WELBY LANE R.T.C
TRACTION AND ROLLING STOCK MAINTENANCE DEPOT
PRESENTED BY MARK PEARSON - MEMBER OF SDEG
With the continuing development in the 1970s of the Railway Technical Centre at Derby it
was decided that minor repairs and servicing could be managed at the site of the Test track
without the need for a return to Derby or Toton.
Welby Lane lies just off the Old Dalby test track at the Asfordby end, in fact, the spur still
exists into the Asfordby Business Park, originally part of the Great Northern Line north and
several quarries in the area. The R.T.C decided that the spur provided an excellent area to
build a maintenance facility and with the nearby quarry reception sidings gained additional
storage space whilst still giving access to the main test track and main line.
The scale is OO, using fine-scale and peco code 75 track and points. In fact, the layout was
built in two halves and then also an extension was added sometime later! The original shed area
is much older and was built as a small test bed for DCC and code 75 track, The newer 'ex
reception sidings area' was built some years after with the scrapyard extension being recently
built. The overall length is now just over 20 feet in length by 2 feet wide maximum. Control
is by Lenz DCC, using an express net to enable more than one operator to use the layout. Slow
action point motors are Cobolt, Traintronics, or Fulgrex. Lights and accessories are from
various propriety suppliers and sources.
All the locomotives are sound-fitted fitted giving an extra dimension, especially to some of the odd
classes of diesels that sadly are no longer around, Due to the diversity of the R.T.C constantly
experimenting and developing, some items of stock seen on Welby Lane may only be correct
for 'that one day in time', and due to the secrecy and lack of photographic evidence of
certain prototypes, some items have had to be modeled as such from what we can see/
know.
Some of the buildings on the layout are based on actual structures on the Mickleover and Old
Dalby test tracks - even down to the guard dog compound at Mickleover. The office block
and A.P.T testing house are inspired by the structures at Old Dalby,and have been either
scratch built or by modifying kits to suit.
