Loch Calydon : "New through services"           Latest News - click here

 

Yes, West Calydon is now operational again under a different guise. The subtle change of  name,
now with a northern flavour, is thought to be more appropriate to the Caledonian Railway area of operation.

The pictures are  taken from Nigel's video on the occasion of trying out a couple of his locomotives to see how they would take the tighter curves - around 5' 6" radius. Completely contrary to expectations, the just completed Air-smoothed Merchant Navy had problems whereas the Britannia performed faultlessly on the inside main line; the Merchant Navy required more spacing between the loco and tender to run OK.

West (sorry) Loch Calydon is now permanently set-up as a double track main-line station with the two "Golden Spikes" being driven in June 2005 - the completion of the double track, which has been a mammoth undertaking. A considerable portion of the track work is sited in the roof space that fortuitously surrounds the two, second floor rooms.


Plan of layout - an early version


View of the front to back of the house section in the roof space.


Nigel's Air-smoothed Merchant Navy 'Royal Mail' just about to re-enter the room
 

The following sequence of pictures, hopefully, give some idea of the 'Railway room' proper.


Left-hand side with the ex-West Calydon layout sited on an angle.

 


Right-hand (front of the house) side of the room with the run-through storage sidings.


The lines from the station fan out to provide a set of passing-loop type
sidings and then converge again prior to disappearing from view into the
roof space before reappearing in the bedroom across the landing.


Assistant Civil Engineer (he's the one that knows where the tools, etc. are)
inspecting the track work.
 

The next three pictures are views of the track work in the guest bedroom - advantageous rates for model railway enthusiasts.


One of the two corner sections in the guest bedroom with Royal Mail.

 


Train of West Coast Joint Stock crossing in front of the bedroom window.


Train hauled by Royal Mail just about to cross in front
of the landing (between the rooms) window, beyond is the station.
Point-work (newly constructed) here allows trains to cross-over
as well as providing alternative routes through the station.

 

Around the layout.................................................................................................................

Two pictures of 'Royal Mail' on a non-stop express passing the station.

   

 

Four views of Britannia Morning Star running on the inside loop through Loch Calydon. 

   

   

 

More views featuring Mallard and some of the Caledonian stock

Derek's Mallard on the inner loop on a fast approach to the station.
Mallard racing through Loch Calydon station. In the background a West Coast Joint Stock train
is arriving in what was the bay platform.

Cardean hauling the West Coast Joint Stock train departs on the outer loop whilst
the Wemys Bay tank hauled train of Caledonian stock stands at the main platform.
A goods train arriving on the inner loop as Cardean leaves the station on the outside loop.

 

   
Yes, the layout is now featuring lights in the buildings.

   
Trains passing the illuminated buildings.

To come: some GWR King and Castle hauled specials.

There's also the likelihood of some SR specials, too!

Not to mention some better photos.

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