Edwardian

Thank you! I can see what you did with those images (I just need to learn how you did it!) As for the GER 4-wheeler, that's perfect; the GER sold off a lot of 4-wheelers from around 1900, according to Kidner, 2 and 3-compt. brakes, 4-compt. 1sts, 5-compt. 3rds. The example you gave me is said to date from 1867, so, a first generation Johnson coach, a Brake Third at 21'8" over the body. This may have originally been known as a brake composite (D501). The GERS article has an outline drawing of a Third at 24'3" over the body. The late 1860s coaches were: 5 compartment 3rd's (D400), 24ft 3ins long, four compartment 1st's, 24ft in length, and a small batch of 2nd's with 21ft bodies. Though 10 years older than the Felixstowe coaches, they are the same basic design.

Yep, I have Silhouette Studio V3 sitting on my Desktop, just waiting for me to don my Brave Pants again! Thank you.

Not entirely sure I'd agree; I thought the point was to judge the build, and I don't see what one's preferences for companies (or scales) has to do with it. I concur with the placings; all excellent models.

Very neat job and looking good

I agree, and the closer I look at this the odder it seems: The door vents do appear to sit in recesses But, the corresponding blank on the unglazed guard's door appears to be a raised, not a recessed area. The round-topped panel below is recessed. There is also such a raised panel above the twin round-topped recesses on the ducket As mentioned before, other areas along the top of the body are flat with no panelling These features mean that a two-tone livery with contrasting lining on raised beading would simply not work on such a coach. I agree that the waist seems to feature half-round beading, and I am concerned that I will not find anything fine enough to reproduce this. I tried Silhouette and Inkscape and gave both up in despair. I got somewhere with the tutorials posted on RM (the official instructions appearing to be less than useful), but could not see how to bridge the gap between these simple exercises and producing a coach side to scale. It is the way forward for coach construction and I must "endeavour to persevere". Andy G, your Midland Diner is inspiring.

Andy G - that is an extraordinarily kind offer, and a cutter is precisely the right technology for such a job. I can glean the basic dimensions from a couple of GER coach outline drawings (follow the link I posted to the GERS article). I don't know the specific dimensions of the Felixstowe coaches and I have only the picture I posted, but the WNR coaches do not need to be exact replicas of the coaches, just "in the style of"

Just brilliant, and good to see the updated long-shots along with the close-up. A real visual feast!

That church, St Lawrence, Castle Rising, says "model me!" Thanks, Fenman. Architecturally closer to the castle, too. And, I discover that the almshouses go by the utterly splendid name of The Hospital of the Holy and Undivided Trinity. As a Scholar of the college of the Holy Trinity of Norwich, I can relate to that. The costumes are as irresistible as the buildings

Possibly the distance from Holt obviates the need for locusts on the layout. Having started off being fairly vague about where exactly we find Castle Aching and on the subject of the railway's history, I now find myself rapidly inventing in order to keep pace with the reality driven by this topic. I will have to create an "expandable Norfolk", with a whole additional slice running from a point between Rising and Acre in the south up to my Erstaz Burnhams in the north. I just argued that the WNR was intended to form part of a more ambitious east-west trunk route, so the north-south axis and the orientation of Castle Aching's station need thinking round! That is how I understood it. Hillington is interesting. it gives me Victorian architecture with carstone slips, close to my bit of expanded Norfolk, but I can also draw on Acre to the south east. That is helpful. Clearly the wagon should be labelled "Bishop's Lynn". Agreed. Don't forget Leams. The Cambridgeshire-based Isle of Eldernell sister layout will be flat and soggy. That is a superb title for a book. The spiritual welfare of Castle Aching is close to my heart. There should be Primitive Methodists and I will look at Rising church; there is a lot of Acre and not much Rising in the village so far. All the necessary materials border the mythical slice of expanded Norfolk, so it'll all be fine! I will look out for that book, though. Very helpful comments, many thanks. James

Except, he made a proper model! But thanks for your kind expression of approbation. Paul, thank you for these comments, which I will respond to in greater detail in due course. Your comments, suggestions and information is much appreciated.

Hi Clive, I was referring to a Third Class Tramcar built, or converted, for the line in 1905. According to R W Kidner's volume on Minor Railways' coaching stock, standard 6-wheel stock was vestibuled and fitted with smaller wheels. From the drawing I have seen, it appears that the middle 3 compartment doors were sealed, and the coach became a 4-wheeler. Though there were narrow doors and little platforms at the ends, pasesngers seemed to be intended to use the outer side doors, below which steps were fitted. The effect is not unlike the GER 4-wheeled W&U coach, but without the characteristic end verandahs. That said, photographs also show 6-wheelers which appear to have retained their original ride height and 3 axles, and I have seen what looks like a vestibule brake third, fitted with smaller wheels, but with 3 axles. All of this goes to show that there was some variation in GER vestibuled 'tramcar' stock! I intend to run one each of the W&U 4-Wheeler, W&U bogie coach, W&U Brake Van and Tollesbury vestibuled Third, with GER G15s and C53s, so part of the West Norfolk Railway will need to be a tramway! As, goaded by RMWeb members, I am forced to look further into the fictional history of the WNR, I find the area is becoming quite crowded and I may need to de-conflict with Mullie! Mullie, I note your scenario is: Pott Row really exists, it is south East of Kings Lynn. I just liked the name! The scenario is that both GE and M&GN trains work into this outer platform of the larger station before heading off into rural Cambridgeshire or Norfolk. One day I might just work out a proper scenario but this suits me fine at the moment. For inspiration I've looked at places such as Cambridge, Ely, Bourne and Spalding. This topic, post 1 I have already projected a westward line that would, in the real world, have reached the villages of Pott Row and Grimston on its way to King's Lynn! I am very taken with photographs of Grimston in the 1900s, and see potential for more cardboard houses in due course. My places, as well as my railways, are fictitious, and I tend to adapt or combine real place names, so something along the lines of Pottston, Grimrow, Pottsgrim or, even, Grimpott en route to Bishop's Lynn (can't have 'East Lynn', 'cos it's taken) might emerge! I would be concerned, however, that I am trespassing on your territory!

Not really time to do anything much this weekend, save ponder coaching stock, specifically the 'branch set'. As I have said, I think that Castle Aching must be the southern terminus of a line that stretches north to the coast. It is also the terminus of a branch line. This means that I can have the full WNR 'mainline' service running into Castle Aching, along with visiting specials from the GER and MGN (in the fullness of time, you understand). The station can also operate simply as a Norfolk Ashburton, and, initially, it is the branch traffic that I would concentrate upon. At some point the WNR attracted the support and sponsorship of .the GER, which became a major investor. This support seems to have manifested itself with the Johnson-Adams T7 look-a-like, c.1872, the precedent for this being the very similar locomotive supplied to the Colne Valley & Halstead in Essex. This was the branch passenger engine, housed at Castle Aching. It needs a branch set, usually to be found occupying the loop under the train-shed. Now, these could be anything. They could be older stock - the WNR like the CV&HR, goes back to the end of the '50s, and the Essex line had some old Wright 4-wheelers, grounded by 1903 - or any of the typical light railway ex-mainline cast-offs, including the 4-wheelers sold off by the GER from 1900. Or they could be a further example of GER munifence and be designed and supplied new during the 1870s. I take for my precedent here the Felixstowe Railway & Pier Company. In 1877, the Gloucester Wagon Company supplied a number of 4-wheelers that bear a distinct similarity to the GER 4-wheel stock designed by Johnson from 1867 and which continued to be constructed under Adams. The style is characterised by round-topped windows (just to make life more difficult). So, the thought is to have a 4-coach set of short 4-wheelers in this style: Brake Third, First-Second Composite, Third, Brake Third. I note that the Felixstowe coaches lack the panel recesses in some places, which means a two-tone livery might be unsuccessful. I had hoped for a green and pale cream livery to contrast with visiting stock - the GER and GNR coaches will be varnished teak and Midland coaches all over lined crimson - although perhaps the 'mainline' coaches could feature the full WNR livery and these branch coaches be in unlined green? For those interested, see John Watling's article, http://www.gersociety.org.uk/index.php/rolling-stock/carriages/types-1-4, and R W Kidner's Carriage Stock of Minor Standard Gauge Railways

If you are not actually modelling the W&U, you have some latitude. The GER was responsible for more than one odd little line, and there were others using verandah-style or tramcar coaches. The GER produced a tramcar, albeit not with verandas, for the Kelvedon & Tollesbury Branch. On that basis, I would have a go at super-detailing a Bachmann Henrietta. I have not checked the dimensions for accuracy against the W&U, but I do know that its overall size is fine for a 4mm scale light railway tramcar coach, and, if you are not trying to model a W&U coach specifically, it does not need to be an exact match. When in funds, I intend to explore this option for the WNR.

I have a requirement for one of these! And: GWR Loriot M Dia. G16 GWR Hydra Dia. G19 GWR Brake Van Dia. AA3 GWR Brake Van Dia. AA7 NER Agricultural Implement Wagon NER/LNER LowMachinery Wagon Mac-L

Beautiful coaches; I love those coupe type coaches.

Great locomotive. Great name. Fairly good value for a 3D print. Thanks for the link, JCL, and thanks for your interest. One day it would be fun to have something like this knocking around, though, I suppose, modelling the superannuated first generation of WNR stock cannot be allowed priority! I do love your GNR modelling, and it has crossed my mind that a short, GNR 2-4-0, 0-4-2 or 2-2-2 tender engine still extant c.1905 might well work through to castle Aching on specials via the M&GN!

Plans for the West Norfolk's stud are still developing. Those for the Isle of Eldernell have been established for some time. Research reveals the connections (not physical) between the two lines. The WNR became the first railway in west Norfolk; the line was opened from 1857-58 and, so, preceded both the north-west Lynn and Hunstanton (later GER), and the two east-west lines (which bisected the WNR), the Lynn & Fakenham (later MGNJ) and the West Norfolk Junction (later GER). The southern terminus of the WNR went as far as Castle Aching only because one of the line's promoters, who resided at Aching Hall, insisted upon it. This gentleman later became involved in the Isle of Eldernell scheme, hoping eventually that the two lines would form part of a Grand Eastern Trunk Route, eventually linking the ECML to Norwich, but crossing the Isle and the Eldernell Mere was always going to be a problem, and the Eldernell scheme did not come to pass until 1867, the crucial Mereport Extension was not made until the 1880s. With the soon-to-be GER lines mentioned built from the mid-'60s and the L&F in the early 1880s, by the time such a thing became possible, there was no longer the financial justification for a through route that would have ended the isolation of the Isle of Eldernell by somehow draining or crossing the Mere in the west and bridging the River Wen at Mereport in the east. In the event, the Grand Eastern Trunk Railway only ever ran for a few short miles from Meadhampstead (Abbey) Station to Gildenburgh on the banks of the Mere, from whence the connection to the Isle of Eldernell continued to be made via steamer. Though the WNR had extended west as far as Bishop's Lynn in anticipation of the route being established across the Mere to Meadhampstead on the ECML, the WNR never bridged the Wen to run into Mereport and the IOE&MR remained physically unconnected from the national system until closure, sometime after WW2. All this by way of background to explain that the Isle of Eldernell Steam Traction Company favoured the products of Sharp Stewart at its inception. In 1867 it took delivery of 2 2-4-0 passenger tanks from that company. It had also ordered two Sharp Stewart 0-6-0Ts for goods traffic. When the opportunity arose to acquire the Contractor's Manning Wardle Old I Class, the IOESTC cancelled its order for the second Sharp Stewart 0-6-0. In due course, as the traffic grew heavier, the Old I Class was pensioned off to work the IOESTC's agricultural branch to Burnt House Basin, on the New Wen River and a replacement purchased. In the meantime, Sharp Stewart was left with a engine on its hands, and the WNR stepped in and offered to take the 0-6-0T, no doubt for a discount, and everyone was left, more or less, happy. . .

Well, I hadn't, so I for one am grateful you posted it. Wonderful film. Wonderful GC train.

It's funny, from the inception of this project I had this GER inspired Adams 0-4-2T for the Colne Valley in mind as the branch passenger tank for Castle Aching. Mine will also have a cab, though it will wear WNR green, not CV&HR black and she will not sport the extra tanks added to her Essex sister. Apart from the fact that I like the CV&HR locomotive and her GER cousins, she seemed like the perfect choice for a GER-sponsored minor line like the WNR. Just recently, we have decided that the WNR dates from the 1850s (hitherto I had assumed 1870s). This has led to some fascinating speculation concerning the first generation of WNR motive power. This takes me full circle back to the CV&HR, which was authorised in 1856 and had just the sort of motive power we have been discussing for the WNR; an ex-Brighton Railway Sharp Stewart 2-2-2 tank and an E B Wilson product!

Except it won't be a GER loco and it won't be in blue; think 'Colne Valley & Halstead No.1"

What a lovely little engine. Hard to resist an attempt to model it. Thanks.

Motive power, so far:

Dawn-Iron-Horse; that explains it!

Brilliant. So, a static engine during the time the layout is set. Though Eohippus was not known to science and named until 1876.

Very effective trees.