Leaderboard

Now that work is virtually complete on the first two boards (barring the buildings), I've put the first one to one side and begun work on the third one. Although I can erect 6 boards at a time in the garage, they're spanning other layouts and junk meaning they're too high to work on without standing on some form of platform or stool. And one day I'll fall off! Instead I have an area off to the side where I can work on a couple of boards comfortably. Anyhoo, the third board contains the lime dust shed for Callow Hill quarry which was a fairly spindly kind of affair. Dimensions were guesstimated and a number of trusses soldered up from spare nickel silver rail. Columns and other substantial structural elements were brass and the frame was finished off with copper clad 'purlins', including an unprototypical diagonal but I figured I needed the strength. After painting with a succession of rattle cans, the corrugated iron (?) was added using leftover Slaters and SE Finecast sheets before painting with acrylics and dusting with talc. The Axbridge end has been left open deliberately to match a photo I have. Eventually I'll need to add some yard lamps here and it'd be nice if I can make them work. The surrounding area has had the scenery added as before and yet more strawberry patches! On the up side of the layout, I've worked out where a couple of the Bristol Water Works outbuildings will be so the private siding's been laid. This was protected by a gate which may or may not be made to open and close on the model. It'll give the opportunity for yet another shunting move if I do. I'm not sure whether wagons were moved with a pinch bar along the siding though? Unfortunately this board also requires point rodding so I've made a start on that/ All the various cranks etc. have been cobbled up from Brassmasters and MSE etches and await the fitting of the Modelu stools. I've still some more line side fencing to add and the concrete retaining wall colours need blending across the baseboard joint, but it's coming on nicely.

Before I started I read some articles about brick painting. I have read the chapter of brick painting in that excellent book “Cottage Modelling for Pendon”, some chapters in a book called “Create exterior finishes” from Bea Broadwood. Is also very useful for railway modellers, especially for those who do 7mm. And last but not least an article from Emmanuel Nouaillier in an Eisenbahn Journal. I will mostly follow the steps described in the last article. For my colour choice I used all three. For the house and shop I also use this time a kit from In the Greenwood. I cleaned them first with an MDF cleaning pad. I gave all the parts a coat with Gesso. Then the brick parts got a coat with Vallejo black Wash. This to down tone the white the Gesso. Now I can start painting the individual bricks with a base colour. With the information I had, I looked at my available paints. I have used the following colours: Red Squirrel and Mucky Pint from the Petite Properties range and Dust from the AK range. For the mortar I used a pigment called Earth of Vicenza. I blow the most pigment off the piece (out of the window) and wept it off with a moistened piece of cloth. Above the wall in progress, below a larger picture of the finished wall. After testing my way of brick painting on a side wall I can continue painting and building my terraced house. And of course suggestions and comments are welcome. Kind regards, Job

Tube stock passing at Headstone Lane on the 'New Line'. Passing the Sports Ground at Headstone Lane. 'Peak' southbound at Linslade. To the south of Watford Harrow & Wealdstone. The Stanmore Village DMU waits to leave from Platform 7 after connecting with the Bletchley 'Local'. A short Parcels working from Hemel Hempstead paces the Stanmore Village service. North end at Harrow. Two 73s thrash south on Diesel power. Looking north through Watford as a 304 EMU calls at the Up Slow Platform with a Birmingham New Street to Euston (via Northampton) service. A 40 rattles through Harrow on the Up Slow Line with a class 4 Parcels working A class 1 on the Down Slow at Watford. Crossing to the Down Fast Line from the Down Slow at the north end of Watford. View of the north end of Watford looking over the control panel. To the south of Harrow the Stanmore Branch Freight approaches with a 25 in charge Southbound Motorail swings round the curves at Linslade on the approach to the Tunnels Approaching Watford from the south. Connecting pause at Harrow. A Cross Country 120 has found its way onto the Stanmore Branch. 'Off peak' at Harrow. The Stanmore Branch has just a single car Derby Lightweight DMU for the quiet hours Double headed Special approaches Linslade Tunnel. A 1938 Tube set arrives in Platform 5 at Watford after a run from Elephant & Castle. From above the tunnels at Linslade a Euston bound Express hurries past All go to the south of Harrow As a pair of 310s set off from the Watford stop an 86 hauled Express overtakes To the south of Watford all is busy. Heading south at Linslade 1A14 The southbound Manchester Pullman races through Linslade On the last 11 miles into Euston the Manchester Pullman continues its southward progress. A 25 assists a 40 through Harrow on a freight bound for Willesden. A southbound Anglo-Scottish Sleeper disturbs the peace at Linslade.

Inspired by Jim Smith-Wright’s creations on his New Street layout, I decided to try my hand at scratch building my own overhead line mast. The first baseboard on Romford contains three such masts; one four-track span and two double-track spans located on the main overbridges. I decided to start with the more complex four track span. Fortunately, the Mark 1 Great Eastern masts are a lot simpler construction than the WCML versions on New Street. I started off by reviewing archive photographs found on the internet; notably Flickr. This research was hugely important, as it was apparent that the mast in question had undergone a number of structural changes over the years and I wanted to recreate its condition in the mid-1970s. Using the archive photographs and drawings found on RMweb, I drew up a scale template using Microsoft Visio software. The template drawing was printed off and stuck on to piece of ply wood. The main cross beam and columns were constructed from 2.5mm brass ‘H’ section purchased from Eileen’s Emporium. The columns and beams were cut to length, fixed to the template using pins and soldered together. The columns were soldered to brass bolts which would eventually protrude through the baseboard. 4No. ‘Y’ hangers are suspended from the main beam. These were constructed from 1mm brass angle configured back to back to reflect the prototype. To these, I soldered 0.5mm diameter brass rod to reflect the conductor arm. Weismann insulators were cut in length to reflect the 6.25kV variety, threaded on to the rod and glued into position. Each ‘Y’ hanger unit was then soldered to the main cross beam. The brackets which will eventually support the catenary wire and the return conductors were fashioned into a square loops using 0.5mm wire. 2No. insulators were threaded onto each loop which was then soldered to the main cross beam. Secondary brackets which in practise support the ‘Y’ hangers and catenary brackets were also constructed from 0.5mm wire which was threaded around the main cross beam and soldered/glued into position. In hindsight, any brackets which were to be supported from the main cross beam should have been fixed prior to fitting the columns to aid assembly. Final details such as the triangular fillet between the beam and columns (0.5mm brass sheet) and the main cross beam splice plates (0.5mm Plasticard) were glued into position. The splice plates were detailed using Archer rivet transfers. The concrete mast bases were reproduced with 1mm Plasticard. Milliput filler was used to mask the Plasticard joints and to form a benching between the base and the column. The entire model was sprayed with Halfords grey primer, followed by a light dusting with Halfords matt black. Finally a mix of rust and dark grey enamel was dry brushed around the structure. The final detail was the reference plates. These were constructed from 0.5mm Plasticard, painted BR(E) blue and affixed with Fox number transfers.

One of the more iconic features of Romford station are the overbridges. Bridge 102A (footbridge) was built in 1893 to link the Great Eastern Station to the London Tilbury & Southend Station. Bridge(s) 102 (Main and Electric lines) were built in 1931 as part of the four tracking and replaced the original brick arch structure, albeit some of the abutments were reused. I managed to ascertain the span length from scale drawings that I had acquired. The depth of the main girders was calculated from counting bricks on the adjacent abutments. The main web plates were constructed from 0.5mm thick Plasticard. The flanges were built up with 1mm plastic angle sections and a 0.5mm thick flange plate. The web stiffeners were made from 1.2mm plastic T” sections. I sprayed each complete girder with Halfords grey primer. The south span carried a number of cable troughs. These were constructed from 3mm square tube sections and were supported on brackets cut from chrome staples. When complete, the girder and associated cable runs were weathered. Archer rivet transfers were added to the top and side plates. The notable feature of the bridge was the large fluorescent lettering which featured on the north and south sides of the main girders. The wording read, “British Railways, Romford Station, Frequent Electric Trains to London”. I recreated the wording with 3mm and 5mm Slaters lettering, which was stuck to 0.5mm brass wires. The south span (Electric Lines) also incorporated a dual track overhead line (OLE) gantry (12/22) and integral signal gantry (R64). This was a highly unusual arrangement and one that has now been phased out, probably due to Electricity at Work regulations. The OLE gantry was constructed using brass sections and Weismann insulators (see my previous blog: The Only Way is….Romford – Part 3). The signal gantry (Electric Lines) was built from 1mm brass angle and 0.5mm brass wire to form the railings. I modified a Berko 4-aspect signal head to match to curved back plate that was prevalent on this stretch of line. The signal wires were threaded through 1.5mm brass tube, which was bent to recreate the dog-leg profile. The signal gantry deck was constructed from scored card and was suitably weathered. The OLE/signal gantry was sprayed with grey primer and fixed to the main girders on pre-assembled Plasticard supports. The whole structure was weathered and glued in to position on the baseboard. The footbridge was constructed using the same methodology as the main girders and incorporated a corrugated roof. Supporting arches for the roof were formed from laser cut Romark and included a channel for a longitudinal stiffening beam and lighting conduit. Three LEDs were wired along the length of the bridge and additional one for the height restriction sign. I used Ambis corrugated sheets for the roof which was formed over the supporting arches and glued into position.

Railway modelling for many of us is about recreating childhood memories. For me it was the Great Eastern Main Line. Despite the lure of the LMS with their magnificent Pacifics, it wasn't until I moved away from Essex that I realised how much I loved the Great Eastern with its varied EMUs and the resplendent diesels allocated to Stratford depot. So why Romford? I wanted a location which offered an interesting mix of railway operations and also a busy street scene. Romford offered all of this; an atmospheric coal yard, a branch line to Upminster with its red brick Midland station building unusually situated in LNER territory and a busy four track suburban and main line. The first step was the research, which I found as interesting as the modelling itself. The internet is a great font of knowledge. I was able to source numerous photographs from websites such as Flickr, to help recreate the virtual scene. However, nothing beats visiting the site and taking photographs and notes of the real thing. The key here is to take as many photographs from as many different angles as possible, as you never know when you will be able to go to site again or if indeed whether the subject will still be there when you go back. While on site, I also took the opportunity to visit the local library and was able to secure an Ordinance Survey map of the area for the era that I wanted to model; the 1970s early 1980s. Through my work as a railway engineer, I was also fortunate to secure copies of the permanent way layout and original LNER drawings of the station. I was however lacking information on the now demolished coal yard and goods shed. I will therefore need at some point, to visit Chelmsford library to view the Great Eastern Society's archive drawings. As the railway is elevated above the road and the main station building is integral with the western bridge abutment, this is where I needed to start my setting out from. I drew up the elevation using Microsoft Visio drawing software based upon dimensions from the LNER drawings and my extensive library of photographs. Sizing the building was relatively easy as it was possible to count the brick courses from my digital photographs. Once the drawing is complete, the next step is constructing the western station elevation. But that is another story...... To be continued.

The whistle on the cab roof is very fragile and particularly vulnerable. There will be a lot of work to be done with the locomotive upside down, so some sort of protection is going to be needed. I just happened to have some blue coloured sticky stuff available, so I've used that to provide some protection. Something that must be done before any weathering is started is to remove all excess grease and oil from the motor and drive mechanism. If this is not done then at some time in the future all of the carefully applied weathering will take on the same oily, dark appearance. There is a reason for me knowing this. Upon closer investigation, it is apparent that this model was lubricated by using a spoon . . . . . . . It must all be removed, and in this case I employed a cocktail stick so that I could get into all the edges, corners and spaces, lifting the wheels and axles out to clean inside the bearing slots and gearwheel teeth.

I've been expressing my dissatisfaction with the chassis and mechanism of the Hattons/DJM 14XX for some time now and I have finally started to do something about it. The background to this is that I need a 14XX as the 'signature' loco for my new 'cameo' shunting layout 'Bethesda Sidings', which is a fictitious location on a proposed-but-never-built GW route between New Radnor and Rhyader in Mid-Wales. With the addition of the outrageously improbable 'Vale of Radnor Light Railway' joining the 'main line' off scene, I have sometimes described this layout as 'the Prestigne goods with added Pecketts'. Back to the Hattons 14XX. The body work looked quite exquisite and on the basis of that alone, I ordered a BR lined green version, which would be renumbered to 1420, one of the Presteigne regulars towards the end of that service. The first example from Hattons looked lovely, but ran very badly, as I couldn't get it to run smoothly at low, shunting speeds. In fact, the more I ran it in, the worse the running got. It quickly went back to Hattons, who efficiently changed it for another, identical example with no fuss or bother. The second one seemed to be a better runner, upon initial checking, so I put it away and did some work on the layout for a few weeks. When it came to giving it some serious running in and checking how it was on the layout, it failed to live up to my initial, hopeful expectations. Once again, despite seeming to improve with the slow speed running, it eventually got worse after further running in, so I decided to cut my losses and provide it with a new chassis. Having already heard some accounts of problematical running with this design of loco, I had already obtained a Perseverance chassis and the necessary Markits wheels. If the Hattons/DJM loco had settled down properly, these would have gone under an old Airfix body. However, this was not to be and so the etched chassis is to go under the Hattons/DJM body. I will re-iterate that, in my view, Hattons/DJM have got the looks of the 14XX just right, especially the smokebox end and the finish is exemplary. The lining is nicely done and the overall effect is very pleasing. Hattons/DJM helpfully provide a 'components' list, should any spares be needed, which helped me subsequently in terms of identifying how things might come apart. Unfortunately, having now separated the chassis block from the body, it is my distinct impression that such an activity was never meant to be encouraged and some moderate force was eventually required, once the requisite screws had been undone. But what you are left with then is this bizarre arrangement, where the motor and worm remain ensconced in the body, with just the chassis block and wheels having come free: I tried unscrewing some of the remaining screws and found that the smokebox/boiler assembly will come away from the footplate, or at least mine did at the front end, but the cab-end remained firmly in one piece, which was probably just as well. What I couldn't work out how to do, was to remove the plastic bracket that held the tiny, coreless motor in place. The 'components list' referred to earlier clearly show that the cab and side tanks are a separate moulding, as are front and rear spectacle plates (there are actually an inner and an outer front spectacle plate, would you believe!), together with the smokebox/boiler/firebox being another separate piece. The problem with separating the cab and side tanks from the footplate seemed to me to be two-fold: i) I suspect that they may have been partially glued together. I certainly couldn't see how to simply unscrew them and I didn't want to risk damaging either the individual mouldings or the lovely paint finish ii) there are some (nicely done) pipe runs that attach to both the side tanks and the footplate mouldings and which would have to be reinstated by the modeller once the parts were separated, something else that I didn't really want to have to do. So, I resorted to drastic action and produced this from an old soldering iron tip: This acted like a 4mm scale 'oxy-acetylene' cutting torch and made short work of the plastic bracket that held the motor in place, which was partially cut up in situ and the remains removed with pliers. It wasn't gentle or genteel but I wasn't in the mood to be all sensitive with this and the loco had had it coming for a long time. The small motor was removed unscathed and all superfluous wire runs also removed. It was then that I peered inside the body and saw that there was another unexpected obstacle to my planned installation of a High Level LoadHauler+ gearbox - a lump of mazak: This lump of mazak, which clearly acts as a weight for the plastic body, can only be removed by separating the cab from the footplate, which I had already decided I didn't want to do. I then wasted some time trying to cut it up on the spot using some burrs in a mini-drill, but that clearly wasn't going to be effective and only made a load of mess. So, I reviewed what space I now had available, as any replacement motor and gearbox would have to fit in the (approx) 30mm x 18mm space afforded by the inside of the mazak block. I sketched the available space on a scale drawing: By overlaying the gearbox planner thoughtfully provided by Chris Gibbon of High Level on top of the scale drawing, I was able to calculate that either a LoadHauler Compact+ or a RoadRunner+ would fit, with the 'drive extender' arranged back underneath the motor, which would have to be a Mashima 1015, with probably insufficient room for the flywheel that I might otherwise have fitted. A call to the ever-helpful Chris at High Level has resulted in both types of gearbox being ordered and an interesting discussion on how other customers of his might fare, should they try to fit one of his 14XX chassis kits to this body (short answer - you've got to remove the cab from the footplate!). The next job will be to fettle the Perseverance frames to fit the profile of the Hattons/DJM footplate underside.

So what does N&SBLR mean?? It means Norfolk & Suffolk Boarders light railway, the reason for this name was because we wanted to incorporate some of our favorites line from around the area in which we live. As part of the Whitwell & Reepham Model Railway Club, we have keen interests centered on the M&GN and Great Eastern railways, but with Norfolk and Suffolk sporting two amazing little lines with some amazing loco's we needed an excuse to make or purchase models for this layout. Initially, the layout was in the form of Board 1 which was and still is called "Terriers Territory", this layout set the standard for the rest of the layout, a simple 3 ft by 1 ft board, this was meant for a competition (I forget which one) Based upon the middy & Wissington Branch, the layout was taken to the first Bawesdwell Model Railway show back in 2016, there was thought for building a second piece which came to nothing, a week before the newbuild J50 Group model show, a club member took away terriers territory and build the second board, this began the formation of N&SBLR, which we came up with the name while at the show. This has developed into quite the interest for our modelers in the club. Each modeler has been given the task of creating a scene 3ft long by 1ft wide. Each board must be seamless and fit in with the previous board so the next member must create the next board, using the previous board which has been made as reference. It has grown so much that now, all 4 club members will build two boards which will mean the layouts full length could be 18 ft long by 1ft wide. Currently, the third board has been planned and built, but we are yet to have seen these...but I have been given the task of building the fourth board. So here we go... Going back to my GE route and having an excuse to purchase something fate came in the form of the Model Rail Magazine LNER J70 0-6-0 Tram, which I was intending to get, but with N&SBLR being built, it gave the locomotive a purpose, something which I could use for display and for exhibitions. This is the model I have ordered, which I think may well prove to be the most popular, this being MR-209 7137 in LNER Unlined Black with full skirts. (Photo by Model Rail Magazine) . Plus as the model gets closer to being finished the need for board 4 increases so it seems logical to start working on this now. In addition to this, 3-period wagons have been bought for the layout to serve the coal merchant at different periods of time, two LNER and one departmental 1950's mineral wagon, which was typically hauled along the W&U when being operated by the last of the J70's and the early Diesel shunters of the day. This is also to reflect that the layout will be running; Industrial tanks, J15's, J70's, Diesel Shunters and the occasional locomotive bought by a modeler for testing. All to reflect the idea's which the club want to produce to gain a bigger love for light railways and smaller (backwater) railways of the day. The Plan As for the plan this has gone through four different plans and six drawings of this have been made up, from what we've discussed in the club, with a small scene it has to fit nicely by itself before it can successfully sit with other smaller scenes. So for board No.4 which is what this will be called, I've gone with a Wisbeach & Upwell (W&U) theme, following the drawing below. It will have a single road (track) progressing from one side to the other with a point which will lead to a simple siding which will serve a coal Merchant ( I. Jones - A story has been planned for him). Opposite this will be either a field (Which I think is a tad boring) or a Pillbox which is appropriate, as by the 1930's and onward. These were being built because of the threat of invasion and afterward, they stuck around and can still be seen today. So it suits our area perfectly and being next to a railway line gives our Home Guard Volunteers or typical British Tommy on the lookout for the odd spy, it also gives latter day soldiers a perfect training building for defending a solid structure. Modeling To press on with some modeling I have begun working on a mineral wagon by Parkside, this was something I was given at Christmas last year, which I have finally got round to building. Of course, having worked on these kits before, it was more or less a ten-minute job to put together. I intend to undercoat and paint this while the weather is good enough to work with an airbrush. But the result has been rather good and I'm very pleased with that. As for loads, as the wagon is going to serve the coal merchant, I intend to have the wagon set at two levels, so it is shunted in full and it will leave the yard almost empty. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this first part of the N&SBLR Modular layout, I intend to put another update after I have built the board and begin the physical planning.

Hello again, As I was asked in the comments if I could produce a number of photo's and a plan of the previous modules, so I took the time to produce a number of photographs of the first 2 made modules for you over the weekend. This part won't include work of the build on my segment, however, I have begun gathering parts for the layout, mainly in the form of the Pillbox, bolster wood sheeting, fencing and some smaller kits for the coal merchant. I have also got some modeling completed and photoed for you of the wagons for the two periods, which are being modeled. Board 1: As you can see Board one is the oldest of the layout, setting the theme and the way each board should be built. This layout as you see it will be updated so it will match the newer standards of board 2 & 3. This is something that we as a club have recognized, as the boards get older they will begin to look rough around the edges, something that we as the club members will have to deal with. Board 1 is going to be changed slightly where a building will be put in place for storing wagons, the locomotive coal bunkers will be removed and a sugar beet pile will be put in place. In addition, the station is going to be cleared up and rebuilt in certain places. An update on board 1 will be put up sometime as my colleague works on it over the coming weeks. Board 2: As you can see this board is defined by the scene break which is the bridge which will help in regards to the third board, this section was added to give the layout some more operational interest. with the inclusion of a road with Loco pit and a spur leading to a cattle-dock obviously connecting nicely with board 1, in addition, the road will lead to a set of sidings more of extra storage for cattle wagons etc. Board 3: Sadly I do not have a picture of a built board 3 as of yet, however, there are currently three ideas moving around as to how this will be constructed: A: The layout might be split down the middle to create a fiddle yard, and have a small warehouse or factory which could take goods from the railway to market and out back will be a passing loop to allow two trains to pass by bringing more material, or coming with empties to fill off the yearly goods. B: This could be in a cutting which you can only just see the locomotives pass through, and the cutting will get lower almost flat as we enter the next board. The second road, of course, is there serving a few sidings. C: This is a third basic, flat scene, but B is currently floating as the most popular. Further board Ideas: There are further talks of a large bridge being built which splits segments of the layout up, the image shown below is what is another idea being drawn up. Operation: The idea for the layout should be that there should always be something going on - continuous running is necessary to keep the public happy, so to do this N&SBLR is not only good scenic wise but should also be operationally correct and smooth, allowing for increased realism. The way the layout is operated is to give an idea of how the operation of a light railway or small railway should be carried out. In this case, to provide goods to the locals and brewery. The railway is central to everything. In this case, a series of small or medium-sized trains will be brought down the line from the GE, LNER or BR Exchange sidings. Within these trains will be wagons for the coal merchant, brewery, cattle farmer and the odd passenger traffic diagram. Once the wagons are used they are organized in the sidings on the route (However board 4 is interesting) this allows several trains or one specifically sized train to move along the line picking up the goods and empty wagons until they are eventually put back into the exchange sidings. This then leaves the layout with an issue...The whole process has to start again. The idea is that the whole operation takes 15 - 20 minutes of wagons being moved and picked up and shunted into the train. Wagons: So I've been working on the LNER & BR wagons for the two scenes for the modular layout; So here we go... LNER Wagons: The LNER wagons have been pretty straightforward, as these wagons are RTR they don't require much in the way of work to get the wagons fitted with 3 links so the job was simply make up the three links and fit them. If interested I used these 3 links, springs and drawbars from Slaters. BR Wagons: Now as you have already seen I have made up the BR Riveted mineral wagon and fitted 3 links, since then not much has progressed with that, as I am currently struggling to find metal buffers for this wagon, if anyone can help please put a comment in thank you. But this wagon required a bit of work... Firstly on all the wagons, I tested the pre-fitted couplings to see if they can handle the 3 links, which coupling this wagon to the others, the pre-fitted draw-bar fell off, so I quickly set to work about fitting a newer metal draw-bar. Removing the body allowed me to inspect what I could do, sadly the molding required some cutting away, which I did to both sides, this was to allow the draw-bar & spring to sit comfortably inside the wagon, once fitted I put the body back onto the chassis, but again I found the body didn't sit properly. To which I found the model's aluminum weight was sitting onto the spring and draw-bar, so I went about with a hacksaw and cut the weight at each end. After that, I didn't have any problems and the wagon went back together nice and easy. And here are the wagons together on Mile End Park The BR Wagons: The LNER Wagons I hope you enjoyed this second part - Sorry this was not talking about the build but giving you a general background to the layout before we move the build, if you have any questions please feel free to ask :-) Cheers Tom P.s update for the W1 is on its way...