Robert Shrives

Will do , I will "beet" my way through the merry crowd. To celebrate IRMs announcement of the ICR train set pack. 

Robert 

Yesterday saw a meeting of the 8 folk organising the show and final amendments made  to floor plan after changes of requirements and electrical plan and stand buildups confirmed - over 600 tables and 1000 chairs required! 

Not bad for a local clubs show in local hall with a few friends and some mates who sell bits and bobs.  

Hi Look forward to seeing the IRM team again, I am back in role as one of the Warley club show organisers. I hope to have some Irish models in the display cases on the club stand. I guess some Beet wagons will be on show which hopefully encourage an rtr announcement along with 80 class, Hunslet enterprise train pack/ set.     

Robert  

To report this migration and patching has resulted in me being only able to access IRM at work. At home I can see no images nor input any text. the text box is just a few mm high. RM web did this a while back but now works ok  Western Thunderer site works perfectly as does all the banking sites. 

Obvs I cannot upload at work so no more phots and workbench updates from me, for which you might be relieved.

Such is life - no spare cash now for a new PC which would cure all and allow old machine to be semi retired/ re-engineered in time.

Still enjoy reading all the good works and seeing new models 

Robert   

Well the next batch of 5 chassis kits arrived yesterday and been in a sonic bath to clean, a few hours to sort flash on the tiddly detail bits, along with 6 months of model dawdling and the 5  tank wagons will be "ex-works"  Along with the coal and barrier wagons a 15 wagon train will be possible.   

Still need to paint pallet and then back to the UTA spoils, really need to get these nearer the finishing line!

Still no pics as no longer able to upload to forum. 

Robert   

Well I hope they go to a good home and IRM get a few more votes to do one ...   In the current climate here in UK not able to afford to even think about buying but they do look good. 

robert  

Makings of a low relief bike shed ...

I would like the Waterford box as it would be a complex build and happy to pay into the design. As I would not have the time and probs the skill set to do  it justice.  The box, platform and cutting side as I said on Facebook make for a good  diorama/ phase one of a bigger layout. 

Robert   

Garfield 

Done and thanks !  I have suggested the donation goes into your campaign totals. 

looking forward to Mk2s and dreaming on Hunslet 101s

Robert   

Sadly I am face like many with rising costs of living and so cannot afford more ballasts/ mag wagons but is it possible to donate the 10euro  via IRM as I cannot find a suitable web page on the Down Patrick site. 

Robert 

Hi

Several good folk have done conversions and shown on here and there is a Silverfox Resin one piece bodyshell.  Also etched overlay sides from PH Designs which are very fine and have separately applied window frames.   Well worth checking out.      IIRC there are also sides by Bill Bedford as 4mm brass eches. 

Steve at Railtec does a set of transfers for the RPSI  gen coach for a few pounds if that is the one you want. SSM models do a set of transfers for GSV vehicles  and while fragile are a lovely piece of work - you do get spares! 

Cheers

Robert   

Well managed to get final chains on balance/ operating wheels and pics uploaded to thread on RM web.  Some filler required where bodies reduced in height  to match the pallet  with plastic sides  and now waiting a cleaning and priming. 

I was thinking a pale blue and grot livery with numbers from railtec sheets.  Started looking at tanktainers having got 3 more etches to match the tanks shown up the thread. Hopefully some chassis kits from Leslie in a few weeks. 

Thoughts turn to the bogie cement manifolds and making a set of brackets for the Ammonia tanks - sadly no etches available despite a call with SSM - etches on wagon kits not available on their own without hassle.  So plasticard to the rescue.  I guess if l was clever a 3d print would ensure consistent works but not that clever! 

Robert     

Managed to get some fine chain and started the work on the bi door pallet wagons. I only have 3  so not a big chore but blimey  fiddly fixing chains - drilled for 0.3 wire set into edge of door and this only just fits into links, got a 33 link per inch chain for £10 per meter  No pics as yet as my PC now too old to upload pics on forum after various upgrades, means I will have to save pennies/ buy less IRM products to afford upgrade or save you seeing my ham efforts which might be a blessing. 

Robert   

On 13/8/2022 at 4:24 PM, Galteemore said:

I think we’d all like that 

If only form any source ...well IRM perhaps...

Robert 

Brilliant work in every way, I had asked Mike Edge if he would consider a brass kit but reply was well down his list. This is sublime modelling and I wish I was half as good ! 

thanks for showing!  Would you consider doing a second one ?     

On 13/7/2022 at 8:55 AM, flange lubricator said:

Great work Phillip the other coaches carried similar markings on the bogies as in this picture of 4105

I wonder if one of these might land in time from a group of well known lads?

 

 

Now had a chance to read captions and some text - a lovely piece of work recording a short but interesting period showing what a railway can do - and clearly on a shoe string! 

Robert  

Copy landed in Brum at lunchtime and had chance to flick through. looks good and the human interactions show pride in the operation, good selection of pics especially wagon M65 upside down on its first journey showing its "under things" to all!, The gas axe bottles in foreground and a lack of a wheel set do not auger well.

As suggested a good resource of wagon weathering - it would be common it looks for a cleaned- repaired  wagon to be mid rake and also wagons with repaired and clean doors.  Otherwise the duck egg blue/ light grey weathered to a dusty stone brown, the Black UT lettering too high for cleaning and the numbers rubbed over now and again visible sort of.

A great book and something that just would not happen in this way today. Recommended ! 

Robert  

Like the real thing adapted for traffic on offer and making running more profitable.  PW gang to congratulated in finding materials squirreled away in back of a few sheds and yards.  Signals foreman less pleased at non programmed budget less upgrades, hopefully Board of trade will not find out until it has weathered in and all the signalling records updated.

Brilliant little extension and add to operational/ play value. Quite brave to take a blade/ saw to the lovely scenery.

Robert  

Seconding all the comments - great work and buildings look brilliant.  I too look forward to updates.

Thanks for sharing.

Robert  

Snap George ! I have one as a 111 pending the urge to finish. I found fitting the bonnet side hand rails a real PITA yours much better in Video any chance of a still so I can learn a better better way - and then blatantly copy.

Thanks

Robert  

Leslie,

I hope the book will give good weathering help for the rake you kindly sold to me and obvs ensure IRM offer uber niche model in 2023. 

Robert  

Deed done ! 

Robert

Really good work - just need to add the broken glass bottles cemented to the wall tops  and some "Maggie out" sort of wall art..

Robert  

On 4/20/2018 at 7:48 PM, Noel said:

OK change of mind. I've decided I'm not happy to compromise on the kadee height on the Ballasts I converted earlier. Aside from the trip pins being too high for magnets to operate uncoupling, visually the coupler in the NEM pockets are almost the same height as the buffers which visually clutters these lovely models and doesn't look right. I have now followed IRMs advice and glued the kadee no 18 under the NEM pockets.  This is much closer to the correct Kadee height gauge.

IRM Ballasts after conversion to Kadee No 18s GLUED UNDER the NEM pockets - gap greatly reduced enhancing the look of a rake. Coupling now matches loco heights and other stock on the layout which will facilitate shunting and marshalling. It took a while but I saw the light. I did some running tests today and this coupling distance runs runs perfectly on the layout including on the few short radius Peco streamline points I have. Also tested ok on some spare 2nd radius curves.  Happy days.

Shows no 18s glued to underside of the NEM pockets. You will need to file off the thin IRM logo on one of the NEM pockets. Matches loco perfectly now so no risk of uncoupling at changes of gradients, or when coupled to other rolling stock.

Comparison between using the NEM pockets or IRMs recommended fix of gluing the kadee's to the underside of the NEM pocket.

 

This visually looks much better as the coupling is below buffer height.

I'll have to weather all the newly installed kadee's now!  

It really is worth the time to iteratively trail and error Kadee conversions especially extensive running tests on shortest radius curves on the layout, and with other rolling stock both being hauled and pushed. Will do the same fix with the IRM cement wagons and the ploughs in due course. I understand the Tara's have the NEM pocket at the correct height. 

PS: Kadee no 17s would only work on vary large radius track and only if also glued under the NEM pockets because they cannot plug into the NEM pocket without removing the lovely cosmetic coupling hook.

 

Hi Patrick , above is a qoute from Noel on his kaydee thread which should point in the right direction.

great pics of a domestic flow across your bit of Ireland.

Robert  

 Hurst etch primed  vehicle 547

10thou overlay on lima door end to match overlay holes drilled for grab and door handle- to be fitted later .

To help the 80 class project first build DTS in primer - been sort of on its way for 2 years just needed some filler sanding back.

547 in NIR maroon , the Hymek not moved for a while.

Robert