Angus

That's a very nice van you've built there Galteemore, the rivets stand out particularly well.

Hi David, I fairness I try to avoid painting anything black (unless it's an LNWR engine) for chassis I use a mixture of gunmetal and black mixed to give a faded metallic dark grey.

Hi Midland Man, For etched kits I always use Halford''s primer in aerosol spray cans. As long as you warm the cans it gives good coverage and adheres well, I've never seen the need for more expensive etched primers. I tend to brush paint the chassis and anything black. The body may be sprayed (aerosol spray again) or brush painted, depending on what colours in what format I have in stock; I do have an airbrush, bought about 10 years ago, but embarrassingly have never used it. It's on my "to learn" list.

Well, it's the last day of my Easter hols and appropriately I finished the MGWR horsebox I started on the first day of the holiday. I say finished, actually I still need to attach the roof and build the roof vents (still not sure how I will do this, they are casting on the 4mm kit). I won't attach the roof until after painting so I can glaze the groom's compartment window. It is all built as the kit with the addition of step and handrail outside the groom's compartment. The question now is what livery to paint it? I've three options MGWR, GSR and CIE. Whilst my original intention was to model Dromahair in the late 40s since starting the layout I'm increasingly drawn to the MGWR as a prototype. As a result in the long term I might model something joint with the SLNCR, I'm currently considering Sligo station and shed, but may chose something fictional (there's plenty of might-have-been lines in the neck of the woods). I quite like the idea of mid 30s GSR. From the Casserley photos in Jonathan Beaumont's Rails to Achill book there is plenty of pre-grouping rolling stock still in evidence and I would be able to run chocolate and cream carriages along side the earlier maroon. That would exclude CIE. I just need to decide between GSR and MGWR.

I couldn't agree more, stunning!

Checking some more plans on the Historic Environment viewer the cross overs are shown in a different position which correlate to MD220's memory and the signalling schematic in the link. https://webgis.buildingsofireland.ie/HistoricEnvironment/ The link above didn't work sorry! So, either the cross overs were shifted back at some point or the 25" drawing is wrong.

Hi MD220, I'm intrigued, If the train was propelled past the signal box then, from the track plan posted there is only one crossover so the train can't run round. I can see that working on the modern rationalised layout as the line reduces to single track. https://photos.signalling.org/picture?/19486/category/1974-2000_may I don't know when the line was singled, prior to that was there another crossover not shown on the OS plan?

I can't speak for Limerick or Galway, but Sligo had no run round loops at the station:- The two centre roads (now only one) were used for carriage and rolling stock storage and regularly full to capacity. There doesn't appear to be any run round facility without blocking both main lines so presumably a station pilot was used here. If my scaling is correct then the whole station from the back of the engine shed to the end of the station building would fit in 9' x 2' in 2mm scale...........hmmm.........

So onward with the brakes. The etch includes fully detailed parts for the 8 shoe brakes, this is first for me in 2mm, I find them a faff even in 7mm! Once the shoes were mounted on one end necessitating the remove of a buffer, the locating pin needed trimming as it interfered with the brake shoe locating slot on one side, The brake stretchers and adjusters were assembled. After a couple of attempts I managed to get the whole lot fitted and the wheels spinning. Tomorrow should see the other side brakes completed, then it's final detailing time.

Hi Midland Man, John very kindly made some minor alterations to his 4mm art work to enable it to be shot down to 2mm. The etch is 8 thou brass, being half that of the 4mm version the fold lines stay true so the main elements do not need to be changed. For this to work in 7mm it would need 30 thou brass, very heavy and difficult to work and solder (and expensive). There is more information about John's products under "JM Designs" in the Manufacture's section of this web site. Regards Angus

Thanks Galteemore. I've just measured off the drawing in Ernie Shepherd's MGWR Illustrated history. They scale off the drawing at around 1' 10" the ones I've used , whilst the right shape, are 3mm so 1' 6". I'm 4" short (just under 1mm). A quick look shows nothing suitable to buy, so I'll either have to turn my own or live with the compromise. At this point it'll be the latter.

More progress today, solebars are on after a bit of a battle as is the sliding vent panrl. The W irons are now mounted although I've used a piece of brass rod for the tie bar rather then the etch provided which looks too thick. I'll use the facing piece for the W irons though. I've not been as thorough cleaning this side, I'll do better tomorrow. I'm not sure about the buffers, I think the spindles need to be longer.

I didn't make much progress yesterday, a couple of glasses of wine with tea and then a large gin and tonic didn't bode well for messing around with such fine etches. I just prepped the wheels adding the Mansell wheel inserts and soldering the bearings into the W irons. Today was more productive. I finished off the etch overlays and constructed the box of the van. That was after a short interlude where I managed to lose one of the overlays on my workbench, as it hadn't been tidied in years I took the opportunity to do just that (and find the offending overlay). Here is the van sat one it's wheels, although these are not yet attached, with the obligatory 5p piece for scale (sorry I'm out of cents at the moment).

For straight cuts this brass can be scored with a knife (two or three heavy passes with a sharp knife or ofla cutter) then flex the joint until it snaps. It can also be cut with scissors or metal sheers, however for complex shapes is best to use a piercing saw with some very fine toothed blades. It takes a bit of practise but with a bit of patience some nice consistent shape can be fretted out with a saw. Hope that helps. Angus

With the current lockdown it's no surprise that the June 2mm Scale Association Jubilee event has been postponed. This means less of a panic to finish Dromahair as I have another year. I am debating whether to move straight onto a full model of the station and abandon the entry though. One task I have been looking forward to was building one of Mayner's MGWR horseboxes. He reduced the etches down to 2mm scale for me a few months ago and I've been itching to get started ever since receiving them. I just hope I can justify his work! I promised it would be my Easter holiday build as I have the next week off. So the etch was cut for the first time this evening and an hour or so was spent soldering on the overlays on the ends and one side. Only the second side to complete.

I don't normally go for railwayana much, I find it expensive and ultimately takes up valuable modelling room! However, I spotted this on Ebay a wee while ago and as it was not much more than a few quid bought it:- Dated January 1957 it was written in the last year of the Railway's operation, the steam operated workings are a matter of record in the timetable and elsewhere. What I thought was unusual was the reference to passengers being permitted to travel in the guards van on goods workings. I would have thought that counter to Board of Trade rules prior to independence and enforce once across the border into Fermanagh? I thought it was a nice document to sit with my copy of the 1936 service timetable.

Unfortunately I'm hoping to get him to use a shrink ray...... Both his G2s and the D17 impostor could happily be found a place.

There has been little progress at Dromahair as I've been focusing my modelling time on getting my other layout ready for the Macclesfield Model Railway Exhibition in mid March. These have just arrived in the post and are tempting me to drop everything and dig out the soldering iron:- The are the etches for JM Design's (Mayner on this forum) MGWR horse box and refrigerator van kits reduced to 2mm. John hasn't merely reduced the size by 50% but also re-worked the W irons to work with standard 2mm scale association components. I'm looking forward to getting started on these but I must contain my enthusiasm until the end of March!

The book has arrived today and is indeed very comprehensive, definitely a worthwhile purchase. My spreadsheet refers out to relevant photos so not a complete waste of time thankfully!

I'm slowly build a spreadsheet record of what cabs and boilers where fitted and when from photographs I've found in various books for the G2s, J18/19s and the D16s. I've found a reasonably priced copy of Locos of the GSR which hopefully will add some more information. It should arrive in the next few days. Cab types, boilers, splashed cut outs are real minefield in the GSR days. It looks like almost every combination existed at some point. It's just a case of working out on which loco and when.

I really like those Stirling style cabs, not classic MGWR in outline but very attractive non the less. Looking forward to seeing you finish this one.

Thanks Mayner, As discussed via PM I am aware of the pitfalls of using shot down etches but happy to take the risk. Thanks for taking the trouble to reply.

April 1976 and August 1978 Model railways have arrived. Apart from the Irish articles there is lots of good reading, I had forgotten how good Model Railways magazine was, albeit I didn't buy my first copy until the early eighties. The D16 drawing is a side elevation of the loco and tender with a front view of the engine which the author admits to be being conjecture worked up from photographs. I am glad to hear he is still around, he sounds a true gent. The MGWR coaches are the same as, and actually better detailed in Mayner's posting of two broadstone drawings on this site. But then I guess Mr Cramer didn't have access to the internet in 1976! Mayner's posting here and here

Thanks John, That list is most useful, I'll track down the copies of interest, I already have no 5 of the Irish Miscellany and nos 2 & 10 are winging their way to me as I type. That just leaves no 9 to find which is the January 1978 edition. Angus

Thanks both, I read Jonathan Beaumont's Rails to Achill over Christmas along with a couple of MGWR books my wife bought me. As a result the Achill bogies are creeping up my "to do list" also. I think I'll gradually collect the Model Railways magazines and post up the list here.