Elmham Market in EM
- Thread starter James Spooner
- Start date
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
If I have been a bit quiet over the last couple of weeks it is because my modelling journey has been a little bumpy recently. My last posts were about successfully completing the F5 chassis, but in truth I wasn’t quite happy about one or two aspects so made one or two tweaks and that was my downfall.
I spent much of the following weekend dismantling bits of the chassis, piece by piece, to get to a ‘root cause analysis’ of what wasn’t working properly and realised that I hadn’t allowed sufficient vertical play in the driving axle mini frame and that was having knock on effects elsewhere. So a partial dismantle, adjustment and reconstruction and I was back to where I started; only hopefully slightly better!
In testing the reworked F5, I realised that the temperature changes in the attic had not been kind to the layout so I then spent a day of last weekend fault finding and carrying out maintenance including replacing a failed Fulgurex point motor and resoldering several joints.
Maintenance over, and armed with new found confidence from the F5 experience that I could sort out my self generated flexichas issues, I turned my attention to an old Gibson J15 that was already on its second chassis but still didn’t run very well. This second chassis was my first scratchbuilt effort at a chassis (I disposed of the sprung one that came with the kit as I couldn’t cope with the springing arrangements) and worked, but only after a fashion. I planned to cut out holes for the hornblocks and convert it to flexichas. Bit of a disaster to be honest. I wound up with some bent frames that even I realised wouldn’t ever work properly. Fortunately I still had some nickel silver sheet left over from the F5 project and also some frame spacers so I started again with clean metal. I also had an unmade Gibson J15 kit, complete with milled frames, so used those frames as a template for my new ones. A solid day and a bit’s hard work later got me an erected chassis that I was quite pleased with.
Disaster, again, was only just around the corner though. I trial fitted the wheels and placed the body on top. It sat a good 1.5mm too high. I narrowly avoided throwing the whole shooting match across the room in deep frustration…. I got the template frames out of the box again and hadn’t made a mistake with the cutting. Deep breath, put it all down, go away and make a cup of tea. Over the next day or so I pondered my next steps and concluded I needed to remove the bearings (and the hornblocks), file holes/slots and carefully resolder back in place. That was last night’s task and I now have a rolling chassis which carries the body at the right height above the rails. I think I have sufficient confidence now to remove the wheels and prime and paint the frames before heading for final assembly. More on this as it happens but in the meantime I attach some photos, firstly of the finished F5, then of the bent J15 frames and finally a couple of the new J15 chassis.
Cheers
Nigel
I spent much of the following weekend dismantling bits of the chassis, piece by piece, to get to a ‘root cause analysis’ of what wasn’t working properly and realised that I hadn’t allowed sufficient vertical play in the driving axle mini frame and that was having knock on effects elsewhere. So a partial dismantle, adjustment and reconstruction and I was back to where I started; only hopefully slightly better!
In testing the reworked F5, I realised that the temperature changes in the attic had not been kind to the layout so I then spent a day of last weekend fault finding and carrying out maintenance including replacing a failed Fulgurex point motor and resoldering several joints.
Maintenance over, and armed with new found confidence from the F5 experience that I could sort out my self generated flexichas issues, I turned my attention to an old Gibson J15 that was already on its second chassis but still didn’t run very well. This second chassis was my first scratchbuilt effort at a chassis (I disposed of the sprung one that came with the kit as I couldn’t cope with the springing arrangements) and worked, but only after a fashion. I planned to cut out holes for the hornblocks and convert it to flexichas. Bit of a disaster to be honest. I wound up with some bent frames that even I realised wouldn’t ever work properly. Fortunately I still had some nickel silver sheet left over from the F5 project and also some frame spacers so I started again with clean metal. I also had an unmade Gibson J15 kit, complete with milled frames, so used those frames as a template for my new ones. A solid day and a bit’s hard work later got me an erected chassis that I was quite pleased with.
Disaster, again, was only just around the corner though. I trial fitted the wheels and placed the body on top. It sat a good 1.5mm too high. I narrowly avoided throwing the whole shooting match across the room in deep frustration…. I got the template frames out of the box again and hadn’t made a mistake with the cutting. Deep breath, put it all down, go away and make a cup of tea. Over the next day or so I pondered my next steps and concluded I needed to remove the bearings (and the hornblocks), file holes/slots and carefully resolder back in place. That was last night’s task and I now have a rolling chassis which carries the body at the right height above the rails. I think I have sufficient confidence now to remove the wheels and prime and paint the frames before heading for final assembly. More on this as it happens but in the meantime I attach some photos, firstly of the finished F5, then of the bent J15 frames and finally a couple of the new J15 chassis.
Cheers
Nigel
michael mott
Western Thunderer
Nigel This line from your post rang true for me an a myriad of ways, the cup of tea is definitely a good way to sooth our frustrations, and it does feel so good when we finally "get it right" for ourselves.
Michael
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Thank you Michael; I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that this particular project will work out! Priming the chassis this evening.
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
At the back end of last week I primed and then painted the J15 chassis, dug out some new wheels and axles (although reused the old D11 motor, gearbox and flywheel, as well as the coupling rods) and assembled the whole thing. I also managed to reuse the wiper pickups. A few hours tuning it and it seems to work well on DC (I took a short iPhone video clip of it on the rolling road but don’t seem to be able to load it up; presumably format problems?). I now need to add brakes, finish painting and wire up for DCC. A photo is attached.
Having got the chassis to a stage, I have turned my attention to developing the scenery a bit more on Elmham Market. Lavenham had a couple of interesting coal sheds, as well as some open coal staithes, and one survived up to closure (the other doesn’t seem to appear in 1950’s photos so presumably collapsed earlier). I have gathered together as many photos as possible, drawn it up to scale and have now started cutting plasticard and assembling. I’m quite pleased with the way it is turning out; it is quite a characterful building. It will have Wills pantiles covering the roof (and I dug out an old packet from my stash, so that hasn’t held up progress). A couple of photos of progress to date attached.
Nigel
Having got the chassis to a stage, I have turned my attention to developing the scenery a bit more on Elmham Market. Lavenham had a couple of interesting coal sheds, as well as some open coal staithes, and one survived up to closure (the other doesn’t seem to appear in 1950’s photos so presumably collapsed earlier). I have gathered together as many photos as possible, drawn it up to scale and have now started cutting plasticard and assembling. I’m quite pleased with the way it is turning out; it is quite a characterful building. It will have Wills pantiles covering the roof (and I dug out an old packet from my stash, so that hasn’t held up progress). A couple of photos of progress to date attached.
Nigel
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Thanks Robert and plastic bashing continues! More progress this evening, mostly on the coal shed roof, cutting and shutting Wills pantile sheets and adding protruding joists rail side as well as some interior work.
Nigel
Nigel
robertm
Western Thunderer
The track far right is part of the internal system of the sugar beet factory at Felsted. The beet traffic was a significant part of freight tonnage in the winter months with beet pulp for cattle feed filling some of the empties in return.
Modelling this was a must for this branch line.
The beet are DAS clay, rolled individually. Mind numbingly boring! I have enough for perhaps 3 more loads. They are slightly over scale but I lost the will to make any more.
Modelling this was a must for this branch line.
The beet are DAS clay, rolled individually. Mind numbingly boring! I have enough for perhaps 3 more loads. They are slightly over scale but I lost the will to make any more.
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Thanks Bob and I think you do yourself a disservice; your 7mm creation is clearly recognisable And I love the small 1865 station building! I also like the sugar beet and will have to try to replicate that in 4mm; the BSC had large beet processing plants in Bury St Edmunds and there are photos of the bay at Lavenham with lines of empty wagons, presumably awaiting filling and tripping to Bury.
Did the banana trains also travel through Felstead or was the warehouse the ‘wrong end’ of the route?
Nigel
Did the banana trains also travel through Felstead or was the warehouse the ‘wrong end’ of the route?
Nigel
robertm
Western Thunderer
Thank you Nigel for your kind words.
To answer your question, the banana traffic was generated by the processing plant at Lt Canfield which was west of Gt Dunmow. Most if not all traffic was routed through Bishops Stortford ie the wrong way for Felsted.
The sugar factory there off season was supplied by rail with coal and limestone. As a lad I remember seeing the limestone wagons arriving. Here is a pic of mine. One is an old Shedmaster kit, the other scratch.
Bob
As a coincidence, my Mother’s maiden name was Spooner!
To answer your question, the banana traffic was generated by the processing plant at Lt Canfield which was west of Gt Dunmow. Most if not all traffic was routed through Bishops Stortford ie the wrong way for Felsted.
The sugar factory there off season was supplied by rail with coal and limestone. As a lad I remember seeing the limestone wagons arriving. Here is a pic of mine. One is an old Shedmaster kit, the other scratch.
Bob
As a coincidence, my Mother’s maiden name was Spooner!
Attachments
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
Lovely and unusual wagons! I’m not a Spooner at all but my other ferro-equinological interest is the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland railways, where I volunteer. We are currently building another double Fairlie, which will be named James Spooner, after the railway’s engineer.
Nigel
Nigel
robertm
Western Thunderer
Hi Nigel
Yes I knew it wasn’t your real name. The wagons are LMS Dia 2131 Roadstone wagons.
Good luck with the new build.
Bob
Hi Bob
I wonder how Felsted unloaded their beet wagons.
During the late 1960s into the 70s I worked at the Kidderminster BSC factory. The rail delivered beet was in steel wagons as your post 68 photo. These were unloaded by opening the doors and washing the beet out with high level, very high pressure water cannon. Because of this the wagons where very clean with the inside virtually shiny bare metal, due to the agitation of the water, beet and small amount of soil all mixed up. Sugar beet slowly sinks in still water but just floats on moving water and will travel with it.
Road deliveries where normally tipped with the odd one shoveled off.
Hope this is of interest.
Regards
Allen
I wonder how Felsted unloaded their beet wagons.
During the late 1960s into the 70s I worked at the Kidderminster BSC factory. The rail delivered beet was in steel wagons as your post 68 photo. These were unloaded by opening the doors and washing the beet out with high level, very high pressure water cannon. Because of this the wagons where very clean with the inside virtually shiny bare metal, due to the agitation of the water, beet and small amount of soil all mixed up. Sugar beet slowly sinks in still water but just floats on moving water and will travel with it.
Road deliveries where normally tipped with the odd one shoveled off.
Hope this is of interest.
Regards
Allen
AJC
Western Thunderer
You can get H0 beet (or 0 scale beet, come to that) here: Sugar Beet OO - a very East Anglian load (but a crop grown far more widely, too).
Adam
James Spooner
Western Thunderer
I’m going to have to try some of that sugar beet! I have been having a lot of fun this evening with the coal shed. I decided I needed to finish and paint the inside before fixing the roof in place, so a couple of bars of bluetak and quite a lot of paint later, it was ready to receive some coal. Having got into the painting mood I started on the corrugated iron and then felt brave enough to have a go at the roof (I may regret that later as I haven’t done the ridge tiles yet…). A happy time messing about with different Vallejo acrylic paints and Humbrol weathering powders!
I also tried it out for size in location on Elmham Market. I still need to finish the sides, glue the roof in place (and make ridge tiles), build the back doors and then paint the remainder of the outside. Photos attached.
Nigel
I also tried it out for size in location on Elmham Market. I still need to finish the sides, glue the roof in place (and make ridge tiles), build the back doors and then paint the remainder of the outside. Photos attached.
Nigel
robertm
Western Thunderer
Hi Allen
Yes the same at Felsted, high pressure water to flush out the beet, delivered from an overhead gantry. Beet by road mainly tipped from a raised road way. The limestone was unloaded by one of two Taylor Hubbard steam cranes using a trapeze like attachment.
Brings back happy memories.
Bob
One of the cranes, hopefully not breaching copyright
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Joe's Garage
Western Thunderer
Hi Bob
It would be nice to see Felstead on the Layout Progress thread. Very nice, but then again I am partial to the E.Anglian theme!!
Cheers
Julian
It would be nice to see Felstead on the Layout Progress thread. Very nice, but then again I am partial to the E.Anglian theme!!
Cheers
Julian
robertm
Western Thunderer
Thank you Julian. Unfortunately progress on Felsted is slower than snail like. I would be pushed to offer much of interest. I will post on other threads when I have something worth showing.
My stash of kits, especially locos just does not seem to diminish but I’ve promised myself I will build my J17 and a couple of D&S GER coaches this year.
All the best
Bob
My stash of kits, especially locos just does not seem to diminish but I’ve promised myself I will build my J17 and a couple of D&S GER coaches this year.
All the best
Bob
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