Portchullin Tatty

Whilst it is your layout (etc), I do think that us modellers put too much in most of our layouts - mine is probably more open than most and yet I actually think it is a bit cluttered. So my vote is no. A puffer would have tended to use its own derick, they tended to have them because cranes were not common out in the west (or east!). I did not realise that Langleys produced the puffer in 7mm, it must be a bit of a beast as it is not a small model in 4mm! I have a few photos of the couple puffers still out there (PM me if you wish for them) and you might like to find these sites http://www.vic56.co.uk/, http://vic96.co.uk/galleryviews, http://www.inveraray...clydepuffers01/. They lead to plenty of other sites on puffers.

Scartchbuilt in plasticard throughout; although Lochgorm Models do do etches for the windows if you wish to use these (which the maker - it is not me - did not in this case). I think that Nottingham in March 2010 may have a very scottish taste, so those of you like your layouts from north of the border may wish to diarise it......................... Hugh, can I enquire as to the source of the backscene?

Neat layout Hugh and this does capture the flavour of the old Highland section. Well done! I have just plonked this one on my thread (so forgive the repeat).................... I also thought the conversion in the month's Railway Modeller to create Glenfinnin's box was rather good.

Paul, I regret to say that you are indeed quite a long way off. I am not wishing to discourage show invites from Stateside, but I sense the expenses might be viewed as a bit eyewatering..........!!!! JD, a couple more photo's for you. Firstly of the east box, an excellant model made for me by Peter Bond (thanks Peter!): And then a couple of my favoriate views of the layout, looking like a Highland station generally does - empty waiting for a train!

To continue the saga from the old RMweb, the next outing was at Uckfield and by this time much of the layout was beginning to look finished (ish) And some of the more junior members of the operating crew seemed to have a good time (by standing on a very high box!)

Excellant stuff Gary, as others have said you have captured the west highland wonderfully; Can you talk us through the forming and printing of the backscene (once you have sorted out the glossing and ripples!). It is a weakness on my layout and I do want to do something about it.

A couple of AJ couplings to attach and then we will be packing for the journey to Epsom. And, Portchullin makes the national press............... http://www.building....ode=3162190&c=1 . I think I was supposed to be selling what a great company I work for (etc etc) and how all our cleints should instruct us on more work. Oh well!

I can only quote for certain for the Highland, but I would be surprised if there was much in the way of a difference over in the east. Precious little changed between the late pregrouping era and the early 70's! The big changes in these remoter areas came about when layouts got themselves fully signalled and then when the BR rationalisation came - which tended not to be until the late 70's for the Highland lines, possibly a bit sooner to the GNSR. My layout has yet to be back dated, but it is intended that it will and this is what I think is needed to do so: change the signals to the pregroup ones repaint/replace all wooden buildings and other things that had a "livery" change all signage, back to the originals make the layout environs a bit less scruffy replace anything like people/vehicles etc that have a date to them And of course, come up with all the stock! I suspect if you look at photos of the two eras, you will come up with a similar conclusion. My layout thread has a number of 1970's pictures and also some 1920's one - it takes a very educated eye to spot the inconsistances (I hope!).

I had intended to complete the update of the "old RMWeb" thread but have had an extended sojurn across the continent unexpected thrust upon me. It did allow me to relive a few Interail memories though - not least how the French railwaymen do like a strike!!! Rather than update the story at the moment, can I let you know that Portchullin will be at the Epsom show this weekend. There will have been a few bits added to it, but less than I had hoped - but we should have all noisy Sulzers as they do sound good when they tick over. Details of the Epsom show are at http://www.trainweb..../exhibition.htm. I do recommend the show, it is one of the best in the SE and this year looks good even if I say so myself! At least one other RMWeb regular Wheal Elizabeth is going to be there (http://www.rmweb.co...._1entry116700) - I am particularly keen to see this again as I only saw it at Scaleforum in passing as I was rather busy myself. Johnstown Road ( http://www.barrowmor...DSC_0311800.jpg) and Horton Regis (http://www.trainweb....HortonRegis.htm) also catch my eye. So not yet able to do the Highland stock for some time yet: But plenty of dirty diesels will be on hand: Stop by and say hello!

Nice layout 45157, good to see some more interesting prototypes than the norm turning up and this looks to be the bigginings of a great layout! You did not mention what era it is, but your tag suggests post 1948? I would not get hung up about the absence of intimate detail about turnouts - prior to standardisation in the grouping era I sense that there was an awful lot of leeway from one day to the next. If your turnouts are in the yard, they are also likely to have been relaid at least once in their life, so it will have got shaken about somewhat. My father and I did some research on interlaced points on the further north line in the early 80's and found that the timber spacing of the interlacing very different from one to the other.

Is Jerusalem Works to get to see any red ones? All you need to do is move the era to the first 6-8 years of the LMS and you can get lots as they painted most passenger/mixed traffic loco's in red. The Highland section, having had unlined olive green for 15+ years took too it big time so even titchy unclassified (effectively 0P locos's) were decked out in lined red. Must have had something to do with the person who was paying for it being a very long way away down in Euston!

By May 2009, the layout had moved on a bit and had its second outing, at Leytonstone: Now that the "photo situation" has been sorted out; here are some photos of Portchullin taken at Leytonstone. Lets start with my favourite, a picture of a class 26 (Heljan) with a rather nice weathering job courtesy of Craig Asquith. I really like this picture although there are a couple of things that jar - its amazing how you do not see things until you sit down with a photograph. The loco had had a wiper knocked off and I had forgotten to paint the open headcodes (doah!). The sun catches on the windscreen as 26 046 pulls away with the morning Inverness trainPICT0121compress.JPG (26.41 KiB) Viewed 732 timesThe next shot was taken a short while later as the train moves out of the station past the down home. 26 046 again, passing the the down home and that "other" signalPICT0123compress.JPG (37.71 KiB) Viewed 731 times Finally for now, is a progress shot of the west side of the layout. You will see in earlier pictures the rockfaces were pretty lifeless and the "growies" were contained to only a limited area. Both of these have been developed but are still work in progress. Looking across the station from the west endPICT0133overall compress.JPG (35.29 KiB) Viewed 730 times

And if anyone wishes to see a real Superheated Goods in action, try this wonderful film clip: http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=0155 The film can be bought from the Scottish Screen Archive if you wish.

Whilst to many the burble of a sulzer is what you associate the most with the line to Skye, it was not always so and the further you go back, the more interesting the locomotive power................ Whilst the concept of the layout is firmly in placed in 1974, my first choice modelling era is the 1920's. The combination of the pre-group liveries mixed in with crimson lake, the victorian and edwardian engines does it for me! However, with the exception of the stock, the paint schemes on the timber buildings and the signals, absolutely nothing is different on a station out in the highlands between the 1920's and the 1970's. In time, I will make replacement signals and buildings, so that the layout can be radically backdated. As a taster, a few photographs of my father's Clan MacKinnon were taken at Scalefourum and these are attached. This was built for him by John James and a very nice job he made of it too. So much so, I am indulging in some cheque book modelling myself, another is being built for me! Hopefully by the time mine has arrived, the absence of lettering for the name will be resolved. Clan MacKinnon, at the platformClan_2[4].JPG (36.62 KiB) Viewed 2966 times The Clans were the last locomotives built by the Highland Railway, just before grouping. They (like most of the Highland engines) looked particularly fine in crimson lake, which they would have worn until the late 1920'2, early 1930's. Strictly speaking, the Clans did not make it down the line, being mostly confined to the Highland main line (and for about 10 years the Oban line); however, their very close sisters the Superheated Goods (or Clan Goods as many referred to them), were the staple motive power for over a decade in the 1930's. Clan MacKinnon, approaching the bridgeClan_1[6].JPG (37.72 KiB) Viewed 2965 times

Again, dragged over from the old RMweb........ I am slowly developing the website (see link at my signature). As I have cracked a layout plan, I attach it. A very simple layout, as were all the station on the Kyle line. Just a passing loop, a pair of sidings on the down line and one to the up line. However, there is enough here to keep the visitor entertained I hope. But any station like this might still have to accomodate a pair of passing trains at the same time that one overtakes one of them - it i had enough stock imight even try it! The manouvear was somewhat complicated but entirely legal. My father did an article about in the LMS Journal about a year ago, it went on for pages! I have now accepted several show invites. Leytonstone in May 2009, Guildford in January 2010 (NB, this one did not happen, they could not squeeze me in!) and Epsom in April 2010 (this one is!) - there will be more to come. If you go to the shows and see the layout, say hello!

Welcome to a thread on my layout, Portchullin. The first few postings are dragged over from the old RMweb, then we will get around to some real updates......... For those that wish to see pictures of my layout, Portchullin, I have created a Fotopics site for it. Some of the later photos are a bit ropey at present but they will get updates as I do have some better ones. For those of you who did not get to see it at Scaleforum [2008], it is an imaginary station, on the Dingwall & Skye Railway, the Highland Railway's arm to Kyle of Lochalsh. It is set in 1974, which is when I first went there as a nipper; but at this time, whilst it was well into the blue & grey era, the remaining infrastructure was all 20, 30, 50 years old or even original. It is thus a traditional railway, without steam trains! It is modelled in P4 and was entered into the Scalefour Society and DEMU's D&E Challenge, for layouts that are capable of being transported by a family car (fortunately trailers were allowed!) and had at least 75% diesel or electric traction. The layout was fortunate enough to win this on the public vote. It will be venturing out for some more shows, but not until well into next year as it does need finishing and I do have a day job..............!!!!! View at Scaleforum 2008 - looking east, it is a long way yet to Inverness! View at Scaleforum 2008 - looking west, not to far to Kyle now! A sulzer idling at the station - a common enough sight (and sound!) on a single track line.