Leaderboard

B109 is nearly done,with some touching up of the cab front orange curves.She runs well and looks nice in this livery along with Endas Pal vans and 30 ton brake van.The glazing on the cab areas was to be honest a nightmare,and I was going to redo but in the end I just left it. 20250812_204101.mp4 20250812_204237.mp4

Cabin glazing completed. Cheers Darius

Outlaws Hobby and Craft, were selling 3D, 80 class units amongst other items, at North down MRS exhibition this year, I only bought the power car which required very little preparation, light sanding, spray primer. I'm well pleased with the result thus far, Painted with pheonix precission paints NIR maroon and NIR dark blue. Transfers are from MIR stable and fox transfer 0.5 mm lining, I have yet to decide on the chassis as I intended this as a dummy. I have four MIR brass kits to construct The intercity set is the second set, I already have a set in NIR surburban Livery and still two remaining set to construct. Ive attached a short video of the suburban set running 80 class sub run 1.mp4

Work on Kilmore over this last week or so has focused on the track - points rodding (2 sorts), ballast and paint. Points rodding 1: In the interest of keeping it simple, I've avoided points motors and opted for simple rod operation using 2mm brass rod and some bits from choc-bloc electrical connectors. It works well on The Stone Yard and I hope it will here too. This is the basic arrangement... ... and here it is installed under the board. The rod exits through the back board and terminates in a wooden knob. To paint the sides of the rails, I used a method described by Chris Nevard in Model Rail - Halfords matt black and red oxide from rattle cans, sprayed at a low angle across the track until a satisfactory colour is achieved. Shouldn't work but it does a remarkably convincing job of representing old rust. Points rodding 2: Cosmetic representations of the real thing using Wills plastic kits, laid before the ballast went down. This was the hardest thing I've done in a long time. Fragile and nightmarishly fiddly to assemble. I broke a lot of bits, lost others to the carpet monster and some of the finished results are a bit approximate. Give me an etched brass coach kit with no instructions any day! Ballasting: Not my favourite activity. Placing the ballast is fairly satisfying - all that dusting it into place with a little paint brush whilst humming quietly to oneself - but gluing it down and then picking grit out of flange ways and points mechanisms isn't. And vacuuming up the stray particles only to find great chunks coming adrift because it wasn't glued down properly or you didn't leave it to dry for long enough. Then there's weathering the stuff... Anyway, here's the state of play to date... Grassy hillsides next. Pastoral landscape has been noticeably absent from my previous layouts so new ground to be explored, new mistakes to make. Alan

After lots of cutting and applying, I finally got these finished during the week. Unfortunately, I didn't get them all covered as I ran out of decals. But I think I've got enough done for a convincing yard scene.

After all these years I thought it was time I got myself a rolling road for testing locos. But damn they’re not cheap! But I managed to pick up a few sets of rollers from Temu for small money. Then I kitbashed the rest from a steel pot stand from Ikea. Works just fine…..

Roughly a month, right on schedule. Somehow, and against all odds alot has happened. Buildings have been painted, static grass has been added and the full Tramore signalling setup has been completed. And here it is. Well, they only had 1. But it is working! It's a 3d print file available for free on thingiverse painted by myself and I have to say I'm very pleased. Following this alot of static grass was added to the field at the front of the layout. While it's a bit plain for now I'd like to add plenty more greenery and shrubs to give the impression of "Bad land" as the farmers would say. Unfortunately, I've run out of Ballast but at least the tracks themselves are complete, I just need to apply it between the running lines.. now also serves as a good opportunity to point out that the "pond" in the top left is no longer a hideous mess, well, it's not too bad anyway. Just need to get my hands on some fishing wire and I can add some fencing and telegraph poles. The station backdrop of sorts is complete also. Hopefully the foliage up the side of the station can mask the fact it's an engine shed! I've been waiting ages to do something like this, (inspired by @jhb171achill) September 17th 1950 an unidentified J-26 stands at Tramore station awaiting the signal drop to proceed to Manor station. (Ignore the north eastern livery!) Anyway. I've done an awfully big ramble about comparatively little work but I do think that the layout is on schedule to be ready for its first outing! Probably needs legs first though.........

Hi everyone, couple of background projects I’m currently working on, still a work in progress with plenty yet to do to complete

Enniskillen today. GNRI 1957-09-03 Enniskillen U 201 comes off train from Dublin.PFF234. GNRI'SLNC 1957 ca Enniskillen AL probably No 59 shunting. Railbus 2A PFF217 Not sharp unfortunately. GNRI 1957-09-26 Enniskillen 204 ,PFF009.

Well, I have found a new prototype to throw my energy at instead of working on my actual layouts (There are, I think, 4): Coolnamona! As it's my local BnM line, I've always had some interest in it, but a few days ago I was shocked when photos were sent to a WhatsApp group I'm in of a main line siding that served the works along the old Portlaoise-Kilkenny alignment. These photos are shared here, thanks to Seán Cain and @Hawkerhellfire for sending them, and of course their owners! Peat trains ran to Waterford, New Ross and North Wall until the 1980s. Now, I'm sure it's clear, from being a genuinely good prototype, to being very local, to being so unique, this has captured my imagination, so I have started a process I'm calling the feasability study, basically seeing, can I make this, not just do I want to, and while this is still underway, the relatively simple track layout, added to the fact I already have several baseboards to build it on, bumps it a little higher than all the other projects I've "proposed". As always I would advise not to get any hopes up, as I am frankly irresponsibly erratic, but watch this space.

The Stone Yard is getting dusted down for the Ulster Model Railway Club's show this coming weekend 23,24 August in Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI). The track could do with a good clean but the nice thing about static grass is it never needs cutting. Times for the exhibition are 10am until 5pm on Saturday, 12noon until 4pm on Sunday. The loco fleet is also getting some overdue tlc. Mr & Mrs McQuillan still waiting for that train.

Early morning at the MPD we see railcar 2607+2608 being prepared for service, 085 and 175 receiving exams, 127+128 spare and 124+134 being coupled together for freight duties-the fitter giving the bogies and fuel tank of 124 a wash.

The MK3 buffet 6402 (ex BR HST 40513) has been sold back to the UK. 227 is scrap, think ITG want the bogies/axles as strategic spares, probably the only useable parts. Its been in scrap condition for over 2 decades now. A lost cause 015, could be cosmetically restored, its been left outside for a while now, and it was the spares box for 003/039 for years. Where would you put it never mind run it 6105 and the push pull intermediate coach (6305(??)) would be saveable if you are brave and have money to burn. 6105 has significance as the last coach to be built in Inchicore. Again, preservation (especially in Ireland) is about realism. I'm sure Santie had good intentions, but alas too many obstacles. Buying stuff is the easy bit

I didn’t think this was going to work but miraculously, it has!! My usual method of turnout control, ie a wooden dowel under the board with one dowel per turnout, has received an upgrade - on this baseboard, a single dowel now controls both turnouts of the crossover, thanks to a nifty bit of mechanical jiggery-pokery Well chuffed!! I have also placed wooden knobs (behave) at each end of the dowel so the crossover can be operated from either side of the layout (noting Alan’s cautionary tale of a wee lad doing exactly that at a recent exhibition when Alan was trying to operate The Stone Yard!) The successfully operating crossover: FullSizeRender.MOV The double-knobbed dowel: How it all works underneath: Obviously it remains to be seen how durable this installation will be…..

Cheers Darius

Rebuilt MGWR class A is underway, any good photographs or better drawings much appreciated

Email in from Murphy Models to his retailers includes this. Just passing on info.

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!

Got CK's brake van on the layout today, lovely model, great smooth runner, really happy with it. Delighted to have a prototypical rake van finally. Thanks Enda. I want the red oxide one now!

Woodbrook Station opens on 10th August 2025. Woodbrook Station, which is located between Bray and Shankill, will serve the existing and new communities of Woodbrook and Shanganagh. It is the 147th Station on the Iarnrod Eireann network. The station was officially opened last Sunday morning by the Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/Officialevents/2025/Woodbrook-Station-opens-Sunday-10th-August-2025 to view all the images from the opening ceremony.

Aside from the skilled modelling, I love the presentation and photography. Really shows off the quality of the work.

DVH 14 gets a tow from the garage tow truck…..

The general layout of the plant hasn't changed much despite a big fire in the early 2000s, so for an idea of the track layout I just use OpenStreetMap, as it shows the track layout in detail. Having been to the plant in person, a lot of the point levers look like they could be from the 80's at least, so I'd assume not much has changed, apart from there no longer being any track by the former broad gauge alignment. However basically all the track layout I need is in this photo: I'm only working with 18" depth so I couldn't model the whole plant unfortunately! The broad gauge was just a siding and a run round, so only needs two turnouts and could have fixed uncouplers, whereas the narrow gauge I'd like to have run in with wagons full of peat and run back out with empties. This could probably be done with a hidden traverser inside the shed.

Archive Wednesday An artefact from the SLR's archive to brighten up the hump day. Here we see "Brisbane" the side tank bought from the NCC upon closure of the Ballymena and Larne in 1950, to try relieve pressure on the rapidly deteriorating fleet of steam trams, and numbered 8. However, it derailed at Ivy Road in 1952, taking it out of service for two years as the railway underwent bankruptcy. It was finally returned to service in 1954 to haul the heavy trains dragging the final peat harvests from Sheehaunmona, which relied on the railway and was attempting to stockpile as much peat as possible in Sheehaunmore so as to not run low while roadworks were completed between the town and the bog to allow peat to move by road. After these duties were finished in summer '55, number 8 languished in Knockadeen shed, only running to haul the 1956 Goodbye Special a week before closure. It remained at Knockadeen until sold to a planned museum in Cork in 1960, however this scheme fell through and she instead went to the Hutton Steam Railway in rural South Australia. This is where this photo was taken of the locomotive, in fresh NCC livery to honour its history. This footplate view, taken by Frank Scott of nearby Peterborough, shows the loco a few months after she arrived in 1961, and also shows one of the railway's regauged, ex-3ft 6 bogie coaches. However, it was not to be and the HLR went out of business in 1970. Number 8 sat in a shed in Australia for a decade until she was bought for a pittance by a private collector in Victoria, and was moved to a back garden in Altona, Melbourne in 1983. Here she was at least cared for and had some of her more dilapidated parts repaired, but only visually, so that she looked remarkably good but was far from running order. This was an unpleasant surprise for his children, when, after he passed in 2007, failed to sell the engine to a railway in Victoria or NSW, and had to resort to sending her home- to be displayed in the Ulster Transport Museum in Cultra. However, before she was put on display, the newly formed SLR group purchased her and brought her "home" to Ivy Road, naming her in honour of, well, the capital of the state she worked in- Jackie was left to name her and sure you know what he's like with geography. Anyway, here she now is, in running order and due for fitting of new control and safety systems within the next year. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this bit of backstory- I plan on doing this every Wednesday, staging photos around my garden and dipping into old collections from their previous home, Model World in Wicklow, and maing little stories for each picture. I'm not quite sure why the semi-mushroom pun but the line will ideally pass behind the shed, through a "tunnel", sharing space with an access area that can also be used to store bikes. This allows for Knockadeen and Botanical Gardens to be either end of a tunnel, which I hope will add a bit of interest and simulated distance to the line.

Delighted to meet ‘The Countess’ tonight, or at least her chassis and running plate! @Tullygrainey Alan is making great progress with our joint project to build Ballycastle Railway loco No. 2 ‘Countess of Antrim’ for Capecastle 2. I’ll probably spoil it when I try building the rest of it Thanks Alan - your precision is, as always, remarkable!

1. Paddy Murphy has told me. We have an employee in Hong Kong who is helping him with his enquiries. 2. The 141s were made in a different factory and were delivered before this carry on emerged. It will of course affect any new Murphy Models projects going forwards as you can no longer perhaps trust the factory and have to move CAD, or tools. Having done this ourselves I can assure you it's an unbelievable pain in the bollocks which costs you money, time and deferred earnings. 3. This stinks to high heaven sadly and is a question of morals as well as legality.

Lock stock warning on the South Dublin Model Railway Club special edition 50th Anniversary H Van - only a few remaining so if you want one pm me otherwise when there gone they are gone - no rerun will be made of this one. Thanks PR

Thanks everyone. I'm hoping so David. I used a puffer bottle on The Stone Yard, which was perfectly adequate for the small amounts of grass in odd corners there but I've got a proper gadget for this one. Haven't tried it yet! The arrangement for using choc blocs, I picked up from someone else on RM Web though I've adapted it a bit. As regards modelling the prototype points rodding, DCC Concepts marketed a system of working points rodding which I think was in metal. It still seems to be available from Rails of Sheffield but I can find no mention of it now on the DCC Concepts website so they may have discontinued it. Model Railway Journal 260 in 2018 carried an article by someone building points rodding in 2mm from self-designed etches! I suspect witchcraft was involved

I had the good fortune today to collect two brake vans for the layout. I have two of Mayner's excellent JM design timber-planked CIE standard vans, and two of Leslie's Provincial Wagons old GSWR ones. With a layout based in a time period of mid 1950s to early 1970s, I needed two more at least, so I have added two of the new CKprints CIE standards to the collection. too. This gives an authentic mix of what you'd got about the place in that period. Older ones like the Provincial GSWR ones were still about in very small numbers - the Loughrea and Castleisland branches had the last two in operation into the 70s. Everything else was standard - most steel-sheeted, a few all-wooden, and the odd one like JM Design's "tin" one with planked balconies. As a digression, I MIGHT be wrong on this, but I do think that I once saw a planked one, a la JM Design's earlier example, with a metal sheeted balcony at one end.... but I cam't be certain. Anyway, as you can see, basking in the evening light at a Castletown West station still sparsely endowed with even basic scenery, we see two of CK's vans, designed and produced by Enda Byrne. To say these are SUPERB is an understatement of the highest order. The detail and accuracy is in every way TOP drawer. Very many congrats to Enda for these. I am advised they will be widely available now. I should add, for younger readers, you simply cannot have a goods train of old four-wheel wagons without a brake van. It's like running a train with out track, or without a locomotive, or carriages without wheels. ALL goods trains were loose coupled, meaning that no brake van = no brakes on the train. So, a brake van of some sort is essential. And this type, from about 1960 to the very end of loose coupled trains in the late 1970s, were the most common of all, and in the last few years actually the only types to be seen anywhere but NIR, which retained a few tattered and neglected old vans of GNR & NCC origin for ballast trains. Very highly recommended indeed, and the big news is that Provincial Leslie and CK Enda are now planning future collaborations. All good news for all concerned.

Oh, this is intriguing and very welcome news! Looking forward to seeing whats in store here ......

The IRCH vans are getting closer to completion - adding all the little details takes time: I bought some etched W-irons, sold as for 21mm gauge (and at a premium price), but sadly they turned out to be way too narrow - only suitable for 16.5mm gauge. I had to widen them which took several hours work. Never mind, they're done now and ready to fit. Each wagon will have one fixed and one rocking set. Still to do is the brake gear and I have various suitable parts from Wizard Models.

Campaigners fume as Irish Rail backtracks on 35km greenway Campaigners fume as Irish Rail backtracks on 35km greenway

Because at the time I did, no-one else had provided a useful reply and I thought that some of my links might be useful even if they weren't the full answer. At the very least it bumped the thread and DJD then responded. I apologise again.

I've little sympathy for their plight. Disused railways that are very unlikely to ever see service again, fair enough. Achill, Clifden, etc. Significant link lines and main lines turned into greenways is just absolute madness.

Building upon my zen [!] this afternoon, spent a pleasant hour or so drawing out the new project full size on some lining paper. Doing this helps ensure that the clearances are adequate, especially as you can pose various items of stock. I also moved stock around to check that likely sequences would work. Unfortunately, it is hard to see the pencil lines of the track plan, but my sketch plans should help with orientation. The first picture shows my J69 approaching the junction to the private sidings with a typically short goods train. Behind, ex Wantage Tank, Jane waits in the loco shed road, while the two vans are in the rear siding. The next two pictures show how the J69 can push its train into the private sidings [note the mainline engine would not be allowed through the gate], for Jane to collect. Jane then moves the train into the loco shed/exchange siding and then collects the two vans from the rear siding, placing them with the brake van. The two vans and brake now form an out going train, which Jane moves on to the mainline, for the J69 to collect. After, Jane will shunt the open wagons off scene for loading/unloading. The final two pictures show my railbus in the platform of the halt and the J69 in the same place with a horse box - again, both typical workings from 1950s East Anglia. So, it all seems to work, which is just as well as I've already put in an order for some 6mm pre-cut birch ply. At the moment, it may well be all the track will be bullhead [Peco], but using Marcway 1.8m wye points because they are such good space savers. Other orders will go in soon: three tortoise point motors, four uncoupling magnets, plus associated switches and wire.

My first Accurascale locomotive has arrived….the Class 89…..WOW

Patron saint of inspired contraptions and ingenious contrivances

Sorry for the long wait Im on holidays down in the "rebel county" atm But for updates i on connolly shed, ive bought 2 tubs of grey ballast and a express point so ive 3 directing left and need to get some more express points directing right I will be using foamboard instead of cardboard But the cardboard is still great to use for practicing on when it comes to working with blades and architecture. It be also sliced as thin sheets to cut into decals and smaller bits I also have lollipop sticks for the frames to hold the shed roof Im desperate to get working on it as it would e nice to have it done for the end of october but i personally havent have high hopes for the shed to be done by then but if i lock in and not have to get distracted by "sidequests" or "adventures" to railway museums or old stations like castlerea railway museum and headhunters barbers ill at least have decent practice on cardboard to then take that skill and put it on foamboard Wont be back for 2 weeks but got some good pics of the vent of the old carriage shed to line out in cobh thats now the garda station And about the carpender, i know hes too busy so ill build the base up myself like i had intentionally had planned at the start

The design is Paddy's intellectual property, as is his branding. Both are being used here to sell something that has not been paid for by Murphy Models. When you give the go ahead to a factory you enter a contract with them with the specified a set amount you want delivered to you. This is made using your moulds that you own. Anything after that is sold is in breach of that contract, and just unethical. This is certainly a factory that we will never use. I find it in bad taste personally, especially when you see the RPSI special in there. A limited edition model made to raise funds for them. You can bet that not one penny of these models will support Irish preservation. I know Paddy himself is very upset about this. The trust is broken with a factory, which will now delay new projects as you probably do not work with them again, so that's how it affects us as modellers. It disrupts the future income of Murphy Models in this manner too. If you care about the hobby, then you wont buy these models.

In 7mm scale you get whitemetal castings for the stools and wire for the rodding = much more robust. One wonders what they do (if anything) in 2mm scale. Tame spiders maybe? Am sure you'll enjoy the static grass machine, though the puffer bottles are still useful for small areas and tight corners. A good tip is to put down a layer of scatter crumb first and then static over the top of that. Never use a single colour either. A blend of several works best and experimenting is very addictive!

Just don’t tell anyone, or mention it on the internet…

And here it is running at silly speeds over some points. 20250816_115521.mp4

I think this looks like a great idea. It could easily be compressed to a manageable size without losing the functionality. And loads of scope for modelling al those little details to bring the scene to life.

Thanks. It was actually masked/painted a bit too wide so I “opened it”. Cheers Darius

Superb work! The open window is a nice touch.

So when do we expect the installation of OHLE on Tara Junction? Big order for Sommerfeltd catenary in the pipeline?

I recieved one of Enda's vans yesterday and am really looking forward to running it on the layout once I get home from holidays at the weekend. Especially after reading this review!

At sunset from Castlefleming bridge.

Fenestration commenced. Cheers Darius