Galteemore

I’ve used LSWR\SR ones before

No I meant BR’s adoption of Pacers! The 1950s BR railbuses were a sensible solution to an Irish style problem. The 1980s ones weren’t

Irish railways had basically abandoned railbuses by the 50s as outdated technology, preferring more advanced designs such as the Walker railcars. BRs adoption of the concept seemed a rather retrograde step.

As one who recalls both in service , the AECs were a good design allowed to fall into decrepitude. The Pacers were a bad design allowed to go into production!

That’s delightful. Excellent work - it’s not an easy style to model

Twinned with Weissfelsen, clearly …

The 5 LEVs, of which RB1 was one, played a part in the genesis of the Pacers. One of the LEVs is apparently still in Ireland, part of the abortive UK gauge line near Dundalk

So sorry to hear this. Can’t begin to imagine how hard that must be for you.

That’s terrific - well done !

Little accents like the whistle really set it off. Lovely engine

That’s really nice work and neatly done. Wish my 7mm version looked as good !

That’s coming on very nicely indeed

Me too !

Excellent work Paul. From bitter experience, soldering a riveted smokebox is extra hassle as cleaning off solder can have a deleterious effect on the rivets. But your soldering is prob cleaner than mine!

That’s a fabulous pic. Wonder if he got any SLNC that day ….

I love seeing old kits brought back to life. Looking great.

Yours definitely looks the part David and is poster boy for Alphagraphix box art! The engines changed so much over their lives that yours actually did look exactly like that in real life at some point!

Some progress. Interrupted the recommended route of construction to focus on the chassis to make sure it fits before progressing any further - esp to 5’3 clearances. Thankfully it all seems to roll ok. Am building 558 which had numerous changes to the norm - including no handrails on tank sides, or staff holders. This meant 6 holes to be filled in on tank sides alone….and you can just see on back of bunker where marking out is going on for the rear steps that 558 had, but few others.

Excellent. Worth having a go at making a single cab end out of plasticard just to see how you get on. Those card kits make excellent working drawings

Sometimes the alterations were dramatic. Here’s a Jinty ex works at Darlington in 1965 ready to serve out its last years as a heating boiler in Manchester

Variety of things - heating, washing, machinery supply. 130 was on railtour duty in June 64 so this is mid to late 60s. The GNR loco 131 was stabled in front of her on similar duties but more intact !

One of the most glaring gaps in Irish preservation is the absence of a ‘southern’ 4-4-0. This would have done nicely !

Excellent Alan. If it’s any consolation I’m facing similar struggles right now with the cab handrails on mine!!!

Also worth remembering that such organisations as CIE were a little less monolithic in those days. There was still a little scope for employee deviancy…..this was certainly how BCDR 30 survived. The price of copper had soared and the UTA accountants wanted to scrap it. Harold Houston at York Road arranged for 230 as it then was to be hidden at Cookstown Junction shed until the copper market stabilised !

It’s plausible that scrapping was considered. 800 was in the process of being dismantled when it was decided to save her - several parts had been removed and had to be reinstated. This document is probably dated c1960 as GNR 150 is listed - this was a very early casualty of the CIE takeover of GN stock.