Portchullin Tatty

And a happy new year to you too! Just plunge in is my advice. Is it a Exactosale/P4 Track turnout or ply and rivet. Whichever, there are a number of threads on here (and the society forum) that show how others have faired with their first ones. All have survived!

If you are after only yellow (or gold) lining then Fox do do this. Lining in yellow - 14 lines, 298mm x 2.5mm Code: FG1841 Scale: ANY They are pretty helpful when you call, so explain what you are after and see if they do it?

I also incorporated the servos into a signal over the break. There are several threads on RMweb that have done this but I wanted to refine these a little by making them semi-permanent fittings. The idea is that a mount is made (the copper clad in this case) that is permanently screwed to the baseboard and incorporates a hole just large enough to pass the servo through (for this servo this is 27 * 14mm) and then the baseplate (which is 28 * 15mm in size)to the signal is secured with some 10BA screws onto the mount. The signal can live on the layout (which means that neither its operation or the scenery around it get disturbed by repeated removal) but, if damage occurs or maintenance is required it can still be removed. This is what is shown below, applied to a MacKenzie & Holland lattice signal, with a couple of shunt arms on it – a replica of one at Kyle that controlled the exit from the shed. The Highland were rather fond of these and they arguably over signalled (which given how frugal they otherwise were is a surprise!). I think that this has worked and is pretty tidy. It will get more complicated with signals that have a number of dolls/arms, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. A quick note about the ladder. Utilising the ladder stringers that need bars inserted into them gives a much better appearance than the flat etched versions – they are really easy to make as you can see.

I think it is: LMS London Midland & Scottish Yellow/Black/Yellow Coach Lining 20 Lengths each 292mm approx Code: FRH4212 Scale: 4mm/00 £11.35 but it just might have been FRH4213 - the website does not give you any clues as to the difference and I seem to have discarded the reference tag! The LMS used yellow/black/yellow for non-corridor and straw/black/straw for corridor (actually there was a red band either side of the black, but this is really tiny so few bother).

Great stuff Pixie, we really must get you back into the light and 4mm modelling................. Or is that heresey? PS, no need to answer the final question...........

Whilst I had lots of modelling plans for the Christmas break, the only one that really got off the ground was to experiment with servos for the operation of turnouts (TOUs) and signals. In this regard, my Christmas has been similar to Firstly, dealing with turnout operation, I have made up a couple of mounts to support both the servo and mount a microswitch that will be used to operate the changing of the crossing polarity. The first prototype shows how it works a little better than the second prototype, as all is visible in the same shot. The second prototype is much neater and smaller though. I plan to work on these a little more to refine them further, in part by producing a baseplate. This will be permanently secured to the underside of the layout and the actual TOU will be bolted to this. I aim to standardise the sizes of these and batch produce them (probably with an etch) so that if I do have a failure, it is a fairly simple matter of swapping over the servo and its TOU even in exhibition environs. I plan to work on these a little more to refine them further, in part by producing a baseplate. This will be permanently secured to the underside of the layout and the actual TOU will be bolted to this. I aim to standardise the sizes of these and batch produce them (probably with an etch) so that if I do have a failure, it is a fairly simple matter of swapping over the servo and its TOU even in exhibition environs. For some time I have moved away from tie bars that are part of the TOU; I had several problems with them including finding that they were sloppy as the heat from the soldering of connections to the switch rails distorted the plastic insulation material that held the support prongs and also because they did not hold the switch tightly against the stock rail. The old trick of a copper clad sleeper always seemed to me to be the most reliable but ugliest solution to this problem – thus I adopted this solution but buried the sleeper in the formation by utilising spacers of square section brass. Hopefully the pictures show how this is put together and the final one shows that the whole of the gubbins can be hidden below paper which in turn receives the ballast on top. I have used these on Portchullin for several years now and the only problem that I have encountered is that I put mine in a routed slot that was not full depth, so I have had an accumulation of gunk get caught below them. Next time, I will route the slot to the full depth so that any dirt that gets through the paper (it has to have small slots for the arms that are soldered to the switches) just falls away.

David, It looks like we were doing some similar things over the Christmas break but adopted some different approaches. I will put a posting up on my workbench thread later (its called a Highland Miscellany and is repeated on the Scalefour Society forum). Not saying my approach is better but it is more "me"!!! And I seem to have b******red my Servoset, so have to buy a lead and try my hand at the PC method!

The two double deck sheep van are now finished (and given how much effort they took, an "at last" is not unwarrated!). Here they are just starting their trip through the paint shop. One will be in HR livery (which is an umber but I think it will have faded lighter) and the other LMS grey. This is explains why there are different number of plated sections on the upper sides - two for the H and R, three for L, M and S. I have also knocked up a couple of timber wagons. In contrast to the sheep vans, these went together in a couple of hours - they being white metall kits from Model Wagon Co. They are also for the paint shop: I will load this with logs. I have used heather stems as logs in the past and will look to do so again. You can probably see the small holes in the side - on the kit this had a cast on O ring that ropes would have been tied too. I have removed these and will insert O rings with cord between them once the load are in.

Whilst I don't think we are certain, there is a strong suspicion that fish was loaded in these fish trucks under turf for insulation. I think as such it is enivitable that they were then covered with a tarpulian sheet as otherwise the turf would get washed away on the average Highland afternoon!! I have a book on the fishing trade at Wick and this very definately went in barrels; that is what I am loading in my fish trucks. When I get them a bit further, look out for them in my "Highland Miscellany" thread here.

This does look good and I think the servo control will be very effective. As someone who is presently waiting for a delivery from the far east on the servo front, thanks for the tip about Giantcod!

A set for me too, presuming that they will be the same for the 21/29 - sorry, the class 22 are a bit to SW for me (by around 700 miles!)

The Yes they do have a floor at mid level. This is fixed, so they can not be used for cattle and as you have seen, the doors are half height being duplicated on each level. I have not put the floor in yet, as I suspend it from hangers to the roof. This enables me to get all them blast*d sheep in the lower deck. I will be doing more on these tomorrow and should get them finished for the paint shop. I'll take a photo that shows this.

Managing to fail to complete the Jones Goods, despite my own advice to myself, I have picked up on some sheep vans. In this case these were designed by David Jones and are very characteristic of the Highland Railway, being two storeys high. I am not aware of any other company in the UK that used them - but I think the Irish may have - just an example of the economics of running a line on a shoestring! These are based on a kit from Peter K, which are still available (or at least the etches are). They do need a lot of work though. Each of the bars has to be inserted individually and then there are multiple layers to build up to form the body, the sliding doors, the runners, the runner wheels, the end ribs and then the ironwork......................... They all then need fettling and tidying up to look smart. I reckon each of these represents around 15 -20 hours to the point that they can be painted, whcih is a little extreme for a wagon. the frets for the sides, where the bars have been inserted but there are still lots of further layers to go on The basic assembly done, with the end ribs on but there are still the wheels for the doors to go yet!

Look forward to seeing it on Friday and Saturday! Enjoy the wine.

It has got to be better than Kelvin Hall in terms of seeing the exhibits? Havign said this, I did quite like the old time feel of Kelvin Hall. It reminded me of Clapham Railway Museum, for those oldies out there that remember that! Thanks, I really must get the damn thing truely finished!! Keep watching this space!

Sorry about the absence of posts on this thread for so long (and to Jonte, who I have not replied to!) Portchullin will be out at Tolworth Showtrain this weekend, so stop by and say hellow if you are passing. Alternatively, if you are in the Portsmouth area in a fortnight it will be at the South Hants Show. Here are a couple of pictures that have not been posted before:

Don't forget about me................ Portchullin Dingwall and Skye Railway, August 1974. The class 24's are near the end of their days, but the 37's are still a decade off. Other than the stock, the layout could be in almost any period for the previous 90 years - indeed, it may yet be at some point back dated to the 1920s. Shown off to its best by some of Mr York's photos: And just to prove it looks better with some crimson lake kettles:

The line to Ullapool was fully surveyed, but did have some fierce gradients (1:37 I think) and having driven the route only a couple of months ago and walked a number of the mountains, I can certainly vouch that it is a bit steep! None of them were built, so let your imagination go!!

I have just seen Waterloo Street set up at Scaleforum, it looks great so looking forward to seeing it going properly. Come along if you want to see it too.

Not sure about that, I think the HR Society would have been abuzz with that if it had happened. I think it is just the hue of the picture. I have never really liked the yellow; the fully lined green was always my favourate for the HR goods engines so I would welcome it. Even better is lined LMS red for the mixed traffic/passenger ones - hence modelling the highland in the 1920's!

Managing to answer my own question, this is what 103 looks like in her new home: So considerably better presented than in Kelvinhall, you can actually see her. Photo with permission from Culture and Sports Glasgow (Museums) as per their Flickr listing. Interestingly, looking at the picture, it indicates that you need to be careful with non-contemporary photographs. I had just had a panic about the smokebox door, smokebox hinges and lamp brackets; all of which are not as I have modelled 17919 (which is ex 106). However, contemporary photogrpahs just consulted and I can breath a sigh of releif..................

I'll do that, I am around for the duration! Looking forward to it; especially as I do not have a layout there this year!

Dirt James, dirt!! Looking forward to seeing this again in a fortnight.

Only a little has been completed to the Big Goods this week; I was a little distracted by Portskerra at Woking (a very atmospheric layout I thought) and also by my trying my hand at some 3D CAD modelling. In this case, I was trying my hand at a Highland Railway water column and here are the present results: There are errors inwhat I have drawn, I think, so it will probably need redoing but i have found that the first one took about seven hours, the redrafting of it about three and I suspect that once I get going it will take less than two! It is Bill Bedford that alerted me to the moderate simplicity of this; although even though I was OK with CAD in 2D, the third dimension does take a lot of getting into. Hence the learning curve. The idea will be to use the model to get a rapid prototype made of this CAD model, and then use this to make resin cast repeats. For those of you that are going to Scaleforum (if not why not!?!?) then I do urge you to look at Bill's stand - he has got some exquisit prototypes on show, including a Kirtly outside framed 0-6-0. I am quite sure that this is one area that the hobby will go down in the coming years.

Thanks Geoff, I have only seen her in Kelvinside myself and there she was rather hemmed in - do you know if it is better at the Riverside Museum? There was a bit of noise about trying to get her going for the HR's 150th (which would be 2015); I am not sure whether it has got traction though as I suspect it would be a big task. It would be grand though wouldn't it? I have not managed to get that much modelling done over the summer (boooh!) and what I have being doing on the Big Goods is mostly underneath and not really very photographic. However, I have knocked up a new backhead, as that which is provided in the kit is not really worthwhile. Not too bad for something that is only 15mm high! The list of outstanding things to do is now getting quite short, so there is a real danger she will be finished soon. Now, wheel balance weights is next............