Galteemore

Big question of course Alan is - what’s next ? New loco for Kilmore ?

Sounds like a particularly incompetent murderer talking to defence brief !

Wouldn’t start with a tender loco like a J18 or G2. The J26 is better. Best option of all is probably to start with a Jim McGeown - Connoisseur Models - beginner’s 0-4-0T which will teach you all you need to know. The loco can be made to look subtly Irish! As a bare minimum I’d go on Jim’s site and read the instructions for his beginner loco. That will show you what’s involved..see this pdf 0 Gauge Starter Loco pdf print off.pdf

Fab. Think I have seen this in the wild! Ideal prototype for an Irish version too….

This pic just appeared on Fn which may help your plans

Wow. The 500 is striking but that S class takes the biscuit. Simply stunning

First building made for a new project. GNRI signal box painted in Irish North colours. Huge shout out to @Patrick Davey for advice. Basic design is from Alphagraphix kit, scratchbuilt in plastic card with some special laser cut wooden parts. PP trying it out for size. Lots of annoying errors but falls short of dashing against the wall level. Should pass the 2’ rule….

No worries. @Irishswissernie can probably point you to more of his sources

Ernie’s Railway Archive on Flickr. I can do you 74 at Enniskillen in 7mm scale !

Fabulous. You can see why enthusiasts loved them. Real elegance as it rolls

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.