Ipswich in OO - Station, stabling point and top yard in 1985

[Dagworth]

More great video of Ipswich in 1987, this is exactly what I want to feature on the layout, the loco changes, but two years earlier when they started

 

Is it possible to fit smoke units in to Lima or Bachmann class 101s?

 

Andi

Edited October 18, 2023 by Dagworth

[Dagworth]

Wiring on the fifteen scenic boards is now complete except for wiring of the actual signals which aren’t built yet. Now it’s time to move on to this monstrosity, the Helixstowe transition board. 

It’s 4 ft wide where it joins the scenic part, 4 feet long, about 6ft wide where it forms one section of the helix, and about 18 inches tall over all. The helices are triple level, dropping 4 inches each spiral. This one is triple track, up and down Norwich and a single line for the East Suffolk branch. The fourth track is a

cheat from the engineers yard allowing trains that go into the yard to reach the fiddle yards below. 

Andi

[Dagworth]

January 2024 progress update

 

2022 was dedicated to building the baseboards, building the points and laying the track on the scenic part of the layout and the helices.

2023 was spent with the boards upside down wiring it and fitting point motors, track circuit modules etc, as well as building 28 out of the 30* fiddle yard boards and laying most of the fiddle yard track. The first stage of wiring is now complete, there will be additions to make as I work along the layout again but the basics are all now done and in theory the layout ought to be able to run a train along its entire length

Now as the layout enters it's third year of existence I am moving onto working on the top side again, building platform foundations, painting track, putting in troughing runs, all the things that need to be done before I can embark on every modellers favourite pastime - ballasting. One of the things I've noticed is that because I've built the layout over a printout of Google Earth the track is not particularly firmly stuck to the paper (it's glued with dilute PVA) so I need to work along all the track as I go with a sharp knife putting a nick into the print between each sleeper to allow the ballast glue to work through into the plywood to hold everything rock solid.  

 

*The last two fiddle yard boards can't be built until I have a chance to erect the whole layout and measure exactly how long they need to be! My woodwork is not accurate enough to trust that 15 lots of four foot scenic boards will exactly match 15 lots of four foot fiddle yard boards each side that sit under the scenic boards without a trial fitting.

 

I hope the more interesting part of starting scenic treatment will result in more interesting photos than the wiring, there's not really much of excitement to look at underneath unless you're into that sort of thing 

 

Andi

[Dagworth]

And so it begins… 

 

Board one is the London end of the station, some of this was ballasted previously but the platform area was untouched. The platforms are a foundation of 12mm square batten with Wills brick sheet glued to the side, this will later get the extra layers of brick at the top but just one layer is enough to allow ballasting. 
 

The missing part of the print in the platform area is where I removed a previous attempt at platform foundations in plasticard. 
 

 

Andi

[Classsix T]

I'm eager to see this behemoth up and running Andi. The sheer effort you're putting in to it is admirable and to be applauded.

I can't offer much that you're not already taking care of but I do have a fleet of blue/grey era stock doing nothing (much of it from Paul Wright's abortive post Llanbluei plans) if you're interested.

 

I shan't clog up your thread with why my stock is idle and we may be some while away from Ipswich being on the exhibition circuit but pm me if there's anything you particularly need.

I'd personally consider it an honour and privilege if my 45041 and its consist for example ran your rails from an off scene Mossend to an off scene Harwich!

 

ATB, C6T.

[Dagworth]

34 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

45041 and its consist for example ran your rails from an off scene Mossend to an off scene Harwich!

I picked up the 1985 Section LD freight working timetable recently, it's incredible just how much freight came through!

 

The Mossend is a definite need, I'll also be looking at putting together a new show team in due course for both Ipswich and Ravensclyffe.

 

Andi

Edited January 10 by Dagworth

[Dagworth]

25 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

Paul Wright's abortive post Llanbluei

Ah, I've just realised who you are referring to when I re-read your post. Paul is the brother of Keith who was a great friend of mine.

 

Andi

[Classsix T]

22 hours ago, Dagworth said:

Ah, I've just realised who you are referring to when I re-read your post. Paul is the brother of Keith who was a great friend of mine.

 

Andi

Indeed. I'd known the Wright Bros. since platform ending at Stow as nippers. Paul later roped me in for Llanbluei when I started going to the Railway Club.

Keith later on joined me as part of the Class 56 Group, which I believe still gives his last layout Arnold Lane the occasional outing.

 

Wrt Ipswich, it occurred to me that because my blue/grey modelling period is strictly circa May 1980, none of my locos are high intensity headlight fitted (or have had them lopped off!). This may or may not preclude them from an '85 set layout?

Nevertheless, if there's any rolling stock I can help out with then the offer stands.

 

C6T.

[Dagworth]

14 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

I'd known the Wright Bros. since platform ending at Stow as nippers.

Then you must know me too?

 

Andi

[Classsix T]

Also (sorry!) I was wondering if Ipswich would be sadly bereft of Cl.56 action being set before the "happy time" of freightliner operation. But then remembered that the BOC tanks and maybe the Redland's might have come through at times?

2 minutes ago, Dagworth said:

Then you must know me too?

 

Andi

Oh yes!

 

C6T.

Edited January 11 by Classsix T

[Dagworth]

The Redlands certainly sit within my plans, I can remember much excitement on the platforms at Ipswich when a grid came in to run round before heading north again.

 

 

11 minutes ago, Classsix T said:

Oh yes!

Now I'm curious!

 

Andi

[Classsix T]

I've got a mixed bag of Cavalex PGAs, because I model circa 1996-9 too (as well as 1980 & 1959...I have my reasons, I shan't bore you!) so perhaps doubtful if any work for an 85 layout?

 

Yuh, well Andi, we've never been formally introduced by anyone that knew us both I guess. I'm quite introvert at exhibitions and such, there for my own enjoyment. I say hi to the SRC bods I know, but I'm not a "please be my friend" type.

I've engaged with you far more on RMWeb, probably because I now know via this forum you share my enthusiasm for, not only railways but cats & turntables!

 

Anyway, this is in danger of sounding like a bourgeoning bromance to other readers so I dunno, if you fancy a pint down the Gladstone or summat, pm me?

[Dagworth]

Layout work continues. I’ve been busy ballasting, board one is almost done except for the bit right outside the tunnel, and there’s three sleepers worth of track to be ballasted on the transition board before it then becomes slab track in the tunnel itself. I’ve been doing a bit of work on the tunnel portal too, the wing walls are quite distinctive, I’ve also redone the top decorative brickwork. Compare with the photo on the first page of the thread. 
 

 

Board two now has most of its platform foundations and some ballast along with all its track painted. 

 

Andi

[Dagworth]

Something seems to have gone very awry with the Harwich - Hook Of Holland boat train 

 

 

Andi 

[31A]

3 minutes ago, Dagworth said:

Something seems to have gone very awry with the Harwich - Hook Of Holland boat train 

 

 

 

Andi 

 

Not quite the same....

 

[Johann Marsbar]

7 minutes ago, 31A said:

 

Not quite the same....

 

 

Was that taken on one of the EUR 150 event days in 1996, as I've got an almost identical photo to that!

[31A]

3 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

Was that taken on one of the EUR 150 event days in 1996, as I've got an almost identical photo to that!

 

I did go to the EUR 150 event so it could well have been, but it is from a print that I scanned as a one-off a few years ago so to confirm I'd have to dig out the original to see if I made a note of when I took it (which I'm afraid I didn't always do!).

 

[PM47079]

I used to drive that unit when it was in thar colour. I always thought it looked smart. Pleased it survived the 321 cull and became a parcels unit

[Classsix T]

Not my image and apologies for not being able to credit it, but it does show what was for me a staple of a spotting visit to 'Town' in my yoof. The blue van in the seaside bay! Vanwide is it, storage for the paraffin tail-lamps? Was it still resident in '85 Andi?

C6T.

[Dagworth]

3 hours ago, Classsix T said:

Not my image and apologies for not being able to credit it, but it does show what was for me a staple of a spotting visit to 'Town' in my yoof. The blue van in the seaside bay! Vanwide is it, storage for the paraffin tail-lamps? Was it still resident in '85 Andi?

C6T.

It was still there, I thought there was a bit about it further up the topic but it must have been a separate thread.  It sits on its own section of track that is not connected to anything at all.

 

Found it! 

 

Andi

[Dagworth]

Ballasting is continuing along with track painting and platform foundations. I’m up to board five now, 1 to 3 are fully ballasted, 4 has its platform edges and all track painted and five is having its track painted now. Other things I am doing is filling in the lower areas on boards 4 to 7 where the track bed is on an embankment over Ancaster Road. The infill is 4mm plywood as I had a load of it, then the offcuts of the Google Earth print are being fixed to them too so I can get roads etc. accurately positioned. The latest work is starting on the embankment itself, chicken wire and papier-mâché being my preferred method.

 

platform edges, nearest the camera is the parcel bay

 

Boards 2&3. Jessica has to assist

 

Board 5. Track painting and infill board sections

 

Print added and then chicken wire 

 

papier-mâché first layer

Ancaster Road bridge. The vari-girder sections are the side of platform 2

 

Andi

 

[Clive martin]

Just in case you dont have enough work to do on this mammoth layout build a nice EFE flat screen Bristol RE in Ipswich buses livery will look great under that bridge ,i think those fabulous ex leicester TRY H R E saloons survived into 1987!

[Dagworth]

One of the things of modelling a real place is that you don’t have to spend hours trying to decide what would look right in a particular location, “how would the real railway do that?” and trying to come up with back stories for why you’ve done things in the way you have. Instead you just look at the pictures and recreate what you see.

 

As an example, Ancaster Road bridge has four different wing walls, one is curved, one has no top (I presume due to some past incident, what’s the back story there?) and one is at a very different angle and much longer. If you built that on a freelance layout you’d never think it was feasible. 
Anyway here is the other side of the bridge with its wing walls now in place. None of the parapets are built yet as they would be quite vulnerable to damage this early in the build. Compare to the last photo in the previous post. 
 

And here is a link to the real thing in Google street view https://maps.app.goo.gl/f25qRnaxnfj2V3Vt9?g_st=i

 

Andi

 

 

[Johann Marsbar]

10 hours ago, Clive martin said:

Just in case you dont have enough work to do on this mammoth layout build a nice EFE flat screen Bristol RE in Ipswich buses livery will look great under that bridge ,i think those fabulous ex leicester TRY H R E saloons survived into 1987!

 

118 & 122 certainly lasted until mid 1987 and we did a "Farewell" tour on 118 in July of that year. Both of those buses were preserved after being withdrawn and 122 (Interior fully restored to Leicester condition) should be at the Quorn bus event this year.

Given the farce with the Northern Counties bodied Dennis Falcons in the mid 1980's, you could even get away with having a Gt Yarmouth Swift operating to Chantry in Ancaster Road (1985).......

 

 

Other gems were a Southend RE, Northampton single deck Daimler and a selection of demonstrators!

 

[Clive martin]

11 hours ago, Johann Marsbar said:

 

118 & 122 certainly lasted until mid 1987 and we did a "Farewell" tour on 118 in July of that year. Both of those buses were preserved after being withdrawn and 122 (Interior fully restored to Leicester condition) should be at the Quorn bus event this year.

Given the farce with the Northern Counties bodied Dennis Falcons in the mid 1980's, you could even get away with having a Gt Yarmouth Swift operating to Chantry in Ancaster Road (1985).......

 

 

Other gems were a Southend RE, Northampton single deck Daimler and a selection of demonstrators!

 

That Great Yarmouth Swift looks superb ,another short live operator around about the 85 86 era was Blue bus that also had some rather nice Bristol RE s in their fleet ,around about 1981 Ipswich borough transport had a mk2 National from Provincial on trial that one was quite a beast!