Elmham Market in EM

[James Spooner]

There have been a number of steps and mis-steps over the last week and a bit. Sometimes it was a case of one step forwards and two backwards but, by the middle of last week, I had got to a stage where I had a freely rolling chassis.

Without wishing to bore anyone, my first problem was that I had mis-measured the depth of cut required in the frames for the pony hornblocks. I then had to unsolder them and file the frames back until the hornblocks were in the right place. Secondly, having made up the Branchlines gearbox, I didn’t obey the first rule of soldering and fully clean my solder joints after making them. That lead to the idler gear seizing so some very gentle freeing up and lubrication was required to get things moving again. Attached are some photos of progress to date. I’m now at the stage of fitting pick ups to all wheels then will try out in anger!

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Welcome, Nigel
Good to see some more GE modelling. Especially finished stuff! I like the Gresley coach; and your extricating yourself from a tight spot.

Cheers

Jan

 

[James Spooner]

After a lot of time during the summer spent in Wales (and other places!) I’ve turned my attention back to Elmham Market. I am trying to focus on completing the scenic aspects (or at least getting them to a point where they look credible, even if not complete). This week I have been working on the station building and surrounding platform area.

The Great Eastern didn’t believe in making life easy for modellers in terms of buildings and walls. The platform wall design has a series of built in pillars and recessed panels, which are designed to slow a modeller down. The 1865 design of station buildings has raised quoins and raised window/door surrounds in brick and different colour brickwork.

My representation started life as a Laser Cut Railway Model kit, but I scrapped the roof as it had the wrong pitch and scratch built one in plasticard. David Barham helped out with some laser cut components and I completed it but wasn’t happy with the painting, especially the mortar courses as the MDF seemed to absorb the paint. I then read somewhere that diluted polyfilla can do the trick so experimented. It is certainly an improvement but might need a bit more finessing to get the right tonal nuances. Some photos attached.

 

[James Spooner]

I still wasn’t totally happy so have been doing some more dry brushing of different tones. I’m not sure whether my eyes are playing tricks on me but the photos seem to exaggerate the whiteness of the mortar courses. The attached photo shows the current state of play. In real life I think I’m about there with it so will need to bed it in and paint up to the edge. Photo attached.

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Not sure where to start really, but I came across this grouping and it seemed to be populated by friendly and helpful people, so thought I would benefit and learn from joining. I have been modelling since I was in my teens but would definitely regard myself as something of a bodger rather than having the skills I see and admire in so many others.

My interests are twofold: the ex GER in East Anglia (modelling in EM set in the 1950’s) and narrow gauge, principally the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland railways (but to date confine that to 16mm in the garden, apart from being involved with the real thing). I have very slowly been building an EM gauge model based on Lavenham station in Suffolk, but with liberties taken to make it easier to shunt with locos, rather than horses or using chains (which I think the real thing used), so changed the name to Elmham Market to save anyone’s blushes. It is still a long way off being finished, but I attach a photo or two to show progress to date.View attachment 159598View attachment 159599

If this is bodging, I’d hate to think what you’re like when you attain talented status. Lovely stuff. And there’s nothing bad about posting more GER stuff.

Welcome!

Cheers

Jan

 

[James Spooner]

If this is bodging, I’d hate to think what you’re like when you attain talented status. Lovely stuff. And there’s nothing bad about posting more GER stuff.

Welcome!

Cheers

Jan

Thank you!

 

[James Spooner]

I have now got to the point where I have placed the building and platforms on the baseboard just to make sure it all looks ‘right’.

 

[paulc]

Hi James , I've just caught up with your layout posting . I'm mightily impressed with the goods yard , i think you could spend hours pushing wagons around . Building buildings is something that I've never really got to grips with whereas your building 'bodging' is of the first order , well done .

 

[Joe's Garage]

As you say James…”make sure it looks ‘right’”…it certainly does, so typical GE. Lovely station building.
I will watch this space.
Cheers
Julian

 

[James Spooner]

Last week I got cracking on with the wash house and outside privy for the station building. This was measured from a combination of photos from Lavenham and the excellent article on GER 1865 station buildings in MRJ issue 6. Progress so far in the photos attached.

Best

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Then when the weather in these parts closed in over the weekend I bit a particular bullet I had been avoiding. When I built the fiddle yard for Elmham Market I did it in a bit of a rush. I sourced old HM3 point motors from eBay and quickly wired it up. A big lesson in failing to plan equalling planning to fail!

Firstly the point motors showed all of the failings they were known for back in the day (the solenoids worked fine but the switches were decidedly unreliable), so after experimenting with SEEP I settled on Peco and they have proved blissfully reliable. I used the add in switches to change point polarity. This all worked fine until the NW Surrey group of the EM society came over for one of our monthly gatherings and quickly exposed further failings!

The layout is housed in a room 22 feet long and the poor fiddle yard operator couldn’t tell which way the points were set, causing mayhem and confusion. I’m an accountant, not an electrician so needed to get my mind around the wiring required. Much help from Nick Ridgeway in the EM group and a very helpful gent from MERG at the recent Farnham exhibition lead to the acquisition of sufficient LEDs and Peco double switch units and a quantity of cable to effect an improvement. So much of my weekend (essentially the bits where I wasn’t dodging showers walking the dog or doing the Sunday roast) was spent dismantling the old fiddle yard control panel and building a new facia with facility for the LEDs. Much soldering, muttering and cursing later and success!!

 

[James Spooner]

I also took this photo of a pair of Clauds passing at Elmham Market, which sort of captures the 1950s East Anglian impression I’m trying to create.

Nigel

 

[JasonD]

OK, OK, I give in Nigel. My late Father-in-law worked for BR and acquired an Eccles Road platform seat for 1/- when he was working in Norwich. It's in my garage in bits (still) with lovely GER pedestals and the nameplate and you've filled me with enough guilt inspired me to get cracking on it.

As noted by many others, pic #2 is what this hobby is all about.
Jason

 

[Osgood]

I have a GER nameplate, but no pedestals or timber to go with it.
And I'm darned if I can discover on what line the station was situated....

 

[Dog Star]

I'm darned if I can discover on what line the station was situated....

View attachment 173990

WT-ers will, no doubt, throw some light on the matter... or maybe shine a torch in a dark corner...

 

[James Spooner]

I have a GER nameplate, but no pedestals or timber to go with it.
And I'm darned if I can discover on what line the station was situated....

View attachment 173990

Maybe if you fashioned some timber into a hut, that might fit the bill?!

 

[James Spooner]

Made good progress with the wash house and privy and it is now ready for ‘planting’. I have also been carrying out some ‘civils’ in the area of the station master’s garden and the station forecourt. Photos attached.

Cheers

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Whilst waiting for the plaster to dry I have moved down the baseboard a bit and finally given the signal box it’s finishing touches (guttering and down pipes, rain water tank, fire buckets, guard rails in front of sliding windows) and planted with scenic treatment added around it.

Also just constructed a grounded van body (from a drawing of the dia15 GER van) out of some scrap plasticard. It needs to be supported on some sleepers and painted, then planted just beyond the platform with the cattle dock. Photos attached.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

I’ve just had an operation to ‘release’ my carpal tunnel on my left hand (and am left handed), so modelling has gone on hold while it heals. Boredom is kicking in quite quickly so I got my camera and lights out and started playing and experimenting. Looking at the results I think I need to research things like depth of field and lights a bit more, but the attached are some of the less bad photos. i find these useful, as much as anything else, to help shape the next scenic steps on what is a very incomplete model.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

OK, so now I must admit I have been playing with the camera in the absence of being able to do any serious modelling. Here is a selection of shots from my latest visit to Elmham Market (and try to imagine you are in the 1950’s!).

Nigel