Mynydd y Ddraig - a Banger Blue 009 project

[Fair Oak Junction]

I normally hate BR Blue, but for some reason really like it on the VoR locos and stock. I guess precisely because it is so out of the ordinary 😄

[TT100 Diesels]

On 18/02/2024 at 07:54, CloggyDog said:

Layout more-or-less behaved itself. Couple of niggly things to sort (coupler heights the main one) and the 2nd loco needs a good fettle. Seemed well received and plenty of interest. Thanks to @RJS1977 for the invite.

Show seemed pretty busy most of the morning, tailed off a bit after lunch.

 

I absolutely love this. It is spot on.

 

On 05/03/2024 at 20:37, 25kV said:

I always loved the incongruity of Rail Blue on narrow gauge steam - am I alone in being just a little disappointed when that era ended? 

This layout totally captures the feel.  🙂

 

Totally agree.

Edited April 23 by TT100 Diesels
Posted too soon more to add

[CloggyDog]

On 19/02/2024 at 18:10, sb67 said:

Glad the first outing went well, that's a fine looking layout you have got there 🙂 Have you any more shows planned with it? 

 

Mynydd y Ddraig's next outing is to Maidenhead club's summer exhibition on Saturday 8th June in Knowl Hill Village Hall, joining a selection of club and members' layouts. 

 

[CloggyDog]

Some fettling ahead of Saturday's outing to the MMDMRC's small summer show in Knowl Hill... 

 

The 2nd loco (8 Llewellyn) has always been a bit tempramental compared to 7.

 

8 has a 3D-printed bodyshell on a Minitrix Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 chassis. This has traction tyres on the lead drivers and, despite being stuffed with as much weight as I can cram  in the shell, stuttered over dirt, crossing vees and was generally a poor runner. 

 

7 has a Chivers whitemetal body on the chassis from a Minitrix Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T chassis, which does not have the traction tyre. Smooth* as anything, ran anywhere on the layout without hesitation. 

 

*well... as smooth an anything Minitrix can be... 

 

My ops plan needs 2 locos, so I needed to bring 8 up to scratch. With limited time available, finding a new, better chassis wasn't an option, so I thought I'd try swapping the bodies over. Heavy whitemetal body on the poorer chassis and the 3D-printed body on the good chassis. Happily, it seems to have worked pretty well. 8 now rarely stutters while 7 is still a good runner, if now a little prone to wheelslip. 

 

 

Next job is to touch in the paint on the coaching stock in a couple of places and recheck all the coupling heights. I did swap out all the brass wire coupling loops for soft iron ones a week or so back to allow the use of a magnetic wand for easier uncoupling. 

Edited June 4 by CloggyDog

[RJS1977]

Though if you'd asked, I have a couple of spare chassis I could have lent you (I do have body kits to go on them, but I haven't built them yet!)

[97406]

Really liking the layout and the subject matter, especially the Class 98s. Whilst the BR blue years were bland livery-wise, this was more than made up by the variety of traction that carried the livery, including the VoR trains. A shame they didn’t go blue and grey for the coaches, but at least you haven’t got that little thin white line to apply!