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

[Dunalastair]

Good to see this again, especially with the improved condition. 

 

Takes me back to when I used to manage the footpath maintenance on the Cambs side of the border thereabouts. Much of the canal was filled in as well as the tramway closing, but before my time there. Interesting part of the world.

[mullie]

What a tragedy a J70 couldn't have been preserved along with the tramway carriage that was meant to be safe. 

[mullie]

I don't get exited by new releases from the major manufacturers and to be honest most pass me buy. Even those of a Great Eastern ilk seem to present problems in converting to EM. I don't fancy spending a considerable sum on a new loco only to chuck the chassis, the Rapido trams being a case in point, all looked too busy underneath to convert easily so at the moment my ancient resin kits will continue to do the job while I ponder an upgrade.

 

The layout doesn't change in a massive way any more, everything is small tweaks. However, I really want to have proper Great Eastern carriage stock on the layout so a start has now been made on the Eveleigh kits. The photos represent about 3-4 weeks work though I expect the second one to go together quicker as I am now familiar with the build sequence, the second one has now been started.

 

 

 

 

Hope to get the chassis built for each carriage before the garage gets too cold then need to source axle boxes etc. They may not be a suitable diagram for my period but look good enough to me, they are very close to those on the mid Suffolk in the early 50s and I have based the handrails on photos of the middy stock.

 

I don't have any advanced tools, this the roof being rolled using an old towel and a curtain rod!

 

[hayfield]

12 hours ago, mullie said:

 

I don't get exited by new releases from the major manufacturers and to be honest most pass me buy. Even those of a Great Eastern ilk seem to present problems in converting to EM. I don't fancy spending a considerable sum on a new loco only to chuck the chassis, the Rapido trams being a case in point, all looked too busy underneath to convert easily so at the moment my ancient resin kits will continue to do the job while I ponder an upgrade.

 

 

 

Whilst I have not really started on them yet, I have found resin GER loco bodies from CDC Design extremely good and economical. I bought a GER S56 fully painted and liveried for £57. It was designed to fit a Terrier RTR chassis (which looked all wrong) but with a bit of adaption fits the Southeastern Finecast J69 chassis etch. CDC also do both R24 and C72 bodies (which are only £42 in LNER livery (as is the E22)

 

One of these might make a nice winter project, especially if you can source a decent chassis

 

www.cdc-design.net  

 

Also in an eBay lot I bought a set of brass body etchings  for an E22, and sourced an etched chassis from London Road Models (they sell the ex-Rice Works model) hoping I have most of the castings in my spares boxes

Edited September 16, 2023 by hayfield

[mullie]

8 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

Whilst I have not really started on them yet, I have found resin GER loco bodies from CDC Design extremely good and economical. I bought a GER S56 fully painted and liveried for £57. It was designed to fit a Terrier RTR chassis (which looked all wrong) but with a bit of adaption fits the Southeastern Finecast J69 chassis etch. CDC also do both R24 and C72 bodies (which are only £42 in LNER livery (as is the E22)

 

One of these might make a nice winter project, especially if you can source a decent chassis

 

www.cdc-design.net  

 

Also in an eBay lot I bought a set of brass body etchings  for an E22, and sourced an etched chassis from London Road Models (they sell the ex-Rice Works model) hoping I have most of the castings in my spares boxes

I too have been looking at the CDC resin body locos and options for chassis. There was an article about fitting the SE finecast J69 chassis to one of the bodies in the GE Society News I think by Paul Goldsmith. I am reviewing options as I can see a point where I retire the J70s and replace with J67s and 69s in the style of the Kelvedon and Tollesbury line if I can get some W&U Eveleigh kits later this year. I would really like some of the four wheeled stock rather than bogie coaches, I know they were withdrawn by my period but the six wheel versions are not available.

Edited September 16, 2023 by mullie

[hayfield]

14 hours ago, mullie said:

I too have been looking at the CDC resin body locos and options for chassis. There was an article about fitting the SE finecast J69 chassis to one of the bodies in the GE Society News I think by Paul Goldsmith. I am reviewing options as I can see a point where I retire the J70s and replace with J67s and 69s in the style of the Kelvedon and Tollesbury line if I can get some W&U Eveleigh kits later this year. I would really like some of the four wheeled stock rather than bogie coaches, I know they were withdrawn by my period but the six wheel versions are not available.

 

Do look out for wither Wills Finecast ( early Southeastern Finecast )  Southeastern Finecast kits and kit built locos. You could end up with a cheap kit built Wills Finecast / early Southeastern Finecast (cast chassis) complete with wheels and motor, easily converted to EM gauge. I have bought a couple of well built and painted Wills and just replaced the chassis for an etched one,

 

On the other hand I have in the past brought a complete unbuilt SEF kit, kept the wheels, motor and gears, then sold on the kit for more or less what I paid for it in the first place. J68 & 69 are now freely available and don't fetch silly prices, its just a case of keeping your eyes open

 

As for CDC bodies they are easy to adapt to fit an etched chassis, talk to the owner as I have a feeling he has an option available for some kits to sell a revised body   

[mullie]

The harbour is getting a bit overgrown,  this is a work in progress inspired by Wisbech in the late 1940s.

 

 

I was looking for a small vehicle for the Quay and found an Austin 7, @NHY 581 has one I think,  mine needs a trip to the weathering shop.

 

[MrWolf]

The dock looks like a lot of the places around here.

 

Hopefully your Austin Seven is in better shape than this one...

 

[robert17649]

On 16/09/2023 at 17:48, mullie said:

I too have been looking at the CDC resin body locos and options for chassis. There was an article about fitting the SE finecast J69 chassis to one of the bodies in the GE Society News I think by Paul Goldsmith. I am reviewing options as I can see a point where I retire the J70s and replace with J67s and 69s in the style of the Kelvedon and Tollesbury line if I can get some W&U Eveleigh kits later this year. I would really like some of the four wheeled stock rather than bogie coaches, I know they were withdrawn by my period but the six wheel versions are not available.

can be done s long as you can accept drive on middle axle and reduce suspension , I did one it has effectively a rigid chassis bu with sideplay it negotiates most point work I have run it on 9EM by the way)

[mullie]

Another shot of the workbench in the white heat of soldered kit construction  to show what basic methods I use. Odd scraps of card and blu tac mainly to hold things in place and rest things on. The dense foam is useful on which to place the sides already fitted with hinges, window frames and ventilators. These days I have to wear a mask for soldering.

 

 

Here is the second coach body soldered up and in need of a good clean having just finished soldering the sides and ends together. It is standing on a piece of glass rescued from a piece of garden furniture that had rotted away in the salty elements, the body is square. Next job is to solder bracing pieces round the bottom, detail the ends, fold over the top flaps and solder the roof. The kit is well designed and goes together relatively easily.

 

 

I amaze myself every time I complete something like this. During the week I work on projects for around three hours in one hour sessions often starting around 9pm after I've finished what ever else I need/want to do. My phone and bluetooth speaker are a vital part of any modelling session.

 

I no longer need to work in the evenings (after a full on days work) which still feels strange having done so for over thirty years. I no longer teach music though early evening is often spent on music related projects. I do more practical music now I no longer teach it during the day, a sad indictment of modern teaching demands.

Edited September 22, 2023 by mullie

[mullie]

It is possible to have two trains on the layout. This is the St Mary end with shunting of beet wagons in full flow. 

 

 

At the Drove end the DMU is in the station. 

 

[mullie]

And then there were two. 

 

 

About 6 - 8 weeks work, some people build layouts quicker. One chassis is about 60% built. Work will now pause to prepare Drove for the Poole show, its first outing apart from SWAG.

 

A silly shot. The wheels are from the withdrawn clerestories.

 

[mullie]

About a week ago I showed how two trains could be on the layout at the same time during the 1960s period. Here is the steam age equivalent. A J15 is worrying beet wagons at Upbech St Mary.

 

Meanwhile the Claud is shunting a passenger train. As designed by Hornby the front pony truck can move from side to side as well as rotate. Because I have generous radii I don't need this feature so glued some tiny plasticard fillets across the mounting so the bogie can only rotate. The loco now goes through the paintwork in a much more realistic fashion and when running on the daily goods shouldn't buffer lock when shunting as it has occasionally been inclined to do.

 

[mullie]

Preparations for the Poole show are underway. Stock is having the couplings checked, the gauge is checking height on both locos and stock. The wagon is acting as a master, all wagons have to couple and uncouple easily. Back to backs have been checked where necessary.

 

 

The layout is currently being set up in the garage so everything can be checked. Being Portland this isn't straightforward as the garage has a slope from front to back and side to side so levelling has taken some time.

[john new]

8 minutes ago, mullie said:

..... snipped ...

The layout is currently being set up in the garage so everything can be checked. Being Portland this isn't straightforward as the garage has a slope from front to back and side to side so levelling has taken some time.

Must be something about the builders here on the island. Our drive is laid almost level with just a slight fall for drainage but the garage floor is on a fairly steep cross angle just like yours.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

Wouldn't be because the wind blows rain under the garage door, would it ?? Otherwise you could end up with a kitchen full of water.

 

manna

[mullie]

Stock is packed.

 

 

 

Photos a bit dingy, they are so I can remember where everything goes when re packing.

 

The Mario Cart is loaded ready for an early start to Poole, the layouts first non SWAG showing. If any RM Webbers come along please say hello.

 

[NHY 581]

Best wishes, Martyn. 

 

Rob

[mullie]

Now returned from the Poole show, a good day, the layout largely behaved itself and ran well. A lot of lessons were learnt as the layout was run much more intensively than the SWAG day which was more of a social occasion as it was the first post covid SWAG. Here is the layout set up.

 

 

A tram goes about its business. 

 

 

[john new]

16 minutes ago, mullie said:

Now returned from the Poole show, a good day, the layout largely behaved itself and ran well. A lot of lessons were learnt as the layout was run much more intensively than the SWAG day which was more of a social occasion as it was the first post covid SWAG. Here is the layout set up.

 

 

A tram goes about its business. 

 

 

Glad it went well. Too many other things going on today to get across to Poole.

[mullie]

On 11/10/2023 at 23:21, manna said:

G'Day Folks

 

Wouldn't be because the wind blows rain under the garage door, would it ?? Otherwise you could end up with a kitchen full of water.

 

manna

The rain washes down the road at quite a rate when it is heavy, downhill again. Occasionally a drain outside the garage door gets blocked if I don't keep an eye on it, at this time of year leaves blow off the trees on the cricket pitch over the road.

 

To relieve what is quite a boring post I'll just place this here.

 

[mullie]

I should have said that I was asked for layout details by a few people about attending other shows. 

 

I have produced a small flyer that outlines layout footprint etc and my contact details, makes things much easier. 

[steve45]

Thank you for your support at Poole show last Sunday it was great to see the layout and it really is as good as the photographs.

 

Hopefully you may be up for bringing Upbech St Mary next year?

 

Many thanks

 

Steve

[mullie]

5 hours ago, steve45 said:

Thank you for your support at Poole show last Sunday it was great to see the layout and it really is as good as the photographs.

 

Hopefully you may be up for bringing Upbech St Mary next year?

 

Many thanks

 

Steve

If you would like the layout I'm sure that can be arranged.  I would like to take this part of the layout out in public,  it has only ever been seen in a virtual exhibition.

 

Many thanks 

 

Martyn 

[hayfield]

Martyn

 

I have just been given a book titled "Branchline To Upwell" I look forward to understanding the line as I know very little