Neil90

Success, well with one point so far. I'll scale it up tomorrow when I have time. I have seen that sheet before and for some reason I couldn't make head nor tail of it.

Thank you. I may be back tomorrow if I run into further electrical problems!

I'll have a beer to celebrate.

Hello, after a few years away from the hobby-

Despite my best efforts to understand what other advice has been offered on this forum, I am having problems with my Cobalt IP analogue point motors. I have wired it and I am not getting a tap of a response out of the motor. I've tried it in various configurations and still nothing.

I am powering the motors by a 12v supply/wall plug and using DC control for the points. I have a DPDT switch.

These same parts worked three years ago reliably and they've been stored in dry/mild conditions.

Looking at the switch side, what wire needs to go in which port?

Where does the switch fit into the wiring?

Thank you.

In terms of BCC PCAs - all the 80s photos i have seen were short rakes of plain grey depressed centre PCAs heading up Highland Mainline. AFAIK these were a Millerhill to INverness service and the formation normally included a handful of plain grey PCAs, some containerised coal, TTAs with fuels, TTAs with LPG. The exact mix varied with time. Later (beyond your period) we started getting block trains of cement on a less frequent basis and this is when i have seen more examples of the straight backed cement PCAs heading up north mixed in with depressed centre ones as a full rake of 20 or so wagons. Based on this i would say the Bach PCA is only really suitable for later block trains beyond your period and the Hornby / Lima / Dapol depressed centre PCA in plain grey livery is more suitable for your proposal (note that the BCC liveried depressed centre PCA that Hornby make is a fictional livery). Sadly the rest of that service is not easy to model with containerised coal and LPG wagons not yet available...

 

I wonder in some of your photos whether you are looking at Alcan PCA rakes which do look similar to Bachs wagon - these only ran on WHL to Fort William and, whilst body is similar to the Bach model, the chassis is different (different suspension type).

 

If you don't already have them then can strongly recommend "Scotland East and North" book (I think Roger Siviter) and also there are several amazing books showing WJV Anderson's work - both contain some inspiring shots of your period in these locations.

I had a further look and I have found a picture of straight back PCAs from 1991 but it is Fort William - Blythe. And the 37s are in sector livery! I think I will settle for the compromise as it's a shunting layout and variety is important to me, even if things don't tie together perfectly.

I have found a photo of a straight back PCA stating they were built in 1987-88 so one <I> might </I> have made it into my area/era I suppose - unless someone can tell me I'm wrong.

Thanks re the books, I will look into that.

That's great, managed to find what I am looking for. Thanks for all your input, everyone.

I am modelling in OO, yes. I've had a look at the Cambrian models there, some good stuff. I've never built rolling stock before but I'll be giving a wagon or two a go.

I've learnt what I hoped to, I'd finally like to know if the Blue Circle Cement liveried PCA is relevant to my plans?

Thanks again, I see Cargo Waggons are for release in the future but have also been promised previously so I'll have to look into it more.

Would freight from Blue Circle Cement in Inverness be appropriate (in Scotland, even if not the areas I've listed specifically)? I have found photographs of the depressed centre PCAs, I see Bachmann do a PCA non-depressed in Blue Circle livery but it all seems to be later photographs, despite being listed as sectorisation period on the various websites, could anyone shed any light? Or what would the non-depressed PCAs be carrying?

That's great, thanks. Were HEA hoppers a feature at the time? I've not found much evidence of it... If so, what was the cargo?

37410 was an Eastfield based locomotive working mainly on the west highland line. Freight services from the 1980's has already been covered at length in the thread below which answers many of your questions

 

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/92785-west-highland-line-freight/

I had a read through that and it is useful, thanks, though a few of the links don't work any more. Can you shed any light on the livery questions?

Going up to Elgin, Aberdeen & Inverness saw other traffics:

Yes to cement in PCAs

China Clay slurry (bogie PDA tankers and smaller barrel TTA)

Coal in containers (30ft Russell and 20ft ex-Cawoods)

Containers on FFA/FGA

Grain in 4 axle and bogie covered hoppers

Timber logs (OTA,OBA and BDA)

Whiskey in unique containerised tanks

LPG tanks

Thank you, are the PCAs of the flat top or vee shaped variety, or a mixture? I've never noticed the vee type in photographs. I'm talking about the 2 axle versions in case there are different.

As above, the loco and location do not quite match

Do you have a layout already? (which gauge)

If so, is it based on a real location or quite flexible?

Do you plan on renumbering your 37410 model? (for example to match an Inverness based 37/4)

I will renumber it in time to something more suitable. I have a OO guage shunting layout. It's not based on a real location, but I'd like to feature the previously mentioned locations, so I could renumber 37410.

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Bachmann do several TTAs in different grey liveries, can anyone comment if they'd be appropriate to the area? They are Total, Esso, BP and there are many others available through auctions.

Hello,

I'd like to know about freight in the Scottish highlands/far north from 1985, until about 1990.

I have a model of 37410 in large logo blue and I'm looking wagons to match.

TTA's seem to be the most common. What livery were they carrying at the time? From my research, it seems to be grey with a small BP sticker.

Were there other liveries?

Did the green BP livery exist at that time or is this a more recent one?

OBAs - I see photos of them in bauxite and Rail Freight red/grey so think that's covered.

HEAs - would Rail Freight red/grey have been making an appearance by this stage or is bauxite more appropriate?

PCA's for powder/cement- were these used? It's hard to tell the difference in a photograph to a TTA!

And VEA's - I'll have to try the kit.

Can anyone suggest anything else, and in particular RTR models that are suitable?

Thank you