Elmham Market in EM

[James Spooner]

Another day in Elysian. Linda has just left Boston Lodge with an ‘anti-gravity’ train (to precede the later gravity train) and I have DLG on a Mountain Spirit.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Variety, as they say, is the spice of life. Todays’s turn involves a trip taking visitors for a tour of Boston Lodge and then a Woodland Wanderer, both with Lyd, seen here resting at Boston Lodge halt.

Nigel

 

[Dave Holt]

Ah, my favourite!
Dave.

 

[RichardG]

with an ‘anti-gravity’ train

What a delightful phrase!

 

[James Spooner]

Today is my last day driving this week and it’s a gentleman’s light sporting turn, with the ultimate gentleman’s light sporting engine and a magnificent set of carriages in tow.

Nigel

 

[David B]

Fabulous! That train is living history, both ancient and modern, and it’s looking absolutely beautiful in the Snowdonia sunshine. I am very slowly starting to model the set in 16mm scale, beginning with two-tone Bowsider No 18. Despite having built dozens of carriages over the years, it is without question the most challenging carriage I’ve yet tried….but I’m sure the curly roof brake van will give it a run for its money in due course.

Looks like you’ve had a great week - thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[James Spooner]

Back home and after catching up on the garden as well as other jobs around the house I’ve turned my attentions to the DMBS underframe again. I have made up all of the footboards, drilled the mazak underframe (at the cost of several 0.5mm drill bits - I eventually worked out that the best way of tackling this little issue was to use a hand archimedes drill and fit the bit into the chuck as far in as I could) and fitted said footboards. Both of the rear corner extensions are also now in place and all of the bare metal has had a coat of primer.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

And this evening has been spent mashing up bits of brass wire, fuse wire and copper tube to make some representations of the pipe work connecting units.

Nigel

 

[jonte]

And this evening has been spent mashing up bits of brass wire, fuse wire and copper tube to make some representations of the pipe work connecting units.

Nigel

View attachment 263667

More ‘top’ work, Nigel,

Amazing what can be achieved from offcuts of basic materials…….plus a whole lot of skill!

Jon

 

[James Spooner]

Today I have managed to finish the piping and have also made the windscreen wiper. All have now been removed from the cab end and given a coat of primer before some black paint.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

This project is now moving into its final phases. The pipework on the driving end of the DMBS is now painted and fitted and I have sprayed the underframe and bogies with some dirty black. That is both of the bodies finished and now the focus is going to turn to the replacement motor bogie, then the interior for the DMBS.

I have managed to secure a Lo-rider with an 8’6” wheelbase from High Level and will pick that up at ExpoEM. Construct that, design and construct a fitting to hold the bogie to the underframe and then work out how much room I have for the interior (which, to be fair, will be a lot more than the Bachmann design).

I have posed both ends side by side to compare them (and I think they are reasonably comparable) and taken a photo of the unit as it will look on the layout.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

I have been carrying out some long overdue maintenance on Elmham Market’s permanent way (resoldering some failed joints on the double slip, which is critical as it is at the entrance to the yard) and felt the need to carry out some tests. Firstly I carried out a thorough test of the new joints with the Liverpool St station pilot (history doesn’t record why it was so far away from its native haunts but rumour has it that it was on an RCTS special but the local shed ‘failed’ it…).

Whilst in the railway room I got the urge to try out the Wickham so quickly soldered a chip in and programmed it then had a play. It worked well, fortunately and the regauged Bachmann wheels coped fine with the EM pointwork. I also set it up alongside a regauged Bachmann Cravens DMU and I think it will pass muster at a layout level. Some photos of my playing this morning attached…

Nigel

 

[Dave Holt]

As you say, Nigel, it runs very nicely. Is that with the new HL LowrRider or the original Bachmann power unit?
It certainly holds up against the Cravens unit and adds a fairly unusual style of unit.
I've got a Cravens power twin converted too P4 using Branchlines wheel sets but never got round to fitting a DCC chip.
Dave.

 

[Andrew Young]

Today is my last day driving this week and it’s a gentleman’s light sporting turn, with the ultimate gentleman’s light sporting engine and a magnificent set of carriages in tow.

Nigel

View attachment 263267View attachment 263268

That is a fine set to play with! Do rather like a Gentleman’s Light Sporting Single Fairlie Loco, have recently obtained a suitable kit in 7mm scale to build. Only a week and a half before my next Welsh narrow gauge steam fix.

Back to the modelling, the Wickham DMU has turned out a treat, cracking model of an unusual prototype.

Andrew

 

[James Spooner]

As you say, Nigel, it runs very nicely. Is that with the new HL LowrRider or the original Bachmann power unit?
It certainly holds up against the Cravens unit and adds a fairly unusual style of unit.
I've got a Cravens power twin converted too P4 using Branchlines wheel sets but never got round to fitting a DCC chip.
Dave.

Thanks Dave. At the moment it is still powered by the Bachmann unit, the main problem with that being the amount of interior it takes up. My next steps are to collect the HL Lo-rider at ExpoEM over the weekend, make that up and work out some fixings to hang the underframe to it. When that is done I can make an interior for the DMBS and, voila, hopefully a completed DMU!

Nigel