sharkman

Oh WOW thats magic brings back childhood memories for me...

I thought it was time for an update to layout happening's allthough in this case not much! Signalling the layout has been very easy because of its uncomplicated nature but I thought it would be good if we could include some ground position light signals. So using the excellent CR Signals range I have included 3 x 3 position light signals 2 x red/white and 1 yellow white. We're using the white/yellow version for exit from loop to mainline, one red/white being used for exit from Distillery siding and the second for an exit across the platform crossover to gain access to the refuelling depot. Although tiny face on are extremely bright! All signals are automatic and work with the points. As the switches on my point motors already had their switch option wired into change point polarity I could'nt make use off these to operate the signals so I had no option to use seperate motors again with switches to operate the position lights. I simply "chopped" the long wire of that operates the point and basically used the motor as a relay switch. Wiring in was a bit fiddly as everything had already been wired up but once done has proved worth it. In two cases the CDU has to "bang over" 3 point motors but has shown no problems. The following photos should make things a bit clearer. Yellow/white version for exit from platform loop. Distillery siding Platform crossover. Class 26 shuffles over crossover and exits platform loop.

BARGIN...!!!!!

I must thank Gareth Bayer for spending a hot Saturday afternoon taking the photos that are really excellent and then creating the captions for them and indeed upgrading my mundane text to something amusing to read.

I thought it was time for an update to the latest happening's on Loch Dore and well to be honest very little accept the arrival 26 027 in a nice well weathered condition! OK it did come via a well known auction site but I could'nt resist it specially as its a class lacking on the layout - all it needs is a suitable sound decoder version I had considered Olivias but I'm open to suggestions? 26027 arrives on a single full parcels coach Later it prepares to run round the vehicle via the platform crossover and then to collect the two private owner wagons from the whisky distillery sidings.

I do know this particular seller personally and so I say good luck to him for making such big "bucks" but its up to the individuals who want to pay these prices - are they RMWeb members? Although I'd like to say that on the same evening I struggled to sell 18 Dapol Workmen which I had individually hand painted, to a high standard at least I thought so for a meager 10 quid the lot - Please can I have he's customers look at my sale items?

Thats an impressive station are the canopies Dapol/Airfix? It looks good either way lets hope we see somemore updates of your work. Ian

Some shots of the burn't out brake van residing at the end of the road. Looks more of an over enthusiastic guard on a cold day rather then a spot of vandalsing!! The vehicles from the Parkside range with much carefull cutting to represent the work of flames.

My thread got spread into 3 so I'm adding missing images from the earlier ones to fill the gaps - I hope you like? One of my favourite loco's is the Bachmann 08 who running number was standard Bachmann and so happened to be located to Perth shed for this time - what luck!! Some earlier progress of the layout shots.

A very grubby 47563 prepare's to move the Loch Dore night sleeper on its journey to Edinburgh where it will connect in with the London portion ending up in Kings Cross early the next morning so that everyone arrives refreshed. Here are a couple of shots of the stock comprising of this service, fortunately the first class coach provides a refreshment service, no doub't alcholic! The class 20 has moved the parcel stock to platform 1 where it will form a much later parcels service to Glasgow Queens Street.

Cheers Josh, I had'nt realised Scotland was still such a popular subject - perhaps i should have called it Lochnadore! Ian

Hi Neil, thanks for your comment, 90% of the buildings are Bachmann Scenecraft apart from the low releif cottage which is Wills. My threads on here have got all out of order but if I'm allowed to advertise a more updated version can be seen on the BRBlue forum but I will try and ammend this one.

At last is a micro buffet to work with the passenger services and to form some refreshments for passengers. Its easily done using a Bachmann Mk2 BSO which seem to be remarkably cheap at moment. I also removed one of the seating bays and fitted in a buffet module although I think it was hardly worth it as you really need internal lighting to appreciate it!! It awaits renumbering and Scotrail branding.

I think its fair to say it does'nt always rain in Scotland and the caravan site proves it. Scanterly dressed figures are making the most of what good, hot sunny weather can bring!!! As you may have noticed the camper van has now been moved to the caravan site. Its original area to the left of the distillery now redeveloped with a small cottage. The owners certainly like their garden complete with greenhouse. The two lads seem to be enjoying their spot of football but I'm not sure what the old lady sweeping up may be thinking Another shot of the cottage. Finally a view of the cottage showing its situe.

This parcel train has just arrived at platform 2 but Class 20 192 is also the latest to the stock fleet having just arrived today. It makes a very clean appearance against the first Newspaper van I think this may have to change slightly!

Plan of the layout although not to scale.

Here we see an excellently weathered 37 414 so typical of this Scottish period reversing round the TPO/Newspaper train and forming its continued working to Inverness.

Now with just under 3 weeks to go before the debut show the race is on to get as much completion as I can. The next photos show the platforms with much added details although standing passengers are still to be added. The TPO in platform 1 is the Bachmann/Modelzone version along with a Replica Full parcels BG branded Scotrail a Mk 1 BG Newspaper van is on the other end. Class 47 461 has just brought the Loch Dore portion to a stop of the London/Edinburgh sleeper. Passengers have sometime yet to leave their berth before its removed to the storage roads. By the way some off you may have noticed that the seated passengers seem to be on cushions!! Their actually on white Bluetac, I intend getting the more uptodate station seats from Bachmann when available so have temporaily fixed them to the traditional Peco ones.

Although I originally built this layout to fit into a small workshop I still really hankered to do one as a show exhibit. My previous one which you may have come across was Latelee Town which was retired in 2006 after doing DEMU at Burton on Trent. My rail partner then had moved to Wolverhampton and as I no longer had the facilities to store it so it was decided that I'd sell my share to him and he would return it to he's home. So after nearly 5 years with no layout the opourtunity came along to build a 12'0" x 1'6" design in a new workshop in the back garden. It was to be simple and something that would'nt spend month's stored away and then quickly put up somewhere suitable to do a weeks work and maintenance before a show. Being in contact with the local club I heard that they where going to do a new show so I stupidly said I'd volunteer a layout which gave me about 9 months to build something. Fortunately I had a carpenter/railway modeller friend who did all the boards. Electrics was going to be DC as I had tended to be a DCC "ludite" till I started to fall under the spell of sound. So it was going to be DCC, hardware was the NCE Powercab reason being Gary my ex rail partner had gone that way plus he would volunteer to help out which ment if I got a Powercab as well we would then have two handsets if I was going to do shows. Design was simple a small back fiddle yard leading into a single platform station with loco refuelling facilities at the other end. The main industry is the Wiskey Distillery, all the graphics was supplied by our local model shop manager http://www.modeljunction.com, I never new he had so much interest in wiskey! The period is aroundish 1987, location is the east side of Scotland, and some what off a limb between Edinburgh and Inverness it also men't I could still run large logo 37's and some 47's. Trains are a mixture of two and three coach services, the night sleeper, come on this is Scotland you've got to have one of those. Freight is traffic to distillery, an OTA timber train, BDA's carrying pipe's and other Speedlink services. Most of the building are the excellent Bachmann Scenecraft range because they seem to lend themselves to the location. I also have gone to town on lighting and you can actually work the layout quite affectively in darkness the only thing needed is the coaching stock to be lit. Those floodlight towers by CRsignals are excellent and work on a simple Bachmann trainset controller, 7 tower's in all. I was particularly pleased with the bridge that breaks the layout in two and hides the entrance to the fiddle yard, it carries a disbandoned branch line.

Really nice model but can I be inquisitive and ask what the layout size is?

Brilliant and those Scenecraft building just sit with in the layout superb - dam its knocks spots of my own Scottish interpretation.