Glen Ogle

[Graeme Dunbar]

If you want the point control panel to be on a lead and movable and don't mind the extra electrical circuitry you might want to consider replacing the switches on your capacitive discharge units with relays and then energizing the relay using switches. This would mean the portable panel, switches and cable need only carry a small current to power the relays and the CDUs supplying the hefty belt of current could be near the points.

There is a MERG circuit that works on this principle but I'm sure there are others.

There are trade-offs. The additional cost and complexity of using relays can be offset by smaller and cheaper switches, thinner control wires and especially the larger capacitors needed when the CDU is some way away from the points. The same can be said for having one small CDU per point rather than a big one that has the capacity to fire all the points.

It may also have benefits if you are using radio control in reducing interference.

[gtmspyder]

Thank you Graham, I'm still mulling over what form my portable control panel will take.

Regards,

BrianT.

[Scott Rixon]

Thanks Brian..

I'm thinking of a lift of system to move stock around. But I agree, I will need an end or some foam or something!

[gtmspyder]

Hello again Scott.

I don't know how much of a rush you are in to make your cassettes, but if it is only a pending item, I will eventually post my solution, which you can copy if you wish.

I can go into more detail of my system if you wish, just ask the questions and I will attempt to help with the answer.

Kind regards,

BrianT.

[Scott Rixon]

No hurry!!

[gtmspyder]

A little teach in for Scott.

The Trunking I am using is 100x 50 x 3000mm, this costs me

[gtmspyder]

A bit more work on the scenic side of the layout with a few close up views.

The local AA man has stopped off at the Garage for a pee.



While a little further up the Glen, an intrepid tourist is testing the temperature of the water, watched by his friends from the river bank.



The farmers wife brings his sarnies that he forgot to pick up this morning.



The open view shows the JCB driver still at work, will it never end?



A few cows have been planted near the viaduct.





The station platform is starting to look busy, but there are no creature comforts yet.





There's a bit of pedestrian traffic crossing the footbridge.



A new track level post shows the transition from rising ground to the level of the viaduct.



And that's about it for tonight.

Regards,

BrianT.

[Scott Rixon]

Thanks for the view on the cassettes.. Very good!

[gtmspyder]

I recently visited Scotland, staying at a village, Strathyre, on the A84 just south of Lochearnhead.

While in the area, I  took the opportunity to visit Glen Ogle up the road from where we were staying, and re-familiarise myself with the scene there.

So this is the real Glen Ogle as of June 2014, starting with the A84 that climbs up glen Ogle.



Here is the viaduct in all it's glory.



And my feeble attempt to model it.



The old Track line is lined practically all the way with self set what I think are Larch trees, but I could be wrong.



The track bed has been made into a cycle and walkway, and is well used.  The surface has been tarmacked, is being extended as a cycle way all the way back to Strathyre and beyond on the old rail bed.  This bridge over the old track was what looks like an old farm track, and is where I put the now disused collapsed tunnel on my model.



Not much modelling done I'm afraid.

Regards,

BrianT

[Frank]

Hi Brian,

Good to see you out and about again!

Nice photos, I must confess I do like that part of the world.    I think your interpretation of the Glen has captured the spirit very well.

Frank

[clayliner]

Good to see some photos of the real thing, Brian, but I'm not sure which looks more realistic... possibly yours!

Not sure about the larch trees, though - could be birches, but it's hard to say for sure.

David.

[gtmspyder]

Thank you Frank'.

David, you are probably more likely to be right about the tree species than I, the only reason I guessed at Larch was because I know they used Larch sleepers in the original build in the 1800's, probably as a cost saving exercise, they were always running out of money during it's build, and originally, the line terminated at the head of Glen Ogle when they ran out of money, they built a station there and called it Killin, despite the station being seven miles from the village of Killin itself.

Sorry for the delay in replying, but I have only just got back from another weeks holiday.

Kind regards,

BrianT.

[gtmspyder]

A little less lethargy today has seen a little progress on the layout, I have been down to the garden centre selecting some trees for the layout.

The garden centre was in the far east, and a varied selection was made, but they needed a little fettling, so I've been fettling, a dip in dilute PVA and a sprinkle of assorted greenery has improved there looks somewhat.  Here , there trunks have been speared into a scrap piece of sheet polystyrene until they dry out.



A selection of Fir and deciduous, the Firs are to go at the top of the layout beyond the station, to represent the Forestry Commission planting that has blighted many views in Scotland.



The deciduous trees, of unknown species, (I'm not very good at identifying tree species), are being scattered about the slopes and riverside down the layout towards the village of Lochearnhead.



Bothe sets of trees are of the wire armature type, unfortunately, the deciduous armatures are rather prominent, I will have to try and improve on this with a paste of polyfilla mixed with PVA and some colouring painted onto the trunks where they show, not looking forward to that little exercise.
The Firs are much better, while still a wire armature, they are so closely spun, the wire trunk is obliterated.


The rest of the trees I have purchased, have got plastic trunks, and look much better, although a sprinkling of different colours and grades of greenery has yet to be applied.  You will have seen all the trees on the layout in previous photo's, but as they came through the post in there raw state.  

I hope when doctored, they will look more realistic, but there is a lot of them, so don't hold your breath.

Regards,

BrianT.

[gtmspyder]

Good morning to the Editorial Team of the 009 News Magazine.

I would just like to put on record that in my opinion, the July 2014, volume 41, No10, is the best edition that I have ever seen during my time with the Society.

The breadth and quality of the articles chosen by the editorial team is superb, well done to the team, and all those people who have submitted the articles chosen for printing.

Kindest regards,

BrianT.

[gtmspyder]

Hello again, more modelling on Glen Ogle.

Look what arrived in the post today, four boxes of ten trees, extremely well packed,