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Yes indeed, happy days! We must have been on those same trains

They are history now!

What will happen to the lots that were not sold yesterday? We were billed for an Internet facilitation fee!

Fab work. Having built the 7mm version I agree it’s a nice kit. And you’ll make a great job of it! Will look well running a diverted train through Kilmore

Alan, that’s some very nice work indeed. It’s great to see how you have arranged the compensation and the motor/gearbox too. I look forward to following your progress with this.

The fitters at Kirley Junction are up to their eyes at the moment so CME Kieran Lagan asked if I'd like to have a go at the chassis of a NorthStar kit of some vintage which he acquired at the Bangor show this year - a GNR(I) PPs in 4mm. Yes please Nice crisp etches and with all the bits needed bar motor and gearbox. Much more than just a shrunk 7mm kit, this has been re-engineered well for the smaller scale. Chassis spacers for 16.5mm and 21mm among other things. In keeping with tradition, we added a High Level Roadrunner+ with a DriveStretcher D1 to help push the motor forward into the boiler and clear of the cab. Rather than gluing the shafts in place as the instructions suggest, I took a risk and soldered them after an unfortunate incident with the gearbox I built for Kieran's other purchase, a GNR(I) AL class kit. An idler gear ended up in the ballast after a layshaft came adrift The frames have no real straight edges which made it tricky to build the chassis straight and square. They're also pretty flimsy and easily bent. I added hornblocks to the front coupled axle and had then to arrange a beam for this to rock on. A chassis spacer with a length of 1mm brass rod soldered into it did the job. The pics below shows the arrangement and the chassis sits nice and level. The bogie is arranged to swivel on a vertical pillar attached to the chassis. I've soldered a long bit of 0.45mm brass wire to it to act as a centring spring. The other end of this fits into a hole in that chassis spacer. We'll see how well it works. Running plate made up and fitted to give some idea of where the pickups might go without fouling the bodywork - always a nightmare. This is another flimsy bit of metal which won't be strong until the bodywork gets built onto it. Next jobs are to fit the crankpins, add the coupling rods (These are already made up and were used as jigs to set up the hornblocks) and see if we've got a free rolling chassis. I could develop a taste for these GNR(I) engines. Don't let on to the folk at Queen's Quay. Alan

Grenfell Morton was the author of the first Irish railway book I owned, and it probably played a major role in kickstarting the obsession!

Unfortunately it looks like they’re gone for good

Any lots that didn't sell can still be bought at the bid price .

The nameplate made €1700 and with premiums etc would have been €2145 ish, would have been on beans and toast till Bangor next year!

One fab little rarity in that vid. Can just see remains of Henderson’s Siding trailing in at Bleach Green. Mike Henderson, son of the last owner, is a keen modeller. The narrator R G Morton was a noted author on N I railway matters, and I think a teacher at Belfast Inst

They outlasted the equivalent Great Eastern E4/T26 2-4-0s by about 4 years.

It was quite a big class, for Ireland, with 20 locos originally. Most were withdrawn in the late 1950s but 6 survived into the early 1960s. 653 and 654 almost saw the end of steam, being withdrawn in 1963. They weren't confined to former MGWR lines - there are also numerous photos of them working on the DSER section, like this one at Bray (also from Ernie): For me, assuming I ever get round to building it, the loco will have to be a special visitor on a railtour. A J15 would have been a more logical purchase really!

Boat Train to Larne Cheers Darius

There's some very interesting footage in that website, including film of the County Donegal around the time of closure. I'd never seen film of the shunting tractor Phoenix moving until now....

Whitehead - UTA best kept station Cheers Darius

They seem to have been widespread. There's at least one photo of a 650 taking the road to Ballina at Manulla Junction, when the station buildings still existed.

Particularly as about half the stuff it's been put on they never had.

My parcel from the Antipodes has arrived safely - many thanks to @Mayner for these. Hopefully they will soon be joined by another JM design kit that I have acquired second-hand: That will give me far too many projects for the winter season, but hopefully I can make progress on some of them. I've been having an initial look at photos of the 650 class and it seems there was much variation between locos in the class. Individual locos also seem to have had various different types of boiler and smokebox over the years, as well as modifications to springing, cabs, chimneys and domes, and tender details. It's a minefield! When I get the kit I'll have to see which variants it caters for, and then choose a suitable prototype. Preferred options at present based on withdrawal dates and the number of good photos available are 653, 654 and 655. Pics from Ernie:

Whitehead - UTA best kept station Cheers Darius

Indeed - they were superb. I have fond memories of a surprisingly fast performance by No.4 on that run. And a spectacular Whitehead-Connolly run by No.186 which crested Wellington summit at about 50mph, and arrived in Connolly with a great glowing smile across its face. The mince pies were washed down with liberal quantities of stout, and much fun was had.

I used to love the RPSI Mincepie Special after Christmas, Belfast--Dublin and return, alas those days are gone

Signal spectacle plate design looks remarkably close to the type used by the Caledonian Railway, probably produced by Stevens & Co.

Roof on. Cheers Darius

Is this weird? Did it just get weird here?