fishplate7

Leslie. I have read, and reread all of the very fine and well deserved tributes to you, your skills and the fine service you have provided to us modellers over the years! I include myself in that! As a personal favourite, your CIE cattle vans are to die for! At the exhibitions, I quickly came to the conclusion that you were one of the most gifted magician I ever had the pleasure of meeting! Why? Because my wallet always felt considerably lighter after every encounter. I never quite knew how you managed it! I just knew that we both parted company, each with a big smile! Without your service the modelling world would be indeed in a worse place! I hope that, just because you wont be 'practicing any magic' after these two upcoming shows, you will still attend at some point, just to say hello and for a chat! And always remember, and to borrow a line from one of The Eagles most famous of songs - "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave" Until Bangor so! Eamonn

For a shot of the Oil Train in action go to 3.10 on this video I took in Enfield back in the day when there was real action on the rails with semaphores, staff/handring exchanges, etc!

We could suggest to IRM that they commission the British artist Willard Wigan to make some suitably scaled food, cutlery, etc. After all that is what he is famous for - microsculpture, like the 'evolution of man in the eye of a needle' sculpture! And there's many more! Word of warning though, check out his prices......not exactly cheap!!

Google Screen Grab of the DFB car park.

Way to go Leslie! Let's hope the Merlin we all wish and hope for is not as mythical as his namesake from the days of King Arthur! We wait and see!

The current Mount Temple car parking spaces, which are accessed off the Malahide Road, wont be affected by the construction of the new school building. I understand the main contractor has moved some plant and machinery onto the school site beside the old squash club via the Howth Road entrance, which is where construction traffic will enter and exit.

Got my oil wagon delivery this morning! Havent had time to open the package yet - tomorrow hopefully!

PM sent John

Hi Leslie I have already emailed you separately with my order! Looking forward to meeting up on Saturdqay morning coming! Eamonn

Well I will definitely be taking some of those broken wheel ones Leslie! Safe travelling!

Hi Leslie I will take 2 of the flying snail please and will pick them up at Blackrock. Thanks Eamonn

Hi James R. Try Neil Smith at Wheeltappers in the UK. His website is http://www.wheeltappersdccsounds.co.uk/ His Irish decoder sounds are excellent. But beware, you'll be paying importation duty etc., on them as they come from the UK! Hope this helps! Eamonn

Count me in too Leslie for at least 6 of the broken wheel type!

Colum Pender is indeed correct! A lovely, kind man, with a big welcome for anyone who was interested in the railways. I spent many evenings with him in the cabin in the 1980's and 1990's. He passed away a number of years ago.

I have to agree with JBH! As an IRRS member for almost 50 years, it is indeed a treasure trove of information and material! The Journal alone is excellent value for money. The Thursday night in-person or now on-line meetings are excellent, with the highlight of the year being the Annual Film Show. Go for it Darren D!

That is just stunning Patrick!

Thanks a million to you Eoin and to seagoebox for the information!

Hi all Would anyone have dimensions ( L x B x thickness) for the pouch used to hold the staff during the mechanical staff exchange? See attached photos. Many thanks in advance. Eamonn

I dont know the answer bufferstop but I'll find out! That's a shot of Frank (Bohan)'s back in Kilcock in the early/mid 1970's if thats any help!

Thank God you lived to tell the tale....and write excellent books!

Great thread with some fascinating stories! We had no railway connection in my family. My dad worked in the bar/pub industry and mum was the homemaker. But I grew up facing the railways and that's where my interest started! My uncle lived in Kilcock, and I would spend my Summers on the farm. Kilcock had the railway, and a station, and most importantly, a signal cabin! So in the Summer of 1972 I started off my railway odessey as a young teenager in the cabin, learning about signalling, single line workings, bell codes and mechanical staff exchange!! Frank, Ned and Paddy were the three signalmen at the time. The cabin was open 24/7 and if memory serves me correct, Maynooth was closed at night/weekends with the long section from Clonsilla to Kilcock (open to correction on this one!). Frank was a nice but stern man! I was with him in the cabin one day, and we had a train in the section coming from Enfield heading to Dublin. He was only a few minutes away. I had been practicing many minutes before that, setting the down points for the loop and main road, setting the locking bar etc. The points lever could be a difficult enough lever to pull/push depending on distance. Anyway the road was set correctly for this up train in the section (interlocking would simply not allow you to set the road incorrectly). I noticed that the up starter, which was high up on the bank, was only partially 'off' unlike the previous times. This could have happened due to a problem with the crossover! I brought this to Frank's attention. Well. it was like WW3 had started!! Frank didnt know whether the train has passed the up distant or not, and mechanical snatching was in operation anyway, so he would be coming through at 70 mph, and the staff was set!! Quick as a flash, Frank slammed back the distant, home and starter levers, slammed back the locking bar lever, slammed back the down crossover lever, remade it, not happy, remade it again and then remade the road! Pulled everything off and the up starter dropped nicely!! Panic over! I had a Sony cassette recorder at the time and I have a lovely tape of an evening spent in that cabin with Ned. The phone conversations were great. Signalmen were always trying to 'push' the train down the line to the next station into the loop to cross another train! In those days with so many trains running you were guaranteed a crossing. Around that same period, I recollect Sean Regan, was doing relief in Kilcock, and was badly injured when the snatching arm broke on a down train and it struck him on the body (he had been waiting under the stairs apparently). He was out of work for a long time. Anyone familiar with the concept of having ' a spare staff' in the cabin??

I collected my locos earlier today from the Depot! I have to say the packaging is first class and streets ahead of anything I have seen before! See attached photos. They are solidly protected all round with absolutely no 'wriggle room'! Hats off to Noel & Pat in Parcel Planet for not only checking that my order was correct, but then going in search of my other three orders (which were originally going to be posted to me), which they then found! And hats off also to IRM for investing in the high quality packaging! I have only looked at two so far and they are jaw dropping! Cannot wait to get them out on the road!! Really well done to all in IRM!

Bring a box of Viagra with you just in case you are lynched Dave....you'll then be able to raise yourself up from the dead!!

Congratulations all and very well done!