Upbech St Mary, Upbech Drove and Pott Row a journey through 00 and then into EM and 009.

[mullie]

With regret I think Pott Row in its current form may have run its last train. I don't get much spare time at the moment because of work and family matters and when I do my focus is on developing Rickett Street as a test piece in EM. So far things are going well and I nearly have enough stock to run the layout once built (that isn't a lot to be honest!). The weather is bad here and I am working from home today and yesterday as school has been closed. This has enabled me to catch up with some modelling jobs so my Hornby 08 is almost re wheeled in EM using Gibson wheels as I have had a bit of time. When spring finally arrives I will start laying EM  track and I'm beginning to covet the space where Pott Row currently sits as Rickett Street would fit there with room to spare.

 

Therefore, my 00 huge modelling days may be done. This has been a great layout, I would never have thought when I started ten years ago that I could build my own track including three way points. The layout started out as an essay in rtr and Scalescenes kits and has finished with mainly scratchbuilt structures, some kit built locos and a lot of kit built or heavily modified rtr stock. Parts of the layout do reflect my modelling from 2008 -10 and having lived in a garage it is showing its age though it still works well and was totally revamped around two years ago.

 

What to do with it? I don't think it really has a resale value and was largely built out of recycled wood (if anyone is interested please PM me). The track probably won't survive being lifted as it is embedded in Das modelling clay but all stock, the structures and anything else that can be salvaged including wood will be removed so Pott Row can rise again in a few years almost certainly as a small East Anglian branch focussed on sugar beet traffic. There is a motorised Peco turntable that I probably won't use again.

 

I suppose the recycling centre beckons.

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

Martyn

[Edwardian]

Pott Row has been sorely missed already, but you are moving on and will have some great EM stuff to show us in due course, I do not doubt.

 

As Pott Row has been one of my favourite layouts in RMWeb - it evokes the cold east winds of the bleak and brooding Fen for me, as you know - I hope that it survives and is not simply disposed of.

[ianblenk]

I have enjoyed the journey over the years and look forward to the next chapter

 

Ian B

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

It will be sorely missed.

 

manna

[cklammer]

Hello Martyn,

 

The truly inspiring message of Pott Row is to me that with enough persistence (initially) very daunting modelling tasks/projects can and will be mastered.

 

 I sincerely hope that the recycling centre can be avoided, though.

 

Best Regards,

Christian

[NXEA!]

Martyn,  

 

Big shame that Pott Row is going to the big engine shed in the sky, it's one of my favourite layouts on here and of a subject not usually modelled to boot. If you can find somewhere to dismantle it and store it, do, it's too good a layout to go to the tip! It's been a big inspiration for me to have a crack at something, and to try new techniques and ways of modelling. I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. 

[mullie]

If you are squeamish please look away now.

 

Pott row has indeed gone to the 'great engine shed in the sky.' Everything that could be saved including wire, point motors, buildings, baseboard connectors and of course all stock. As I took it apart it became apparent how tired the layout was, much of it built from recycled wood using my ham fisted carpentry skills, I am glad I didn't try and sell it. It increasingly took a lot of maintenance to keep it going as for almost all its life it shared the garage with the car at night which came in covered in moisture and sea salt so not the greatest environment. We have had quite a harsh winter including lying snow on two occasions meaning the layout hasn't been operated since around November time. I now want a layout that I can move into the warm during cold spells and simply switch on rather than spending 5-10 minutes setting it up which precludes use in the week after work. This is how the garage looked after dismantling:

 

 

 

A last view of the layout before its final trip to the recycling centre.

 

 

The garage is not out of focus, just the phone playing silly sods again!

 

Long live Pott Row! Without a doubt the best layout I have built so far.

 

The only thing I won't re use is a Peco turntable, but I've kept it for now, I suppose it could end up on Ebay, it works well, is weathered but I doubt I will build another layout where it is needed.

 

Pott Row will return in time although the other end of the line at Upbech St Mary will probably be built first as a vehicle for the trams. Much of the other stock will find its way onto Rickett Street which is beginning to develop as an East London line type layout in EM, a line I know well from my time at University in New Cross in the early 80s. Initially the line will be run in two time scales, post war (similar to Pott Row) and post steam. The post steam stock is likely to be ready first.

 

I think I will increasingly build smaller more easily transportable layouts, who knows I may even try exhibiting one of them. I like the idea of multiple layouts on a theme as Hintock so ably demonstrates and I enjoy the small Sheep Lane/ Mutton layouts as well. I have a very busy work schedule at the moment, some of it rail related (See Portland thread below)  so something smaller and achievable inspires me.

 

Thanks for your support, this thread will go quiet but will come alive again some time in the future.

 

Martyn

 

 

 

 

[sb67]

Sad to see Pott Row go Martyn, sure whatever you build next will be just as good, look forward to seeing it.

Steve.

[mullie]

The first of the trams has been converted to EM simply by moving the wheels the Bullant bogie out on their axles. However, it did require the use of a gear puller as the wheels were a very tight fit which should also mean they should stay put.

 

First shot shows the chassis, as the body is made of resin as much weight as possible needs to be added. The TCS decoder has stay alive.

 

 

Two views of the tram sat on the test track where it has run successfully under DCC

 

 

 

I need to build a small extra fiddle yard for Rickett Street and the plan is to build a board for Upbech St Mary, the end of the sugar beet branch at the same time and make the fiddle yard fit this layout as well. Work on suitable stock will continue, the J65 will be rebuilt soon with new EM chassis spacers and axles. If I can't make the J65 body a bit more tidy it will become one of the pair of J72s shedded at Ipswich during 1950 (I believe) though not sure how it will have ended up in Norfolk!

 

Upbech St Mary was previously a box file layout that featured in the August 2011 Modeller, there is a link below.

Edited April 21, 2018 by mullie

[mullie]

Don't know what made me do it but I have been through my old Upbech St Mary thread today. I do think it can provide some inspiration for the new version though jury is still out on whether to use box files again. Photos 2 and 4 show additional modules that were built, photo 1 the original version and still my favourite.

 

 

 

 

 

This was the mark 2 version of Pott Row and the first to be built in Dorset, no photos exist of mark 1 built in a loft in Grays, Essex.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sb67]

Nice set of photo's there Mullie. Really liked Upbeach St Mary, good to see it again.

Steve

[ianblenk]

Great photos

​

Edited April 25, 2018 by ianblenk

[mullie]

I think this is a way of telling me to rebuild the layout! Another tram has been converted tonight and in very quick time. Next is to start on some wagons and rebuilding the J65 into an Ipswich J72 as I feel my J65 conversion doesn't really stand close scrutiny.

 

 

 

[mullie]

My first ever railway book, bought from a book shop whilst on a family holiday in a caravan on South Denes beach, Great Yarmouth. Great family holidays despite no running water and gas lighting. My Dad only had a week off and Yarmouth was a favourite holiday destination which probably helped cement the seed of interest in East Anglian railways though we always arrived by coach. The coach station might have been the old Yarmouth Beach station site but to be honest I can't remember as I was very young.

 

 

My collection has always included numerous books about the first years of British Railways.The book cost £3.60.

[mullie]

Joys of good weather, sat out in the garden getting the Comet chassis ready for final soldering in the Poppy's jig.

 

 

This is the Comet J72 which used to sit under my J65 which is no more. This will become one of the pair of J72s shedded at Ipswich in 1950 and will run alongside the trams on Upbech when it is built as a prelude to rebuilding Pott Row.

 

The chassis was desoldered, cleaned and then fitted with Comet EM spacers. I have the correct axles so will probably start re assembling over the next week or so.

Edited May 5, 2018 by mullie

[mullie]

Rickett Street has gone from simply relaying the track to a complete overhaul. As the J70s converted to EM easily and the J72 chassis is now partially rebuilt, I have decided to develop the other end of the line from Pott Row as a test piece in EM. Upbech St Mary has been seen in an earlier post and the new version will be very similar but built on a 1 metre by 10 inch board (yes really) and a short fiddle yard will be added. A rough plan in Templot has been glued to the board and point work will be started hopefully this week working on a smaller board.

 

 

 

[mullie]

I've reconfigured the workbench temporarily as due to back problems it is easier to work standing up. The photo shows a turnout being laid out on a Templot plan using PCB sleepers whilst in the background the J72 chassis is being run in with its new EM axles. Tomorrow the coupling rods will be added, then the brakes .

 

 

With only two turnouts to build I hope to have something up and running in about a month.

Edited May 10, 2018 by mullie

[mullie]

Bit more progress today.

 

J72 chassis has run last night and today with coupling rods attached, next job reinstall the brakes.

 

 

The first turnout is now largely complete, here it is earlier today, at an earlier stage with the flange ways being tested with my Lochgorm etched brass wagon.

 

 

Point blades have since been added.

[mullie]

J72 chassis complete with brakes now stripped down ready for painting. The first of the two turnouts for Upbech is now built, just need to add a tie bar.

 

[mullie]

J72 chassis has been stripped and painted, doesn't look as black in real life as it has been undercoated with Halfords grey primer then painted with my usual combination of black, grey, gunmetal, browns and talc. I'm currently toning down coupling rods and wheel rims using a gun blue pen found on Ebay. hopefully this week the chassis will go back together so the pick ups can be built.

 

 

Second turnout for Upbech is now largely built. Track laying will start soon.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 27, 2018 by mullie

[mullie]

All pointwork (well both of them) and straight track built and cleaned. Next stage sort out baseboards and build curved track that will need to be built in situ.

 

 

 

[mullie]

Fiddle yard built, and fitted to the main board. The frame is 2 X 1 and a plywood base, hard board for the outside protection to stop things falling off, this will be sprayed in due course. So long as only good pieces are used, I have used hardboard for such things for some years despite the layout being in the garage without problem. The fiddle yard is only 18 inches long, cassettes will be around 15 inches.

 

 

 

The fiddle yard cassettes will be short pieces of hardboard braced with aluminium angle on which conventional pcb track will be laid. Pott Row's left hand fiddle yard, the longest on the layout used this type of set up successfully for years. Track laying now almost ready to start.

 

If anything does swell it will be easy to replace.

Edited June 2, 2018 by mullie

[NHY 581]

Very neat Mullie.

 

 

Overall this layout is ticking a number of boxes for me.

 

 

 

Rob.

[mullie]

At last some real progress this weekend with most of the track on this layout being laid. Each section has a fuse wire dropper going through the baseboard, next job is to set up wire in tube control and plan the tube runs to the front of the layout.

 

 

 

Phone photos taken in the garage so not the greatest quality but you get the idea.

 

S & W magnets have begun to be put in. I have just bought some 3mm mark one couplings and will be experimenting with an ingenious adaptation I saw at Expo EM to make them auto couplings whilst retaining the lower profile of the coupler.

[mullie]

The England game came in handy, gapped and laid the pub sleepers for the next piece of track and have since finalised the cork sheet underlay. Also read the instructions for the wire in tube point control and the switches have arrived.

 

At least England won (eventually).