West Mersea - progress on building mock-ups.
Entry posted by Buckjumper
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The West Mersea Branch - 1946 Essex in ScaleSeven
by buckjumper
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??? posted on Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:28 am
Sorry, another point I missed - those aren't beach huts but businesses which thrive off the railway - cobblers, estate agent, coal merchants etc.
IIRC (and I could be wrong!) I believe they are replicas of businesses located in sheds which were once by the side of the railway somewhere like Gospel Oak or Gordon's Hill (though don't quote me) near to where Peter lived as a child. He showed me a photo of them many months ago and they looked so odd they just had to be included. 
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??? posted on Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:32 am
I certainly wouldn't get away with it either!
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Comment posted by nobby on Thu Nov 29, 2007 10:54 am
Sorry Adrian, my mistake, i should have known i have walked down it enough times...! 
I suppose I was thinking that the line was terminating near the esplanade side of town.
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Comment posted by Bar Side on Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:13 pm
I must adit I had always imagined the station to be roughly where the car park is behind Victoria Esplanade, running out through the Seaview caravan park. This would then head round East Mersea & out alongside the Strood.
I suppose the west side route didn't occur as the line would have to cross Colchester Road or the Strood at some point to head up by the Colne.
I would love to read Peter's history of the line!
Got to be my favourite thread on the layout section.
Ivan
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??? posted on Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:38 pm
The December meeting was brought forward due to the Christmas period, and WMHQ was heaving with bodies yesterday, all stuffing down vast quantities of turkey, chocolates, pork pies, mince pies, mulled and ginger wine. As you can imagine, no work was done so this month's snaps are limited, but I did catch Colin Dowling's 4MT. Last month I mentioned it was a two cylinder example, but Colin turned the loco upside down and showed me the third inside cylinder, inside motion and crank axle which he's scratchbuilt. This really is a superb model - Colin's even hinged the doors, the windows all slide as they should, and most impressive is that the gear can be put into forward, mid or reverse gear. Colin's intending to make the reverser in the cab turn to select the gear position, and we discussed the viability of putting a second motor in so this feature could be controlled by DCC.
Colin's B12 at the end of the line.
Ignoring the illuminated Santas bedecked across the front of the baseboards (and one discarded festive hat on the bank) one new addition is the mock up of the signal box down the far end.
Mocked up by Peter using official drawings, this is based on the one at Kelvedon (though some 18" taller). The GER type 7 boxes were built between 1885 and 1920 by several manufacturers, and over 90% were of timber construction.
The Box has eight window bays and will eventually house more than 60 levers.
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Comment posted by Pint of Adnams on Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:24 pm
Must be time for another visit when I'm next down that way
The SB might benefit from a set of windows in the back wall, to view the 2 roads behind it 
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??? posted on Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:55 pm
I should think so! 
I did think about this. IIRC Buntingford had a tiny single pane window at the rear so the loco stabling point could be seen. However Hertford East station box had a siding running behind with no rear window. Presumably the signalman could see all he needed to out of the end windows.
I did mention that a ducket in the far right front window (similar to Buntingford) might be needed to sight around the water tower and through the bridge.
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??? posted on Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:29 pm
So busy I forgot to post January's developments.
The loco sidings now have the mock-up buildings in place. Here are the platelayers and enginemen's mess, coalmen's bothy, toilets (with the lantern roof) and a walloping GER timber bufferstop to stop runaways demolishing the nearest shed. All wooden buildings here are based on those at Woolwich Pier.
View from the loading dock across the loco and cattle sidings. The mock-up cluster of buildings have really put the GER stamp on area. The coal stage is based on the one at Buntingford and water tower from Framlingham, and the Type 7 signal box now has stairs(!).
The mock-up station buildings are complete - now with GPO staff room and toilets (with glasshouse ventilator) from Loughton. The Engineman's Arms watering hole is on the right.
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Comment posted by 28ten on Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:51 am
That station is going to look very impressive when it is finished 
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Comment posted by OgaugeJB on Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:09 am
Wowee...!!
Can I come and visit some time?
Regards,
Jonathan.
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??? posted on Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:23 pm
Glad you're enjoying it Jonathan. I'll PM you some details soon.
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Comment posted by mines a pint on Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:02 am
Truly Impressive. 
(nomination for understatement of the year?)
I'd deliberately not viewed this thread as I've had the notion to try out 7mm for some time, and I knew viewing this would push me over the edge!
The size and enormity of the layout and the standards being achieved 
- I'd like to pick out a favourite bit but I can't cause it looks so good in every aspect, track, buildings, stock etc etc
It and your posts in my 'should I go 7mm' - given the amount of effort that needs to go into even simple 7mm project, you might as well have the track looking this good- even if you cant manage some of the other aspects as well as these guys!- like buildings and stock?
I hope the house you are building in is adequately insured, looks to be about a million quids worth of locos and coaches kits there , not to mention the 'knocked through' walls!
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Comment posted by 3 link on Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:58 pm
Come on Adrian we need our fix 
, any chance of some more pic's pretty please 
. Regards Martyn. 
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??? posted on Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:19 pm
Sorry Martyn, no more pics until later this month - I missed last weekend's meeting because my wife was about to go into labour.
As the tracks have been wired up I'll look into getting a bit of video content uploaded too.
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Comment posted by jazz on Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:36 pm
Blimey Adrian, I did not know about that layout. It's wonderful. Very interesting to see the rapid growth in stock on the layout as the pictures progress. 
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Comment posted by dwhite4dcc on Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:37 pm
SNAP
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Comment posted by 3 link on Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:52 pm
Congratulations on the new arrival Adrian , I have an 11 month old son and this does seem to curtail the modelling to some extent . Regards Martyn.
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Comment posted by PhilM on Thu Mar 06, 2008 11:05 pm
Just found this - it looks fantastic - even the mock ups look suitably Great Eastern. Just a minor point - east anglian coast 1946 - are there going to be a few defences eg pill box, blacker bombard position or tank traps?
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??? posted on Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:16 am
Most of what's been seen so far is member's own stock which comes in for a run every month, but won't appear on the layout when we put our serious hats on. Not that we've actually got serious hats you understand...
There is a proper stock building program apparently, only locos and stock which would have been found in the locality at this time will feature.
Thanks Martyn - I know what you mean! This arrival makes three so I've been used to late night modelling sessions surrounded by baby monitors for a few years. It turns soldering or aralditing into seat-of-your pants modelling, but airbrushing or lining is a no-go zone during these times. 
Thanks Phil. Defences are something we've discussed. IIRC there were no pill boxes at this point on the island, but such a railhead would indeed need to be protected. Whether they'll be on the layout or off-scene is something still under discussion - personally I'm up for a pill box or two, and I think there are a couple of obvious placements.
BTW - just received some unreproducible pics (photocopied, sorry) of some more of Peter's building mockups which extend from the pub all the way down the parcels platform - a couple of brick built offices for staff working on the loading docks, two old buildings - one of which is an old weatherboard barn converted into storage warehouses, GER brick stables converted to storage, c1865 offices for the yard foreman and parcels in & out, later stables and cart sheds for the Company delivery vehicles, the pub now has a high brick wall with cart sheds in the yard.
It's stunning, even in the horrible black and white and makes for a spectacular scene. I can't wait to photograph it.
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Comment posted by Bernard Lamb on Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:58 am
Congratulations on the new arrival.
If you are building a railway that was never there then I would think that you need to consider the infrastructure that wasn't there as well. Tollesbury Pier was guarded by a pill box so it would seem to be a requirement. Bring the date a bit later and model it like the Tollesbury one after it had toppled into the sea. That would baffle 'the experts'.
Bernard
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??? posted on Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:50 pm
Yep - I agree entirely Bernard. Coincidentally I was browsing in the local Waterstone's a few days ago and there's a photo of a toppled pill box on the beach at East Mersea in a book called Essex Moods or somesuch.
Anyway - last week I popped along to Sudbury and spent a couple of hours building the embankment beyond the Mersea Avenue road bridge, but enough of the boring waffle - here are the new card mockups for the buildings clustered on parcels and loading docks and wot a difference they make!
The small group of brick buildings nearest the camera are for staff working the loading docks, the red (signifying pantiled roofs?) weatherboard building and barn beyond have been converted into storage warehouses,
One of the storage barns on the left with the brick GER 1865 buildings on the right now in use by the yard foreman.
More of the yard foreman's offices.
Looking across the main platform and bay - the front of the yard foreman's office with a stables block to the left with cart sheds for horse drawn delivery vehicles.
The storage barns from the railway side.
I hope someone's got a plan in mind to fix the disparity in platform heights 
The backside of the delivery cart sheds and stables. the ground here will fall dramatically towards the camera as evidenced by the placement of the two gates.
The new mockups make a pleasing scene and effective backdrop from the far side of the layout. Pity the poor shunter who's got to fiddle with three, instanter and ###### link couplings
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Comment posted by pirouets on Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:08 pm
I have a couple of questions for you.
1. Earlier in the thread it talked about some sections being permanent, and some being exhibitable. Is the station to be exhibitable, or just the next section that you talked about? I was not 100% sure from you 29 Nov posting.
2. Do you all take jobs away between working parties such as building the mock-ups?
If there is one thing this thread reminds me, is be patient. When it mentioned a section slated in for 2010, It reminded me to finish my own layout rather than worry about the next one.
Thanks for the update.
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Comment posted by 3 link on Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:51 pm
Hi Adrian, just a quick question I model in 0 gauge fs and up to now have been using C&L for my sleepers. Where do you buy your plywood sleepers and are they cheap, and I know theres hardly any difference but do they sell them in 0 gauge. Regards Martyn. 
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??? posted on Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:57 pm
1. Sorry for any confusion - this whole section won't be exhibitable. The boards were constructed prior to my involvement, and are made from hernia-inducing MDF. They're solid, that's for sure, and have withstood a few soakings when the part of the roof collapsed in a storm, but them's are goin' nowhere.
There are two 'next sections'. The first is the outside line to the fiddleyard in an adjacent workshop, and the second is the true next portion of line which will indeed be exhibitable and made from ply if I've got any say in the matter.
2. No, so far the only job taken away was one particularly fearsome bit of pointwork which was built in one go by Colin Dowling IIRC. Peter has built all the mockups on site himself.
Patience is indeed needed for this project and some months nothing seems to happen. Nevertheless, the scenic side is soon to begin - maybe even later this month - and I'm looking forward to that.
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??? posted on Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:03 pm
Peter Hunt sells wooden sleepers suitable for both 0F and S7 price 5p per sleeper for 10"x8'6", 10"x9', 12"x8'6" or 12"x9'.
12" and 14" turnout timbers are 75p per 3' length or pre-cut to your turnout spec - prices start at ??????‚??3.50.
Peter Hunt - Perfect Miniatures - 01787 375 884.
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