Elsbridge Tramway Company: Elsbridge Town - NeilHB's layout

[kingfisher9147]

lovely, just needs some figures to go with it

[NeilHB]

The bus is nearly finished now, just a few bits to touch up round the windows, and then I need to source a couple of passengers and a crew for it:

Rather pleased with how this has turned out. 
 

Last night was the bi-weekly Trent Valley Area Group virtual pub meeting, and so I settled down in front of the laptop with a sheet of plasticard and a bit of a plan. By the time we’d adjourned at 10.30 pm, I’d assembled the basic bodywork for ETCo No.2 “Sigrid”, and had cut out the main bodywork parts for No.3 “Gerda”. The current No.3 “Sigmund” will now become No.4 to make way for these:

 

 

Both will be vertical boiler locomotives like No.1 “Godred”, but with a few differences. 
 

What do you think?

[NeilHB]

Both coffee pot tram locos are now assembled:

 

And I’ve made a start on adding the beading/panelling to them:

 

Sadly I’ve now run out, but the beading/panelling on “Gerda” is more or less complete except on the ends which are waiting for the bufferbeams to be constructed. 
 

 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Neil, you are assembling quite a fleet!

 

Cheers, Ade.

[NeilHB]

Bufferbeams and all beading have now been completed on “Gerda” and “Sigrid” thanks to a timely delivery of plastic strip.

I need to sort out the steps next, and then I can start on the interior detailing. 

I’ve also been experimenting with the tramways luggage van, turning it into a guards/luggage van with the insertion of a pair of windows in either end:

What do you think please folks? 

[NeilHB]

I did some further work over the weekend on the former luggage van.

 

After some doodling:

 

And cutting and sticking:

 

Its now a Guards van with a decent compartment for parcels, luggage, small consignments of goods traffic. 
 

Still plenty to do but I like how it’s turned out now - much more useful. 
 

What do you think folks? 

[Adrian Stevenson]

I think that works quite well.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[Corbs]

Looks great, like an SG version of the TR van.

[NeilHB]

Thanks Ade and Corbs. There’s definite NG influence with the van as I’ve been looking at photos of the Corris, Glyn Valley and TR examples for inspiration. 

 

I’ve now put the luggage/parcels/guards van to one side for a few days whilst I make a start on the next project.

I blame @Andrew Young for making me start on these - we’ve been discussing tramcars for the last couple of days, and I figured it was about time that I actually got on with the next pair of them for Elsbridge!

As usual, these are made from Testors San Francisco cable car kits (3 kits giving me enough parts to make 2 tramcars with 6 windows), and are an All Third and a First/Third Composite (to the rear):

 

The rest of the bodywork is from 40” plastic sheet, with plastic strip for the chassis and beading. I’ve got a couple of ideas that I want to try out for the end steps, and I also need to wait for the W-Irons and wheels to arrive from Slaters before I can do much more as that will determine height of the bufferbeams etc. 
 

Not bad for a few hours work over the last couple of evenings. 

What do you think please folks? 

[NeilHB]

And then there were four! It seems that the tramcars multiply if left unattended for a period of time...

Three All Thirds and a First/Third Composite, with a further Composite to sort next and that’ll be the basic fleet sorted.

What do you think please folks?

[NeilHB]

After much faffing last night, the first of the new batch of tramcars is now up and running! These are the mk4 W-iron/axleboxes/springs combination, which bring it down to a nice low level to allow easy access from the ground level platforms along the route of the tramway.

 

I dug out my W&U 4-wheel tramcar to use for inspiration whilst sorting out the chassis, and it’s clearly much bigger all round:

 

Really must summon up the courage to tackle the balcony railings on it and get the blooming thing finished...! 

[NeilHB]

The paint shop has been busy applying the first coat of the new livery to the tramcars:

I came to the conclusion that the previous brown and cream livery just didn’t look right to me, so after much deliberation a new colour scheme has been decided upon. The main bodywork and chassis are in Precision Furness Railway coaching stock blue, and the waist panels and windows frames will be white.

 

The tramcars do look good in this scheme next to the tram locos:

 

What do you think please folks?

[NeilHB]

A few things to report since the last update.

 

The stone quarry at Anopha has acquired a new hopper wagon for dealing with loads of crushed stone:

A Mousa Models 3D print of a NER D.S1 Ironstone Hopper - very nicely done. 
 

Two of the tramcars are now up on their wheels, and the third one is awaiting an order from Slaters to progress further:

 

And last, but by no means least, a new addition to the tramway fleet:

 

 

Say hello to ETCo No.7  

 

 

[NeilHB]

ETC No.7 is coming along nicely in the paintshop:

Last night I made a start on fitting steps to the first couple of tramcars, and carried on doing that tonight - two of them are now fitted:

I also managed to sort out the third class seats in the All Third and the First/Third Composite:

As well as fitting bufferbeams to the First/Third Composite - 

A couple of additional layers of .40” plastic sheet are needed to reduce the amount of buffer stock and thread emerging from the rear of the beam. 

Rather pleased with how they are coming along though now.

What do you think please folks? 

[Edwardian]

Well, Neil, what a pleasure it's been catching up; and you've done so much!

 

As you know, this is exactly the sort of freelancing I adore.

 

 

[NeilHB]

Thanks James, much appreciated. Lockdown and working from home has certainly helped up my productivity! 

[NeilHB]

Three tramcars now with bufferbeams and steps:

Just the seats to sort in the second All Third (on the right in the photo above), and then I need to sort out the other First/Third Composite and get that up on its wheels etc. 
 

After that there’s another All Third to build to act as the spare tramcar for market days and Sunday school specials, plus a couple of luggage vans. 

[NeilHB]

Layout planning fun in the sunshine!

 

Having made absolutely zero progress on converting the garage in order to house Elsbridge, I made a decision to build myself a small layout that I can set up in the lounge (husbands suggestion actually - I think he was shocked I was actually starting to do something about the layout!). 
 

I’d acquired a small folding board from my friend Tim when he passed away, and this is now being put to good use as the base for Elsbridge Goods. I’ve taken full advantage of the lovely weather today to set the board up on the patio and have a play around to create a workable trackplan that will keep me entertained when operating.

 

We start at the left hand end of the layout:

Fiddle yard to the rear - this will be a cassette based FY enabling me to swap stock quickly and easily. At the front we have a siding serving St Pedrocs Dairy - a low relief structure which will help to mask the FY and its entrance. 
 

Moving along, we can see the entrance gate into the yard on the rear line, and the entrance into the private siding serving the  dairy. Before entering the dairy the siding will also serve a loading/cattle/livestock bank - roughly where the Wellsworth & Suddery Horsebox is sat. 
 

Future along, we can see ETC tram loco “Sigmund” worrying one of the tramways sheep wagons on the headshunt serving the dock and dairy siding. Behind is a short siding where the ex NER ironstone hopper is. 
 

At the far end, we can see that the headshunt actually becomes the siding serving the coal staithes (behind the ETC and GW opens). The PW hut in the background is standing in for a yard office, and the cottage is standing in for what will be the location of a small goods shed/lockup. I’m thinking of a small timber built structure for this. At the back of the board beyond the end of the goods shed siding will be a warehouse. I’ve got a Petite Properties Brown and Sons low relief kit which will go nicely here I think. 
 

A couple of overhead shots to finish off with:

 

 

Thoughts please folks? 

[Adrian Stevenson]

That looks really good. Nice to see the rolling stock on some track.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[NeilHB]

Thanks Ade, it feels good to actually be getting somewhere with a layout at last. 

[NeilHB]

Been feeling under the weather the last couple of weeks thanks to my asthma. Following a trip to A&E, urgent care centre and two doses of steroids and a stronger preventer inhaler later I’m now finally starting to feeling a bit better, but there’s not been much, if any, modelling to report.

 

However, I did manage to acquire a suitable chassis for the first of the new tram locos, so when it arrived yesterday I took advantage of feeling somewhat better and set about converting it from 16.5 to 32mm gauge and adjusting it to fit under ETC No.3 “Gerda”:

 

 

 

Gerda’s alive: 

 

I also managed to get No.4 “Sigmund” up and running again after it’s spent the better part of the last 6 months on the naughty shelf for refusing to work. It looks like I shall need to acquire new wheels for it though as it’s developed a rather distinctive limp/wiggle when running! 

[sir douglas]

how slow will it go?

[NeilHB]

It's a pretty smooth slow runner, hopefully even better by the time I've added some weight to the body. 

[NeilHB]

Definitely starting to feel better now as the modelling mojo is returning to normality.

 

“Sigrid” has had a coat of paint. For some years she carried a non-standard green livery. No one is quite sure why, though it has long been suspected that it was carried out at the request of the Chairman so that he could tell the twins (“Sigrid” and “Gerda”) apart easier:

 

Precision Paints LNER Loco Green (Darlington). The green suits her rather nicely I think. I’m not sure at this stage whether to go for ETCo lining colours (yellow/black) or LNER style of white/black/white. Thoughts please? 
 

Next up we have the first two North Western Railway locos to have been lettered.
 

Former Wellsworth & Suddery Railway A1(X) “Edric”:

I just to order a set of nameplates now for it to go on the sidetanks under the lettering, and decide on a suitable number to go on the bunker. 
 

ETCo G15 “Toby” has also received NWR lettering, but on one side only as the other will carry ETCo insignia:

 

The NWR lettering is from the HMRS LNWR transfer sheet - rather useful for NWR stock. 
 

What do you think please folks? 

[Edwardian]

More excellence emerging.

 

I really like the tram coaches. I'm somewhat relieved to see they aren't in ivory and green!

 

I fear people will think I'm merely building a worst version of your railway much more slowly, but we so often end up making similar choices.  I have, on the stocks, some 4mm tram coaches very much of that ilk as the West Norfolk's contribution to the coaching stock of the GER-WNR Joint Bishop's Lynn Tramway.  I am using the Hales/Keilcraft plastic tram kits for the bodies, and have two 4-wheel and 1 bogie coach in progress. Naturally G15s and W&T tram coaches represent the GE's contribution. I love the little street tram style locomotives that you seem to conjure up from almost nothing.  Again, expect similar from the West Norfolk as I have one of my own in progress! Your idea of a small freelance Edwardian railway and mine often coincide, but that is merely because we both have such excellent taste!

 

I like the idea of the goods layout (oh for an understanding spouse! Well, oh for a spouse, for that matter).  I suspect I'm not going to turn out to be much of a shunter, but it looks like fun.  Because I do not understand such things, I do not know whether the lack of a loop is problematic?  Also, it seems entirely self contained, so how does stock come off and go on the layout? 

 

I love that horsebox, BTW

 

Once again, I have really enjoyed catching up.

 

Keep the joy coming!