An update from Lochdubh (N part 52)…

A quiet bank holiday weekend has meant I’ve had the opportunity to engage in some more personal modelling time and headspace with Lochdubh, my slice of 1980s Scottish escapism in N…

Since it last appeared in its own stand alone blog post there has been a fair amount of progress. A small layout like this is a real tonic as tasks are quick and fit easily into the available time I have in the evening. The platform edging was fixed in place after the sleepers and rails were painted and then the track has been ballasted, probably still my favourite job on a project, the mindful caressing of grains of faux stone around to form a neat appearance, even in this minute scale.

The Croft, in place on the hill led me to consider more the exit of the railway from the layout, I had in mind the mountains here would be taller and feel closer than those behind the station - to give contrast and suggest distance. Another period photo of Kyle with Skye in the background lent its mountains to the project amd these were tweaked and adjusted a little to soften the contrast and saturation before being test fitted for size. In place at the back of the scene the Croft is modelled about 85% scale, and fits the space well but if viewed from above still protrudes further forward than ideal with the back siding also needing to exit under the road bridge. A cardboard mock up of this piece of land has been made so I can begin to get a feel for the angles required so that in normal front viewing the subterfuge is disguised.

This left the right hand end I’d the cameo feeling a little unbalanced. There were no distant islands visible and a gap in the right foreground too, so perhaps a photo on the backscene might work. First choice was a boat or ferry, I tried a few but couldn’t get the angle to work so a simple faded out island mountainous outline was added which I proved things greatly. However whilst looking back at old holiday photos I came across a wonderful building I’d snapped at Craignure on Mull, from the ferry as we left the island. This warehouse could look great in half relief in that space, a cardboard mock up was made and photographed to check, shortly followed by a recreation in styrene. By the end of the afternoon an almost complete structure sat in place, it’s blue door swapped for green so as not to clash with the station, and although there is more clutter to consider, and road ways and scrub to plan its feeling ‘just right’.

I reflected that this project is very much an emotional nostalgic escape. Yes I’ve got a job many would kill for but life in the family can be difficult with a variety of challenges. The large logo 37 and railway concept are from childhood, the croft with red door is from a holiday on Skye and now the warehouse connects to a trip to Mull. These personal elements mean the composition isn’t just going through the motions, it’s drawing on deeper meaning, each part taken in turn yet blended to create a warm feeling of calm, somewhere I’d perhaps rather be in those moments of challenge. Art can be a channel for expression and escape, model railways are art. Until next time more soon…

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