SHerr

Yes, I was surprised to find out about the plan to the south of Loch Ness, I'd only ever considered the North side. I'm assuming that the Fort Augustus line became economic to operate once through running was available to Inverness, especially as partly backed by the British Aluminium Company. I was originally thinking of doing something based on Invermoriston - similar plan/idea minus the private siding/line to the smelter. When I read about the the plan to the south side which referenced the 3 foot gauge railway that was built between the pier and the smelter that was the bit of extra operational interest/traffic that I thought was lacking. It makes sense that once the standard gauge railway came along that the smelter railway was converted to standard gauge. I'd just bought a Hattons Barclay 0-4-0 for myself for Christmas before ditching the GNoSR layout so was also desperate to find it a use. The British Aluminium Company at Burtnisland had Barclays and Pecketts running into the early 70's so it all came together quite nicely. As the South side of the loch is quite wooded it also allows for some timber traffic to Corpach - I just need to have a crack at a Timber-P or 4 now!

Thanks for the link, I think I remember seeing something about them but the title including 'Points' and 'Kit' would have put me off reading much more! These do look interesting, no soldering for starters - if I went near a fine scale turnout with a soldering iron it would be history. There's also a Y in the n gauge range so hopeful. Hopefully they will be out soon and I might give one a go.

Thanks, that’s interesting to know although the thought of building points fills me with fear! I’ve never attempted it but just reading threads on here puts me in a cold sweat. I’m presuming your not able/allowed to name the maker? I did research the Marcway points as I think long Y’s in the yard may work better. Now I’ve got something down I can have a play with some long turnouts that will be used on the other layout and see how it all fits. The Bullhead thought has already got me into trouble as whilst looking into availability I accidentally bought a blue class 27 that Rails were selling for under £100!

I’d not really twigged that by putting the double slip in that it would create that situation. I had done it to save space and as a had one from the previous layout. On the Speyside line at Carron the distillery shunter had running rights over a short section of the main line so it’s not completely out of the ordinary. I will be installing a trap point out of the siding so I suppose the private shunter could have access rights to all sidings but not the mains. My plan was that for a train going into the smelter the main line loco would propel the wagons into the exchange line and the Private shunter would then draw them forwards. On the return the Private shunter would run up to the buffers and the main line loco would then draw the train onto the mains before either shunting into a siding or heading back to Inverness. I will have another think. I’ve probably now got room to go back to the original plan it just means buying some turnouts and having a spare double slip.

I've made some good initial progress. The plan above has been modified. The layout sits on one side of the loft with a larger 80's layout on the other. In playing around with track plans for both I came up with a plan that meant i could make both layouts bigger. Approx 15 inches was taken off the 'bigger' layout to allow the 'smaller' layout to become an L shape adding approx 7ft of running. This now meant the smaller layout was bigger than the big one! Further work came up with a revised plan for the 80's layout which I think will make it feel less rammed in. In turn Foyers has moved to the other side of the loft and has gained a longer scenic section for the River and station approach. I have spent a good bit of time tweaking the baseboard frames to allow a decent drop in height to the river I have managed to loose lay some track out and I am pretty happy. The board will also have a lower 6 inch section at the front to allow a road and give some different levels of scenery. Revised plan is below: Inverness is to the right, Fort Augustus/Spean Bridge to the left and Loch Ness is to the top View from Fiddle yard showing branch to Aluminium smelter on the right. Right hand Fiddle yard, can just fit 3 x mk1 and a Full brake although most trains will be less. I will use code 100 track in fiddle yard (mainly as I have loads from old layouts and the code 100 3-ways are great for fiddle yards. 2 views from the River end, I may change the L/H curved point for a straight as the right hand leg gets pulled too far across and narrows the platform.

Thanks that’s brilliant

That looks good, I’m wondering about this kit for my updated layout. Do you have outline dimensions? It’s the one thing missing from the website that would be useful.

This is my 3rd attempt at starting a second layout over the last year, my current attempt Speybridge (GNsR) was just lacking something and I wasn't happy with the feel of it and lack of operational interest and variety of rolling stock. After pondering/researching I came across a website about railways on the south side of Loch Ness. There were a number of plans for railways through Foyers towards to Fort Augustus which really grabbed my interest. My assumption is that after the various legal battles and objections between the North British and Highland Railways that a number of local business' in particular British Aluminium Company who opened their Foyers smelter in the late 1890's, brokered a deal for a Joint Railway to serve the Great Glen and link Inverness and Fort William around the time that the North British took over the Fort Augustus line. The line was built by the North British following the Mallaig extension and allowed Fort William and Foyers Aluminium Smelters to be served jointly. The station follows a similar layout to a typical West Highland and also Fort Augustus line arrangements and also an exchange for the British Aluminium plant. This plant did have a 3 foot gauge railway to the pier and this was linked to the station area and assumed it was converted to standard gauge. Full steam (diesel) ahead to the late 60's and the line still see's good traffic levels with passenger and occasional parcels services, Aluminium traffic both inbound Bauxite in Presflo's and Covhop's and outbound ingots. There is also Timber to Corpach as well as normal regular freight flows of general merchandise, coal, oil etc. Operations are a mix of West Highland and Inverness stock, classes 20, 24/1, 26, 27 and 29 operating services transition liveries mixing Green and Blue areas. The smelter has a Barclay 0-4-0 tank to take wagons from the plant to the exchange sidings. I am hoping to be able to fit more scenery on the plan I've come up with and feel a bit more like the railway is 'in the landscape'. Track plan will be something like the plan below, I was going to use Code 75 but may have a look at Peco Bullhead hence I've tried to keep to long radius points.

The main problem with Ernies pages is that you go to look at something specific and come out 2 hours later with a plan for a different layout that you’d never even considered before.

I’m sure I’ve also seen pictures of that train elsewhere and as mentioned above, thought it was Ernies site. Whilst on there looking for something else I thought I would have a quick look. I couldn’t find that photo, but interestingly there are a couple of pictures of (I presume) BDA’s loaded with timber at Glen Douglas and they are either Bauxite, Rust or a combination of both! Either way a very similar colour to the wagon in question. By the way, loving this thread and the concept of several stations on the route. I’ve played around with the West Highland concept couple of times and decided I would get bored with one station and a couple of sidings - however this idea might have some milage for a future loft layout. Now I just need to keep focussed and build the thing I’ve started rather that changing horses for the 25th time!!

Ah, I'm not sure there's anything that works with a Tablet which I always found frustrating. My reply got me thinking that I might have knocked up a basic sketch of Ballindalloch when trying to plan out my Speyside layout. After a quick trial I had indeed but wasn't quite finished so added a couple of bits. The squares are 1 foot and the plan is based on Peco Streamline. There is a really good photo on the Railscot site of the Goods yard in 1968 which is what I based this on. https://railscot.co.uk/img/26/515/

For basic planning I use ‘Empire Express’, primarily because it’s available for Mac as well as Windows machines. The basic version is a free download and whilst limited to 50 pieces that should be enough for what you need and you can save multiple drawings. It’s probably not the best for fine detail planning but I find it great for first pass playing around with multiple layouts to work through what does and doesn’t fit. It’s incredibly easy to use you just drag and drop from the extensive catalogue (certainly for HO/OO). You can then use other methods for working the detail.

I looked at a number of stations around that area whilst planning my Spey Bridge layout including Ballindalloch. Photos are a bit hard to come by but as said above Ernies site as well as the GNOSR association are good. Also George O’Haras’s book has a lot of shots of the Speyside line. In the 60s most trains on the line were a single coach with the occasional 2 coach train but potentially freight trains a little longer. Ultimately that would dictate your main viewing area. From photos studied I reckon most platforms were probably about 4 coaches long although possibly shorter than a mk1 coach. You could assume that the passing loop has been removed that would save you quite a bit of space taken up by a turnout at each end and clearance for passing and model as a single platform but would still be fairly small as well as giving a challenge to shunting freight services. I am assuming the fiddle yard would be in addition to your 141cm? The problem with Ballindalloch is that the goods yard is beyond the the station where other stations on the line like Cromdale the yard is behind the station so keeps space down. You may be able to get something to work but it would be quite cramped. The ‘what if it was still open in the 80s’ is a great idea and has been the basis of a few of my layouts from the past as you can use some smaller branches but also have licence to have made some 1960s/70s rationalisations. Good luck, I like the idea.

I'm sure the answer to my question is within the 40 pages of this thread. However, as I can't be bothered to read all 40 pages, is there actually a date for the Hornby 2021 announcement?

Peco LK-40 (I think) is worth a look. It’s a printed vacuum formed sheet which at first sight looks quite basic but actually the colours are not bad and with a bit of weathering to tone it down look reasonable- certainly at the back of a layout. I think you can still get them although a quick search tonight I struggled a little to find them, they come in sheets a little under A4 and would need mounting on card but not bad at all for their primitive origins. The ‘straight out of the pack’ item is what’s used on the platform walls below.

Really good to see Farkham back on the scene- it was always one of my favourite layouts. You mentioned at the top a website, could you drop a link in here if possible, I only seem to be able to find the old owners pages (unless I’m getting mixed up). The BOC tanks looks great, I got one but haven’t got round to weathering yet but with other tanks I too have found I prefer powders for the main tank, especially non oil tanks. Good luck with the future mods.

The layout, after much deliberation has a name - Spey Bridge, generic enough to not make the location too specific but capture the area. There is a Speybridge which appears to be a very small village near Grantown on Spey but there are enough 'Spey Bridge's' as in actual bridges to allow scope for more than one place of the same name. Some photo's of the new platform shelter and bridge in place as well as the first name board! an old Modelmaster item with transfers which no longer seem to be available. A bit of cutting of a few locations and hey presto. After taking some photo's I am toying with the idea of moving the station building a little closer to the right and maybe moving the Signal cabin to the other side of the level crossing. Its all just a bit too crowded for photos more than anything else. This is the current arrangement This is with building moved and Signal Cabin relocated. 2 Aberdeen to Elgin services cross each other, one in the hands of Class 26 D5332 and the other Class 24 D5085. The goods yard is fairly empty looking as D8113 has shunted most wagons into the reception sidings and will depart after the passenger service has departed.

Forget that I’ve found it. It didn’t show up but then I filtered on latest and up they came.

Good to see they are expanding and looking to make improvements, I can’t see the Aberdour station on the website, where is it listed?

The same picture is in George O’Hara’s book. In 1968 I presume there is a fair chance that it is a recovery/demolition train? Presumably the loco shed connection may well have gone after passenger services ended in 1964.

Typical! I’ve just finished this butchered from the Longmorn kit! It’s only half relief as will be hard up against the back scene. It’s not on the main website yet but it looks possibly more Great North of Scotland than Highland Railway mainly due to horizontal timbers rather than vertical and may be based on Longmorn. I did suggest through BenAlder that they complemented the existing kits but maybe they were already on with it if it’s out this quick. Anyway I’m happy with what I’ve made but it looks another nice addition.

I’ve now added 80 years of soot and grime to the bridge. I’m not quite sure if the finish is a little too uniform or not but mid to late 60’s should be quite heavily weathered.

The platform waiting shelter is now nearing completion and has been painted. Also the 3d printed bridge has had some progress. Parapets have been completed, the bridge has been sprayed with light grey primer, followed by a slightly thin coat of Railmatch Acrylic concrete (to let a hint of grey show through). I have then washed by brush with an Airbrush mix of Railmatch Frame Dirt which is then wiped off. It still needs a bit more grime/soot etc but fairly happy to date. The only slight thing I’ve noticed is that the last wash coat has brought out the printing lines as it’s stayed in the grooves when I’ve wiped it. looks a lot worse in the close up than real life though.

The platform shelter has had a bit more work with batterns, fascia-awnings and roof completed. It now needs some paint to complete. Shown below in situ. I’ve also started on the main platform and ramp, looking at photos of a few stations on the GNSR patch some seem to have a timber/sleeper enterance or ramp that extends onto the platform and up to the platform edge (Cromdale and Knock definitely have them). I presume they are to get trolleys, trailers or mail etc to the train.

I’m also looking forward to seeing how the Rannoch kit looks. I found the Scottish Cottage ‘thank you’ useful to start on and get to know the kits, filling corners, scribing over filled joints etc before tackling the main purchase. I will hopefully find it a place in the layout.