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

[mullie]

Nice quick job, a coal stage loosely based on that at Buntingford. Not quite straightforward as it does have to follow a curve.

 

[Oldddudders]

Really good to see this all coming together. Some classy modelling here.

[manna]

G'Day Gents

 

Always look forward to your updates.

 

manna

[mullie]

 When designing this layout I never wanted a sleepy branch line and perhaps this series of photos demonstrates how busy this small layout can be.

 

Photo 1 shows the mpd at the start of this particular session. The water crane has now gone as I can't get it to fit visually so I will be ordering a replacement from Holt Models in the near future. The BoB is not out of place but has yet to assume the correct identity. Three locos so far

 

 

Photo 2 shows  a short goods which is being shunted by the J70 and the 08 behind it. In the foreground is the Derby Lightweight ( yes I know the Lightweight and tram shouldn't be seen together!) That's another two locos plus DMU. This train arrived behind the J70 in the previous shot.

 

 

The J70 having left, another freight arrives behind the J39. This loco will drop and collect a couple of vans as it is assumed this train will take loaded vans of fruit to London. This loco will take water whilst here but this usually involves blocking the mainline which is ok at this time of day (just).

 

 

Last shot shows the mpd at the end of this session. The BoB has gone having taken the London train back, it can't be serviced at the mpd but is turned. Were their problems watering these locos whilst in East Anglia? The tender sides (and this one does appear to be correct though I'm happy to be corrected) appear too high for a conventional water crane and they couldn't pick up from water troughs. I seem to remember reading somewhere that new water cranes had to be installed/modified at southern depots on their introduction is that correct?

 

The V3 brought in the through coaches to attach to the back of the London train. Note that any locos seen in the first shot have moved. The nearest road has the pit and water, the back road is for coal if required. Hopefully I've got the process right but I'm still learning so please be kind!.

 

 

All in all a busy station and this only the platform you can see!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mullie]

Made a few changes to parts of the layout this week as follows:

 

Added a platform to the front of the factory to make it visually more interesting.

 

 

 

Added a walkway across the tracks in front of the signal box.

 

 

 

Finished the coal stage and added a Ratio hut for crews to rest in. 

 

 

You can also see the ash pit in this shot.

 

 

The powers that be in the factory decided they wanted to be able to replenish the locos shunting the complex without leaving the site. Coal stage is built from balsa and water crane left over from the Wills water tower kit.

 

[Classsix T]

I've been following your thread for some time now Mullie, and have been pleasantly content to let you "get on with it", as you are doing it so well! I've not needed to comment, inform or impose about anything you're doing, keep on keeping on.

I'll be unleashing "Akenfield" on RMWeb soon which will be rural Suffolk 1959, as you can imagine, "Pott Row" is not a million miles from my project so of major interest.

 

All the best, C6T.

Edited February 21, 2014 by Classsix T

[mullie]

Adding small details time. A lamp hut has been built though the site is not ready as I really must not put off building the MSE signals any longer. Going to start with some GE ground signals, though they will be dummies rather than working. In the meantime I've added some point levers to the yard points.

 

 

 

[mullie]

Another little job, the first ground signal from MSE parts. Although the instructions say solder, as I tend to do most of my modelling on our dining room table during the evenings as it is a bit more sociable than the garage I used superglue. Seems to have worked ok. The signal is non working as my drilling skills weren't good enough to drill all the  way through the white metal parts. I have three more to build and each one takes me around an hour and they weren't as difficult to build as I thought they would be.

 

 

 

 

Didn't quite get the balance weights in line but this shot is cruelly close. The signal is actually tiny and the discrepancy doesn't show from normal viewing distance.

[mullie]

Finished the remaining disc signals today and to my utter surprise all three work so now I've got to work out how to add working ground signals to the layout, something I'd not planned for.

 

First shot shows one in the final phase of construction held in place with blu tack:

 

 

Next two show all four signals including the non working one:

 

 

Now you can see them with some of the heads rotated:

 

 

 

[mullie]

Yet another difficult week at work so spent the last couple of hours shunting the factory with an 08 and the J70 and despatched a short freight to the Fens whilst listening to some great soul music. Feel better now!

 

This really is a great hobby.

[mullie]

Installed the ground discs today. 

 

 

They look really good and the three in this picture rotate as well. However, the front and back ones do need moving as they are fouled by stock, still the look is promising and they can eventually be made to work as well.

 

[NXEA!]

This is one of the finest layouts on RMWeb IMO. Your attention to detail such as the oil/cinder/water patches on the platform road and your modelling skills know no bounds. You've certainly inspired me to be a bit more ambitious - keep it up!

[mullie]

Moving the time frame back has meant some unusual challenges not least coaching stock. There was some debate a while ago on another thread as to whether it was possible to remove the lining from the Hornby model and if anyone was brave enough to try on something so expensive. 

 

Well I am that person. Over the last week or so I have carefully tried to remove the lining so I can model an all third in post war teak. The lining was very carefully removed using a combination of a small screwdriver and a new  bradawl removing very small amounts at a time. Once the lining was removed I used an artists coloured pencil to put some colour back in and once the model has been weathered I hope everything will blend in. Can anyone advise on where I might find suitable numbers for an all third in the Kings Lynn area or one that could have travelled in and best supplier for correct style numbers.

 

It is still a work in progress but this is how the model looks as of today with lining mostly removed

 

 

 

Doesn't even look bad outside in natural light.

 

 

This photo shows just how much of a change there has been:

 

 

Next job is to detail the interior and I fancy putting some lighting inside.

 

It was a nice day for it, set up in our dining room with the door open into the garden and the Ipod (Chilli Peppers and Jeff Buckley today) playing it was all quite pleasant. I prefer where possible to work indoors and as both our daughters are keen artists there are always things to cover the table even if this one is pink. This was my work bench today:

 

 

I tend to keep a small project on the go using a tea tray, something I can sit and do at the end of a working day setting up quickly, often when everyone else is in bed. Latest projects below:

 

Edited March 29, 2014 by mullie

[mullie]

As well as working on coaching stock I also decided to blend in the altered numbering on the V3. The loco was weathered many years ago but a lot was removed when I removed the logo from the side tanks and changed the number.

 

The weathering was completed using artists acrylics and charcoal that has been ground to a very fine powder. This creates texture and give the paint a sheen, the effect I am after is that of a work stained loco in general use. Everything is applied using a brush as I don't have an air brush.The loco is seen having bought in the through coaches for London that will be taken onward by a Bulleid pacific, eventually to become 34059 on loan. In the first photo you can see one of the new ground discs correctly in the off position. The loco is Westinghouse pump fitted.

 

 

 

[mjcampbell]

I have a more advanced version of the tea tray, where most of my modelling gets done!

 

[mullie]

Not posted for a few weeks as things have been very busy and been away visiting family in Essex. As well as giving me the chance to catch up with family we also visited Maldon to see its muddy creeks, old buildings and fantastic barges all within an hour or so of central London. Also a chance to show the children the peculiarity of an inland port something they have not seen growing up in Dorset.

 

Managed a bit of modelling in very small bursts on the trusty tea tray. Having decided to back date the teak all third coach I also decided to add some interior detail and am currently adding lighting as the layout can be operated at night. Photos show progress so far. I bought some interior kits off Ebay but didn't use most of it as my personal preference was for something more subdued so out came the paints. The figures are a cheap batch off Ebay as well, I wouldn't use them where they can be seen properly but they are fine as passengers. All were painted using a dark undercoat with progressively lighter dry brushing.

 

First shots show the 1st/3rd brake interior 

 

 

 

Now the all third

 

 

 

Hope to finish adding lighting tomorrow. And to think most of the above won't be seen!

 

Oh, and I've also started a baseboard for a new micro layout to replace Upbech. This will have an urban theme, probably post steam and will be built with the intention of exhibiting if invited. Pott Row comes apart quite easily but was never designed to move regularly, there are three transformers running the layout including an H&M Duette running all four outputs (mainly for lighting) and in addition the mpd board has a combi running the turntable!

[mullie]

Finished the carriage lighting this morning (before building a wardrobe!). First shot shows the  Gresley all third:

 

 

Next two show the coaches as they would appear running on the layout at night. There is bleed below the bodies as they aren't finally attached. They will be going through the weathering shop before rejoining the layout.

 

 

 

Coaches carrying passengers wouldn't be stabled here it was just the best way to get a preliminary shot of the effect. Possibly lights are a little bright.

[mullie]

Early days in the weathering process. Main body sides have been given washes of very thin dark grey mixed with artists charcoal. Much of has then been removed and as water based paint  this process can continue, I'm just a little concerned that despite referring to photos the teak coach may now be a little dark so I may need to remove more Roofs weathered with dark paint and charcoal to give texture then dusted with talc with dry to lift the colour slightly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting isn't working in the teak coach because it needs to be connected to the brake. Now need to get on with weathering the underframes as I separated the bodies to work on the basic colouring.

 

Yes I do know about the foot board on the bogie, they are so fragile and so easily caught when working on anything.

[Fenman]

... Coaches carrying passengers wouldn't be stabled here it was just the best way to get a preliminary shot of the effect. Possibly lights are a little bright.

 

Pott Row is in my part of the world so, unsurprisingly, I love this layout.

 

I wanted to comment on light: I remember when Routemasters were refurbished in the early 1990s, LT's design director lamented the one battle he had lost - he wanted the lighting to be as subdued and yellow as the original from the 1950s. He believed that all LT's public assets of that period and earlier - buses, trains, stations - were designed to emit a "warm" night-time glow, to be welcoming beacons for the communities they served. Modern fluorescent lighting was, in his view, far too harsh and made the assets feel like cold and clinical spaces.

 

I think our changing attitudes to artificial lighting are one of the big aesthetic differences between the 1950s and today.

 

Paul

[mullie]

Pott Row is in my part of the world so, unsurprisingly, I love this layout.

 

I wanted to comment on light: I remember when Routemasters were refurbished in the early 1990s, LT's design director lamented the one battle he had lost - he wanted the lighting to be as subdued and yellow as the original from the 1950s. He believed that all LT's public assets of that period and earlier - buses, trains, stations - were designed to emit a "warm" night-time glow, to be welcoming beacons for the communities they served. Modern fluorescent lighting was, in his view, far too harsh and made the assets feel like cold and clinical spaces.

 

I think our changing attitudes to artificial lighting are one of the big aesthetic differences between the 1950s and today.

 

Paul

What a great comment, I remember the lighting in buses during the 70s and 80s in Essex and London and think you have confirmed what I thought, that the lighting needs to be dimmer.

 

Many thanks.

[john flann]

I've just found this and delighted with what I have seen. I look forward to more.

 

Regards,

[lmsforever]

Fine layout the coaches look great with the lighting enhancing the workmanship,yes the lighting in RT,s RF,s and trolleybuses was much easier on the eye than the in your face modern versions plus the annoying anouncments of the next stop(I am known as being grouchy)!!!!!

[mullie]

Have my 50th birthday in the summer so ordered a present to myself this weekend, a Hornby J15 in LNER livery and D16 in as early BR livery as appears available. I've found a shot of now preserved 65462 at Yarmouth Beach around 1949 with BR number on the cab side attached to a former Great Eastern oil burning tender still lettered LNER. That would make a great model but I assume the tender is not available even as a kit.

 

I had started to gather parts to build a D16 based around an old Hornby L1 chassis and a resin body, won't need to bother now. As the L1 was the first loco ever bought for me age 13. I'd like to try making a decent model out of it just for fun though would involve a serious makeover.

[mullie]

Apart from blackening the wheels (because I forgot!) the Gresleys are now more or less finished, interiors with lighting finished. The intention was to portray one coach in Carmine and Cream livery  that is fairly well kept although on all the photos I've seen dirt seemed to gather nearly everywhere and there were problems applying the paint over the previous finish. Main job seemed to be removing weathering once applied using a damp cotton bud

 

 

 

 

The all third portrays a coach still in LNER livery and numbering that has clearly seen better days.

 

 

 

 

 

They haven't been renumbered as I couldn't find suitable numbers so that will have to wait for another day, in the meantime they can earn their keep on the layout.

[ginger j]

That's some seriously impressive weathering work there Mullie... I once tried weathering some old Hornby teak clerestories using a similar method.....with mixed results. Your job is a lot better than mine, shall we say!

 

Keep up the good work,

GJ