Bedfordshire brick press shop diorama

[Dunalastair]

Another day, another diorama. This time a simple model of one of the London Brick green brick press shops, where overhead electric loco-hauled NG transfer trolleys were used to take the wet bricks to the kilns for firing. Variations on this design were used in Bedfordshire and surrounding counties. 

 

 

 

This night scene was lit using a simple LED string from the Poundshop,

 

There were several images on the web showing how this worked to base the diorama upon - see e.g. https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Stewartby/LondonBrickCompanyInStewartby.aspx

 

 

Women worked there during the war

 

 

Another approach was to use electrically powered trolleys

 

 

I modelled these for another diorama - perhaps one for another day.

[Dunalastair]

This is my other brickworks diorama, with three different gauges - the fourth image shows more of the electric trolley.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Clive Mortimore]

If the diorama is set post world war two, am I sure as a Bedfordian by birth there wouldn't be so many fair haired workers.

 

The new level crossing barriers at Marston Road, in the middle of the brickwork country.

 

Lovely model.

[petethemole]

That reminds me of my youth, travelling daily by bus past the Eastwoods Company pit, which was right next to the Ampthill-Bedford road.  The LBC pits were only visible from the train, which I didn't use to go to Bedford after Ampthill Station closed. 

[31A]

The cable hauled tramways that brought the clay from the pits to the brickworks would make an interesting model.  I remember seeing what looked like individual small wagons making their way on their own across the fields!  In reality they were connected to a continuous cable.

 

https://buildinglondon.blog/2023/02/25/57-the-marston-valley-brick-company-and-its-cable-tramway/