Category: Progress Update

Here’s a picture taken at Mortlach Distillery, the oldest in Dufftown, in 2006.

Now, here’s the same photo flipped left/right.

And here, as promised, is Alan Gosling’s model:

As previously mentioned, the position in relation to the viaduct probably makes our distillery Parkmore, which just fits with the period modelled (Parkmore went silent in 1931). But it represents all seven stills at Dufftown so it’s fitting that we should take the best bits where we find them.

A quickly built model of a rough bridge for the industrial spur over the river was constructed by removing the plastic sleepers from the Peco crazy track and soldering two long lenths of copper sleeper strip in place instead.

These then act as supports for the handrails and the old (standard gauge) sleepers that form the bridge’s planking.

When the glue dries it’ll be painted.

There’s still an alarming amount to do with only four days to go, but if we look back at the corner of the layout featured two weeks ago it is possible to see how much has been done.


A small amount of rock face still needs painting, the tunnel interior needs to be modeled (and the track there ballasted) and the spur needs to become sufficiently overgrown to hide that plywood. To the left of the photograph you can see the waterfall that still needs water.

Tunnel mouths are awkward in 009. Products designed for 00 are too large, those designed for N, besides not being to scale, are too small to accommodate the 4mm stock. Incidentally, the N gauge wagon that is derailed on the siding is used solely for testing purposes! The solution used here is a Peco single track tunnel mouth cut down. There are various give aways: The tunnel mouth comes pre-coloured with a soot effect in the centre, which helps show up the sides of the V that was reinserted! This will be painted over, though time will probably not allow the more serious mismatch of the central stone to be addressed before the exhibition. Also the tunnel is more arched than it should be.

Five days ago, and the cliffs have been painted and there’s grass everywhere.

Later that Tuesday roughly painted hills roll back into the backscene…

 

The four low voltage halogens from IKEA are now installed.

The plastic mounts have been stripped off and discarded and the lamps are mounted on 6mm ply screwed to short battens which slot in behind the backscene. The wire was later terminted in chocky blocks which make it easier to string the lamps together in parallel. After the exhibition, these will probably be replaced with some sort of plug & socket system.

The lamps in position:

As you can see, there is now some more grass on the hills! The surfeit on the tracks has now been hoovered up…

I’m getting a little behind with updates – this is from one week ago, and things have moved on since, but this shows the first turf being laid on the distillery board.

 

 

Even though there’s still plenty to do scenery wise, there will be no time for cosmetic touches such as lighting before the exhibition unless it happens now. So it’s off to IKEA on the trams.

Why IKEA? To try and avoid extra weight and complexity there will be no pelment. So low voltage halogen, ideally mounted directly onto the baseboard, could be a simple but effective solution.

This is a picture of part of the layout as it is today. As you can see, the track is laid but only part of it is ballasted, some of the scenery is formed (with some of it plastered). Yes, this is only a corner of the layout, but then it’s only 7′ long and 2′ deep and we will get it finished in time!