Superb, I love the mini, and the fact a lot of the models you're running are older than the prototype mini. Paul
Hello Little Weldon has had its annual clean and is once again all sparkly clean, it seems to take longer each time. This year the layout itself took six hours. Another five hours was spent cleaning and servicing the locos and stock. The resulting running session was really enjoyable with the layout behaving perfectly. A final photo of the layout wearing its badge of honour.
Hello Not much news regarding modelling. But a couple of the latest pieces to arrive in the Weldons. A Gaiety N2, a 2 rail model that will need converting to 3 rail and repainting. The body is currently laying in a bath of Dettol. A very nice Wardie Master Model Bus Shelter.
Hello A good weekend at the Weldons. The Dettol stripped Gaiety N2 with a little fetteling is now fitted with a Dublo 3 rail chassis. She has been under going running trials, just needs a little work on the front coupling. I am now waiting for the weather to settle down so I can take her out in the Garden to spray paint her. I have also finally managed to site the Airfix Windmill in the Sheep field, the sheep will have to be moved to pastures new possibly on Castle Hill.
Hello I've had a long weekend this week with that in mind I managed to finish painting the Gaiety N2. I've also made my first ever Peco Wonderful Wagon kit the price tag on the box said 11/6. I must admit I really enjoyed building this kit so I can see some more arriving at the Weldons. I'm going to paint the roof before applying the card van sides.
Hello A couple of shots firstly the finished Peco wagon, followed by the Gaiety N2 along with the Dublo model.
I really like these vintage locos and rolling stock which I why I mix them freely with all my contemporary items including the DCC conversion of the locos, some of which are quite challenging. How well do you find the Peco kits are at running with the much heavier Dublo stock as they always struck me as being quite light and I believe they also had operating axle box springs, or is that just my wrinkly memory? Jim
No, you are correct. I recall having a peco chsssis and the plastic had a flex in it giving a suspension as you describe. andy
Hello In answer to your question Jim, I have found that this particular Peco kit runs absolutely fine in a train of Dublo stock. There is indeed a rudimentary axle box springing system incorporated within the kit. The chassis itself is plastic but the lower half of the body is a White Metal casting. Incidentally the Buffers are sprung too. Out of curiosity I weighed the three different types of Vented Van run on Little Weldon. Hornby Dublo Tin plate - 24g Hornby Dublo Super Detail - 19g Peco Wonderful Wagon - 18g
The open wagons and salt wagons had diecast bodies as well (I think from memory that the salt wagons were part diecast and part plastic with the body of the open wagon being used with a plastic extension).
The other day I spotted a Peco wagon in Hattons for only £3 in Blue Circle livery, well prototypical or not I bought it out of curiosity, certainly quite a mix of materials make up these vans, soft plastic, diecast lower body, printed paper wrap which I think in this case was weathered, might use it as a static wagon in my cement works or fit some Peco couplings and run it. A pleasing vintage addition, Jim
Hello I have been re-laying parts of Little Weldon's trackwork not that there has been any problems. A couple of weeks ago I bought a crate of track from the Car Boot sale for a bargain price. Amongst the pieces were several Points both manual and electric, Diamond Crossings and short curves. There were several pieces of pre WWII track including a non isolating RH Point. I replaced the RH Point on the Down line loop leading into the Sidings with one in a better visual condition. Joining on to this is I put the pre-war RH Point I now have an example of both hands on the layout. I have also been changing some of the other sections.
Hello There has been a population increase in the Weldon's over the last day or so. Several more Wardie Master model figures have arrived along with an Electric Platform Trolley and Trailer. There is another half a dozen figures who are currently indulging in a nice relaxing Dettol Bath.
Those pre-war points are better looking than the post-war ones. The post-war points certainly were an improved design, but I wish they had kept on painting the sleepers after they changed the design. I have one pre-war point, but I decided not to use it in my layout.
Hello Yesterday I found the Car Boot sale find of the year. A whole bunch of Dublo for the princely sum of £50.00. Amongst this was a quantity of Dublo track which predominately consisted of 1st radius curves and a few other sections. I sorted through these and removed some items which I wished to keep. I then put the remainder on our stall. This was very quickly sold for £20.00. Amongst the pieces that I have kept are a rare "Southern" N2 and an even rarer Southern Brake Van. A Duchess of Atholl and her two Coaches, a NE Brick Wagon and several pieces of track.