Robert Shrives

Great photos - is it me or is the road signal head for the crossing turned away from the road? Robert

The lowmac has modern axleboxes and a modern style handbrake wheel just to add to fun of modelling.. nodoubt experts can say but I wonder if it was an import job. Great finds still to be had Robert

Yes - saw this via Facebook and Warley Club coms network. Blood boils at the wanton damage and it will put up the insurance costs across the "industry" for ever. Let alone the trauma for all involved seeing years of work trashed and the traders having to sort and repack without earning a penny. It has to be said that four lamposts are waiting some swinging adornments and clearly local villages are missing four idiots of massive proportions - I am sure there is a heartfelt back story to the youths lives but the lack of responsibility by themelves and their keepers to me does see a total loss of human rights protections - and this is just a hobby I wonder what else they have wrecking in earlier times around the town. Mad times ! Robert

I love the way we spend others money !! Great fun and must put the fear of ,,,, up the lads in the new bunker. But you are right as the Deltics hauled early Mk2s on east Coast and then all of them as time went on. Bachmann have done the earliest and latest plus Hornby have ex lima and their own latest offerings but only Lima ( bless their socks ) did the Mk 2 b or c with wrap-a-round door and no middle doors - which made up the NIR fleet and a chunk of the class 80 "augumention" trailers plus some of the ex Vic Berry exports for CIE. The lima model also helpfully came with amoured sides. So the lads have something to hang coats on. Sadly the 80 only had a brief period of having just 3 bodyshells in the fleet but quickly gained conversions from the enterprise coaches and two BR second had ones for replacements. Thus it cannot be economic to do all the variations that ran but the three basic shells and a middle trailer without a middle door would cover many versions. Robert

And all of the above !! wishing on a wish list... I think the Jeep - certainly in preserved number would be a good one as it covers today and with a selection of numbers and weathered version covers many more eras. A mogul as well would fit above thinking. class 80 personally and clearly the C class have appeal . The Mk3 is a vast lake to absorb cash to get to the current standard of offerings in the market place, so may remain a "long felt want." The Hunslet DLs and 450 would be on the "nice to have" pile but sales would be hard to justify I would imagine. Now having a set of 6 bogie chemical tankers looking at me from the gloat box does of course mean the boys in the bunker have plans to add value to the 42 foot flats with the barrier tank version twin pack ..... and of course the bogie tankers!! NB class 80s coming well on the bench boys! so I can guess next project Robert

That looks lovely and I am sure the passengers will be pleased at the choice IFM do produce lovely models so good purchases! The station curve looks good as well - you have been busy in a gentle sort of way and thanks for the update. I guess the 121 in B+T will feature in a while. Robert

Gents , DEMU is a great show and if about well worth it new bigger venue still in Burton on Trent - home of Bass now called something else which I seem to blank out !! ( Also home to many breweries in times past - masses of little steam tanks called it home.) Please find a bit of space for Irish stock -it is bound to create interest esp any Ferts or bogie flats to drool over - for me anyway! - "A " classic move to display at this fine show. see you Sunday I think if work allows Robert

Tooling looks good and trying to work in reverse I think I can see spray tank, spoil sprues and the basic chassis shape , plenty to keep you busy and expensive of course as others have found ! 5th pic righthand I guess is part of floor with bogie centres and brake details - all very clever, looking forward to ferts being on the order pages soon - even if the wallet might not ! thanks gents and keep up the good work.. Robert

Waterford does seem to be a case of withdrawal of interest by the railway. At Best it now vies with the old Birmingham Snow hill for being left to rot away by lack of foresight and inspiration so hopefully another new station will be a breath of fresh air. And have more than one platform face to allow interchange and a bit of flexibility at time of railcar failures, which seems to be the inevitable Achilles heel of the current minimalist provision.

Slightly off topic but when Derby station was being rebuilt access to platforms was in part provided using golf carts and the old PO subway. Stern notices prevented staff from making use of the buggies. Perhaps at LJ you will be driven to the new platform.... Re Stafford I recall a tale of the use of a passenger brake van being used to transfer assisted passengers when lifts failed. Robert

And a lovely shot of railways for the people - perhaps now gone for ever. I did wonder ( only a little bit) who had bought most of the MM MMK2a coaches and now I know.. Robert

Which of course will compliment the A in the next few years from the lads in IRM towers!. and in NIR blue will go equally well with their class 80 ..... well hopefully as they have yet to announce the next grand project - how many liveries and I have started on my second kit..

Just a thought with continuous lines a major feature of a few years ago was the level crossing manually controlled with gate protecting signals. On a simple layout just a level crossing, keepers small house and small holding alongside, a small 2 lever ground frame for the two signals , the closing of gates and clearing of signals to herald the passing of the train would allow a trainspotting layout. With the proliferation of electronics a motorised set of gates and signals such a layout is achievable. but it is the signals that are important to the action. Yes NIR you signal routes nor flow - but as importantly it is the signals that stop movement- protecting the active route that are required. Correctly placed shunting signals at yard exit points and crossovers maketh the layout for me. Plus now the supply of parts to more effective model rodding will lift a layout more than DCC and lights and sound! Robert

You must like living dangerously but at least you will go out in style..

Good news then ! PCB design is a quite an advanced affair with DCC considerations , stay alive capacitor and head lights and motor control - a big leap from just a few years ago. I have seen UK companies boards go from a few poor diodes to a slab of electronics that looks like a miniature city from the future. Given the power of mobile phones - more power than the lunar module I imagine the 121 board will be a complex bit of design and kit for our benefit. Off to start looking at ways to save up money for one of these, or may be two.- A good way to lose weight ! Robert

Hi Gents looking really good - re chassis block hopefully not mazak from China? Purity issue on Hornby models was /is a problem . I have seen tungsten mentioned - I guess safer that dense depleted uranium ! Good to see indications of much screwed together - makes it maintainable and hopefully you will have core spares from get go and bodyshells at end of production run to rob for bits?. Bit of a pants down moment if spares not available from get go to deal with repaired infantile failures - the old "NGP" road or the "Bachmann Warley dash game." Looking forward as are many to this launch model. Thanks a million for all your efforts. Robert

Great to see crossovers planned . Look forward to it - less is more holds true re sidings and catching scenic details in a lifeway but rule one applies of course. Engine spurs work for me -can see Dundalk in that but looking at the Quail map it shows loco lines as trailing connected. Certainly have fun and the idea of 201s hammering past or even calling will give joy I am sure , I can just dream on mine - a shunting plank ! Robert

Hi On the grounds that traffic runs left to right on the upper line entering "stage left" would the bay platform cause Board of Trade angst as a facing point into a short bay ? It might prove better if it was a trailing turn point off the lower running line and a trailing crossover between the "main lines" in the second square from stage left . - arriving trains run loco around via "goods loop" and then shunt stock across the crossover and propel into the bay. Agree with Glenderg on hassle of exiting storage yard but again the 1900s angs on facing points might preclude - however the short siding in the freight yard could be turned to run parallel to main line as a headshunt, and perhaps an exit from yard at stage end right. I would also look at track spacings in sidings to allow the very little people safe access.- certainly more room required between the sidings and the loop line to allow a walking route for shunters clear of point rodding etc. Certainly a fun looking plan and look forward to seeing it grow. Robert

JHB - so very likely given past experiences on this Island, so very sad that "yours" is going the same way. Lack of brains and practical life skills will see us all extinct before 3 long. Robert

Just looking forward to possible coal containers off back of PFA and of course the GSV !! Just painted the yellow tops on stakes on 3 bogie timber wagons so I guess what you will plan next ! Gets coat and leaves stage left !! Robert

Hi , A few strokes of a file to remove the "hips" on the side to give a gentle Mk1 style bodyside would indeed help - something I never noticed. It will look good on the layout that is for certain. Robert

Hi For underframe bits it might be worth checking with Precsion paints as the good gents took on kits and castings that originated from MTK parts via NNK (IIRC) . DC kits thummpers used an etched sheet for much of the underdetails - suitable for "beefing up " with plasticard blocks to give depth and "mass. " The 70 certainly looks battered - I had wondered on how to do edge of the etch and did think about making use of a lima or Hornby Mk2 to get the radius on the corner and the tumblehome - but certainly some filler will be required ! One option is to solder some 5 mm or 6mm brass tube curved for the tumblehomeand its natural diameter to give the front to side curve, but never tried this - but used copper wire in N to do the same effect, flooded with solder and sanded back it was ok and very strong. Robert

Hi IRM towers in its UK market guise have announced a range of PFA wagons and coal containers. This might just be a clever bit of thinking as the containers do look very much like the Limerick - Ballina coal containers of old.. Happy to be proved right or wrong but this might just add value to the 4 wheel flats available to us. Robert

Er - the yellow one - I get my coat !!! The non broken wheel logo I think is longest served but the yellow very faded and work stained not the lovely pristine offerings - I guess the weathering gurus will be hot on the case. Really looking forward to the arrival of my pair. Thanks gents! Robert

Agreed on PW work and workers unsung heros in many ways - but they are plagued with a nasty caste of "orangnitus" and some soul signing a 100 year contract for Gloss yellow !! I enjoy the UK machine scene as the diet of plastic trains grows by the day and until recent offerings in the north of the UK and creation of pocket rocket HSTs it was getting a bit samey - pretty certain the passengers enjoy more comforts in places and much safer and quicker journeys - what it is all about really not that exciting otherwise. I am looking forward to the forthcoming yellowness on offer and hope of course for the GSV conversion ... Just off to get my coat ..