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

[Alex TM]

Hi again,

 

There is only one, real, problem with that wagon books and its companion volumes - you will be tempted to build even more wagons because of the inspiration and nice pictures.

 

You have been warned!

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[mullie]

46 minutes ago, Alex TM said:

Hi again,

 

There is only one, real, problem with that wagon books and its companion volumes - you will be tempted to build even more wagons because of the inspiration and nice pictures.

 

You have been warned!

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

I have something that  usually slows my building of items down, it is called work!

 

 

[mullie]

The new fiddle yard in action.

 

A train is prepared to run into the station. Each one needs a loco and a stock cassette. The stock cassettes have fishplates as does each track onto the layout. Each cassette has brass rods to stop escaping stock.

 

 

To run round a passenger train the cassettes are swapped and the Claud is drawing forward onto the train. This is quite a lot of effort for a train that runs about two feet!

 

 

The train has now arrived in the fiddle yard and the cassettes can be separated. The Claud doesn't now go onto Upbech as it is too heavy for the line into the Fens, same for the J39.

 

 

I think I knocked the idea of using fishplates from Chris Nevard. The idea is dead simple and very flexible, in the past I have used aluminium angle and built traversers. As I get older I tend to do things in a much simpler way. I used to digitally control paintwork and still have two Lenz modules, don't think they will ever get used now.

[mullie]

Started laying sleepers for what will be inlaid track on the board between the fiddle yard/ station and Upbech. This is just two feet long and I would like to try and create working wagon turntable. Inspiration is really from Heybridge Basin near Maldon in Essex. Also been playing with buildings.

 

 

[mullie]

The mineral wagons have turned into quite a major lock down project and they are now ready for the weathering shop.

 

 

 

In other news a J15 is dropping off a loaded coal wagon and collected the empty, soon it will go onto Upbech and collect a couple of full beet wagons and drop the empties.

 

[hayfield]

On 04/08/2020 at 17:16, mullie said:

Started laying sleepers for what will be inlaid track on the board between the fiddle yard/ station and Upbech. This is just two feet long and I would like to try and create working wagon turntable. Inspiration is really from Heybridge Basin near Maldon in Essex. Also been playing with buildings.

 

 

We live 5 miles away from Maldon and Heybridge Basin is one of our favorite local laces to visit, locally there are some quite exquisite old properties that would lend themselves to being modelled 

 

As for the wagon turntable, I assume it would more likely have been at Maldon rather than Heybridge ? A High Level Fly shunter unit or two may come in handy  

[mullie]

It will be Heybridge combined with Wells, Blakeney, Woodbridge and any where else I can think of in my usual 'broad brush' style. Too much time spent with creative people during my career to pin it down to one place.

 

I fancy the challenge of trying rope shunting hence the turntable. Saw a working model demonstrated at the Bridport exhibition in January though that was in O gauge. I spent quite a lot of time talking to the layout owner.

 

Thanks for looking everyone.

[mullie]

It has been a productive week! The track for the final board has been built laid and wired, this short video of dubious quality shows the new board as the J39 runs from one end to the other. The white card helped bridge the difference in height between the two boards already constructed because of my dubious carpentry. The lack of sleepers is because I wanted to test the track work before adding in the rest. The track will all be inset so won't be fully sleepered.

 

 

The siding hasn't been built because I want to install a wagon turntable, I've just found one by PH designs but that only seems to be available in 00 and I'm not convinced by 3d prints unless anyone knows anything about these? Otherwise I will scratchbuild.

 

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/recreation21?page[number]=1&page[limit]=48&page[order]=asc&s=0&section=wagon+turntables

 

Next job is to try and improve the lighting using the LEDs removed from Pott Row.

Edited August 15, 2020 by mullie

[mullie]

Latest job has been to improve the lighting on the layout. I have used recycled LEDs recovered from Pott Row powered by the trusty duet which is now 43 years old. This has evened the lighting out across the layout.

 

 

These are shots taken in the new lighting, there is a small amount of over exposure so will experiment to get the level right.

 

 

[Alister_G]

That's looking great mate, really good.

 

Al.

[mullie]

Also available in black and white.

 

 

[mullie]

Two wooden bodied wagons nearing the end of life in the 1960s

 

 

Two weathered Bachmann wagons, couplings will be fitted soon along with the recently completed mineral wagons. The strange shadow is because the layout cover had only been partially pulled back.

[mullie]

For me lockdown sort of really comes to an end next Thursday when the school where I work reopens, the first time I will have been back full time since mid March. Because of an ongoing health condition I wasn't allowed to return to work in June though I worked from home setting online work. With ever changing guidance both my wife and I have been kept busy throughout the summer. As music teachers/musicians we are affected by all the problems around singing and the playing of wind instruments.

 

Recently I have been reviewing progress on the layout and not having to spend time sitting in traffic and using my coffee break etc to complete small tasks means what has been achieved probably would have taken at least until the end of the year in normal circumstances.

 

This is also because we haven't been able to go away this year either on foreign holidays or to visit family so I have definitely had more time. To be honest this hasn't been a bad place to be stuck, many other people clearly have the same idea, the area is rammed with tourists making travel very challenging. At certain times of the day it can take 30-45 minutes to travel the 7 miles from here to Weymouth.

 

I will break progress down into different areas and today I thought I would start with developing and improving the layout.

 

Back in March pointwork was constructed using Templot plans.

 

 

This was up and running in about six weeks. Here it is in 1960s mode with kadee fitted stock.

 

The fiddle yard was improved.

 

And many cassettes constructed.

 

 

Most recently the lighting was revamped and a further board added. Upbech is now the end of the line, the third board is working but trackwork is unfinished as I plan to install a working wagon turntable, more of which soon.

 

 

The third board is in the foreground of the last shot. This track will be inlaid hence the incomplete sleeping. More on rolling stock etc to follow.

Edited August 29, 2020 by mullie

[mullie]

A small number of locos were detailed/improved during lock down.

 

The Claud with its EM Gibson wheels was weathered.

 

 

The J70s had separate handrails fitted, glazing, screw couplings and a new paint finish.

 

 

And locos need crew, these are the Dapol ex Airfix crew.

 

 

Latest project was to fit branch lines wheels to the Bachmann stub axles on the Derby Lightweight. Once I worked out how to dismantle the bogies this was easy. It already has passengers and relevant destination blinds, just need to work out how to turn down the onboard lighting. I'm hoping this can be done by adjusting CVs? No doubt it is not that simple.

 

[mullie]

Final reflection on lockdown. First is a Dapol brake van in LMS post war livery with new roof, buffers and separate handrails.

 

 

Hornby BR brake van is now weathered.

 

 

The four mineral wagons as well as two wooden bodied opens were completed. Details on these wagons are only a few posts back so I won't bore with the details.

 

 

There has been progress on the layout too, photos to follow soon including scenic developments and progress on the Hornby 08 and its conversion to a class 10 shunter.

[mike morley]

Re the Dapol, ex-Airfix crew.  Since the 1960's, if not before, they have been cast from some sort of soap that was impossible to paint, yet yours look fine.  Have Dapol changed the formula to something more user-friendly or do you have some arcane skill I'm sure many would like you to share with us?

[mullie]

1 hour ago, mike morley said:

Re the Dapol, ex-Airfix crew.  Since the 1960's, if not before, they have been cast from some sort of soap that was impossible to paint, yet yours look fine.  Have Dapol changed the formula to something more user-friendly or do you have some arcane skill I'm sure many would like you to share with us?

Undercoat in either Tamiya or Halfords grey rattle can primer and then painted with artists acrylic mainly dry brushed. I sometimes finish with a wash of diluted black ink.

 

Thanks for the interest.

[mullie]

More greenery detail has been added now the layout has no exhibition  deadlines to meet, shame really as I was looking forward to taking it to SWAG. Not sure if it will ever appear at an  exhibition now. Some scatchbuilt trees behind the loco dept and a small pile of ash and wheel barrow to suggest activity.

 

 

A general view across the station, more lush vegetation.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by mullie

[mullie]

The latest shots were taken with a Nikon D3100 I inherited some years ago when our eldest artist daughter, then a sixth from student, upgraded her camera to a Canon Eos. She is now a qualified art teacher - where did those years go! Just playing really but some have come out quite nice and I've had a play in the Fotor programme available for Mac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think the recent scenic changes have added something to the view of what is a very small layout.

 

Thanks for looking,

Edited September 5, 2020 by mullie

[manna]

On 26/07/2020 at 02:58, Alex TM said:

Hi again,

 

There is only one, real, problem with that wagon books and its companion volumes - you will be tempted to build even more wagons because of the inspiration and nice pictures.

 

You have been warned!

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

 

G'Day Folks

 

I'm in agreement, but with me it's GN loco's.

 

manna

[mullie]

Couple more from the latest photo session.

 

 

[mullie]

Had a go at building a wagon turntable. Cut it out of 40 thou plasticard including a base using an Olfa cutter, knocked up a crossing using some PCB, solder and rail. It does turn, just need to work out how to shunt with a rope/chain, operate the turntable and set up the capstans. Eventually this will be a harbourside coal yard. All track will be inset hence the sleepering. I will overhaul various buildings I have built over the years to create the scene.

 

 

J15 shunts a wagon onto the turntable. The crossing and subsequent siding is unlikely to be powered.

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by mullie

[mullie]

Gradually working out how to operate the extended version of the layout. The quay scene with the wagon turntable is acting as a link between the new station board and Upbech, it also acts as the headhunt to Upbech imposing a limit of up to four wagons being shunted at any one time. What this also means is that two trains can be on the layout at any one time and there can be deliberate pauses in operation so nothing is rushed just as a line like this would have been worked and in all in an 8 X 1 space.

 

A J15 is delivering empty beet wagons and collecting one full wagon and other wagons for onward travel.

 

 

Meanwhile a Claud has arrived with a local passenger train and after a pause is running round. I hope to build the platform soon, station buildings will be those seen on the last incarnation of Pott Row as will the signal box.

 

 

The coaches still have oo gauge mark 3 couplings on them, they look positively medieval compared to the adapted 3mm mark 1s I now use.

 

 

[mullie]

Last of the recent photo shoot, there is progress, photos coming soon.

 

 

 

 

 

[mullie]

Some progress worth photographing. The 08 is almost a class 10 shunter with hinge and handrail detail modified according to photos I have found online. Gibson wheels, PDH steps, Kadee couplings. Class 10s seemed quite common on freight trains along Norfolk branches so I felt a March based example could have found itself travelling to Upbech, in the longer term it will probably be replaced with an 04 perhaps skirt fitted. That is a long way off.

 

 

 

now need to number the other side and finish the weathering. This model is around 16 years old and still runs well.