Elsbridge Tramway Company: Elsbridge Town - NeilHB's layout

[NeilHB]

I thought it was about time I posted about my proposed layout - welcome to Elsbridge (Wharf) 1906!

Those of you that are familiar with Sudrian history will know that before the North Western Railway there were 3 distinct railway companies on Sodor - the Sodor & Mainland (Kirk Ronan - Ballahoo), Wellsworth & Suddery (Crosby - Brendam) and lastly but by no means least the Knapford & Elsbridge Railway - the latter started off as a horse drawn tramway to serve the lead mines at Toryreck in 1885 and to enable goods to be shipped between Elsbridge and Knapford - thus avoiding the difficult stretch of the River Els. The line was extended to Tidmouth in 1905 via roadside tramway around the headland between Knapford and Tidmouth and at the same time was converted to steam power. The locos used were 4 somewhat ancient looking 'Coffee Pot' locomotives constructed by none other than a certain Mr Topham Hatt (less of the Sir at this point in time!) - they served the line for many years.

 

Current thinking around the layout focuses on a model of Elsbridge (Wharf) as it was in 1906 just after the coffee pots had taken over - the track plan is quite basic being an inglenook with a kick-back siding serving the St Petroc dairy and possibly a run-round loop (though I quite fancy the idea of running round just by chain shunting as per Maurice's St Juliot layout).

 

Stock is intended to be mostly small and 4-wheeled - with a fair few dumb buffered opens (cos I like them!) and some chaldron waggons left over from the lines horse worked days.

 

Currently I'm at the stock building and planning stage of the layout - I've built a few wagons and made a start of a pair of freelance 4-wheel coaches made from Peco coach parts. No coffee pot locos as of yet but I did manage to grab a bargain on eBay and got a couple of small tramway style locos built around a pair of Lima motor bogies that will do initially until I can pluck up the courage to tackle stratchbuilding a loco chassis...

 

So, the stock so far:

 

Scratch built dumb buffered mineral open - Evergreen strip for the chassis and head stocks and the remaining parts such as brake gear all came out the spare box. Bodywork is from 60thou plasticard and all that is left to do is the bodywork detailing and ironwork. There are a pair of chassis for another 2 examples sitting on the workbench currently...just need to buy more wheels!

 

 

4-wheel All-3rd brake coach built from Peco coach parts - the ends are from 60thou plasticard. Interior and chassis needs to be tackled next...

 

 

Next up is one of the locos purchased from the bay of E...the pair are pretty much identical except the 2nd example has a more enclosed cab. The plan is to modify them with sprung buffers and a few alterations here and there along with a possible repaint (still not decided on a house livery yet).

 

That'll do for the moment, I'm aiming to try and finalise the track plan in the next couple of days and will post it up when it's done - layout is going to fairly small size wise - scenic part will be roughly 6'x2' or thereabouts (mainly because there isn't much more space available!).

Edited September 2, 2022 by NeilHB

[hartleymartin]

I have some familiarity with Sudrian Railways. I've often been tempted to build a model of Ffarquhar as it would have appeared in the 1960s.

[NeilHB]

Glad to see I'm not the only one Martin! However much I'd love to model Ffarquhar it's post 1950 size is just too big I think - I always thought a model of it as it was between 1925 (extension to Ffarquhar opening) and 1951 (when Toby arrived) would be much more manageable. You'd only have to contend with small engine and carriage sheds and the stone cutting sheds would still be up at Anopha (according to the Reverand's bible on the subject) so there's be a lot less trackwork involved (plus you could use the coffee pots!

 

(null)

[Corbs]

Hurrah from another Sudrian modeller! Going to follow this with interest

[hartleymartin]

Any attempt for me to model a Sudrian Railway would probably in in 4mm scale. Now I do have a complete Triang Nellie and two spare bodies on the way in the post! I am not convinced that read stripes on NWR No.6 "Percy" are realistic. The stripes are usually boiler bands either painted or polished and it just doesn't seem right on a saddle tank. At most, one would think a single red stripe around the edges of the saddle tank, but any model I would produce wouldn't have any lining. It's fiddly enough in 7mm scale!

[NeilHB]

So I've managed to make a bit more progress over the last couple of days - the Brake Third is now rolling! Roof and wheels etc cannibalised from my Slaters MR 6-wheel brake third which took a rather long drop off the workbench with a very sudden stop at the end - oops! It yielded quite a lot of useful parts so all is not lost...

Footboards, seating and lots of detailing left to do.

 

The next project has been my Ixion Hudswell Clarke - I've changed the smoke box door hinge for the older style and swapped the buffers plus a full repaint. I'm not sure about the lining - it was my first attempt - it's not come out too bad but I think the colour is a bit off - probably best hidden under some weathering! Anyhow let me introduce you to Wellsworth & Suddery Railway No.4 'Brendam':

 

Next up is a Gladiator Chaldron waggon - a remnant from the lines horse worked days - a nice little kit to put together as long as you can get the parts to fit right...!

 

Got a little distracted this evening and decided I needed a photo plank for my models - just a quick and easy construction of foamboard - the track is just plonked down for the moment to give an idea - I want to try out a few ideas first before I start on Elsbridge itself so this will be a useful little (bout 3'x11" so fairly small) test piece:

'Main line' at a slightly higher elevation than the siding in the foreground (not sure if this will stay yet) with the line crossing a minor road to the right. If I don't include the siding I may add a small halt just by the road crossing...we shall see.

Edited March 28, 2015 by NeilHB

[hartleymartin]

 

 

I must say that I'm loving the short 4-wheel coach!

[NeilHB]

Thanks Martin! There's another one to go once that ones finished (an All-3rd) plus I've an idea for a 1st/3rd Coupe coach using the saloon window parts.

[NeilHB]

No progress to report on Elsbridge today, however I have made a start on the little project I've got to do ready for display at the Derby Model Railway Show at the start of May...discussions between Tim and myself whilst manning the 7mmNGA stand at Kettering centred around having something to display on there ready for Derby so I've been tasked with assembling one of the associations bogie coach kits made from Peco coach sides:

 

So far I've assembled the sides, painted the ends and cut the floor to size. As this is just a simple assemble and make no alterations I thought I'd see what I could do with a couple of Peco narrow gauge coach bodies that I'd got spare...

 

So, take one coach body and apply a sharp knife and some glue...it makes into a nice little 3 compartment coach that's a bit different from the standard Peco coach body. Quite pleased with how it's turned out so the next task it sorting out the roof and then an interior and chassis etc.

 

Last one for tonight...having a bit of a play around with the settings on my phone camera to create a bit of a arty-farty shot of North Western No.7 Toby on a short goods train.

[DLT]

Really like the look of this project Neil,  I haven't seen the Peco coach parts used for standard gauge before.

All the best,

Dave.

[NeilHB]

Thanks Dave. The individual parts (single door, double window sections etc) scale out at about 7ft tall so are about the right size for a standard gauge coach - I've also seen the narrow gauge coach sides used for a standard gauge coach too - Giles Barnabe's Stratford Waterside used them with added microstrip to just give a bit more height - there's an article in Scale Model Trains from July 1993 about them.

[Guest Isambarduk]

"I've changed the smoke box door hinge for the older style and swapped the buffers ..."
 
Me too :-)
 

See www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69095-idea-conversion-of-ixion-hudswell-clarke/?p=1273064

or the full story at: www.davidlosmith.co.uk/GCR_Humber.htm

 

David

[hartleymartin]

Dava - surely you've seen my light railway coach in my o gauge thread.

[NeilHB]

David thanks for the link to your thread - duly bookmarked for future ideas. I do think moving the sandboxes onto the footplate makes a huge difference to how the engine looks (as does changing the buffer beams) - I may look to do something similar to Brendam - I am assuming that a hacksaw (or similar) should take care of the sandboxes?

[Guest Isambarduk]

"I am assuming that a hacksaw (or similar) should take care of the sandboxes? "
 
Well, I am sure that anybody with more skills with a hacksaw and file than I have could do it - I never cease to be amazed what some people achieve with only hand tools.  I used a milling machine:

You may read the full story at www.davidlosmith.co.uk/GCR_Humber.htm#Sandboxes  and a few paragraphs further down.

I agree re the change in appearance but I think that the new coupling rods had quite and effect:
 

David

[NeilHB]

Thanks David. Will give it a go with the hacksaw then and see how it goes. The new rods look nice - however I think something like that is beyond my skills at the moment...something to attempt at some point in the future I think.

 

I managed to make a bit of progress last night with the narrow gauge coaches currently on my workbench:

A standard Peco NG coach that's been modified slightly - all I've done is to change the panelled detail on the middle pair of panels and added rainstrips to the roof with some microstrip.

The extended 3 compartment coach has now had the roof modified - I think this may become a brake coach so testing how it looks with the duckets in place temporarily.

Lastly the 7mmNGA association bogie coach has had a side and the ends glued in place around the floor - no photos yet. Next task is to start the interior...watch this space!

[Mike Bellamy]

Next task is to start the interior...watch this space!

Hi Neil

 

Coach seats to fit the Peco NG coaches are available from Phil Traxson at Port Wynnstay Models.

 

Available mail order via EDM Models http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Port_Wynnstay/7mm_parts.htm

 

Hope that helps

 

Mike

 

.

[NeilHB]

Thanks Mike will take a look and see what looks suitable.

 

Cheers,

Neil

[Bernard Lamb]

On an early version of the forum I posted a photograph of a station seat at Elsbridge.

It must be on an old computer but I will try to find it.

Nice to see the line getting a new look.

Bernard

[Phil Traxson]

Hi Neil

 

Coach seats to fit the Peco NG coaches are available from Phil Traxson at Port Wynnstay Models.

 

Available mail order via EDM Models http://www.ngtrains.com/Pages/Port_Wynnstay/7mm_parts.htm

 

Hope that helps

 

Mike

 

Mike

Neil is in Derby, as are most of the rest of our crowd, he could give me a call and arrange to pick them up, would save an awful lot of messing about and postage!!

 

Phil T.

Port Wynnstay Models

 

.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Phil Traxson

[Mike Bellamy]

Mike

Neil is in Derby, as are most of the rest of our crowd, he could give me a call and arrange to pick them up, would save an awful lot of messing about and postage!!

 

Phil T.

Port Wynnstay Models

He's even closer than that as he sits at the desk opposite me and so I'm right up to date with his modelling progress which puts me to shame as I haven't done anything for years

 

 However by answering his post on here gave me another opportunity to promote Port Wynnstay and EDM . . . . . . . .

 

I guess an ideal collection point would be our Group meeting at the Brunswick !!

 

.

[NeilHB]

Thanks Mike and Phil.

 

Bernard that would be great if you could please.

[NeilHB]

A little bit of progress made today on another coach for Elsbridge Wharf. Many years ago when I first started out in 0 gauge I bought a pair of Slaters Midland Railway 6 wheel coaches - a brake 3rd and an all 3rd. As you know the brake 3rd bit the dust the other day when I knocked it off the workbench...out of the two coaches the brake 3rd had been the one which had nearly been completed - the all 3rd had sat in its box for many years as a basic shell.

Well not any longer - this afternoon it got introduced to the scalpel...below is the end result - a nice compact 3 compartment 4-wheel coach that fits in quire well with the brake coach produced from Peco coach parts:

 

And below with the brake coach:

 

I'm quite pleased with how this one has turned out - I did contemplate turning it into another brake coach as you can never have too many brake coaches/brake vans...but I think it will stay as it is.

Edited April 3, 2015 by NeilHB

[hartleymartin]

There are always shortages of Brake Vans and Brake Coaches. These vehicles have a reduced earning capacity compared to regular vehicles, so railways always tried to operate with a bare minimum number of them.

[WD0-6-0]

I'm going to follow this, it's brilliant. I do like Sudrian railways on the original format and seeing them modelled historically accurately (or at least as accurate as you can get with fiction). I really like Brendam, will it carry W&S lettering or is 1906 after the merging with the TK&ELR?

 

I plan to model as Sudrian railway at some point, in the 1950s but with BR crests on NWR liveries. Probably 4mm