Locomotives and rolling stock - Part 4

It's been a while since I did a proper Ryedown Lane post and even longer since I last wrote about the rolling stock so thought it was high time that I posted on that  popular theme. I'll get back to locomotives at a later date but today I'll describe some of the goods wagons that see regular use on the layout.

The Wessex Light Railway is a common carrier light railway and is inspired by a variety of real lines both narrow and standard gauge. Although the lines operated by Colonel Stephens have always been the main influence, other minor railways have had some influence and this is shown in the proliferation of Welshpool & Llanfair wagons that form the bulk of the goods stock. Seen in the opening picture is a typical WLR goods train consisting of a couple of W&L open wagon, a van and brake van. The background story is that the WLR acquired its original goods stock from R & Y Pickering at the same time as the W&L was being equipped.

In reality these wagons are built from the excellent range of kits produced under the Nine Lines brand. At the time of writing these are sadly no longer available, which is a great shame as they are spot on the for the type of operation that the layout portrays. I'd also like to build a few more. Above is a selection of the open wagons. I've built a number of these in various permutations of livery, lettering and numbers from the three versions of the wagons that were available as kits.

Three W&L vans are used on the layout, again finished in slightly different variations of the livery. In more recent times I've supplemented the W&L wagons with a few different types to add some variety. These include a couple of curved end Southwold wagons (again from Nine Lines) which despite being used on a 3ft gauge line are actually about the same size as the W&L wagons. For some reason I don't have any pictures of these in operation.

Many narrow gauge railways took advantage of the availability of large amounts of war surplus ex WDLR rolling stock in the 1920s to supplement their stock or to replace warn out vehicles. I've assumed that the Wessex Light Railway was no different and added various D and E class bogie wagons (built from Dundas kits)
to its roster at the same time that it acquired the Motor Rail Simplex petrol tractor.

Just to round off this time, I've built a number of Glyn Valley Tramway 4 ton wagons (Dundas kits) over the years, originally for use on my micro layout Wintoncester Water Works. These see occasional use on Ryedown Lane, as seen here being hustled through Winterbourne Road by the small Bagnall Pixie (more about which in a future blog). Bringing up the rear is the WLR's other brake van, built from the Dundas kit for the Welsh Highland Railway vehicle, which will have to suffice until I can source another Nine Lines W&L brake van kit.

Many thanks to those of you who have taken the trouble to get in touch, it's very gratifying to know that this blog and the layout are appreciated.