Robert Shrives

Thanks for the pictures- a good record of production. Santa - well postie defo very strong carting what looks to be most of the CIE fleet of 42 foot flats ever built, and I bet the tree was happy to have its protective wall.. happy collecting! And happy new year Robert

Hi Dave, Just a little late to the party , but cases look good - on ebay you can get 00 foam trays and Warley club do a cardboard double tray box as well . Re layout if open to thoughts - if the central bridge was a level crossing it could get a set of signature gates from SSM and surely be made motorised. Depending on what you had in mind for region then a beet loading point possible, re the tunnel entrance side perhaps http://www.rosslarerailandsea.com/rathdrum.html might be an idea of curving and dropping line. Of course the otherway has short tunnel cum bridge and straight viaduct . Traffic wise route saw all traction types and all coach types plus ferts, ammonia tanks , cement bubbles among freight. link to bit on here Robert

Patrick, Good to see more trains running and yes the beet empties do look good. I guess ballasting and the back road around the signal cabin next on the long to do list. Meanwhile I wish you and the family a happy new year . I noticed that you have 4 pawed manager in one shot of the fiddle yard, hopefully respectful of the running of trains. Robert

In reality after a period of running servicing will be required which is an end user job would have you lubricate these bearing points so it is good training !! I used the hobby white teffon grease and a bit on a piece of card and using a pin in a pin chuck to transfer a very small bloblet was all that was required. I kept clear of the rotating cap as I wanted to avoid any sticky residue to attract out of scale weathering! This was so good I used same on my Beet wagon kits and skeletal frame flats and this worked a treat. The wagon works mnt staff will be happy! I really hope nobody takes up the offer on returning stock as it is so simple and it also seems a bit of running takes the extra paint off the axle retaining nibs and all is happy. Working with the Chinese is I am told a bit like getting married - the first product Honeymoon sees all happy but as the relationship matures some of the quality of "life" can change and constant work is needed to fully understand each other. Also it seems your partner seems to change - a bit of an open relationship in the modern world and at some time you will find the first partner you met is now busy in a new relationship and the second or third league player now your effective partner is using their neighbour to help on Wednesdays so standards vary on that day, thus what was once a consistent output has a almost untraceable variation available to spoil the job. However you contact your original partner- as you see it - who happily ensures you standards are kept up and keep sending the money ... I was once advised marriage is the art of compromise and never sleep on an argument. This relationship has not only the issues of comprehension of ideas but being most of half a world away - a case of the distance makes the heart grow fonder , I wonder. I wish the whole trading with China well but sometimes looking nearer home (just down the road) gives in the end a better job and certainly easier control. Happy new year ! Robert

Ha , Reading what I wanted to read but in the latest issue of Rail express model section the juxtapostion of the render and the matching rider coach was too much late last night and on re reading it is worse as the rider coach is captioned as the flask and your render is captioned as the coach ... sorry for any froth cleaning I may have caused. Of course you could go with the flow and do the class 80 anyway! humble apolos Robert.

Hi All being a full time paid conspiracy theorist! I cannot help myself and notice the UK sector of IRM towers Accurascale are doing a MK2 to match the massive nuc flask wagon. Surely this is the the seasonal sign of an 80 Class birth announcement in a CAD workshop scene ? Just saying and getting my coat. festive greetings to everybody in the forum and IRM towers of course. Robert

Great prog , several good inside shots of railcars and a few minutes of the 80 class - hopefully when IRM Towers make the model allowance for fitting head board possible - magnetic perhaps? A good showcase of all that is good about the isle and its railways large and small also it has to be said a gentle touch on the political history across all of Ireland. Apart from a bit of 80 class footage the best bit was going over the Boyne bridge in the 201 on the Enterprise service to Dundalk, CIE picked a good driver to chat with Chris. Well worth it on catch up telly or whatever . Robert

I applied just a pin heads worth of the hobby lube white teflon grease to the nibs on the bogie that retains the axles as the rotating caps run just clear of the chassis so need no lub - I was fearful that such would attract fluff or static grass etc - as I have found on over lubed locos I have repaired. A quick spin after applying showed a massive improvement and not visible on the bogies - weathering next. Some where I have two SSM water tank containers that I ought to dig out and fix on to help display the fantastic wagon frames - and use my 3D print ones for the containers. Thanks gents for the great work. Robert

I hope you all enjoy the read - I got mine the other week and the range and quality of photos and captions really good. I look forward, hopefully, to further volumes. Robert.

If you can sort it so I get no invoices that would be really grand !! Robert

Well just waiting to see painted numbers on mine so the 3D print ones can get other numbers - I guess the loads will be transferred and these run as empty wagons to show off the details for the little people to enjoy. Seeing the one containers - I thought "pretty in pink " all very LGBT compliant!!!

Well two packs of buffers in post box on my return from work , very smart and not mentioned before are the little brake units to sit in the rail behind the stop come with a handy spacer tool to ensure the correct distance apart. - Well thought out. Thanks

Hi Just seen email advising little chaps are on their way . Good news so thanks for all the work done Robert

Also to say thanks for photos. Show as ever a hectic success. I did not get much chance to view layouts - all had crowds around but that is to be expected at model railway show - not that some do given comments ! Saw the good lads on the fine stand and all the lovely models. I look forward to all that comes - so much better than I can do in the time available, thanks to all who make the hobby fun.

Slightly (well quite a bit really) but the announcement at the NEC was about a UK nuclear flask wagon that is so big its on 16 axles -IIRC - well same number of axles as a 2 car 80 class so close but no cigar. Stand very effective and bright surrounded by many souls today. Robert

Just to say at the NEC the IRM stand along with its UK face had some lovely offerings carefully put in Glass cases - away from my paws !! Beet and freightliner flats looking more than wonderful. The A class in green looked " A-mazing! " also a couple of the yellow plough brakes and sure a bubble of three must have been in the case. The UK market had more "shelvage" with Class 37, class 55 and a jolly collection of cement wagons and O hoppers . A fine stand created in 6 hours or so by the troops and the "management" - I think that was the term anyway ! I suspect the chaps will be talked dry by the merry hordes , along off course wading through buckets of froth from announcing the class 80 , ( well you never know - but I think it is some fine new UK offering.) Robert

Well even more excited about Warley show now !! Good to read first batch all sold - I guess a rerun will follow in fairly short order. Perhaps as 3 packs of empty wagons ... Robert

good news

Wow and as all say above ! looking forward to a look at Warley B46 in November. Robert

Just watched the youtube video released today and it looks as good as you would dream about ! Hope it gets to stand B 46 at Warley later this year. Robert

The "deed is done" with 2 packs ordered so thanks for bringing a major part of the CIE et al freight story to the model world in rtr format - as said before some thing unimaginable 5 years ago. Account now into hiding after a Dapol factory open day last weekend. I look forward seeing samples on stand B46 at Warley show at the NEC, November 23rd and 24th . Robert

I believe some Chips can have this sort of fun programmed in and can be user activated. Personally I prefer the real world where it comes out of the blue... I guess the smoke unit should have an oil launcher cell as well... But brilliant work and I look forward even if the wallet/ bank manager have doubts.. Robert

Hi a bit late to the party but to echo comments on the pics and updates - thanks . The van roof in card does have a used battered look to it, sets it apart from a brand new example. Robert

Hi Recently in Bristol a set was painted while crew changed ends. Amazingly they goons politely asked the driver if he could wait while they finished. Needless to say no unit to replace it at Bristol so it ran all day like it. My TOC has the same problem at Leicester station - 24hr manned and CCTV yet sets get a reg tagging. Re last time killed three younger "artists" were added to Darwin awards in South London when struck by a naughty train stopping these Innocent street artists displaying there works on railway infrastructure - lines closed for the day while police picked up the evidence and body parts ! The press were all over the railway - it was to blame!!! As the late Winsor Davis said " Oh dear .how sad , never mind ." 15 years ago at Skipton the police intercepted a gang just before starting work , the second shift in a car sped off and due to a mobile phone the police were able to locate and place them at the scene with intent, despite lame excuses, a good day had in court, sadly shitty little fines vice a public whipping handed down... - and I am a reasonable soul. Back in the day at Bristol a set of parcel vans were sprayed and the youth who executed the work was captured when Hornby models of his work were uncovered- he had planned the application - but not that well as the models were not scale length.. Trying to be reasonable if they are jobless oiks (which might be debatable in this case) give them a job on the railway in the works to clean and repaint vehicles. Robert

How very nice ! I guess it shows the speed of an inquiry is expected to be so slow the rust will have back filled before a visit!! Almost as useful as indicators on BMWs - and not for getting taxes paid for that to be painted on! Now will IRM provide a scale transfer to go with packs ?? Just putting on a hat as its too hot for a coat - leaves stage right. Robert