When the original 2′ x 3’6″ board was nearing completion, planning began on the next board.
A given was that it would include a distillery with railways sidings, the raison d’etre for Dufftown. But besides providing the unusual “whisky traffic” theme, the choice of location offered some local inspiration for other features that might be modeled. As the line curves towards Keith it crosses a two span viaduct by the Parkmore (I think?) Distillery.
Close by this is Balvenie Castle. Further up the line runs along the edge of Loch Park near Drummiur Castle, and the Mill of Towie at Auchindachy had its own siding. In the other direction there’s a large cooperage at Craigellachie and Walker’s shortbread in Aberlour (mmm, shortbread trains…)
Various plans involving completing the circuit of track over an additional two boards were considered before a fellow club member, Doug Hill, offered the brickyard section from Chickerell Brickworks to incorporate. Thus the final plan, a more modest single board, both completed the circuit for Dufftown and provides a link into the brickworks which will be relocated to a summery Craigellachie from its original Dorset winter.
It includes the viaduct and a distillery served by lower level sidings on a spur which (using a lot more of that modeler’s licence) passes under the viaduct.
Due to the variations in height, this board would be open – based around the same 4″ depth ply framework but with sundeala cut to size (and shape!) for the trackbed, and contours cut away from the crosspieces to accommodate the lower level. This photo shows the board with track laid, just under one month ago:
See here for the trackplan.