Galteemore

Decided to crack on tonight and see where we got. I was incredibly sceptical that a thin sheet of printed card could ever make a convincing wagon. The early stages of construction didn’t allay my fears much - due to my own errors ! Put too much glue on and all that kind of thing...some Proses magnetic squares helped remedy the situation by at least keeping it all square. Anyway, the roof went on last night and tonight I fitted the couplings (sprung 3 link) and did a bit of painting and varnishing to tone down the shiny card. Varnish still wet in the pics I noticed . Museum quality it ain’t but from Normal Viewing Distance (always a good qualifier) it’s passable. Given the paucity of Irish freight stock kits in 7mm, I can see myself making a few more....

It’ll be worth it - lots in the catalogue to tempt you and he is such a nice bloke who has done a great deal for us Irish enthusiasts. His trading modus operandi is fairly common in the scale - I have one supplier who trades in brass fittings and motors for 7mm. I place an order, he sends me stuff with an invoice and I pay him by cheque! All very old school and rather charming! It is probably worth pointing out that between them the DSER and LNWR would probably have delivered your letter faster than would happen today. I spent a great deal of time in archives in a past life examining various documents. Looking at the dates on letters, the speed at which correspondence could be exchanged was quite remarkable. And post arrived twice a day in some urban areas!

JB. I promise that my next steam loco will be in the best approximation to CIE grey I can muster!

I think we’re probably on the same page, JB! For me the issue is historical plausibility and consistency - having a convincing narrative you can measure the layout against. So basically - could scenario ‘x’ conceivably have happened and what might that have looked like? So a Black and Tan NG set up could well have happened had the West Clare lingered on a few years - and a consistent layout built on that theme could be effective. My planned layout envisages a might have been branch from Sligo to Rosses Point as it was c 1956-57. So I can’t run 141s or 071s -but I can pretend that ‘Argadeen’ was sent out west by CIE after Timoleague shut down!

Lovely stuff all round and he’s a really nice bloke. You’re right that the livery is not always strictly prototypical , although his GNR (I) stuff is spot on. In fairness his MGWR tank unlike mine is at least in emerald green! And if memory serves, Drew Donaldson had a penchant for painting locos in the livery he thought they should have worn....

Roger doesn’t have a website JB but does offer a catalogue in exchange for some stamps! Here’s a pic from his stand at a show.....prepare to drool

Thanks JB! Comes as a flat Card sheet. You cut out each piece and stick to 1mm mount board. Then fit those laminates together. This one also features cereal packets, coffee capsule boxes, and wooden stirrers in the mix!

Another Alphagraphix kit under way here: real old school modelling this one! Card and - if you want a running vehicle - white metal. What you basically do is cut out the card bits, laminate to thicker card, and glue it all up together. Add a few bits of whitemetal and you have a running wagon in theory. This is my first one - may try another few. It’s a CIE butter wagon with double roof, running on Walsall Model Engineering wheels pushed out to 36.75mm. It’s a bit rough around the edges (literally!) and I have now learnt a fair bit about how many knife blades such a kit will burn through (about 5). But it’s a cost effective way to acquire stock and fairiy quick. Just some final painting and finishing to do. I’m hoping some gentle weathering will smooth off the rough edges!

Thanks Paddy but anyone could make this with a bit of trial and error - brass is much more forgiving than plastic! There’s a fair few mistakes on this one but she’s managed to sit square and fit on the chassis which is the main thing!

Lurking here for a while so thought I’d better post! Here’s my first ever loco build - almost done. It’s a 7mm scale Alphagraphix etched kit of an MGWR tank as built in 1851 and rebuilt by Atock. My proposed line will be Co Sligo c1956 - I’ve imagined that this little loco escaped the fate of her real sister (scrapped c 1906) and lingered on in the remote west. I think that the similar loco on the Waterford:Tramore line would almost certainly have lasted till the 50s but for her fatal derailment in the 30s, so it’s not an impossible scenario! She’s finished in CIE black. Essentially built as per instructions but she has a few additional parts -sprung buffers and brass whistle/smokebox dart to replace the white metal ones supplied. Coupling hooks and vacuum pipes will be added once she’s finally bolted to the chassis. I do apologise for her appearance - I know she should be emerald green. It could have been worse - I was tempted to add a big yellow number. 804 perhaps?! Cognoscenti of this forum will probably guess at the gauge she’s running on..she was originally 32mm gauge but midway through building I started an email exchange with Mr Holman from Arigna and Belmullet - and that was that! He’s given a lot of helpful advice - and I even cribbed from his blog to build this short length of 5’3” track ! As you can see, Sligo shed rather fuss over her. And why not? That ‘Hazlewood’ that runs in from Enniskillen on the 7:20 mixed is only a youngster by comparison!

To misquote the late Tony Hancock -‘makes my Stanley knife seem quite provincial’....

Nice work! How do you cut the ply?!

Like it. Having spent my schooldays commuting to Belfast on the Larne line by 70, 80 and 450 class, this sounds great. DH shunters in the yard at York Road, Hunslets and C classes making appearances - takes me back! All the best with this.....

thanks - maybe I could stretch to a short bogie.....

Thanks for the paint post, JHB - most helpful! I’ll be modelling a outpost in the West c1956 and space constraints mean six wheel carriages are the norm. The guidelines you’ve set out will be of great use.

Love the guy rolling the beer barrel!

Thanks JHB - I’ll be doing a few coaches c1956 so had thought of doing both colours to vary the consists...

Hello - as a 7mm modeller I’ve used Halfords aerosol paints for a while for ease of use - LMS crimson comes up nicely from Rover Damask Red! Does anyone here have any tips re Irish colours please? To my mind, Ford Laurel Green looks like it may work but I’m open to advisement! Thanks David