Waverley West

Interesting that the original item had a short listing "due to upcoming holiday", yet the seller was still around to relist it. Funny that.

It's looking great, Mark. I like the latest updates, especially the view down the station. The curves look very natural and your attention to detail is as good as ever. Makes me think I rushed Waverley a bit at times! Still there's plenty of detailing to be done. I certainly wouldn't mind coming to photograph Rannoch when it's finished if I'm up near you sometime if the offer's still there! Cheers, Dave Waverley West

I think Clagmeister may be getting a wee bit concerned about all this talk. That ferry's not turned out too badly after all, Carl. Cheers, Dave

Not in the same league? Sorry, Will, but if I had seen the photo above anywhere else other than this thread, I would quite happily have accepted it as a photo of a real place. Lovely. Cheers, Dave Waverley West

Thanks for the feedback, guys. Much appreciated! Mark, like you say, those modifications to the Bachmann Mk 1's really do make a difference. They're a good model to start with and smoothing the roofs off and fitting passengers takes them to another level I think. There was an article in this month's MR about improving RTR coaches and it didn't mention the roof ribs on the Bachmann Mk 1's, which given how easy it is (once you've plucked up the courage and taken the plunge!) and the difference it makes, was an omission I think. Here are some more pics, partly based on ones I posted last time. Just thought I'd tinker with the format to see what I could make of them... I spent last night working on 37043, which has now been weathered and I've made a start on fitting a bass reflex speaker in the fuel tank. This is the first time I've tried installing a bass speaker in the fuel tank, so I'm looking forward to hearing the results. Unfortunately, the speaker I have is too big and I've just ordered some more slimmer ones from DCC Supplies. When I was putting the loco back together after spraying I also found I was missing a bodyside window. Arrrrggghhh!! Oh well, I guess I'll have to try and make a new one. I was actually quite careful with them on this occasion, which makes it all the more frustrating. At least it wasn't a windscreen or side window I guess. Cheers, Dave

Hi Ragtag, I must admit I didn't think too much about camera angles when designing the layout. I just set about trying to recreate the atmosphere of Waverley. I guess I figured that if I managed to recreate the layout and feel of Waverley, the camera angles would follow. The angle of backlighting that I get in the summer is very much luck though, I'm afraid. The layout orientation is more to do with making the most of the layout of the room in terms of space than any foresight on my part to take advantage of natural light. I can't claim to be that farsighted unfortunately! Cheers, Dave

Hi Peter, No, I'm afraid we didn't win. In fact we didn't even finish 4th. We live a little off the beaten track in the village and I think some people may have missed us (people voted for their favourite scarecrow). That's my sour grapes explanation anyway!! We was robbed! This was the winner... This one was my favourite, for obvious reasons. I thought it would win, but it only came joint 3rd... Oh well, there's always next year! Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, It's been a bit quiet on the update front from Waverley West recently. We had a scarecrow competition in our local villages over the weekend and I've been busy over the past two weeks making our entry, which was... Anyway, hopefully I'll have more time for modelling now that's over. Here are some more piccies. First up, a couple of backlit shots taken one stormy winter's morning in 1981... Followed by a couple of broadside views of 37191... and a 108 as it leaves for Kirkcaldy... A view of 55021 as it leaves for Aberdeen... And finally a smooth-roofed Mk 1 BG in the formation of an Aberdeen train... That's all for now. Modelling hasn't been completely forsaken over the past couple of weeks as Large Logo 37043 is now nearing completion. It just needs weathering now and a sound chip fitted. I hope to post some pics of it soon. Cheers for now, Dave

Hi folks, A view of Waverley through The Mound Tunnel early one wintry morning in 1981... Cheers, Dave Waverley West

Hi Peter, Love the latest shots of the 47. The weathering looks just right to me. Spot on. Incidentally, the lights you asked about on Waverley West are Viessmann (Viessman no. 6364). Sorry for the delayed response. I've been a bit busy recently. Cheers for now, Dave

Hi Stu and Jeff, Thanks for your kind comments. Much appreciated. Stu, this is the first layout I've built since I returned to the hobby after a gap of 20 years or so. I built two or three layouts when I was a teenager but they weren't very good to be honest. I don't think there's a lot of skill behind what I do. Most of it is to do with weathering stock and scenery using grimy coloured paints and weathering powders. It always seems to turn "toys" in to reasonably realistic models. Making sure colours are matt and subdued is another key thing I think. I guess I've read a lot of layout and "how-to" articles over the years and gradually decided what methods I liked best, so Waverley West is really the result of that process, i.e. pinching other people's good ideas! A few quick pics while I'm here... First up, a couple of b&w ones, the first one showing my "new" smooth-roofed Mk 1s and Bachmann close couplings... And finally, one of an unusual visitor to Waverley - 45144 - emerging from The Mound tunnel... Work has now moved on to 37043. I am also tempted to fit passengers in my Bachmann Mk 2 rake, as I was pleased with the results on my Mk 1s. I also have the new lights to paint and then they can be installed on the platforms. Cheers for now, Dave

Hi folks, A couple more from me... Cheers, Dave Waverley West

Hi Rick, Nice to drop in again to see progress on Penhayle. As a former long-time resident of Cornwall, it's lovely to see the atmosphere you have created. Re. that shot of the sailboard on the beach - hope you don't think I'm being too picky, but I think if you let go of a sailboard, the sail collapses. I'm no sailboard expert, but it doesn't look right to me. A tiny detail on a lovely atmospheric layout though. Cheers, Dave Waverley West

Lovely shots Doug. George Square is really coming along very nicely now (I still think you should call it Queen St!!). My favourite is the ticket collectors scene. Beautifully posed and so natural. The Sealink coaches are superb too. Keep posting please! Cheers for now, Dave Waverley West

Thanks Rod. Natural lighting does make such a difference to models. Here's another quick one... Cheers, Dave

Thanks Bill/Jon. Bill - that did make me laugh! Just thought I'd post a few pics taken last night while the layout was bathed in sunshine... I have been working away on my Bachmann Mk 1s over the past couple of weeks, reducing the roof ribs and fitting passengers. I think it's a very worthwhile exercise and doesn't take very long. I've nearly finished 13 coaches in two weeks, which for me is intergalactic speed. I also have some new platform lights to install which look much more like the ones at Waverley. These need a little modification to make them look even more like the originals. I've never been happy with the ones I used before but they were the best I could get. I think the new ones will make a big difference to the overall look of the station. After that, it's time for a bit of detailing of the station and Princes St Gardens areas I think, if I can drag myself away from detailing stock, that is. Cheers for now, Dave

Hi again folks, Just thought I'd post a few more pics... First up, a backlit shot of a 27 leaving for Dundee... Next, another closeup of a completed Bachmann Mk 1 with a modified roof and fitted with passengers... Finally, a couple of shots of one of my favourite locos on the layout (as if you hadn't guessed that already)... Hope you like them! Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, An SWD 47... Cheers, Dave Waverley West

Thanks crubba. No need to apologise at all. Feel free to ask any questions you like. Yes, it's 00. I use Peco Code 75 "finescale" 00 track throughout except for most of the two track main line section, which is Peco Code 100 concrete sleepered track. Peco didn't do code 75 concrete sleepered track (or points) at the time the layout was being built but they do know I believe. Cheers, Dave

Interesting to see how you made those pickups, Kevin. One day, I'll get round to fitting lights in my coaches (and DBSOs), so that idea might come in handy. Thanks! More great pics too. Keep them coming, please! Cheers, Dave

Hi folks, Just a quick couple of videos of 47461 (Heljan with SWD sound) leaving Waverley bound for Aberdeen... Cheers Dave

...and a Mk 1 leaves Waverley on a Perth service...

...looks good to me, Chris. The standard on this thread seems to be as high as ever. Keep posting please, folks! Here's one of a busy Waverley Bridge bathed in the early morning sun from me... Cheers, Dave

Thanks guys! As the sun gets higher in the sky, it's backlighting season again on Waverley West, so here are a few shots taken last night... A busy Waverley Bridge... One of my new buses, a Fife Scottish something or other waits to pick up passengers... A Gresley BG waits in platform 11... And finally an "improved" Bachmann Mk 1 SO nearing completion leaves Waverley on a well-loaded Perth service. This one just needs renumbering to a Scottish example now... Cheers for now, Dave

Hi Ragtag, The ScotRail ones are a much-reduced scan of a full-sized one I bought on ebay, done on a computer. The InterCity ones were also scanned and reduced, but this time from a book. If my printer was good enough, you would be able to read them!