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

[Edwardian]

 

I can't say I'm particularly keen on ... the Fen country

 

Sheer prejudice! You really don't know what you're missing!

[mullie]

In Dorset they do it differently:

 

http://www.fwi.co.uk/news/boat-dumped-dorset-farmers-land.htm

[mullie]

But then there is Norfolk:

 

[mullie]

Some more inspiration arrived whilst we were away.

 

 

I know this area well and am familiar with the music of Benjamin Britten, he created music that can be so evocative of the Suffolk coast, the four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes for instance:

 

 

[Edwardian]

But then there is Norfolk:

 

 

And then there are the Fens:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R9RA_BR_p0

[mullie]

And Norfolk again

 

 

Will post something to do with modelling soon, been a very busy few weeks. Track cleaning tonight so I can run some trains tomorrow for the first time since mid July.

[NXEA!]

Some more inspiration arrived whilst we were away.

 

20170812_195251.jpg

 

I know this area well and am familiar with the music of Benjamin Britten, he created music that can be so evocative of the Suffolk coast, the four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes for instance:

 

 

Recently bought that book myself Mullie. Some cracking shots in there, and good detail about how the branch was operated.

[mullie]

Progress has been slower of late but the things I've been working on have been more complicated. I've been working on a Lochgorm starter kit finished as an LNER Cov B van. Pretty much everything  has been soldered apart from the doors which I glued on so the heat didn't lift all my other hard work. Axle boxes and springs will be ordered once the weekend is over and then it can be primed. It rolls along ok and sits level on the track.

 

I made a lot of mistakes along the way but my soldering skills have improved enormously this year. I've built a working chassis and have both another chassis to build and another of these Lochgorm kits to complete. For £8 this kit is a bargain.

 

Photos will follow, the ones I took with my phone were terrible so were deleted.

Edited August 25, 2017 by mullie

[mullie]

Finally a photo of the Cov B, still some tidying up to do especially around the door rails which sit too high and my soldering is a bit messy, my fault I looked at a photo then still soldered them in the wrong place. Too late to change now, will make sure I get it right on the next one.

 

 

I've spent months on this and learnt loads, soldering is not such a black art just the right equipment, patience and cleanliness. I am now an expert on unsoldering things too!

 

Axleboxes will be ordered after the weekend and I need to order some spoked wheels, currently running on disc wheels.

[mullie]

Thirteen years ago today we moved to Dorset, this is what it looked like over the cliffs today. A succession of damp winters means some of the cliff path is closed due to instability and now over a year after closure there still seems little chance of reopening

 

 

Though I don't model Dorset railways they are very much an interest and I am involved in some work around the history of the line from Weymouth to Easton.

[mullie]

Crisis at Pott Row! There should be a row of empties to be exchanged with the beet load in front load but there is a problem down the branch as the tram driver couldn't find his bike clips in time and was late.

 

 

View of the loaded train shunted into the loop to avoid disrupting services. The signal box area needs sorting out and a starting signal would be good, I have the MSE parts, just haven't built it. A job for the autumn hopefully.

 

 

J65 and J70 await their next duty whilst the freight service from South Lynn has arrived, sits in the platform road  and will need to collect and drop off traffic.

 

 

The J39 from the beet train and the relief loco for the M&GN service are in the mpd but with so many wagons in the loop one form of access to the turntable is blocked, only the line the J39 sits on can be used for access.

 

 

Exciting or what?

 

Actually I forgot to run the empty beet train in the right place and now have to get myself out of this mess but it is one of the things that continues to make this layout interesting.

 

Look out for the next instalment!

 

 

 

 

 

[manna]

G'day Gents

 

If you think that's interesting, you want until a wagon derails !!!!!!!!

 

manna

[mullie]

G'day Gents

 

If you think that's interesting, you want until a wagon derails !!!!!!!!

 

manna

Hand of God to fix it!

 

(pleased to say it happens quite rarely)

 

Martyn

[mullie]

The etched wagon has reached the undercoat stage and stands on a new piece of track work.

 

 

 

Notice anything unusual?

 

(Apart from the somewhat waywardness of my track soldering!)

 

 

[The Bigbee Line]

Is it the gauge?

[mullie]

Go to the top of the class that modeller!

 

The wagon and track are gauged to EM, the point was built using a plan created on Templot, why you may ask? Well even if you're not asking I'll tell you anyway as it is connected with mortality!

 

The station board and right hand fiddle yard of this layout will be ten years old in the early part of next year, the mpd board and left hand fiddle yard only a couple of years younger. The layout lives down one side of the garage and until a year ago was shared with the car every night. The left hand fiddle yard is stored under the layout when not in use.

 

The layout has changed out of all recognition since I first posted on here and much of the original stock no longer runs on the layout and the setting and buildings are completely different.

 

This layout was a big step forward for me as I built all the track as well as wiring it for DCC (there were still some who thought hand built track couldn't be used with DCC at that time).

 

Since then I've built/modified lots of wagons from rtr and kits and the coaching stock is modified/bashed to something vaguely appropriate.

 

Over the last year I've built a working Comet chassis and an etched wagon kit. To me, having built etched chassis, wagons and my own track it seems appropriate to build to a more accurate gauge, I know I won't cope with P4 but EM seems manageable.

 

Pott Row is starting to show its age and the challenging environment it lives in have taken a toll. It works well but their are a few minor issues that crop up from time to time and over the next few years more issues will arise.

 

I'm heading towards my mid 50s and it could easily take me ten years to build another layout similar to this one fro mthe point where I start (not soon). Therefore I've taken the decision to rebuild Rickett Street as a trial piece in EM. Converting diesels and a small selection of stock should be quite straight forward and I can build the track using PCB/soldered construction. Not state of the art but I know I can get it to work.

 

I have a new chassis for the J39 and haven't ordered the wheels yet so that will be built in EM and the J65 converted.

 

Pott Row will go on in its current form until I have started its replacement and have a reasonable body of stock on which to run it. This will be around 1-2 years I estimate. The new layout will be built as portable and able to fit in my small hatch back as I would like to start exhibiting in a few years once daughter number 2 is settled at University. Thoughts at the moment are a small quayside inspired by Wells next the Sea and Snape but of course that could change, in fact everything could change who knows

 

So that's where I am and it has given my modelling a lift, lately I was feeling that I was losing direction a bit. I am also very busy at work and my work has gone in a new direction over the last year.

 

I will join the EM Gauge Society as part of the process.

 

Updates will be fewer on this thread but the layout will continue to be run, I've run it today. By the time it is disposed of it will be around 12-13 years old and lived in quite a harsh environment. It continues to give immense satisfaction as it generally runs well. This is not a big layout but I suspect future layouts will be of a type I can simply turn on rather than spend 5-10 minutes setting up before a train can run, I do enjoy running trains. Everything that can be saved; buildings etc will be saved for reuse, the signal box has been on every layout since 1995, is looking a bit tired so if it can't be restored will be replaced.

 

Martyn

Edited September 24, 2017 by mullie

[The Bigbee Line]

Go to the top of the class that modeller!

 

The wagon and track are gauged to EM, the point was built using a plan created on Templot, why you may ask? Well even if you're not asking I'll tell you anyway as it is connected with mortality!

 

The station board and right hand fiddle yard of this layout will be ten years old in the early part of next year, the mpd board and left hand fiddle yard only a couple of years younger. The layout lives down one side of the garage and until a year ago was shared with the car every night. The left hand fiddle yard is stored under the layout when not in use.

 

The layout has changed out of all recognition since I first posted on here and much of the original stock no longer runs on the layout and the setting and buildings are completely different.

 

This layout was a big step forward for me as I built all the track as well as wiring it for DCC (there were still some who thought hand built track couldn't be used with DCC at that time).

 

Since then I've built/modified lots of wagons from rtr and kits and the coaching stock is modified/bashed to something vaguely appropriate.

 

Over the last year I've built a working Comet chassis and an etched wagon kit. To me, having built etched chassis, wagons and my own track it seems appropriate to build to a more accurate gauge, I know I won't cope with P4 but EM seems manageable.

 

Pott Row is starting to show its age and the challenging environment it lives in have taken a toll. It works well but their are a few minor issues that crop up from time to time and over the next few years more issues will arise.

 

I'm heading towards my mid 50s and it could easily take me ten years to build another layout similar to this one fro mthe point where I start (not soon). Therefore I've taken the decision to rebuild Rickett Street as a trial piece in EM. Converting diesels and a small selection of stock should be quite straight forward and I can build the track using PCB/soldered construction. Not state of the art but I know I can get it to work.

 

I have a new chassis for the J39 and haven't ordered the wheels yet so that will be built in EM and the J65 converted.

 

Pott Row will go on in its current form until I have started its replacement and have a reasonable body of stock on which to run it. This will be around 1-2 years I estimate. The new layout will be built as portable and able to fit in my small hatch back as I would like to start exhibiting in a few years once daughter number 2 is settled at University. Thoughts at the moment are a small quayside inspired by Wells next the Sea and Snape but of course that could change, in fact everything could change who knows

 

So that's where I am and it has given my modelling a lift, lately I was feeling that I was losing direction a bit. I am also very busy at work and my work has gone in a new direction over the last year.

 

I will join the EM Gauge Society as part of the process.

 

Updates will be fewer on this thread but the layout will continue to be run, I've run it today. By the time it is disposed of it will be around 12-13 years old and lived in quite a harsh environment. It continues to give immense satisfaction as it generally runs well. This is not a big layout but I suspect future layouts will be of a type I can simply turn on rather than spend 5-10 minutes setting up before a train can run, I do enjoy running trains. Everything that can be saved; buildings etc will be saved for reuse, the signal box has been on every layout since 1995, is looking a bit tired so if it can't be restored will be replaced.

 

Martyn

Martyn,

 

Well done.  If I had not wanted to run US outline HO on the same track I would have gone EM.  In the late 80's I converted 100+ wagons and vans to EM.  Learnt a lot about brakework etc.  I could not get a decent running loco and went to US outline with the coming of Kato Diesels, that's another story.

 

Looking forwards to the next exciting instalment...

 

Ernie

[manna]

G'Day Gents

 

Exciting times, but don't burn your fingers.(Solder wise)

 

manna

[john flann]

Martyn,

 

Well said, all very interesting and I wish you every success.

 

There comes a time when a layout has reached its fulfillment, and when what to do next is the question. And, there you seem to have found your answer..

 

My regards,

[NHY 581]

Brave step Mullie but totally understand. As you know my liking for small layouts I can recommend it.

 

Rob

[Edwardian]

I've taken the decision to rebuild Rickett Street as a trial piece in EM. Converting diesels and a small selection of stock should be quite straight forward and I can build the track using PCB/soldered construction. Not state of the art but I know I can get it to work.

 

I have a new chassis for the J39 and haven't ordered the wheels yet so that will be built in EM and the J65 converted.

 

The new layout will be built as portable and able to fit in my small hatch back as I would like to start exhibiting in a few years once daughter number 2 is settled at University. Thoughts at the moment are a small quayside inspired by Wells next the Sea and Snape but of course that could change, in fact everything could change who knows

 

 

Look forward to seeing the fruits of your new departure!

 

 

 

Pott Row is starting to show its age and the challenging environment it lives in have taken a toll. It works well but their are a few minor issues that crop up from time to time and over the next few years more issues will arise.

 

Pott Row will go on in its current form until I have started its replacement and have a reasonable body of stock on which to run it.

 

 

I hope we may enjoy glimpsing the chill bleakness of a Fenland dusk for many more months to come!

 

Certainly one of my favourite layouts on RMWeb.

[mullie]

The J65 saga continues.

 

Having got the chassis working under DC I couldn't work out why I couldn't get smooth running under DCC. Some research suggested that Mashima motors and TCS decoders don't get on so out it came to be replaced by a simple Bachmann decoder. I don't need anything complex as I don't want sound.

 

Initially running was ok but like other Bachmann decoders I've used, CVs 54 and 55 need tweaking as the values were far too high. My two 4mts that were factory fitted with decoders suffered the same problem. At the moment they are set as follows:

 

CV54 = 25

CV55 = 56

 

Running is now a lot better and I suspect the loco may finally be able to take its place in the roster after around 6 months of work. This not state of the art modelling but I have learnt loads about chassis construction and acquired a useful if not fully authentic model.

 

 

At some point it will all come apart and be rebuilt in EM, though not for around a year I suspect.

 

 

[Mrkirtley800]

I started modelling to EM gauge back in the late 1950's, and never regretted it. I find it a satisfying and practical compromise, and I have no desire to take up with P4. So good luck with the venture into EM.

Derek

[mullie]

The Beeching axe has fallen, it's now the mid 60s, the M&GN has closed to passengers and steam has all but gone apart from the occasional 4mt on an M&GN line freight.

 

A type 2 is being tried on the daily freight from Dereham but is not proving successful as it negotiates the curvature previously negotiated by trams and small shunters. Obviously sent by mistake it will be replaced by an 08 in future. Smaller shunters were tried but couldn't cope with the loads and distances (this was the case in parts of East Anglia). The loco has to go down the branch as well for which it doesn't have the clearance.

 

 

 

I decided to ring the changes having taken the steam locos off the layout and into the house while we were away for a few days visiting family as I always do. The diesels need a good run prior to converting to EM. I can't fully stock this period but can get close so will post some more soon.

[mullie]

The first DMU service of the day from Dereham to Kings Lynn. All services simply stop and then pass through, none turn back and no locos go to the mpd for servicing. How times change.