Tullygrainey

Interesting idea David. I suspect the challenge would be making the shaft connection between loco and tender flexible enough to allow the combination to track properly. With my current project, the BCDR 2-4-0, I've placed the DCC chip in the tender so as to allow more room for weight in the loco. This requires 4 wires between loco and tender (2 x pickups, 2 x motor). In my first attempt, the wires were too stiff and interfered with the tracking of the tender - front wheels were clear of the rails on occasion. Finer wire solved the problem. The old method employed by Hornby - motor in the tender driving the tender wheels with a passive loco simply along for the ride - might be easier to do. Having said that though, in my experience, putting hornblocks on the front carriers and the front drivers and a compensation beam between them - effectively treating the 2-4-0 as an 0-6-0 - seems to address any issues of balance pretty effectively. A bit harder to do with a 4-4-0 where a bogie is involved but not impossible.

Another of the occasional visitors that turn up at Loughan Quay from time to time, this is UTA, ex-NCC, U2 4-4-0 No. 80 "Dunseverick Castle" rebuilt at some point in its career by CME Colm Flanagan. Last seen at Knockloughrim on the Derry Central line during a recent cold spell, it's not clear how it got here but we gave the crew a cup of tea, oiled the axle boxes while they were drinking it and sent them on their way. IMG_1732.MOV

Aye! Ye can't trust them oul synthetic fabrics. That acrylic stuff isn't a patch on a good wool worsted. Yer man was sold a pup when he bought thon suit. I suppose they told him it was linen.

Well spotted! You'd think a man in his position could afford a new suit. Sure that oul thing is out at the knees. And the elbows.

Storm Éowyn kept me and most others indoors on Friday so I got on with lining out Number 6. It helped to distract me from the noise of the roof tiles doing Mexican waves. It seems that with a little perseverance and the judicious application of Decalfix, straight lines can be made to bend quite well. So, dodging the bow pen so far... Alan

A masterpiece Patrick. You've excelled yourself with this one!

A perfect parallel universe. Love it!

You're right. There isn't room for hornblocks on the rear axle. As I understand it, the QuadDrivers are designed to provide 3-point compensation - one axle running in fixed bearings and the articulated arm permitting the other axle to rock on a central longitudinal beam. QuadDrivers come as part of the package in Judith Edge kits for Ruston 4wheel shunters and also some RT Models kits and that's how they're deployed in these. That photo of mine shows the arrangement for the Ruston. I'm not a great fan of rigid chassis but that's just me! Alan

Measured at the point where the articulated arm overlaps the main body, the QuadDriver is around 11.5mm wide. The axle bearings add a bit more but these can be filed flush on the outside if necessary.

If you'd be prepared to drive only 2 of the 3 axles, I'd recommend considering High Level's range of QuadDriver kits which come in a variety wheelbases, one of which might be right for your project. You'll find them in the Bogies section on the High Level site. https://www.highlevelkits.co.uk/bogies The one described as "Planet Power Unit" is similar and works in the same way. They all enable 4-wheel drive as well as some compensation. They need to be built into a chassis but that can simply be a pair of basic frames. I used the Planet version to build a model of the Belfast & County Down's 6 wheel uncoupled diesel electric No.2 a while back. It drives on the front and centre axles and runs well. As it happens, the prototype drove on only two axles too. IMG_6189.m4v If it's useful, you'll find an account of the build here: I like the sound of your project. Good luck with it. Alan

The 'Lists' option on the Mousa Models website allows you to see other items not listed in the main sections but mostly available to order. One of the 'hidden' categories is Irish coach etches specifically NCC, GNR(I) and BCDR. You need to be registered with the site to see these lists. I was able last year to order kits for BCDR 6 comp 3rds by emailing my order to Mousa.

Excellent! Another recruit to the burnt fingers club. Looking good JB

Welcome to the forum Ben and best of luck with your layout plans. That's a big, broad question so it's hard to know where to start with an answer. If you're an experienced railway modeller trying out a new scale, then you already know most of what's laid out below but if you're just starting out in the hobby, then I hope some of the following will be useful. Please read on... There's a wealth of advice and examples of good practice buried in this forum so I would suggest as a first step that you spend some time exploring what's here. If you follow some of the threads in the 'Irish Model Layouts' section for example, you'll get an idea of how others have tackled what you're embarking on. It will undoubtedly confirm some of what you already know about the job but also point to other things you might not have thought of. That will help you refine the sorts of questions you need to ask to help you with your build. And do ask questions. It's been my experience that the folk who hang out here are friendly, knowledgeable and very willing to share that knowledge freely. Whatever the question, someone here knows the answer. A bit of planning before jumping into laying track will stand you in good stead. Think about what region, era and type of layout you want ( for example, Irish? British? Continental? Passenger? Goods? Industrial?) and how you want it to operate (Round'n'round? Terminal station to fiddle yard? Shunting yard? etc). Spend a bit of time drawing track plans. Drawing these full size (in your case N gauge) on wallpaper lining paper will give you a good idea of what works and what doesn't. The Peco website has downloadable templates for their various bits of track which can be printed out and used for this purpose. https://peco-uk.com/collections/track-plan-sheets/n-9mm As a general rule, we all start out thinking big but often find as we go along that what we aspire to is out of reach for one reason or another. The spare room isn't big enough. The time it would take is longer than we've got. The piggy bank isn't big enough either. Whatever. By all means think big but be prepared to slim down your aspirations as you progress - and don't regard that as a failure. It's part of the learning process on the way to getting the layout built. There are lots more specifics that you'll encounter as you get further down the road with this but whatever you do, take your time and enjoy each stage. Again, best of luck, Alan

Thanks David. Yes, it is a watershed moment. This is the stuff I use. Halfords stock it. Strips paint very effectively but will also dissolve some plastics! I clean the airbrush with it too.

It's that time again... Paint! There were a few hiccups and in keeping with tradition, the cellulose thinners was deployed at least once thanks to some ham-fisted work with the airbrush. However, I'm confident that before the decade is out, I will have figured out how to work it. Here's No.6 before the paint flew, scrubbed up and with most of its fussy bits loosely attached. Then a rattlecan coat of Halfords etch primer. Next, an undercoat of Tamiya acrylic black applied with the airbrush. I didn't use the rivet press for the smokebox so these rivets are Railtec 3D resin transfers. Topcoats of Tamiya acrylic dark green XF70. Airbrush again. I don't bother wearing a mask when airbrushing because mostly I stop breathing. The lining will be a challenge on this one because there are curves that won't be possible using transfers. Can ordinary mortals master a bow pen? How long does it take? Drop me a line, Alan

The sort of job that would try the patience of a saint David but worth the effort if you can make it work. Frequent tea breaks will preserve your sanity. The Donegal formation looks the business. Such an appealing livery.

Nice one! More power to your soldering iron! Great job with the weathering.

Lovely stuff David. Betjeman seems impressed too. Looking forward to seeing both progress.

A masterpiece Patrick. You've nailed the snowy atmosphere perfectly. You've even managed to achieve that hard winter light in the photographs.

Can only echo and endorse all the above Leslie. Thank you. Alan

Every one a gem! Such a pleasure to see this develop.

A great start. Beautiful building. You don't pick the easy ones Kevin!

One element that might make the idea attractive is ready-made EM gauge track available through the EM Gauge Society and manufactured for them by Peco.

Thanks David and you’re right. It needed a fair bit of thinking through to avoid having inaccessible joints that needed soldered. As it was, I’d intended to bolt the bodywork to the frames bur realised too late that I’d missed the opportunity to put in captive nuts. They ended up soldered together.

You're making me blush Patrick. Thank you. This one's been quite a challenge but the crises along the way haven't been too severe (he said with hindsight). Mind you, it was threatened with the big hammer last night when the pivot wire for the compensation beam came adrift and the loco developed a limp. Another example of that fitter in charge of the soldering iron doing substandard work. He's been warned before. This was the first loco I've built where the wheels went on for the first time and didn't have to come off again. Until last night. The front drivers had to come off in order to get at the beam and re-solder it. So, an aspiration still to be achieved. When refitting them using a GW Models quartering jig, the magnet in the motor kept attracting the wheels and making them jump out of the jig. I seemed not to have enough hands for the job. Hence the stirring of the big hammer. Got there eventually and thankfully, it still ran ok after all the messing about. On this loco, more than any of the others I've done, it's very apparent how out of scale OO 16.5mm gauge is. It may be because No.6's splashers are so prominent. The driving wheels are quite clearly a long way inside them. It would be good to model in 21mm gauge but I'm not sure I'm up for making track. A long finger project, that one. Alan