Galteemore

@Mayner’s comments are most interesting. One of the UK’s most respected 7mm brass kit manufacturers makes impeccable kits of locos, with great emphasis on prototypical fidelity. However he only offers a generic range of 6 wheel coaches, arguing that when correctly painted up one such coach looks much like another ! This is a basic technique in military camouflage - the mind sees what it is led to see. If the loco is thoroughly faithful to the prototype, many modellers will happily run vaguely suitable items behind it - the mind can live with that illusion.

Bachmann J11 has the right wheelbase. 5’2 wheels rather than 4’9 but hey if you’re on 16.5mm gauge already …..https://www.hattons.co.uk/52542/bachmann_branchline_31_318_class_j11_robinson_gcr_9j_5317_in_lner_black/stockdetail

That looks incredible George. The smoke is the icing on the cake. That sounds odd but hopefully you know what I mean !

Honour compels me to mention the ex SLNC Z class tanks, 26 and 27, both of which passed to NIR stock - the only non-WT operational steam locos on NIR books - the GNR locos (UGs 48 and 49) stored at Grosvenor Road may have technically been in NIR stock, but they never ran as such AFAIK. The two ‘Loughs’ were, incidentally, the last named locos to run on an Irish railway under company ownership and operation. This photo of ‘Lough Erne’, linked from Flickr, was taken under NIR ownership in 1969. 27 lasted almost till the very end of steam on NIR.

An overhead lighting rig, with a wash of light over the backscene, would also mitigate this.

Terrific work. You should be well pleased with what you’ve achieved so far!

Looking good. Almost looks like the quays near Bachelors Walk!

I do hope the chip also features the Get Carter theme music as an option- possibly the Deltics’ moment of glory on the big screen. Still a cracking piece of cinematography- soak up what train travel used to be …with a wonderful musical accompaniment…..https://youtu.be/jhisIT_CuQ8

marcwaysales@outlook.com Most recent one I have!

Write, phone or email. That’s how I’ve had to do it in the past. Can see them occasionally at shows - or doorstep them in Sheffield if you can !

Looks NCC?

You should be ashamed of yourself- keeping this hidden away for so long! Terrific work - most inspiring.

Excellent. Nothing defines the era better.

On the big island we have had this happen for things like GW 150 - quite nice http://www.class47.co.uk/c47_zoom_v3.php?img=0999002141000

Also a bar with a young JHB inside, glass in hand, holding forth….

Hope you’re putting a sound chip in that ! Nothing like a bit of wokka blade slap

How Des Coakham would have loved this! Top image is a wonderful display of stock. Middle image has also nicely captured the docks background with a group of workers heading across the bridge. A vanished world now.

Can always imagine him writing a Fry- inspired verse for his famous poem… When the brass is cut Yet the loco you’ve made Looks nothing like the plan, There’s still a way to redeem the work - a pint of plain is your only man.

Like many an Irishman, I have only discovered the depth of my culture when exiled from it. I have recently taken to reading O’Brien, and discovered that he published a notable series of railway related articles as part of his humourous column. The articles are fascinating as they reveal a real knowledge - or at least acquaintance with - railway terminology, such as cutoff workings and Walschaerts. Quite what Irish Times readers made of it is not clear. Anyone else come across it? He even describes the DSER as ‘the most ruffianly railroad concern ever to exist in any country’ ….sorry @KMCE!

Sad to see it go but I can empathise. Kato track is great - avoids many of the problems with other set track types.

Belated Happy Birthday David ! I came across this loco years ago and thought it was a genius idea. A relatively modern loco with a much more classical appearance than the chunky Austerity look so typical of UK preservation in the 80s when a saddle tank with a Mk1 was pretty standard fare.

Yes. Headcodes went about 5 years after TOPs came in. BR was fairly simple in terms of its livery range during the Deltics’ lifespan - green then blue; the ‘regional’ and ‘sector’ liveries such as NSE came later. AFAIK TOPs came c1971, five years after BR Blue came in, so you can find blue locos with preTOPs numbers. The only big livery variant among the class as a whole, I think, was that locos allocated to Finsbury Park after 1979 had white cabs. There are doubtless subtle variations I have missed - and such fittings as train heating will indicate if a loco is modelled as being preserved and in a retro livery, rather than being presented as in built condition. When I travelled the ECML from 89-93, you could still see the old Deltic depot at FP, abandoned and growing full of weeds.

Thanks @Broithe- the refurb prog started in 2008 but probably took time, as you say, to work through - think they went over to Caterpillar plant instead throughout the fleet. With all the lagging, and sound baffles that a ships decks and bulkheads imposes, I suppose the marine diesel noise is often much less clear than on a loco. I think that the new models will sound fab being put through their paces on some of the great ECML layouts out there.

The power unit was so effective (it was a marine diesel) that the Royal Navy was still using it in front line service until 2008. I saw one being started up in 1989 on an RN minesweeper. Not sure how the rail version was started but the marine version used shotgun type cartridges to initiate the combustion sequence. The Northern Ireland patrol ship (usually a Ton class) was Napier powered, so Deltic engines could be heard around the Irish coast from Lough Foyle to Carlingford. The locos were classic engines, worthy successors on the ECML to the A3s and A4s - great to see Accurascale producing such a fine model.

They are also one of the key names in high end 7mm scale -models - along with L H Loveless, Lee Marsh etc.