Barl

Looks great Kirley The curve on the station actually makes it look even better for some reason

Sounds like a great event and the Stillorgan Park Hotel is very handy to get to, best of luck with it! Just in case you didn't know the Flightfest for the Gathering is on in the city centre on the same day so bus routes (145, 46A etc?) and other modes of transport may be restricted, but I haven't heard anything yet.

Apologies for being slightly off topic but its a coincidence that the Ford Anglia 100E was brought up here. I saw one of these the other day when I was travelling down a country lane in Monaghan but I couldn't figure out what it was and the 'Anglia' badge on the front threw me in particular! I was trying to describe it to my Dad and he said it sounded like a Popular so he was nearly right, just a 2 door version Thanks for solving the mystery for me

It was apparently an NTSB intern playing a prank so the email to the news station would have been an official NTSB one, but still you'd think someone would have copped it! Have they never watched the Simpsons:confused: If its true I'd say his superiors aren't too pleased with him!

Looks fantastic Anthony, top notch as usual

I think the tank wagons are old Triang models; they were my Dad's when he was younger and, once re-wheeled, they were a good weight to add Gaugemaster track cleaning pads to. One of them has a spring attached to push the pad onto the track and the other has a small piece of lead added to it! I gave the Dapol cleaner a quick coat of yellow and plan to add IE logos at some stage! The factory fitted switch was acting up so I removed it and hardwired a decoder in place and decided to add a white LED at one end just for fun and to use the extra function

I haven't made much more visible progress but I dotted a few figures around the layout and took a few photos today. My version of the weed spraying train, the track cleaning train It is apparent from the pictures that there are still several areas that need to be finished off and I need to get a backscene at some stage!

It looks great and I like the background story

I'll try get a few more photos over the next few days. I hope to make a bit more progress on the layout over the next few months too, so i'll take pictures as I go along The viaduct is the Metcalfe one but it has been shortened to suit. The road over-bridge is scratchbuilt from card and packing plastic covered in Wills stone sheeting. The arches were made by cutting out a semi-circle of thick plasticard, then scribing the outlines of the stones where I wanted them. They were then further outlined using the edge of a rectangular needle file and sand paper.The capping pieces were done in a similar way. It sounds like a lot of work but I couldn't find anything on the market to suit so I didn't really have a choice but to build one!

Thanks for the comments lads, they are very much appreciated I'll try and answer the questions asked below: 1) The layout is still very much a work in progress! I'm in the middle of doing a civil engineering masters so time is unfortunately very scarce, as many on this site can relate to, and so I haven't really made much progress since I posted up photo's before which can be found here http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/1043-Barls-Layout 2) The grass is simple Noch long static grass from a puffer bottle over a layer of cheap mix of 'saw dust' scatter from the likes of Hornby and Noch. I tried using a static grass applicator I got from ebay but I found the puffer bottle to be much easier and to give better results! In some of the embankment areas a layer of hanging basket liner is placed under the static grass but I'm not sure if this really adds any depth to the scenery? 3) The layout is DCC operated and wired all over. It is controlled from a Hornby Elite controller, which many people would recommend you avoid, but I have never had any issues with and it does the job perfectly for a layout of this size! The points are operated using standard switch and CDU control. Hope this helps

I'd have to agree with most of the comments already made. I just couldn't run DCC Sound, I think it would wreck my head after a while! As has been mentioned, I like the soothing sound of the clickety-click of running trains and sound just ruins this! I run DCC and enjoy the many benefits of it but I personally can't see how sound is one. Some companies are selling coaches with DCC operated opening coach doors; to me this would be much more appealing, and probably cheaper, than DCC sound

It's been a long time since I posted anything here but I had some free time recently and I finally got around to finishing the 150 to '2700' conversion. I tried out a few new techniques while painting and also had a few new experiences, such as the black lining so it has been a good learning curve and there are several areas that I know need improvement but I'm still happy enough with it!

Thank's Broithe, yes that must have been it! It was a good few years ago when I heard it and it was an English man in a model flying club telling the story so would make a lot more sense!

They would make a great model! I heard a story a few years ago about the 3 Gladiators that the air corp had; I was told they were named Faith, Hope and Glory and that all 3 were shot down by a squadron of ME109's! Is there any shred of truth in this or was it a form of Irish propaganda?

That entire train is stunning, from the brilliant weathering on the A Class, the excellent detail on the barrier wagon and the great finishing on the ammonia's! Top class=D

Having read through this thread there are several interesting points made. I haven't seen either of the above mentioned manufacturers' models in person so I can't comment on either but from seeing some of the above comments it is apparent that there must be some issues with the models if several members have mentioned concerns with them. One seriously negative aspect, that could result from criticising RTR or kit models on a 'bashing' scale, may be that other members are afraid to post pictures of their own work for fear of receiving similar treatment, particularly those new to the hobby or younger modellers, as unlikely as this may be! I think progressive criticism is always welcomed but there is a big difference between criticising a commercial product and someone's personal work! It is mentioned above that the 'non-criticising of models on this site may give others a false impression so maybe a possible solution would be to introduce a 'Review' section on the site (at least I don't think this exists?) where RTR models or kits could be analysed in a fair and detailed manner and any additional comments could be left by site members. Karl

Hello Jamie and welcome to the site! As for the oil tankers, I converted a few Dapol tankers a while back but I can't remember what dimensions I used at the time, or if they were even correct for that matter, but I just used what looked 'right' Here's a link to the old site where I posted a few pics if Boskonay doesn't mind. http://irishrailwaymodeller.yuku.com/topic/191/Barls-Workbench?page=3#.UX21_rVFSNA Other members on here have improved on this again and may be able to provide the exact dimensions and Studio Scale Models (aka Weshty) also produces a brass scratch-aid which helps greatly with producing these models. Hope this helps

Like many others, I never considered the financial aspects of running this site and for this, and many other reasons, Stephen should be applauded. I've been a member of the many variations of this site since the MSN days and have to say this is by far the best run, moderated and supported site by far and long may it continue!

The layout keeps getting better and better and the volume of stock is unbelievable! I'm very jealous

Excellent work as usual Anthony. This livery is really starting to grow on me now

That's a great job, the underframe detail is excellent!

Try taking off and landing at Newcastle Airfield (EINC) in a 172 with a +25 knot crosswind, now that's fun

Lovely work there Eamonn, the layout looks great and has a nice atmosphere to it

They look stunning, excellent work

Innuendo anyone...... I'll get my coat