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

[mullie]

The new Rapido trams are superb but to buy two and then convert to EM is currently beyond my budget so with some spare time I have started detailing the silver fox trams I have and which are reliable performers. To drill the holes for the handrails I drilled through from the outside for both sets of holes, some filling will be required once finished. I also want to fit better lamp irons but the Silver Tey Ebay shop is out of stock so that might have to wait.

 

This is progress this afternoon, I might start the other tram tonight.

 

 

A walk on the cliffs on Sunday brought this view up the coast, I saw this view on the day I came for interview and it is one of the things that sold the place to me.

 

 

However, we have had landslips over the years and the coastal path round Portland is closed in a number of places. In this case the path has literally disappeared and moved considerably over the years.

 

 

 

[mullie]

With time on my hands, despite working for much of the day progress is being made. The trams need screw couplings and I made the mad decision to put together Wizard models etched couplings. I only have one more to make to complete the two pairs I need then they need colouring, probably using my gun blue pen.

 

 

Continuing the Portland theme (I hope this is still ok) this construction would have formed the basis of a narrow gauge railway to the cliff edge to get rid of quarry spoil. The piece of fence is to stop people using the path because of the landslip seen in the previous post. Inland from this path is the sculpture park set in an old quarry. It has been featured on TV and includes sculptures in Portland stone by such well known artists as Anthony Gormley.

 

 

In places you can still see bits of rail embedded in the ground.

 

[Oldddudders]

Post-war, I believe whole city-centres were rebuilt using Portland Stone. It has status!

[mullie]

According to my late brother the stone is now only used to maintain existing buildings in the main. It is too expensive to build with. Even new local houses are faced with reconstituted stone. Our house, built in 1995 must be one of the last to have blocks of stone in its construction.

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

Looking at the picture above of the land slip, makes me wonder how long that will last, with the amount of pressure it's putting on the ground below it, that's going to make one hell of a thud when it gets to the beach below.

 

I like those lovely little Tram engines, time I made one.

 

manna

[robert17649]

good plan can be found online just cant remember where, it's an age thing.

[mullie]

7 hours ago, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

Looking at the picture above of the land slip, makes me wonder how long that will last, with the amount of pressure it's putting on the ground below it, that's going to make one hell of a thud when it gets to the beach below.

 

I like those lovely little Tram engines, time I made one.

 

manna

It had changed significantly since the last time I was there. Rock falls are more common all along this coast because the winter weather of the last 5-6 years has led to a more unstable coast line. 

[mullie]

The J70 detailing continues. The only colour photos I have seen shows a tram either largely black in colour or a dark colour.

 

However, looking at the colour of the Rapido trams, the stylised picture on the front of the Oakwood press book and the Scale Seven tram built by Barry Norman all represent a much lighter colour. I decided to give it a go and lighten the colour of my J70s using artists acrylics dry brushed and matted down with talc. This is the result.

 

 

 

The white marks on the buffer beam are where the resin hooks have been removed so etched couplings can be installed.

 

The view back towards England from further along the west coast of Portland.

 

 

A small gun emplacement near Blacknoor fort, when they used to test the big guns in the fort (14 inch if I remember correctly what I was told), the locals were told to open their windows because of the pressure wave it created. The fort is now a private house.

 

 

A panorama looking across the south end of Portland.

 

[manna]

G'day Folks

 

A view from our block of land, 2006. A line of trees now block this view.

 

manna

[mullie]

7 hours ago, manna said:

G'day Folks

 

A view from our block of land, 2006. A line of trees now block this view.

 

manna

 

That looks vast, you would struggle to get to a fiddle yard through that!

 

Thanks for posting

[NHY 581]

Really like the look of the J70s, Martyn. 

 

The 'bleached' look really suits them. Spot on. 

 

 

Rob. 

[mullie]

A couple of wagons were needed at Upbech, this was the only loco available so propelled them down from the junction.

 

 

Tout Quarry is a well known local landmark famous for the sculptures that can be found almost anywhere within the park. This is what you see on entry. Looks a bit like a Doctor Who set.

 

 

However, there is also railway interest. This bridge used to carry a narrow gauge railway.

 

 

And I believe this underpass was also once used by a railway.

 

 

At the edge of the park overlooking the road is a stone circle erected a few years ago, locally known as Tout Henge.

 

 

 

 

[mullie]

The J72 was first built in 00  taken apart and rebuilt in EM, it has worked on the layout for quite a time with various bits of chipped paint work and I wasn't happy with the finish on the body. With more spare time than I am used to I set about it today, a coat of Tamiya flat clear improved things and all the bare metal on the chassis has been touched up. Screw couplings need to be reinstated.

 

 

 

With the J72, Claud and the trams finished to a higher level some crew needed to be recruited and here they are. Usual stuff, artists acrylics and a wash of black ink to finish. Figures are Dapol. I have various other crews including Monty's. As I needed quite a few the Modelu figures were beyond the budget.

 

 

This was just outside Portland Harbour today, hope it didn't dock.

 

 

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Martyn. 

 

Looking at your thread I am struck by the fact that there is a clear need for someone to produce a J69 to today's standards. Either Hornby or Bachmann would do a fine job, I'm sure. 

 

And they are quite pretty... ( says the Southern/Midland man) 

 

 

Rob. 

[robert17649]

11 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Morning Martyn. 

 

Looking at your thread I am struck by the fact that there is a clear need for someone to produce a J69 to today's standards. Either Hornby or Bachmann would do a fine job, I'm sure. 

 

And they are quite pretty... ( says the Southern/Midland man) 

 

 

Rob. 

There has been a constant entry in wishlist polls and so on for a J69, or very similar but the big manfacturers have steadfastly not followed that up.

 

Part of the problem must be that there were a lot of them and each one was a bit different.

[hayfield]

28 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Morning Martyn. 

 

Looking at your thread I am struck by the fact that there is a clear need for someone to produce a J69 to today's standards. Either Hornby or Bachmann would do a fine job, I'm sure. 

 

And they are quite pretty... ( says the Southern/Midland man) 

 

 

Rob. 

 

 

There is a nice kit available from Southeastern Finecast, I bought an old Wills kit (without a chassis) and bought a SEF chassis. The chassis is one of their simpler ones which could be screwed together, comes with 00 & EM spacers. Markit wheels self quarter, High Level gearboxes also are simplicity in themselves, no difficult valve gear to build. High Level sell a small 3 pole motor for under £10 or a coreless under £30

 

I prefer to solder whitemetal, but can be built with high quality superglue, though I would use epoxy to reinforce the major joins.

[MartinWales]

What about the London Road Models kit chaps?

[mullie]

J69s are indeed lovely little locos and as others have said are a bit of a minefield. One will become part of the roster at some point in the future but during my time period I could stretch to a J65 as they were working on Yarmouth quay and had been working trains on the mid Suffolk line in the mid to late 40s.

 

I think my preference for a J69 would be to build a kit, some of the most recent rtr models are so fiddly to dismantle it might be better to start with basic parts as I have to re gauge it anyway. I have a Kernow 02 tank, currently part of a display in our local museum, I couldn't even get the body off!

 

I don't have that many locos, the plan at the moment is to re gauge what I already have and then start filling in gaps with kits. There is quite a nice 3D print of a Y6 tram that is tempting and in terms of a loco kit a model of Wissington is near the top of the list. Judith Edge do something very similar if I remember rightly and I have seen the original at the North Norfolk Railway many years ago.

 

Then there is the 1960s period, another 08 still to do and the Bachmann Derby Lightweight. Wissington could work during both periods. An original 04 is of course on the list with or without skirts and cowcatcher.

 

Then there is a fantastic photo to replicate of the now preserved J15 at Yarmouth Beach with oil burning tender in about 1948, so much to do.

 

Thanks everyone, stay safe.

[robert17649]

there was an article in a Hornby mag I think . Somebody cleverly took a J72 and made a J69, but he did use the 00chassis .

[auldreekie]

May I suggest a book which will tell you quite a lot more about Portland:

 

Gill Hackman:  "Stone to Build London - Portland's heritage" .  (Folly Books,  Monkton Farleigh,  website:  www.follybooks.co.uk)

 

It gives some geology,  a lot of history of the quarrying,  giving  considerable detail,  based largely on archival research,  on local,  national and transport context (shipping and railways);  and,  for those interested,  an extended guided tour of Portland stone sites in London.

 

Incidentally,  I really like the job you have made of those Silver Fox trams.

 

auldreekie

Edited April 3, 2020 by auldreekie

[mullie]

32 minutes ago, auldreekie said:

May I suggest a book which will tell you quite a lot more about Portland:

 

Gill Hackman:  "Stone to Build London - Portland's heritage" .  (Folly Books,  Monkton Farleigh,  website:  www.follybooks.co.uk)

 

It gives some geology,  a lot of history of the quarrying,  giving  considerable detail,  based largely on archival research,  on local,  national and transport context (shipping and railways);  and,  for those interested,  an extended guided tour of Portland stone sites in London.

 

Incidentally,  I really like the job you have made of those Silver Fox trams.

 

auldreekie

I will try and get hold of the book you suggest, a stone mine comes to within a bout 30 feet of our house and on some days we can here them working. My HLF project was all about collecting oral memories of the railway and I came across lots of other things whilst recording interviews especially about war time, though not so much about the stone trade. It is almost impossible to take my daily walk without passing a quarry whether working or disused.

 

The site of the quarry that produced stone for the centotaph is marked by a piece of Portland stone with a plaque on it though there are now houses around it. The site is opposite the museum and not far from the site of some former goods sidings known as Quarry Tip sidings.

 

Thanks for your interest everyone.

 

Martyn

[auldreekie]

Albion Stone,  who run the main (if not the only) current stone mine on Portland sometimes do trips down the mine.  It's very interesting indeed,  not least because mining is now encouraged on Portland to reduce environmental impact,  whereas in past years time out of mind mining (as opposed to open quarrying) was forbidden.

 

auldreekie

[mullie]

Just now, auldreekie said:

Albion Stone,  who run the main (if not the only) current stone mine on Portland sometimes do trips down the mine.  It's very interesting indeed,  not least because mining is now encouraged on Portland to reduce environmental impact,  whereas in past years time out of mind mining (as opposed to open quarrying) was forbidden.

 

auldreekie

I keep meaning to go down the mine as we live over the road from the entrance but we always seem to be somewhere else on those occasions. I've walked close to and seen the entrance today. The quarries are still working.

[mullie]

The J70s made their first run on the layout tonight. The Dapol crew are actually a bit tall so I will have to look for some smaller standing crew. Screw couplings have been added and windows glazed.

 

 

 

The J72 now has crew and screw couplings.

 

 

Not a great shot but through the fence you can see the path of the old railway that ran along the cliff and then back on itself into Easton. The former railway is around 100 feet lower than the path I am on at this point. You can also see how close the sea is.

 

 

Difficult to take a walk without passing a live quarry.

 

[mullie]

21 hours ago, robert17649 said:

there was an article in a Hornby mag I think . Somebody cleverly took a J72 and made a J69, but he did use the 00chassis .

There was a J65 on Pott Row bashed out of a J72 and the Comet chassis was originally built to run under it but I decided I didn't want it on the new layout, too many compromises 

 

My instructions for the model came from a very old Great Eastern Society newsletter dated in the 1980s.