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

[mullie]

Started the scenics this weekend with some simple work behind the fence. Warm autumn colours are included, I have screen grabbed some Google maps photos from Norfolk and the fens to try and get the colours right. If you know where to look Google maps has a lot of footage shot at the time of year I am attempting to capture; late autumn around the time the sugar beet campaign starts.

 

[ianathompson]

 late autumn around the time the sugar beet campaign starts.(previous post)

 

Not sure whether this is a slip or not or whether I have mis-interpreted the meaning but late Autumn implies November time to me.

 

The campaign usually starts in mid September and runs through to late February.

 

I used to take a keen interest in the start date when I worked the beet bench at  the Wissey (as Wissington is known) as that was when the good money started!

 

Ian T

[wiggoforgold]

What did you use for the fence Mullie?

[mullie]

What did you use for the fence Mullie?

 

Fencing is nothing more than repainted Hornby.

 

Martyn

[mullie]

 late autumn around the time the sugar beet campaign starts.(previous post)

 

Not sure whether this is a slip or not or whether I have mis-interpreted the meaning but late Autumn implies November time to me.

 

The campaign usually starts in mid September and runs through to late February.

 

I used to take a keen interest in the start date when I worked the beet bench at  the Wissey (as Wissington is known) as that was when the good money started!

 

Ian T

Having been involved in music education for over 30 years, late Autumn for me means half term and after, the end of October going into November. Not sure what the meteorologists think? I have used images on Google maps of the area during October and November to suggest the colouration. We have just had a stunning autumn and I want to catch some of that rather than the bleakness of Pott Row.

 

I have a long agricultural heritage but being from Essex sugar beet was not part of the crop cycle where I grew up, we were too far from Felsted our nearest factory I suppose. I didn't realise the season started quite that early but have always been fascinated by the Wissington Light Railway and the Stoke Ferry branch. Nearly ended up living in Downham Market at one point around 2004 but ended up coming to Dorset instead.

 

Sorry for the confusion.

 

Martyn

[ianathompson]

Pity that you did not come to Downham. Having lived here thirty odd years plus I can recommend it, although it might be an acquired taste!

 

Thankfully I had left teaching when I worked the beet bench before going on to a second career on the railways.

 

Still involved in music though, singing at Lynn Minster.

 

Not much sign of the Wissington Light or the Wisbech & Upwell any more, unless you knew where they went.

 

Ian T

[mullie]

Pity that you did not come to Downham. Having lived here thirty odd years plus I can recommend it, although it might be an acquired taste!

 

Thankfully I had left teaching when I worked the beet bench before going on to a second career on the railways.

 

Still involved in music though, singing at Lynn Minster.

 

Not much sign of the Wissington Light or the Wisbech & Upwell any more, unless you knew where they went.

 

Ian T

 

Via Google maps and earth I have managed to trace the line from Stoke Ferry through Abbey and West Dereham as buildings still exist to help though as you say little of the light railway seems to exist. Maps is a bit out of date in remote places so things might have changed. 

 

East Anglia is one of my favourite areas of the country even though I now live somewhere that is absolutely stunning, though we are on flood alert at the moment. If Beach road floods we can't get to England; it has happened 2-3 times since we've lived here.

 

Thanks for your interest.

 

Martyn

[mullie]

First running session for some time. Tram sits in the loco siding.

 

 

Due to a lack of run round it takes two trams to shunt a train.

 

 

If I run it in this manner the layout will need to be signalled, I have the ground signals but a starter will need to be built and a small signal box installed unless anyone knows of a light railway where this type of thing happened without signals though it seems unlikely.

[mullie]

The layout needs some trees so I have started building armatures from wire. These are smallish trees built using 13 amp fuse wire that happened to be laying about.

 

 

[mullie]

Another more substantial tree armature started tonight made from florists wire. This one was tougher going, all the work needed to be done with pliers.

 

 

Research was done online and using Google maps, some trees on the A10 around Littleport in Cambridgeshire provided the inspiration. I drove this road loads of times when I was younger.

 

 

 

[mullie]

Experimenting with track cleaning I have started using a graphite stick as suggested in a few places. As the layout uses short wheel base locos clean track will be essential. Early experiments seem promising, the layout is kept covered but lives in a garage.

 

 

The trams run on four wheel Bullant bogies that have simply been re gauged. In an attempt to get even more consistent smooth running I have switched DC mode off as suggested by DCC concepts in some of their literature and this seems to have helped with the low speeds required on such a layout.

[Oldddudders]

I think many of us find disabling DC operation is wise. If enabled, a short circuit, however brief, can sometimes cause a loco to set off at warpspeed with potentially distressing results. If you wish to run your locos on a DC layout, it is the work of moments to re-program them before leaving your DCC layout.

[Alex TM]

Hi Mullie,

 

The idea of cleaning track with a graphite stick is new to me; is it the same kind of product that art stores sell, or something different?

 

Thanks.

 

Regards,

 

Alex.

[Oldddudders]

It is indeed the art-store product. Rubbing along each rail leaves a graphite powder which is highly conductive. Much better than a rail-rubber which can scratch the railhead. Cheap and effective.

[mullie]

Bit more progress with scenics last night and a ground signal has been added. Having bodged a tramway type coach around a year or so ago I feel it would be a shame not to use it so the layout will need to be signalled. A small Wills ground frame will be used. A starter signal will need to be built, probably from MSE components. Here is progress so far.

 

 

 

Personally I don't find the lack of detailed chairs bothers me and I quite like building track. I quite fancy building some on wood sleepers next year.

 

Happy Christmas to all who have followed my meanderings this year. The decision to take everything up and go EM was a big decision but not one I've regretted. It is a challenge but rewarding all the same.

 

It has been a difficult year on many levels which means there has been much less time for modelling than anticipated, though I should have some time over the next two weeks. 2019 should be better.

 

Martyn

 

 

 

 

[NHY 581]

Splendid progress Martyn.

 

 

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

 

 

Rob

[hayfield]

Martyn

 

Excellent piece of work, the lack of chair detail is not noticeable due to the quality of the painting and weathering everything.

[mullie]

More work done before I break for Christmas. The J72 chassis is now running nicely, after Christmas I will re build the pick ups on top of the wheels. I had put them underneath but it was all too cramped for my liking. Body is basically finished so once chipped the loco should be able to enter service.

 

 

The view from my work bench, a workmate in the middle of the garage.

 

 

The entire scenic section of the layout showing progress so far. The corners in the back scene will be disguised.

 

 

The bare wood will be a small quay side. Hoping to be finished scenically by the end of February, there is already enough stock for a short operating sequence. I will probably post details of the layout on a few forums to see if I can get some exhibition invites. I can bring my own L plates, never having exhibited before.I think there will be enough to interest viewers, failing that I will stick faces on the trams and call them Toby!

 

Merry Christmas

Edited December 23, 2018 by mullie

[mullie]

Inspiration arrived today, my next conversion to EM gauge, a Hornby D16/3 after I've done the J15 and I have the Yeadon for that too.

 

 

This looks interesting too, been fascinated by this line for years.

 

 

I already have tomes on the Stoke Ferry Branch.

 

This arrived to replace a 20 year old Parkside kit that having survived a fall to the garage floor was just too battered to survive a conversion to EM. I did consider the Parkside version but I have very little time at the moment so chose the rtr alternative but one day I will build the kit in post war LNER condition I hope.

 

 

Martyn

[sb67]

Nice pressies there Martyn, the Wissington Railway book looks interesting.

Steve.

[Lord-Claud-Hamilton]

Certainly plenty of inspirational images in this book. I've driven round much of the area.

This looks interesting too, been fascinated by this line for years.

 

IMG_20181225_101113703.jpg

 

[mullie]

Pick ups added today. Unusually perhaps I have put them on top where there is more room. Tried this before when this chassis was first built in 00 then, as it was mentioned in the Rice book on loco building. I did put the pick ups underneath but adjusting was tight for space, this is so much easier and with a plastic body there are no shorting problems.

 

 

Loco has also been chipped and wheels cleaned.

[mullie]

Happy new year to all who have followed the ramblings on this thread.

 

Not been an easy year in modelling terms as there have been a lot of things that have diminished modelling time, and all important stuff that needed dealing with. I don't regret the switch to EM, it is effectively starting again, I have just three working locos at the moment, two J70s and the J72 is now pretty much ready and a small layout with a limited range of stock. At times it has been frustrating but rewarding when things go well. Upbech works and does what I want it to do, I can switch it on, run some trains, switch it off again without the need to set it up.

 

I have boxes of rolling stock some of which won't be used and some later BR stock converted to EM with Kadee couplings for use on Rickett Street but that is another story. I have a half finished Hornby 08 shunter with Gibson wheels, Brassmaster coupling rods that will also have etched PDH brass steps eventually but then again I also have the parts to convert my Hornby J15 so hopefully both will be done in the next few months.

 

Upbech now has a loco depot in the style of Upwell, I will post photos soon.

 

Martyn

[mullie]

Happy new year everyone. After just five hours sleep having ferried a drum kit around for our daughter's gig last night that also meant no booze some modelling progress. J72 chassis working:

 

 

And with body attached, still a few jobs to do such as coal in the bunker and re touching some paint.

 

 

Chassis is running on an old TCS M1 at the moment, today I hope to order a newer decoder with stay alive more suited to the Mashima motor. The M1 could be around 10 years old and though I'm sure the loco will run fine stay alive is useful when all of the running will be at slow speed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mullie]

A better picture of the scenic part of the layout, the two end wings were sprayed and fixed this week. The hut in no mans land is a small Wills signal box. On the right is a plate layers hut and loco depot, nearly finished and I will post photos soon.

 

 

The quayside has been built today, balsa cut and glued with PVA and coloured with Indian ink mixed with Methylated Spirits, not sure where I read about this but results seem promising.

 

 

 

A test plank in EM, yes it really is that small, fiddle yard can just be seen to the left in the first photo. The white thing is a  polythene dust sheet that covers the layout.

Edited January 3, 2019 by mullie