ROLLING AND DABBLING
there are no wrinkles on the backing – especially on the curves. It was mounted using rollers and heat and that’s worked really well. I’m very pleased with it.” ‘Kinlochlaggen’ uses a variety of stock, although it’s mainly a mixture of Graham Farish, Dapol, CGM and Revolution. Mike prefers his rolling stock ready-to-run, although he admits he does sometimes dabble in customising and kit-building.
“I do dabble a little, yes. My box vans are N Gauge Society kits, while I added things like tarpaulins to wagons and the Scotrail brandings to the blue and grey coaching stock.
“I’m very fond of my new green and cream West Highland coaching stock set, although I do also run things like maroon Gresley and Stanier coaches and blood and custard Thompsons.”
In terms of control, ‘Kinlochlaggen’ has been somewhat of a DCC experiment for Mike. It features a single line, passing loop and freight yard, and can be controlled from a single handset – no control panel at all.
“I use a Gaugemaster Prodigy controller,” explains Mike, “while all the points in the fiddleyard are controlled by standard Peco point motors, the ones on the front are controlled by Dccconcepts Cobalt point motors through wire and tube.”
Solo operation of the layout is possible, but it ‘takes an awful lot of concentration’ says Mike. He adds: “It works fine for two people as one can set the route, while the other controls the trains and remembers which train has which DCC code.”
“I use a Gaugemaster Prodigy controller, while all the points in the fiddleyard are controlled by standard Peco point motors”
In fact, Mike is considering incorporating a more conventional panel for points and DCC equipment for train control alone.
Building ‘Kinlochlaggen’ posed few challenges for Mike, with minor aspects such as getting the river carved out efficiently and getting the curves incorporated in the hidden section being the main issues. During initial runs, long wheelbase stock might derail, but this was eased, and it is now suitable for even Mk 3 coaches and longer wagons.
For Mike, exhibiting the layout remains a high point, and it’s always gratifying for him to hear compliments on his work. He’s also pleased that there are few derailments, with most ‘being down to operator error’, as he wryly puts it.
So, what does the future hold?
“I have another layout planned for the winter,” smiles Mike. “I’m more than happy with ‘Kinlochlaggen’, but I want to try something new.”