[Norman Byrne]

Hi John,
Thanks for the reply - understood now.
Oh that could be tricky on the "adjustment" to the bridge wheels, but hopefully doable - the base track is soldered to a series of pins in 1mm holes; maybe more difficult now primed / painted, but there might be some give in those to slightly ease the track upwards a little too perhaps ?
Well good luck with both the printer & the next stages of the TT works - have Fun, Cheers, Norm

 

[Greyvoices]

Both the printer and the steadiness of my hand proved to be up to the task allthough most of the morning was spent hunting high and low for a lead to fit my compass. No way was I going to paint the white line without some sort of guide. I will never understand how some are able to line out a locomotive freehand!!!!

Download from Scalescenes printed well enough and I managed to cut the sheet into suitable sized strips without any loss of blood. Affixed to well side with UHU. It was to hand. The white line has had two coats but looks as if the DME (but probably a station porter) will have to get out the whitewashing brush as it already looks in need of a refresh.

Once again this closeup photo is unforgiving. Oh that white lining. I still have to sort out a coping stone effect above the bricks but I decided to call it a day as my eyes are tired. Photos of the turntable show it ringed by strakes of wood set as footholds for manual turning of the 42' TT. Was the 45' also a manual TT? I have the board meeting and works committee records for the GER which usually note details of expenditure and outline specification but I don't have such records for the LNER; and it was under LNER management when the TT was upgraded in size.

I have managed to drop the bridge down onto its wheels so hopefully no problem on that front. I do suspect that power to the rails will have to be turned off when the bridge is turning or perhaps I can fit one of those fancy loop gizmos to prevent short circuiting. There is still the well floor to be painted and weathered and then of course fitment into the baseboard.

I am already thinking ahead to the other structures of Wells-next-the-Sea and I think that I can catch the essence of the station, if not a brick by brick replica. The canopies wil have to be scratch built but are of simple design. I am looking forward to those.

Best regards ...................... Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Eltonfrog]

Looks excellent all round, I particularly like the brickwork.

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi John,
What an excellent days work / progress on the TT front, that's looking really impressive; & great to hear the bridge wheels have also gone back into position to. Noticed in addition to the brickwork you have also rusted the sides of the base perimeter rail, all to great effect.
Also think that's a really good job on the white perimeter line; also the not to bright / slightly faded current colour might actually be more in keeping with a working TT; & from some of the actual TT's photo's on some earlier posts; don't think it ever was or stayed in tip top condition for very long.
Do any of those earlier photos give a clue on how it was operated under its LNER ownership days maybe ?
Keep up the great work, Cheers as always, Norm

 

[Greyvoices]

I have found a photo that shows the lip of the TT well in the book, "East Anglian Branch Line Album" by Dr. Ian C. Allen:

Photo taken in 1939 before the advent of British Railways health and safety initiatives. Three E4 class locomotives and both roads in the shed are being used for locos. The shared use of the building for goods unloading at the back is quite an odd feature. The use of bricks with one rounded corner as a capping layer is very apparent. At this date this must be the 45' TT and there are no rungs or footway around the TT which suggests that it was by then not a manual facility.

Best regards ..................... Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi John,
Pics on the actual TT's front from back in the day certainly do seem hard to come by, & those you do find only tend to give partial views, a little like this one from post #12 above, including the windmill in the background -

Also in this photo what looks like the front end of a locos boiler with door & handle, along with a very extended funnel on the end of the small building just above the TT bridge is very unusual; assuming it hadn't crashed through the building in the past & then had the funnel added of course !
It's not so easy to see the brick coping / capping to the TT well in this pic; although the light colour of the bricks is quite clear - just as you have now added to your model.
Also as you say the "shared" use of the Shed for Goods as well is also an unusual fact.
The guide wires in the foreground with the timber paddle base sections is also intriguing, wonder that they were staying ?
And finally the hand operated point lever also in the foreground is a nice detail too.
Not sure if this assists or hinders, but quite a few interesting bits in the photo anyway; Cheers again for now, Norm

 

[Greyvoices]

There are differences between these two photos Norm. I think that your photo is from the GER period. What does intrigue me is the hint that the wall at the back of the platform was shortened in LNER times and the edge lined white. It's almost as if the shedside was also used for say, parcels from vans. Your photo shows a platform lamp near the ramp end but it is missing in the later photo. Also, in the latter, the cut back wall is very apparent and painted white. This is an unusual feature ............. to see a wall end painted white.

I agree that the static boiler is a wonderful feature but I suspect that was swept away with the LNER improvements.

Best regards ................... Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi again John,
Certainly the more you look the more you see eh
Yes just checked back on post #12, that photo was apparently from circa 1900, including the windmill; much of which had no doubt gone by the later period of LNER days.
There are some very lovely quirks for sure; imagine there will be further photos somewhere, its as always just a case of finding them
We al love a challenge though
Cheers again for now, Norm

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi again John,
Just looking back on the photo in post #10 above, which think was probably also back in the GER days, just cannot recall where found it previously to check; there are a series of radial boards or slabs set in at ground level around the perimeter of the TT pit; wonder if these were tread / foot boards to assist traction / grip for those manually turning the TT perhaps ?
It also again shows the light colour of the brickwork & mortar pointing to the well wall - just
Cheers again, Norm
PS. Will now leave you in peace !

 

[Greyvoices]

What a difference having no meetings or concominant paperwork makes. This two week window is envigorating though I did have a lazy Sunday with no hands on modelling. It was back to the armchair phase as Wells-next-the-Sea railway station was becoming a tad mysterious; what with developments from the GER to LNER to BR phases and the sometimes misleading photographic evidence. There were three basic mysteries,

1. The turntable boarded walk around the TT that provided sure footing when manually turning an engine.
2. The wall that protected passengers from falling onto the approach siding to the shed.
3. A track diagram that provided no way for arriving passenger train locomotives from being released from the buffer stops and running around the carriages.

The lazy Sunday afternoon in the armchair with my laptop has provided answers for all three.

1. The boarded walk around the TT is clearly shown in Norm's post #10 photo which was taken in the early fifties. That's part of my period so I will be modelling that.
2. Photographs clearly show that the wall was not re-instated in BR days so my model will be sans wall.
3. The track diagram was very confusing showing a clear separation between the route to/from Dereham and the Heacham, West Norfolk line:

This is the 1893 track diagram that is used in books about the branch. A very restrictive operating layout.

Signalbox diagram from 1953. This follows the east coast flooding when the Heacham branch was closed between Wells and Burnham Market, never to be reopened. This allows for much easier operation with run-round capability for passenger trains backed out of the platforms and access to the westside goods sidings from the Dereham line. It is this layout that will inspire my model. It is diagramatic so that's where the photos will assist.

Next steps: finish the well of the TT. I am going for the concrete look so this is my first foray into sponge dabbing!!!!!!

Best regards ............................. Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi John,
Interesting findings & good armchair research time for sure.
The perimeter slabs / boards around the top of the TT should make a nice modelling feature too.
Also do really like those old Signal Box Diagrams including all the signal positions / reference numbers & the like. Out of interest do you happen to know what the No's in the bottom LH corner of the diagram totaling 45 are ?
That does indeed look like a much better track plan operationally for your layout as well.
Know you mention originally that it will be an L - Shaped baseboard set up; & you did mention what trackwork you might be able to fit in; but from those plans do you now have a better feel; or is it a case of getting the baseboards in place & then having a play around with some track itself maybe ?
Anyway glad to hear you are enjoying having a clear period to do some modelling for a change - Cheers for now & keep those update posts coming, have Fun, Norm

 

[Greyvoices]

It is a reference to levers Norm.

W. 26 - working
S. 19 - spare
T. 45 - total

A 45 lever frame seems very generous but by this date it had lost the Heacham branch.

Yes I do have a better understanding of how it will all fit on my proposed boards but of course there is nothing like a dummy track laying session to shake out all the false assumptions. I don't use computer programs to think through this process ............ just can't get the hang of them. No patience.

Reminds me of years ago whilst working on the Liverpool St. remodelling ........... late eighties. (I am sure that I've written about this before). It was a Saturday morning and I had a visitor in my office in Stratford. Our senior relaying supervisor told me that he was concerned that the pointwork that had been delivered for instalation that Saturday night/Sunday morning was accurate to the plan drawings supplied but he just felt that there was something not quite right. So, we went to a deserted Leyton Depot where the ballast trains loaded with all the materials and machines for that night's job were drawn up ready for departure the short distance into Liverpool Street. We opened up the shed housing a Sambron fork lift and groaned when the supervisor said, "I can't drive so you'll have to do it". I did my best to help him load up two lengths of short rails and a quantity of sleepers and chairs into a grampus wagon that I pushed onto one of the trains ............ and coupled up. Back to the office I ammended the TOPS consist with help from Dagenham Dock TOPS office and all was set. The supervisor was dead right as without those extra rails and sleepers there would have been a gap when the new pointwork was installed.

My model railway is no different, whatever the plan might say it's best to anticipate the reality of tracklaying to differ from the plan.

Best regards ........................ Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi again John,
Thanks for cracking the code. It certainly was a lot of levers in that frame in it's heyday then - did see the list of spares across the bottom of the plan.
Do you have pictures of the Signal Box itself - have seen some of the station, station buildings & Goods / Engine Shed - don't recall the Signal Box ?
Do seem to recall you previously mentioning working on the Liverpool Street Station redevelopment back then; was around the same time was with Bovis on the Broadgate Development around & over the station & main tracks too.
Isn't it always amazing what foreman / guys with all those years of experience can sometimes just sense / feel - priceless eh !
Totally agree on not being able to beat the physical laying out of MR track though; but to be fair in this instance you already have a very good basis for the overall track plan itself - albeit not converted into OO gauge track pieces.
Cheers again for now, Norm

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi John,
Hope this finds you well & still fully enjoying your latest RM works progress.
Had a further search for some images of Wells - by - the - Sea images & came across amongst them the following, which thought might be on interest of the station at various points in time -
The first being titled under construction but no dates (* obviously very early days as very little built & also from the train / loco :

The second being a wider angle view dated 1950's -

The third from 1961 -

And a final shot which sure you already have or have seen of the main station building itself -

Not seen anything on the original Signal Box, only the current Wels / Walsingham one that was relocated to there & used today ....................... as yet anyway.
Hope they are of interest / useful, Cheers as always, Norm
PS. Seems to be a lot of info on Facebook if you are a user ?

 

[Greyvoices]

Thank you for doing the research Norm, much appreciated.

That said, I'm not sure that your first photo is Wells. It looks like a through line.

I have been busy gearing up for the first track formation tryout. So far I have not brought the baseboards in from the shed, merely split it into two 6' x 20" boards. I am planning on the main station board being 2 metres long whilst the board attached to it at 90% will be 4 feet. (Yes in my head metric and imperial are interchangeable).

I have started assembling the platforms and have purchased the supplies needed for the canopies. The turntable has not been forgotten and the decision to model the circular board walk has caused some enjoyment. I chose to use a pastryrolling sheet (it seemed like a good idea at the time).

Halfords grey primer once again and I am trying out which clolour best portrays wooden boards. The treads will be balsa wood.

Now I am not happy with it. I think the ring is too wide and it looks a little high. I'm thinking of scrapping the pastry mat idea and using cartridge paper of very thin card. A pity that my diet doesn't allow for any breakfast cereals in the house otherwise I would have gone straight away for Weetabix boxes. What ever I eventually choose I will still need to paint to acheive a well trodden circular board walk. Which of the above colours do you think will look good once weathered? This is the guide photo which Norm supplied back in post #10.

Instalation of the turntable will have to follow once the track plan is finally established. At this rate I might just finish Wells-next-the-sea before the HS2 opens but it might be a close run thing.

Best regards ....................... Greyvoices (alias John)

 

[Alan@Formill Valley]

Thank you for doing the research Norm, much appreciated.

That said, I'm not sure that your first photo is Wells. It looks like a through line.

I have been busy gearing up for the first track formation tryout. So far I have not brought the baseboards in from the shed, merely split it into two 6' x 20" boards. I am planning on the main station board being 2 metres long whilst the board attached to it at 90% will be 4 feet. (Yes in my head metric and imperial are interchangeable).

I have started assembling the platforms and have purchased the supplies needed for the canopies. The turntable has not been forgotten and the decision to model the circular board walk has caused some enjoyment. I chose to use a pastryrolling sheet (it seemed like a good idea at the time).

View attachment 40148
View attachment 40149
View attachment 40150 View attachment 40151
Halfords grey primer once again and I am trying out which clolour best portrays wooden boards. The treads will be balsa wood.

Now I am not happy with it. I think the ring is too wide and it looks a little high. I'm thinking of scrapping the pastry mat idea and using cartridge paper of very thin card. A pity that my diet doesn't allow for any breakfast cereals in the house otherwise I would have gone straight away for Weetabix boxes. What ever I eventually choose I will still need to paint to acheive a well trodden circular board walk. Which of the above colours do you think will look good once weathered? This is the guide photo which Norm supplied back in post #10.

View attachment 40152

Instalation of the turntable will have to follow once the track plan is finally established. At this rate I might just finish Wells-next-the-sea before the HS2 opens but it might be a close run thing.

Best regards ....................... Greyvoices (alias John)

Hi John,
the darker colour on far left unless you want the boards to look bleached from the sun then maybe add a bit of white and once weathered you can make it look like it's been walked on.

 

[Shedman]

Weathered wood tends to be somewhat grey. Add to that some dry brushing with black (coal dust) and you should get close!

 

[Norman Byrne]

Hi John,
Would tend to agree with the comments above on the darker, well used type of finished effect. Also looking at that reference photo again, wonder if the stepping stones / timbers were actually sleepers, the radial ones around the turntable do in my old eyes at least, look very similar in shape / size to those on the tracks behind them.
Also having some of them somewhat warn from regular use / foot traffic might also be a nice added detail. Whilst not railway related those similar type of slabs / timbers around lock gates on the canals were always very worn through use.
That first more recently posted photo of "the station" & surroundings under construction does look a little suspect, was trying to work out what was where when found it originally, as the building work being / along the back of the platform / track edge seems to go on much further than any buildings of the later built station - so perhaps its mis - labelled on the associated notes / info ?
So take it Mrs.GV isn't going to be doing any bread or pizza making in the near future given the fate of the mixing matt ......................... although did seem like a good idea at the time as you say
Anyway good luck with further progress & any signal box photos, Cheers as always, Norm

 

[Julian2011]

I'm not sure if these are of any use, but both are attempts to represent lots of feet passing over wooden boards...

The second picture doesn't quite give a true representation of the colours. Perhaps I could take one in better lighting??

Best wishes

Julian

 

[Greyvoices]

So take it Mrs.GV isn't going to be doing any bread or pizza making in the near future given the fate of the mixing matt ......................... although did seem like a good idea at the time as you say

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions. I like your worn wood effect Julian.

Norm, anything that helps to separate SWMBO from her rolling pin is useful.

I am going to scrap the pastry mat idea. I really don't like the look of it. It's back to the compass and I am taking up the sleepers idea, even if they are vaguely suggested by pencil lines on paper. The signal box is another matter. I have checked every relavent book I own, searched on line, watched videos of the routes into Wells, asked Copilot ................... all to no avail. There does not appear to be any photos of Wells-next-the-Sea signalbox ............. although there must be some in private collections. I checked the list of photographs held by the Great Eastern Railway Society and they have nary a one of Wells. The nearest I can get is photos of boxes on the lines from Fakenham and Heacham which tend to favour the Wills kit:

The Wills kit on the left and the ready to plant March West Junction cabin on the right.

That Wills kit has sat on my shelf for years and I think it is deserving of a place on a layout. I bought the March box because it is March. I was tempted by the March Station buildings but totting up the cost of March station as I remember it would be prohibitive so I just bought this small cabin. The Wills kit at worst will be a place holder and with an update of green paint on the structural timbers will certainly not look out of place.

As you can observe I have availed myself of a craft desk thingy (cut price offer from Ryman) which will aid me in the serial production of platforms and canopies. Having to relocate all my half built stuff plus all the tools, brushes and pots of paint every time I want my desk for other things was getting to be a chore. I could of course clear and repopulate my modelling desk downstairs but in my mind that is East Germany, H0 land. Upon entering that room I immediately shrink to 1:87 so my perspective is skewed for the 00 stuff.

Now back to the turntable. SWMBO was less than enthusiastic about my proposed use of the kitchen sponge so I bought a couple of large ones used for car washing. I will be presenting her with one of them to show that there can be side benefits of this hobby for spouses!!! Yes I know how futile that sounds.
Sponge painting the well is now about to commence but with a break at 15:30 for the rugby. Come on you Roses.

Best regards ................... Greyvoices (alias John)