Galteemore

Thanks for this Alan. Great to see this progressing, and looking good. Made one of these blocks up myself for a nascent project. I found a little Emery paper polishing did indeed work wonders. So I’m not dreading making up a few more.

Yes it’s an LQG. Originally 78 ‘Pettigo’ built 1908, re numbered 1937, withdrawn in 1959. The D refers to the power class, not the loco class. The power class rating allowed planners to allocate locos for particular tasks, D being heavy goods. Most famous D class on GN was the SG3. First wagon looks a standard GN open. Others are ballast I think.

Yes, Stranraer Town station still existed till quite recently as a PW yard - only lifted 2015-17. Real shame about the Harbour and lack of connections. I used to really value the Newcastle to Stranraer train that meant I could get home from Edinburgh without lugging cases across Glasgow

Looks like a class 415. Could be a Bognor, Portsmouth or Ramsgate train with a code of 42.https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_415

The same could be said of many government officials on both islands, as we all know to our cost.

Ballyconnell Road - built to proper 5’3 too.http://andrewsrailways.com/3mm-layouts/balleyconnell-road/

Should make some very nice layouts with proper length trains - not always easy in 4mm in modern houses with smaller space.

It’s ok - the breakdown crew came out with the steam crane and sorted it….

Sorry to hear that John. As a 7mm modeller I am obviously not one of your customers but hugely admire the time, efforts and skills you have devoted to raising the bar in this area.

What do the buildings look like Chris ? One way to do it is scaling up a basic plan using common dimensions such as doors or by counting bricks.

Just heard that Iain Rice has just passed away. What a great and helpful modeller he was, with some keen interest in Irish affairs. Prayers for his loved ones at this time. Thankfully we can still enjoy the benefit of his books in years to come - a fitting memorial.

Looks good to me. One of my favourite railways. Look forward to seeing this model develop.

That’s quite the diversion - talk about the long way round….

Excellent! Think it may even have downed something too- even if only by disorienting the Luftwaffe pilots into flying too low!

Yes, that makes sense. Did some more digging. Geest at Lingfield had 30 van trains from Avon docks. Some in action here at another warehouse https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-geest-bananas-1963-online

Can’t see why not, in the way that coal trains often contained a mix of PO wagons. Goods trains on the real railway were often much more varied than the ‘block’ trains we modellers tend to run!

This lovely photo has been posted several times online including here: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.heritagerailway.co.uk/2079/irish-revivalists-mourn-joint-founder/%3famp=1 shows a young Bill Gillespie sitting beside the loco - presumably just before he jumped into the cab!

I’m getting flashbacks to Seamus Heaney now: Death of a Naturalist BY SEAMUS HEANEY All year the flax-dam festered in the heart Of the townland; green and heavy headed Flax had rotted there, weighted down by huge sods. Daily it sweltered in the punishing sun. Bubbles gargled delicately, bluebottles Wove a strong gauze of sound around the smell. There were dragonflies, spotted butterflies, But best of all was the warm thick slobber Of frogspawn that grew like clotted water In the shade of the banks. Here, every spring I would fill jampotfuls of the jellied Specks to range on window sills at home, On shelves at school, and wait and watch until The fattening dots burst, into nimble Swimming tadpoles. Miss Walls would tell us how The daddy frog was called a bullfrog And how he croaked and how the mammy frog Laid hundreds of little eggs and this was Frogspawn. You could tell the weather by frogs too For they were yellow in the sun and brown In rain. Then one hot day when fields were rank With cowdung in the grass the angry frogs Invaded the flax-dam; I ducked through hedges To a coarse croaking that I had not heard Before. The air was thick with a bass chorus. Right down the dam gross bellied frogs were cocked On sods; their loose necks pulsed like sails. Some hopped: The slap and plop were obscene threats. Some sat Poised like mud grenades, their blunt heads farting. I sickened, turned, and ran. The great slime kings Were gathered there for vengeance and I knew That if I dipped my hand the spawn would clutch it.

Interesting to see two types of NCC tank together in that photo - pity the Jeep wasn’t a bit closer !

It should. Having built 3 Alphagraphix loco to 5’3”, though, great care has to be taken in the construction process to ensure clearances, esp on a loco as tiny as Argadeen. If the original builder hasn’t pushed the splasher width to the max, could be a tricky proposition.

It’s also probably built to 32mm gauge for a UK light railway layout, so console yourself with that too! The vendor is also very honest about its poor running. If that’s simply pickups, no problem. If it’s a misaligned chassis or out of sync rods then probably one to avoid…..

The van doesn’t look a million miles off this. If so, Alphagraphix do a kit….

Given that 9 are still in existence on the big island, never say never - it’s still feasible to rerun the conversion! Fairly useful little loco for preservation - and allegedly capable of 60mph. Although I think that the Irish preservation movement has quite enough on its hands already !

I like it too. As you say, something different. Must look nice with those rods doing their stuff.

I think the lack of a smokebox numberplate and shedplate just makes it stand out that bit more than on the GB examples.