Galteemore

Fabulous. For some odd reason I’m getting echoes of Leiston Works Rlwy….

After attending Mass of course

And unless you are modelling something like a main line running into a big city, you won’t be running many trains! As has been observed elsewhere, on such layouts, movements tend to be sparser and more drawn out than the paying public might like. Imagine a layout based on a typical Irish branch with about 6 train moves a day if you are lucky !

That’s most interesting. I saw Drew Donaldson’s layout about 50 years ago, which was operated to a timetable. Part of the ‘evolution’ of model railways towards more scenery and detail has been a dropping off in prototypical operation. Many show layouts simply run trains - nothing wrong with that - but an older generation (Peter Denny, Norman Eagles etc) emphasised operating. I find it quite an attractive idea - the issue may be finding your staff! You can of course have one station and still run a prototypical operation with proper signalling, bells etc. Some day I’d love a layout with proper bell codes etc going on… there’s a few books around about how to do this, but as a start, get yourself one of Denny’s books on Buckingham

As a 7mm scratchbuilder, you’re often like one of those old American wilderness farmers who visits town once a year to stock up on nails and rope. I my case it’s an O gauge trade show - basically like an old fashioned market with small traders selling their wares: stuff you’ll struggle to find in shops nowadays. Next one for me is December - thankfully it will only be half an hour away. What happens when these traders stop selling (as some have of late , most recently Laurie Griffin, which is a huge blow), who knows?!

Sadly he’s dropped off too….would have been handy for where we’ll be

Indeed it was. Yes, London used to have loads. Jane’s Trains Tooting is the closest in now I think.

Nope. Used to be a few around but has always been niche. Mind you things in GB aren’t always much better. I live close to Swindon - home of the GWR - which has nothing. About to move to west London - again, nothing. On the other hand, we once lived in middle of Buckinghamshire and the tiny village within walking distance had a terrific shop!

Looks like plunger pick ups too ….do those have enough spring in them to cover P4 width?

Well done - I wouldn't be brave enough to use superglue !!

Very neat soldering !

Wow what a story Darius. So glad it made a difference

Thanks for that. Very informative!

Terrific. Always liked those locos

Main effort of late has been finishing off some printed cattle wagons. These arrived in fairly good shape, 36.75mm wheels already fitted, with just painting, fitting of bars (0.7mm wire was what I figured would work) and putting the doors on. As supplied the planks had a distinct curve across the length of each, so I cut new planks from 10thou plastic and superglued these on top. Make a very nice rake. Ther is the odd irregularity, but one tends to look at a whole train in the case of wagons like this, so it all blends in. Cattle trucks, like signal cabins, are tricky to make, and this has saved a lot of work. Just need to fit couplings (thinking of using S and W). The 7:20 has a few empties tonight !

Looks fabulous Patrick - well done!

Very nice Patrick. The buffer housings should really be black to replicate GNRI practice

Lovely Patrick. Narrow Planet/Light Railway Stores can do BP worksplates, although in 4mm a dot of red paint or fine liner might work just as well

Ballymena had 2, including an unusual one with double arms ; one SG and one NG.

More common in NI perhaps

About 68 years before the second!

Ironically it’s the Anglos and the English who have actually invested significantly in Irish preservation - the Guinnesses at Straffan, the Cosbys granting access at Stradbally, Lord O’Neill at Shane’s Castle, David Laing at Giants Causeway - and it was English enthusiasts who kept money rolling into the 70s-80s RPSI tours. A few more eccentric peers might actually have been a good thing for Ireland’s preservation scene ….

It’s probably no coincidence that railway preservation in GB coincided with unparalleled levels of prosperity - Macmillan and ‘let’s face it, most of our people have never had it so good’ etc etc. That epoch is now gone. In the USA, for instance, the amount of disposable income spent on essential services has now jumped from 27% to 37% (slightly puzzled on relationship between ‘disposable’ and ‘essential’ but I get the point). The generations growing up now in all likelihood will not have the time or money for this kind of stuff in the way that the postwar generation did. I suspect the UK preservation movement is going to hit a demographic and financial cliff edge. Fact is - and it is fact - most preservation volunteers here are 50 plus males. I am now the age at which my dad retired - I can’t even begin to think of that, and fully expect to be working up to 70. Wealth disparity in the developed world is growing - more money concentrated in fewer hands - and the cohort of people with time and money for things like steam railways is shrinking . And that’s in a country which actually loves the things.

Also worth adding that running trains, however full, on a preserved line often doesn’t cover costs. What makes it sustainable are all the incidentals such as cafes, shops and family events. RPSI steam is largely funded by Dublin families taking their kids to see Santa, and buying lots of assorted nick-nacks. Similar story in GB.