Galteemore

We had all kinds of ancient model railway stuff pass through our house to be tested and sorted for RPSI sales. I still recall as a very small child the ancient Hornby O gauge we had for a few days. That was great fun - even with broken springs in the locos. A little older and Hornby Dublo taught me lots about track geometry and wiring - and the noise on a hard floor was brilliant. The key thing was that all of it fired my imagination about trains going places and carrying things - sprawling track layouts took over the house whenever possible.

Loads of options then. What I wouldn’t do is give him a Hornby 12v standard train set - you know the sort of thing with a tank engine and a few wagons. It’s just too awkward for that age to work with. Something like Brio or LGB would be my best bet. Brio has loads of play value and LGB is big and chunky.

Age is critical here - how old is he? LGB is a good option with loads of play value and can go outside. Pricey perhaps but can be found secondhand. Brio wooden trains or their clones are good. What you want is something that won’t frustrate the life out of them - and you- with track breaking apart, wires coming off etc….Hornby also do - or did - a starter set for kids. https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9538339?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=pimiwrwwm&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:629-618-1342|cid:9563523558|agid:102231007190|tid:pla-1434681511410|crid:423314718365|nw:g|rnd:8711109848080919416|dvc:m|adp:|mt:|loc:9046059&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9563523558&utm_term=9538339&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=102231007190&utm_custom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq7COBhC2ARIsANsPATHl1CtTfTdAL2fC0ENbhVmEPPyJH_QeYbdg_dWaGNmzG1UTJ1Fq0z0aAvz9EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

A similar situation obtained in the North. When the 70 class began to expire, the 450 class emerged, using the 70 class power units (and one from a written off 80 class) matched to old BR under frames and a pastiche of a Mk3 body shell. It was the sort of product that would have delighted a manager like Henry Forbes. Passengers were less enthralled

Hope all goes well Ernie

Irish modellers demand really high standards to maintain prototypical accuracy. I mean, it’s not like anyone would run them on track that scales out about 4’ gauge… I think we can forgive the manufacturers the odd stray marker lamp….

Lovely - and the track looks great

080 looks fab. Just as I remember them

My guess is Stillorgan

It’s Dundalk, looking north.

I did my service as a Reservist as a way of supplementing my student grant. The best way to maximise income was by going to sea for a few weeks which meant being paid but no way to immediately spend it - not many shops in the North Sea. I was incredibly incompetent and naive, and got into all kinds of scrapes. On one occasion I was given a go at steering the ship and had to be removed by the Officer of the Watch as I was endangering the vessel - it was zigzagging all over the shop close to another ship. I was rather amused to discover that this very same officer wrote a novel a year or two later about an Irishman who joins the Royal Navy as an IRA sleeper agent and steers a ship full of explosives into a harbour. Can’t imagine what inspired him… This is the book…https://www.bookdepository.com/Basketful-Sleepers-Ras-Sewell/9781858211459

Thanks for all your efforts this year Ernie - this is one of the best threads on here. Have a really great Christmas.

You do realise what country this is Angus….don’t torture yourself looking for logic….

Yes - these were unarmed test mines, laid by friendly forces the week before. So when the mines appeared they were recovered for reuse. The SOP for real ops though was shooting at them with an SLR - 7.62 rounds can really have an impact. Modern 5.56 ammunition has a very different ballistic profile!

It was slow and painstaking - thirty years ago I was doing it as part of NATO’s 10 Mines Countermeasure Squadron. Got very exciting when the sweep wires got close to crossing each other. But amazing to see when you cut a mine wire and saw the little black ball bobbing in the water…,

Happy Christmas David. Train looks right at home!

Loads to enjoy here. Note the PW crew stage right at Killorglin

Nice intelligently done interpretive panel - no improbably wheeled Flying Scotsman pastiche !

Always best option, Tony. Means you can customise width and put in bays etc to your spec. Can use a card or foam board lattice or strip wood to make frame then top with card and face platform with brick/stone card or plastic veneer etc as you choose

They look class. Especially the SSM/JMD ones.

Lovely ones of Manorhamilton including the cattle dock, not often in shot. Notice the motorbike under a tarp. An animated scene outside the shed. Not sure if it’s a leaking gland or they are doing some outdoor blacksmithing!

Thanks Eoin. Just ordered one….

Various schools of thought JB. A backscene is not actually meant to draw the eye - as its name implies, it’s only there to set the scene, so is not meant to be too detailed, otherwise you look at it before the model! As Phil says above, a suggestion of sky might even be enough. What you are actually trying to do is make the brain ignore the surroundings of the layout - ie the room, walls etc, and focus on the model. Barry Norman has a simple technique in his book involving graduated bands of blues greens and browns which worked for me….

When I say, Crewe, Andy, I strictly draw the cut off line at 1923 - it’s all dead to me after that !

Do see what you mean Northroader - and you do have a track record of actually scratchbuilding fine locos so you’re not the average carping naysayer! I think the camera angle indeed has much to do with it. This view shows a slope but it doesn’t look ‘right’…looks like the hump on a Sopwith Camel…….just proves the inadequacy of Swindon design…..;) Crewe wins over Swindon every time!