Barl

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

I spotted the loco again today while passing Inchicore; it was just outside the main loco shed. I don't particularly like the livery but I have to say that it does look a good bit better in the flesh, especially when the sun is shining, as it was today (hard to believe I know). The buffers were still covered in plastic when I saw it so does this mean it still has some work to be done or that it just hasn't been put to use yet?

Congratulations Stephen

Stunning layout Anthony and that helix is mightily impressive

I caught a glimpse of 077 outside the shed at Inchicore today, repainted in the new livery. It has the new logo's outlined in white but they haven't been applied yet (unless this is the idea?) from what I could see anyway. Have to say, from what I've seen, it doesn't look great, just looks like a very heavily weathered 071 with a yellow front! Hopefully it looks better when I get a closer look

The Model Shop on Capel Street used to have a good selection, i'm not sure if they still do though.

I did the lighting a few years ago and it was a bit awkward alright. I have one white and one red LED at each end and fibre optics running into a piece of black heatshrink tubing around the LED, to prevent light bleeding out. It's not a great system but it will do until I get around to replacing them

I stuck a cheap Hornby chip into my 55 when I was testing the lights and that on my A-Class, and it ran so well I decided to leave it in. One thing I did notice was that the DCC socket on the Class 55 was faulty so I removed it and hard-wired the chip in place. Heres a short video of the A Class showing its slow-running capabilities.

I watched the episode this evening and I enjoyed it. If you're looking for detail about the railways, that is not this shows intention; he is following Bradshaws book of the same title, which isn't a book on railways, but rather a guide on the locations that can be reached by rail and a description of the journeys involved which is what Portillo is doing. As for 'Great British Railway Journeys' being in Ireland, the book was written in the 1860's as far as I know when Ireland was still very much part of the empire and to be fair these Irish shows are titled 'Great British Railway Journeys visits Ireland', to keep everyone happy

Yes I saw it this morning, sitting outside Inchicore, the Intercity markings looked much better!

Travel a bit further to Sallins, we're much friendlier up that way;)

I bought one the same as that shown in the picture above and, although it could have just been my operation of it, I didn't get great results and just reverted to the static grass shaker bottle which gave better results. It can also give you a nasty shock which wakes you up a bit