Galteemore

It really makes me so cross when this info is so freely available. This latest book from Damien Lewis annoyed me considerably ..given that the raid in question was in 1940s continental Europe, why is a 1950s UK steam loco involved ?

Almost as if the two Courtaulds loco have taken a spin down from Carrick!

The only part of the PP body kit I bought that was in any way near done was the basic tender body, so this bit was actually done for me. Here’s my finished tender pre-painting, if that helps, Alan. The tender is not level - that’s deliberate as it makes the loco carry the weight for adhesion purposes.

Great. Sometimes that’s all you can do - and it’s enough. It was eaves brackets for me tonight

Excellent. It’s a real feature of the loco and sets it off nicely !

Fab work Alan. Is there also a vertical handrail to fit the cab cutouts ?

Excellent. There was a very similar stretch between Eden and Downshire, 4 miles along from Whitehead. Crossing the line here to get to the sea could be rather exciting - what you did NOT want to happen was being trapped between the rails and the sea wall when a train was coming….clearance wasn’t generous!

Yes I was a willing volunteer myself in my late teens early twenties, when my personal costs were manageable. I had hoped to return to it in my late 50s but it now looks as if I will have to spend that time earning a living. Preservation will always have a supply of eager young volunteers - what will be more difficult to get in future are the middle aged and elderly.

Key seems to be - as with many things - planning as much as resource. Really looking forward to seeing the Patriot turn a wheel. I do think on balance though that we will probably see some pruning of the heritage network in coming years. This generation growing up is the first in a long time to be actually less well off than their parents, which will probably result in longer working lives and less spare time - the opposite of what 1950s sci-fi told us !

I think Mullingar and Sligo also still have tables in place although long disconnected. Portrush still has one too I think - deeply covered in foliage now and invisible from google earth

Rosslare I think. Was talk of Tralee being recommissioned. In NI, tables at Whitehead and Coleraine. The latter was refurbished in 2016. It’s had quite a history, being used at Ballymena and Great Victoria St before being salvaged and installed in a brand new pit at Coleraine in 1986, for RPSI use.

Excellent. And is so encouraging to see food retailers taking an interest

Fab work Harry. And a large cab for Bob to dry off in if required. On one infamous occasion a CIE crew picked him up soaked to the skin. He proceeded to strip to the skin and dried himself off at the firebox as the loco bowled along through the midlands……

Marklin are a separate system working off 3-rail, so their products are generally incompatible with other marques. Historically, German manufactured model trains were significantly better than their UK counterparts- and correspondingly expensive! As a one time collector I always felt Fleischmann and Trix were a little bit above Roco and Liliput in quality, but that’s probably changed !

It’s not so far fetched to say that it may indeed originally have been red. This was the default colour in Ireland, not because it warded off evil spirits, but because (owing to its oxide base) it was relatively cheap.