NhMJ-Px8g3h-Se9FoG-pS19QU-EtXG8T-cLvtiq-28J3vhb-UP9R7N-2ng3MmL-Xt17w6-2brUV9b-2bkSpfG-2o5iZ11-Wpp6xw-aWGpK2-djncij-9FCaVU-2jXjpQc I couldn't find the George Woods photo in any of his Flickr albums I'm afraid. Regards, Ian.

To answer my own dilemma ... I bought now ... will worry about it later !! LoL

The Belgian ferry van is possible in 4mm as seen in the 2nd to last photo on this groups website : https://www.emgauge70s.co.uk/project_vans.html I hope to emulate this in N gauge using a newly available chassis from the N gauge society having decided that it would be easier to scratchbuild the body rather than butcher one of the superb new rtr models. Liking the Cl 37/4 builds but why have you had to exchange the nose ends ? Regards, Ian.

I feel your pain Rob, I already have a Black one but the thought of having a loco with 'the number of the beast' on it is feeling irresistable ... but what do I do with it ?? ?.... Hmmm.

The black numberplate background looks a lot darker than the body sides, which possibly points more towards it being in green livery (he says ... very cautiously !)

... And I thought that this level of 'micro management' was a thing of the computer age ! Regards, Ian.

There is a colour photo by George Woods of this loco and (probably) the first 2 wagons of this June 1986 train passing through Loch Awe in the Short Trains section of Modelling British Railways Diesel Locomotives bookazine which I believe was a 2013 WH Smith's exclusive, edited by Phil Parker. I agree that it is a Belgian Ferry van but have never managed to find out it's purpose, ie was it in commercial service or just being used as a barrier wagon which has been previously discussed in @young37215's WHL v.4 thread without conclusion. It (they, as I've previously posted a picture of 2 of these vans together) seemed to only work through to Oban. Regards, Ian.

Already available from Modelu in ... ahem ... a range of different poses ! (Tee-hee) https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product/31200/

Some great shots there Dave, your layout certainly seems to be springing into life now and has certainly captured the look and feel of the British Oak site without being a direct copy of it. I love the end on view of D2049 approaching the road crossing .... marvellous ! Regards, Ian.

"To chew .... or not to chew, chew ?"

In a similar vein, I've just got this pack from Hobbycraft for £1, they have quite a variety of different packs available all for under £2.50, some more 'dazzling' than others so I went for a slightly more subdued 'glass' look. At approx. 2 and 3mm dia they may or may not still be too big for my N gauge locos, I will have to see but for a quid it seemed silly not to buy them to at least try.