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Northport Quay will be in next month Railway Modeller.

There's no way I am going to model the Bertram Mills Circus train! Even though I have a Class UG to pull it - I believe that's what they used for motive power in the 1960s tour they did in Ireland? I was going to say that it would be maintained, as a friendly gesture, at Inchicore..... But she'd wreck herself going through the Phoenix Park tunnel? Good idea, Jim, but she's only for TRUNK routes!

Now - tongue firmly in cheek - new motive power for Portadown Junction! I had a ride behind this locomotive - a Swiss Class C5/6 locomotive built for the Gotthard railway in 1917 or so. Nicknamed - "The Elephant" I bought the model as I'd had a short trip behind it on the main line from Brugg to Frick last June. At CHF 80 for a fifty kilometre round trip it literally did COST ME A POUND A MINUTE! I'm hoping that by buying the model (for the Glass Case)) I'll be satisfied and NOT succumb to paying CHF for a 40 kilometre trip on the Gotthard in three week's time!

Thank Crunchie it’s Friday… Cavalex Class 60 no. 60087 arrived from Rails of Sheffield today. Colour scheme even looks a bit like Crunchie. €65 handling fee to DHL, plus import taxes, so it had better not frikkin’ sound crunchy. But, it was my error clicking on DHL instead of Royal Mail, so my own fault. Absolutely beautiful model. Cavalex packaging is like Heljan’s O Gauge packaging, and is the best out there. My only irk with the packaging, as with Accurascale’s, is that it’s so wastefully over-sized. Maybe Cavalex are a smidge less wasteful than Accurascale, but this oversized packaging thing needs to stop. Won’t get to run 60087 for a while, but it is absolutely beautiful. It also feels quite sturdy, no bits floating around in the box, no bits falling off on handling. The pipework looks and feels moulded rather than loose, so no fear in touching the bogies when handling. Not getting the calipers out, not going through all of the RMWeb drama queen bull crap, you can read it here and here if you like, I’m just so happy with the look and feel of the model.

PM sent, would LOVE to acquire one or two,

Second part of Chris Mills article about Belfast/Larne area in August RAILWAY BYLINES