SHerr

Looks good, I’ve noticed a few piccies lately with Dewsbury Midland as a backdrop. A layout topic maybe good, it’s one of the best layouts out there with limited photos in one place and I’m sure would be popular.

Following my questions above about removing weathering etc, I managed to get a great price on 27001 on ‘the auction site’. The numbers came off quite easily with light scratching (mainly finger nail) and didn’t require any sharpie pens etc and no paintwork damage. I assume Heljan have changed the printing techniques or similar as this was never possible on older locos. The weathering also came off fairly easily with enamel thinner on a cotton bud and I removed some of the very thick grime off the body sides as well - one photo below is half done so you can see the difference. You actually get quite a good streaking effect and much better than the heavy handed Heljan weathered finish. Quick renumbered with Railtec transfers and it’s looking good.

That’s clay hoods not Pipes! Sorry wasn’t clear.

Precision Decals and Transfers do them. Glossy card that you glue into shape. Bought some recently but not made them up yet.

I have played around with the track layout a little more at Lochend and created a headhunt for the Grain sidings, this brings the siding forwards a little more and also hopefully adds some shunting interest. Also I have now added some glazing to Foyers station using Deluxe materials Glue n Glaze. It worked really well on the small windows, however I struggled initially on the larger ones as I couldn't draw the liquid across the openings so I ended up glueing acetate sheet on the inside and then filled over that with the liquid to give more depth. From some angles it looks a bit un-uniform across the window but elsewhere looks quite good and at least doesn't look like something that has been stuck on the inside. Finally a new recruit for the 80's layout in Heljan 26027 with partial snowploughs fitted. I used Bachmann ones and cut at the attachment to the central plough, then glued them to the bogie frame. This means at least I can still have Couplings and ploughs. Why has no manufacturer ever developed snowploughs that also allow NEM couplings as 90% of modellers would use. Bachmann did it on the original 37's but then changed. Still needs some decent highland grime!

A bit of progress on the Foyers station building, this has taken some time to complete the painting and has in places been tedious. I wasn’t particularly happy with the painting on one side but viewed a few days later and after some localised touch ups I feel a little happier. As normal close ups are a little cruel but I’m fairly happy. I have also ordered some Deluxe Materials Glue n Glaze for the Windows and have a test piece lined up first. Also I have also done a small test piece for the roof slates using Scale Model Scenery weathered printed slates. I was a little concerned they would appear too big but again I’m fairly happy.

I notice that as well as Rogart Signal box that the PopUp website is also showing Rannoch Signal Box. I’ve been wondering how to approach a West Highland box so my wishes have been answered and will be ordering shortly.

The trains would run round in the station, the end of the loop is off scene - there is a short narrow section of board where the hatch for the loft is which gives some room before the fiddle yard starts, certainly enough for a loco. Inverness is beyond 'Muir/Lochend' so the grain train would approach from this way, run past and propel into the sidings. Some photo's after a play with some track tonight.

Thanks, I know what you mean about seeming ‘the right way round’. It will be a dead end fiddle yard at each end due to water tank in the loft. In theory I can get a continuous loop but wouldn’t be able to get to the sidings. The only thought with the other option was I could have sidings off scene but I think it may well be better the Muir of Ord way. Plus I do have the Walters Cornerstone large Grain elevator which is quite impressive.

I've not had much to post for a while over the summer, mainly as other things take precedence and also its a bit warm in the loft. However I have been doing a lot of planning that has ended up in a bit of an unexpected turn. I always intended that the other half of the loft would host a development of my previous 1980's Norfolk based layout. After much playing around with different plans I was struggling to get the right balance with everything feeling too crammed in, limited operations and trains that were too short. In parallel I have enjoyed following West Highland Line V4 and Forsinard topics on here, both of which feature more than one station and good lengths of scenic running. I started to think about the option of expanding Foyers to the full size of the loft but also having a 1980's option alongside the late 60's option to satisfy the 80's interest. The additional station will likely be a little more make believe, I am assuming that the line differs from the proposed but never built line which was I believe was planned to enter Inverness from the South (although I'm not fully clear on those parts of the plan). I have instead assumed the line will cross the Caledonian Canal at Lochend/Dochgarroch and then head north to connect with the Dingwall line somewhere near Clachnaharry. I am assuming a station at Lochend or Dochgarroch where following the railway a small town developed on the shores of Loch Ness, and even included a Distillery that was rail served. For a bit of architectural interest I am also assuming that the Highland Railway built the Inverness to Lochend section under the joint railway arrangement so this station will have more of a HR feel. The small goods yard and Distillery will allow a bit more operational interest. I have developed 2 plans at present, one based around a fairly typical HR arrangement drawing on bits of Dingwall, Lairg, Tain which will have a headhunt into the Distillery which is off the scenic section and the other one with more of a Muir of Ord feel with large grain elevators. (maybe even a future excuse to run a class 40!) I am still playing around with the 2 options loose laying tracks to try and get a feel for size and space. The 2 plans are below: Based around Muir of Ord Based around Tain/standard HR

There’s a thread on here somewhere - basically take a Sharpie of the nearest colour to the body colour below the number and gently keep colouring over the numbers. Then use acrylic thinner on a cotton bud and rub gently, that lifts the number and pen colour. Don’t rub too hard or it can still go through. It worked on a couple of 47’s including nameplates, leaves a bit of a shine but doesn’t seem to go straight through to the base plastic like white spirits alone. works for other males as well but some of those are less stubborn.

I have a couple of questions re the weathered green fye model (27001) if anyone can help please. These seem to share the same dodgy front end weathering with large streaks etc of some class 25’s, is it possible to remove/tone down with thinners or similar? The sides seem ok but fronts don’t look up to scratch. Also, I would want it re-numbering to one of the pre-tops numbered locos that carried fye. I’ve (a long time ago) struggled to remove Heljan numbers but had success using the Sharpie pen method more recently on a class 47. Has anyone renumbered a weathered Heljan loco and does it remove the weathering as well? (or more to the point can it be blended back in?) Many Thanks

Timber P in OO gauge please!! I'd buy at least half a dozen.

Just scrolling through and remembered these additional announcements, there’s nothing on the Rail Exclusive website, is there any way to order these yet?

Was about to say the same!

So we just need Revolution to do some Grainflow Polybulk’s then!! (And some Malt Distillers ones while they are it).

Thanks, I have noticed through looking more closely at some of Paul Bartlett’s photos that wagon 6315 which is one of the ‘late’ wagons is shown looking identical to the Photos dated 1984 and some possibly black frames from 1983. I’m wondering if early conversions were the different colour - the number series seems to work with that thought. Anyway, I’m going to order a couple - the photos give enough confidence.

I have a quick question if anyone can help please. Kernow have the late versions left in stock but not the early. What years are the transition? And is it effectively just black vs grey sole bars and some minor transfer locations that are the difference or something more notable? A similar question seems to have been asked re livery but I can’t easily find a definitive response. Many Thanks

Thanks all for the various replies and some goods links to pages I don’t think I’ve seen before from Rivercider. I think it’s been a case of a few subtle extra words into Google over what I’ve searched before.

Out of interest, does anyone have any photos of the unloading depots/sheds from the 80s? I’m sure I’ve seen some in the past but can’t really find much online and am modelling a small/medium unloading facility. Many Thanks

Hi there, in simple term no! I looked for different materials but couldn’t find anything- that said yours looks good. There also appear to be some stations that were rendered and the assumption is that this line was built around the same time as the Mallaig extension where pebbledash was used. I used some photos of the old upper platform building at Craigendoran as a reference being a smaller building of the standard WH chalet and that certainly looks to be rendered. I have used a textured plastic sheet that is actually for report covers etc but gives enough surface to give a texture.

As mentioned above all has been quiet for a few months, but I realised that I hadn’t posted any photos of the semi complete painted station. A long way to go but getting the idea. I thought glueing the timber framing was tedious, the painting is worse! Colours took a bit of finding against reference material but I have gone for Humbrol 29 for the brown and Humbrol 41 for the cream which looks ok against photos, half of the problems is most 60s photos are either poor quality colour or the paint looks faded.

Thanks for the comments. I’ve not done much over the summer months but had been wondering about the Windows. I will probably have a try at ‘clear glaze’ liquid. As I’ve got the off cuts of the shortened building I can have a go on a test piece first as I have never used the stuff.

Without trying to be negative, the blue version is disappointing as it repeats Bachmann’s insistence on continuing to produce blue, steam heat, no intensity headlights that have been done before vs later 80s models with intensity headlights (with or without eth) that I suspect would sell better. Also do we really need a ‘novelty’ livery in the first batch? Interestingly, no 47/7 and there is one in the undecorated samples yesterday so maybe some more to come? Final thought, what’s the score with the old version where I believe there’s a large batch due imminently? Are these still happening?

Brill, thanks for that. I think the finish (not gloss) as much as anything helps the SLW model. It also looks better around the front cowling gaps etc but a good effort by Bachmann.