Waveney Valley Line Modeller

[JoeEdwards1985]

Hello all,

 

I'm Joe. I'm 25 and I have been interested in trains and modelling all my life.

Whilst I like to make my models historically accurate for the sake of interest I am not too fussy and it will always be about playing trains rather than counting rivets and bricks.

Now that I am old enough and independent enough to have a large 'train set' I have decided to attempt to build a layout based loosely on my home town of Bungay (pronounced 'bun-gee' in the East Anglian accent ) on the Waveney Valley Line which ran between Tivetshall in South Norfolk and Beccles in North Suffolk and now lies beneath the A143.

My chosen time period will be 1942-45 when the line was used to supply the many local air bases, both British and American, which launched day-and-night bomber attacks on Germany and its occupied territories. This will allow plenty of interest with sidings full of bomb laden wagons waiting to be unloaded, passenger trains bringing American bomber crews to 'Town' for some R'n'R, goods trains bringing building materials and machinery for the construction of new airfields and of course the normal traffic associated with rural branch line life in East Anglia - sheep for Bungay's ancient wool trade, ingredients for brewing and coal for Bungay's coal merchant (s?). I hope to get the sense of a quiet rural town 'invaded' by the American War machine in the 1940's and at the same time have enough going on to make it fun to operate.

 

This will take me a fair amount of time as it is my first serious layout. I have most of the locos, rolling stock and track work etc. Time to make a start!

 

I have decided to join RMweb so I can bounce ideas around and ask for advice but I am new to forums in general so I hope I get the ettiquette right . I must say, the modelling forums have already been very helpful.

 

Cheers

 

Joe

[Pennine MC]

I am new to forums in general so I hope I get the ettiquette right .

 

You've made a good start Joe. Not sure how this post has got overlooked (they dont usually), but hello

['CHARD]

Hehehehe... I didn't overlook it, but I didn't want to post first with 'you've spelt Waverley line wrong' !!!

 

Welcome to the finest baby trains site around, Joe. You'll find all sorts of useful things on here, and then the dross the rest of us contribute

 

Good luck with Bungay, jumping in at the deep end is the only way.

[cnw6847]

Hello Joe,

 

Sounds like you've got an excellent idea there, what scale are you doing?

 

Are you making the layout portable, you could possibly exhibit round these parts ( I live in Barsham )

 

Just out of the interest the Waveney valley club are based in Barsham.

[JoeEdwards1985]

Sounds like you've got an excellent idea there, what scale are you doing?

 

Are you making the layout portable, you could possibly exhibit round these parts ( I live in Barsham )

 

Just out of the interest the Waveney valley club are based in Barsham.

 

 

As there is more rtr gear available in 00 gauge I am using that. It is also what I am familiar with from when I was very young!

 

I don't think it will be of a good enough standard to exhibit, certainly not for a long time as I should imagine I will be trying several techniques (scenic, electrical etc) that are new to me. Most of my previous modelling experiance comes from wargaming and airfix kits. This is a much more adventurous undertaking than I'm used to but is something I've been dreaming of doing for a few years and haven't had the space/funds to do so, until now. It will nevertheless be portable-ish. The base boards are 6'x2' each and will be joined (method yet to be established) so as to be dismantleable, so maybe one day .

 

I cycle through Barsham on my way to work to work every day. That hill is murder!

 

I had no idea there was a club nearby but I have just googled it. Looks great. A pity I have to work thursday evenings at the moment.

I would certainly be interested in getting involved. Are there many other LNER modellers? I'd love to get some advice on which rolling stock kits are the best/most accurate for Bungay etc.

 

Do you know if anyone else has modeled any part of the Waveney Valley Line?

 

Thankyou for the tip.

 

And thankyou all for the hellos.

 

Joe

[Bernard Lamb]

Hi Joe,

An interesting choice. There was a piece on the old forum about the station buildings at Pulham. One of the computer experts might be able to point you in that direction. There is a book that gives quite a bit of information on the line. Branches & Byways East Anglia by John Brodrib. Well worth a read. I note the period that you intend to model and am looking forward to your depiction of a Pulham Pig. WW11 was probably the busiest period in the history of the line. In more recent times I have ridden cycle time trials on the A143. Don't remember too much detail other than that it was always windy.

Bernard

 

Edit.

The Pigs would have gone by WW11 but the shed would still have been there.

[PhilM]

Hello Joe

 

I am interested in a similar X-country branch a bit further south - and also WW2 period. I suggest you join the GER Society (google it) for loads of help and information on the line and Bungay in particular - they have an online forum you can join too.

 

Suitable RTR stock is a bit limited - unless you use a very healthy dollup of modellers licence.

You may have already realised this but Bachmann Austerity 2-8-0 in WD livery is actually the most likely of available models - they were heavily used on bomb trains - use open wagons for these with tarpaulins.

 

Phil

[cnw6847]

Hi Joe,

 

I'm not a member of the club with Thursdays being awkward with work myself, so am not sure if theres much LNER modelling going on amongst the members.

 

Have you got some of the local books?

[frisby]

You might find this site useful.

 

WORLD WAR TWO RAILWAY STUDY GROUP

http://www.saxoncourtbooks.co.uk/ww2rsg/index.htm

 

Andy

[Pint of Adnams]

Hi Joe,

 

Welcome to RMWeb. There's some good advice already been given, but some could be improved on.

 

1. Nothing wrong with your spelling of Waveney - it's Chard who's in completely the wrong part of the country;

 

2. There is hardly any suitable RTR in 4mm (or any scale for that matter) for GE lines, and particularly the branches. Despite a concerted effort by RMWebbers to promote a J15, N7, D16 and others no luck so far. If you want to know what's available, and a whole lot more useful information, see this rather large PDF file on the GERS website. The main motive power was J15s for goods and passenger workings, E4s, F4s and F5s for passenger workings, occasional N7s, and sometimes a B12 and rarely a Claud. The line's restricted route availability ruled out anything as heavy as the ex-WD suggested by PhilM;

 

3. Whilst Branches and Byways - East Anglia by John Brodribb has a chapter on the Waveney Valley Line it's pretty pricey at £35. You do get a lot of other delicious GE material to go with it though. Try requesting a copy through the local library in Bungay. A better book is Tivetshall to Beccles, Graham Kenworthy and Richard Adderson, Middleton Press at £15-95;

 

4. I appreciate that the Waveney MRC club night may not be convenient but you should nevertheless try and make contact with them, for a club can provide a lot of help and advice. I believe that they hold the occasional open meeting and then of course there is the main event, the show at St Felix School in Southwold over the first weekend in August. This is their website, but I was having troubling opening it as I composed this;

 

5. Finally, if you are genuinely interested in the GER then the GER Society is worth joining - there are several RMWebbers who are members.

 

Good luck with your planned layout.

[PhilM]

Pint

I cannot say for sure that Austrities worked on the Waveney Valley, but they definitely did on the Colne Valley even though they were not supposed to - something about there being a war on I suspect. The CVHR would normally see nothing larger than a J15 or E4, the biggest would be a Claud on a Sunday excursion - much like the Waveney Valley. Bomb trains were usually broken up to be worked on the branch by J15s but not always. So I would hazard a guess that of currently available RtR locos, an Austerity in WD liverey would be the most likely to be seen on the Waveney Valley during WW2.

 

But , Joe, I supose the answer is - run whatever you fancy, it's your railway and you can make up any story you want to - my CVHR line has been "upgraded" because of its strategic importance and regularly sees B17s and B12s on excursions (peace time), troop trains (wartime) and x-countrys, J39 on freight, the aforementoned Austerity on bomb trains and it might even see the new Bachmann O4!

 

Phil

[JoeEdwards1985]

Thankyou all for your replies.

 

Bernard,

 

I know Pulham Station but alas it is about 14 miles away so I won't be adding any airship sheds, although the thought does appeal

I also cycle along the A143 quite often (though much slower than you, I would suspect) and the Homersfield Goods shed is still there and is quite an impressive railway building. There are a few disused box vans along the route to be seen being used as sheds on farms.

 

My idea is to model Bungay station and goods yard in the centre and at either end sacrifice truth and scale distance for modelling interest by putting Wainford Maltings at Ditchingham Dam directly to the East of the station (rather than the 3/4 mile scale distance) and by missing out Earsham Station entirely and putting the Earsham bomb siding directly to the West of Bungay's platform thus missing out about a mile of scale distance open track. Hope that makes sense.

 

I think there were troops billeted at the maltings as well as it being a vital war industry so it should make an intersting piece, though I won't fit the whole thing on. I have bought a metcalfe brewery kit which I am hoping to kit bash with scale scenes brick etc to depict the entrance to the brewery siding which I think ran through the middle of the site parallel to Pirnough Street. It's real life counterpart is currently in the process of being demolished.

 

cnw6847,

I have 'Tivetshall to Beccles' by Kenworthy and Adderson which is my main source. I have used the track plan in it to do a rough layout of the goods yard and station.

 

Frisby,

Thanks for the link. Looks like it will be a lot of help.

 

Pint Of Adnams and PhilM,

Thankyou both for the heads-up on the GER society. I will have a look tomorrow.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I remember reading that technically only about half of the line had a restricted loading gauge - I think from Ditchingham to Beccles, if my terrible memory sees fit to serve me. So with a bit of imagination I could squeeze something like a WD or an O4 on there up the Earsham end. I vaguely recall reading something about an 04 armour plate working to Lowestoft which went through Halesworth so they were in the area but not necessarily on the line. I like the fact that "there's a war going on y'know" and so unusual locos and rolling stock could make there way through Bungay on official WD business; it gives me a degree of creative licence. This being said I would like to avoid anything too drastically implausible.

 

This link has a lovely bit about a 'full blown London express. A proper engine with corridor coaches' at Bungay dropping off evacuees from Gravesend. What counted as a 'full blown London express' however is uncertain to me. I would love to be able to have an A4 evacuee train cameo! *dreams*

http://www.berneyarm...les_railway.htm

 

At the moment I have a Bachmann J72 (wartime black livery) Dapol J94 in WD green livery, two Hornby B12's, one in green livery and one in wartime black livery. Apparently the B12's are not particularly accurately realised models and the detail is certainly not as good as the new stuff I've seen. Does anyone know of any way to detail up one of these models or maybe get a replacement super-detailed loco body from a 3rd party? In my experiance of wargaming there seems to be huge market in 'improving' the big companies' stuff. Is there something similar for the model railway scene? I have seen a picutre of a B12 (I think in BR livery though) sat in Bungay station.

 

I have also been given, by well wishing loved ones, a J83 (from the old Smokey set) which I know was never seen south of Scotland but, again, I'm hoping there is some kind of third party kit which I can use to make the chassis, wheels and motor into something useful...?

My final loco was also a gift. A Stanier 8F in wartime LNER black. This I know is probably wildly inaccurate but maybe I can make up an excuse for it to pass by

 

I'm quite into the idea at building a kit loco if anyone could recommend something relatively easy and appropriate?

I have also been looking at Parkside Dundas wagon kits... Are these ok for the Waveney Valley? Particularly the extra long CCT and the grain wagon? If I should be asking any of this in a different area of the forum please excuse me and kindly point me the right way

 

I am also having problems with opening the Waveney club's site but it worked the other day so I'm sure it will be back up. I will indeed get in contact.

 

I will get down to the library and order a copy of Branches and Byways!

 

PhilM,

The tip about tarpaulins is a great help. I had nightmare visions of casting hundreds of 1.76 scale bombs! I actually have some 00 gauge LNER tarps which I have yet to fit to some PO (requisitioned) open wagons. Would these tarps be appropriate do you think or would they have been War Department issue?

 

I will make do with two or three wagons in Earsham siding with the tarps off to get the idea across.

 

 

 

Great stuff guys.

 

Thanks again your time and advice is much appreciated.

 

Joe

[PhilM]

Joe

 

Forum protocol probably suggests you start a new thread in a more suitable location as this area is really to introduce youself.

 

But anyway LNE tarps on PO opens is fine. Any railway company tarp is probably fine for 2 reasons - I dont know but they were possibly pooled, or tarps would have been used from the originating source and many bomb factories were i the midlands and north west or they cam in through the west coast ports - so GW and LMS would have been common. I dont think WD wagons/tarps would have been at all common or used in general traffic at all - if they had of been they would turn up commonly in post war photos - and they dont - I suspect that WD wagons were mostly used internally on larger wd sites (but that is speculation!). BY the way an Austerity in LNER livery is not appropriate - they were post war.