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Brilliant layout of the withdrawal dates and info I wonder what lead to the decision of 144 to be scrapped I remember seeign 162 before being diced up and it was noting but the body and bogies a year ago ill see if i can find a photo for u

Not unlike the old wisdom not to model anything that won't be seen!

THIS I am learning........................................!

Fab work: always worth a dry run before getting soldering iron fired up !

That’s what underbellies are for. A place to hide all the solder Lovely work

We've all splashed out on trees at some point, when it has been necessary...

Wonderful work!

That’s shaping up beautifully. I like the tight arrangement of the industrial buildings. Lots of shapes, levels and angles. Even in mockup they look great.

Only Fish and Horses? Viewed from the Signal Box at Mullingar, 664 shunts the Meat and Fish Van and Horsebox onto the 11.00 am to Westland Row. Sorting the Mail And so on it goes! Work started on the Tin Van TPO. Folded up the ends and sides. Dry fitting to whet the appetite? I think I'll call it a night!

Superb work!

A combination of price, more track geometry generally being available, and the need for FREMO to be super compatible, and allow for as much stock as possible. The first I think is pretty important, code 75 being a little more expensive is all well and good on a 4ft long layout, but if it's a 2km (yes, real kilometres) long FREMO layout that adds up to a huge extra expenditure. Code 100 looks fine anyway, and in my opinion actually looks better for modern image. A lot of the rail at Stradbally, where I volunteer, came from CIÉ (not new though) in the early 70s and are 74lb. Most rail on the IÉ network now is around 104lb. Taking into account width, it's a pretty close increase, but that's assuming code 75 is a good representation of 74lb rail or around that. But suffice to say code 100 is actually fine and a better solution in this case. But I see why people go for code 75 when they can.

Don't forget to seal both sides of the backscene.

I have spent all day making the backscene, and it's still not finished. How hard can it be to cut a piece of board!? This backscene is a complex shape though, with a step in it along the length, and a curved corner at one end. I decided I needed to make it at this stage and trial-fit to help confirm the exact dimensions of the buildings and to decide a few other issues. For now, I will probably arrange for it to be screwed in place so that it can be removed in case modifications are needed as the build progresses. I also want to seal the board properly, hopefully to reduce warping problems. Eventually it will be fixed permanently. Here is a back view. Note how one of the fiddle yard tracks is tucked partly under the main part of the backscene - this allows me to make the scenic side an inch wider. Here is a front view. The step in the lower part will be concealed by buildings on this side. The angled section on the right hand side will partly conceal the sector plate. This shows how the buildings sit over the top of the step in the backscene and conceal it. I haven't yet done the mockups for the buildings at the near end - I needed to get the backscene made so I could work out the dimensions in this area. At present, the right-hand end looks a bit unsatisfactory, with a 'letterbox' in the backscene. The building behind the tracks will conceal part of that, as well as the awkward interface in the corner. In front of the tracks at this end I'll put in another small panel to minimise the width of the letterbox. Then I will have a few large trees and some undergrowth in the front corner as a view blocker so that the remaining hole in the backscene isn't so visible. There really was a group of trees in this spot, and I hope their height will balance the height of the mill buildings at this end. I have splashed out on some trees from Primo, but they haven't arrived yet. https://primomodels.co.uk/category/deciduous-autumn I may also have a go at painting some more trees on the angled part of the backscene. I'll need to practice on some scrap first, and work out the best approach. I did this on my Swiss layout and it was quite effective, but Spruce trees are a bit easier to paint than deciduous!

I’ve code 75, which means three old coaches I have can’t run till I get better wheels for them….

MGWR Meat and Fish Van continued. Good bit done so far today. The underbelly looking less neat! Wheels up Brake rigging, springs, axleboxes to add, along with the roof of course!

Are people still using massive flanges on their stock, hence Code 100?

This is the Lartigue model at Malahide….

My favourite RPSI loco!

If anyone is interested in an Irish modular, I'm using the FREMO Hauptbahn standard- PM me! I personally think it's a great solution to the difficulty of creating clubs in a country with a sparse enthusiast population. Apart from the Polish layout FREMO Ireland have, I believe the SDMRC also has the beginnings of a GWR Hauptbahn-standard layout, however I believe theirs has code 75 track whereas I plan on using code 100. @Jack_Dunboyne can correct me but I believe FREMO Ireland also use Peco code 100 on their layout.

The Germans have got FREMO down to a fine art, and there's loads of YouTube videos showing some impressive network meetings. There's at least one group that recreates routes with inclines during the Royal Prussian Railway era, so the trains actually have to be assisted by banking engines at the rear. Imagine doing something similar with a triple-header struggling up the bank out of Cork.

At least we should see a blue 4-4-0 in Dublin before the end of the year ….

Interesting stuff! 2011, thus, closed my personal chapter of interest in operational locos. 145 and 150 were personal favourites - the former, as I watched it shunting the Limerick - Sligo goods in Tuam, and the latter on account of a cab run to Cobh, only the 2nd time I ever went there. 190 my favourite 181, as I did Limerick - Ballina behind it, with a train of two laminates and a bockety-looking 4 wheeled tin van not long before that service was withdrawn……

Updated.

No blue 4.4.0s on it today? (I remember the last blue 4.4.0 on the Thursdays only train - travelled on it too….)