Waverley West

That's right Bruce, up at the crack of dawn me to get those early morning shots. I'd be interested in anything and everything you have of Waverley/Princes St Gardens from the 80s. Any shots you have looking at The Mound Tunnels from the platforms would be particularly useful though I guess. Also, anything that shows the gubbins (relay boxes and other cabinets, ScotRail sign, etc., etc.) along the wall on the north side of the tracks would be useful too. Thanks again! Cheers, Dave

Thanks Mark and Scottish Modeller. It's kind of what I expected to hear unfortunately. Being plastic, the Hornby footbridges were easy to cut up and combine and I didn't really expect this to be the same. It was just a thought (and a hope) really. Thanks for the feedback though. It really does look a superb kit. Very jealous! Cheers, Dave

Hi Gary, Love the latest pics, especially the pic of the week, fully deserved. Glenuig just oozes West Highland atmosphere. In such a relatively small space, I can't believe just how much atmosphere you have packed into the layout. The colouring, tones and weathering are all just superb. All capped off by the stunning distillery. It would be great to see you and Glenuig at the Workington show! Cheers, Dave

Hi Mark, That looks like a very promising kit and good work so far! I have yet to master kit soldering. Every time I solder one joint, all the other joints just seem to fall apart! What span is it by the way? Does Andy offer larger spans? Or could it be modified to span 4 tracks plus a bit, do you think? I'm thinking of the Princes St Gardens section on Waverley West. I used cut and shut Hornby footbridges (6 kits to produce 2 bridges!), but from the photos, this kit would definitely be a step or two up on the Hornby ones. Cheers, Dave

Too right I do, Peter! Bruce, thanks a million for posting those. I'd love to see any more you may have of Waverley. It's good to see this thread still well and truly alive and kicking. Please keep them coming guys! Cheers, Dave

No, but it does have to be noticed.

Hi Jim and folks, I'm not sure I entirely agree with you there, Jim. Take this shot: With the backscene, it is instantly recognisable to anyone who knows Waverley and its environs. Without it, it could be any large station in the UK. In other words, it needs to be noticed (and recognised) in order to do its job, i.e. set the context or scene. I didn't have space to model Princes St., the Scott Monument or the North Bridge (!), so I let the backscene do it for me. You maybe have more space than me and so may be able to include, say, the first line of buildings behind the station, which will do the job for you. Sorry, guys and gals for continuing this discussion and wandering off thread! Backscenes are a fascinating aspect of layouts I think and a topic being touched on elsewhere in another similar thread. Cheers, Dave

Hi Jim, It may be more difficult to photoshop a background onto a picture than to stick a print to a bit of wood, but I wouldn't call it modelling, which is what RMWeb (and this thread, according to the OP) is all about, isn't it? When we stick a print to a piece of wood, we are improving the layout, i.e. modelling. I'm not sure about your point about photographic backscenes being a copout. They're part of the layout and they are not much different to, say, sticking a photocopied sign or poster onto the layout, or maybe even transfers onto a loco. I take my hat off to people who have the ability to convincingly handpaint a backscene, but I don't see many around which are what I would call sufficiently convincing or subtle. I hope you do go for backscenes on your layout, even if they are just sky ones. I think they had so much depth to a layout when done well. You obviously have a slightly different perspective on the issue from me, not surprisingly really given your job! I'm not suggesting Photoshopping should be banned on this or any other thread, just stating my preference and admiration for modellers who keep it to a minimum. RMWeb is, and hopefully always will be, a broad church. Cheers, Dave

With the availability of realistic photographic sky/scenic backscenes these days, I personally think even photoshopping a sky onto a picture is a bit of a copout (assuming you have a layout with a backscene of course). Just a personal view of course, perhaps coloured by the fact that I'm not very good with Photoshop! I do sympathise with the aim behind the OP, after all we are RMWeb, not PhotoshopWeb. I certainly wouldn't want to see hard and fast rules on this thread as to what's allowed and what's not though. Cheers, Dave

I think it's the quality of the latest DMUs from Bachmann in particular that make you want to run them. I'm having a similar crisis on Waverley West, where my new 150 and 107 are getting far more running time than my locos at the moment. I'm really beginning to question my judgement. What next, Voyagers, 156s, 170s. Surely not? Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, A Howes 108 sound chip with a bass reflex speaker in the Harburn Hobbies/Model Rail 107 DMU... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvvBJxfcd6I A highly recommended combination. I believe SWD have just brought out their new 108 chip, so that will be interesting to hear if anyone has one. Cheers, Dave

Hi Peter, Thanks. You're right about the pipework. It's on the list. This one won't be coupled to other units, as at 3 cars plus another unit it would be too long to fit comfortably in the platforms normally used by DMUs. I can only really have 2 x 2-car DMUs coupled together. Loco-hauled trains get priority in the longer platforms. All my 108s need this detailing really. I remember some of your shots on your layout thread showing your 108 with bufferbeam detailing. Very nice indeed. I have still to go over to wholesale bufferbeam detailing, as I like to keep the flexibility of working couplings, but it really does make a big difference I think. Gradually I think I will introduce more and more of it, as my stock builds up and I can have, say, a large logo 47 for each direction. Cheers for now, Dave

Hi again folks, Just thought I'd post a couple of videos showing the Howes chip/bass reflex speaker combination in the 107. Superb. Please be patient with the first one, it does get going in the end! I just thought I'd show the door slam, whistle and guard's buzzer functions. 107 447 sets off for Glasgow... And returns later in the day... Cheers, Dave

107447 rattles its way through Princes St. Gardens, Edinburgh... Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, Thanks for the feedback. I have now just about finished the MR/Harburn Hobbies 107. It is basically finished except that I spotted a passenger with very obviously severed limbs visible through the carriage window, so I think with prospective passengers in mind it would be best to replace him. Although a little expensive on decoders (one decoder for each trailer car plus the sound decoder), it's worth it, and look no blanked out power car either! Here are some piccies of it... I'm off to ponder my next project. The options are: painting the interiors and putting passengers in my Bachmann Mk2s, putting a bass reflex speaker in 37401, installing my new dummy point motors or painting and installing my new platform lights. Plus about 200 other projects. Well, alright then, maybe 300. Hmmm.... I guess it's better than having no projects in mind at all. Cheers for now, Dave

Carl, there's a separate section on RMWeb for prototype photos, especially what are obviously official CalMac publicity shots. This section is for models only. Please respect forum rules in future.

How can Mrs Claggy say it's not real now, eh? Honestly, what kind of cloud cookoo land does she live in? Anyway, Mike, I'd like to make a booking for the first sailing, please... Cheers, Dave

Hi Jack, That would have been another layout (I didn't start building Waverley West until 2003). I remember an 'N' gauge layout set in Princes St, perhaps that was the one you're thinking of? Waverley West is '00'. Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, This one seemed to go down quite well on my layout thread... Cheers, Dave

Thanks guys! You mean like this... Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, Here as promised are some pics of the 150 showing the PH Designs etch in place. While not in the jim s-w league, it does I hope show the improvement that the etch makes to the power car. One day, I'll get round to replacing the motor. In the meantime, this will do. While inevitably not perfect, it's definitely worthwhile fitting the etchings IMHO. This is the power car showing the side-on seats... And this is a broadside view of the power car... And a close-up... And for comparison this is the dummy car... And another close-up... While I'm here, I thought I'd post a few more pics too. 27105 bathes in the sun at platform 13 awaiting its next duty... And an HST ready to depart... Work on the Strathclyde 107 is now nearing completion. Hope to post some pics of it soon. The Howes sound chip really is good, capturing that "rasp" as the unit pulls away. Cheers for now, Dave

Hi Peter, Love those 47s. Great stuff. And the shot for the pic of the week, just superb. Simple but so effective. Cheers, Dave

Mark, that's brilliant. Many, many thanks. Not entirely convinced by the new livery as yet. It's quite smart but a bit plain, and I liked the Harlequins livery. Cheers for now, Dave

If she was built in 1985, then would she have been on the Port Askaig run in 1986, do you know? That was when I did my geological mapping on Islay around Port Askaig. I used to watch the ferry come and go every day when I was out in the hills. I didn't realise this ferry was/may have been the one I used to watch. If so, Mike, you're going to need some additional home security Carl, thanks to those latest shots, I have now had a full relapse and my date for release back into the community has now been suspended indefinitely. My care officer doesn't believe the scribblings on the walls of my padded cell are my plans for a layout based on Oban. He says how can they be, I don't have the space. Cheers, Dave

That's Port Askaig, with the Paps of Jura behind, isn't it? Dave