Angus

and it gives a great unobstructed view of the bunker, a useful reference for modelling. Also I not seen the "to run with passenger trains" board on the cattle wagon before, were these common? I can't see any on the rest of the rake. I have seen the wording on other MGWR Non-passenger stock (Horse Boxes, Meat Vans etc,)

Thanks Jaz, I moved my stock build over to a thread in the "workbench" section as Dromahair is being built as a small module for a specific competition in July 2022 and will probably have a limited life as a result, although the intention is that some of the structures may live on in a later layout. The stock build thread is here, albeit I'm embarrassed to find I haven't posted anything since mid July. I tend to model in fits and starts and I can feel the start of my next modelling fit coming on...... I've already started on a C class (first post on that shortly) and I'm on my third attempt at the Dromahair Station building. The first two weren't right so abandoned (Gable ends to narrow, then windows set too low......third time lucky!)

Thanks J-Mo, I need to get my finger out and get some more modelling done. I've been dabbling of late and not really making any forward progress. Hopefully the winter months will help!

Below is a screen shot from the Government of Ireland's Historic Environment viewer 25" to the mile map. I've found the accuracy of the outline of the buildings a bit dubious on other maps, I can't comment on this one. This link should take you the map: https://maps.archaeology.ie/historicenvironment/?REG_NO=30806021 It doesn't! For some reason it takes you to Dromahair ( my saved location). If you click the four squares Icon on the top left you can select historic 25" to the mile as the base map, the just enter "Ballaghadereen" in the search. You'll need to select the correct locality from the search drop down. Hope that helps!

I think you've managed to sum my whole modelling life in a line there! Ah! the true way, pure and unblemished! I admire your focus, I would always be tempted by other lines. Out of interest have you managed to source some drawings or are you working from photos? Black Lion is look great!

Be careful with Bookdepoistory, they don't always stock the books they advertise. I tried to buy the recent GSWR loco book through them after they came up on a Google search offering a discount. I paid for the book only to wait and wait for it to come into stock. After a few enquiries on here it became apparent that the book was only available direct from the publishers. I challenged Bookdepository and they were adamant they were just awaiting stock. Once requested they did provide a refund though.

yes, the fully lined versions predate Hermes and UPS

That's very evocative and captures the creature of the prototype very well. Lovely modelling Galteemore!

It's probably been commented on before but aren't the tablet catchers the wrong way round on the B class? It would need a man riding in the rear cab to collect the tablet as well as the driver in the front. Seems a bit odd, any reason why they were used like that?

Thanks Galteemore, I have the link to that site in my favourites, one thing to watch is that they use a couple of different spellings of Dromahair, wading through the pictures reveals a few more of the station.

I'll look forward to seeing that Galteemore, one can never have enough SLNCR!

Hi Galteemore, Measuring my platforms they are 52.5mm over the ramps so 105ft. That's a pretty round number so I guess I've approximated from the 25" to the mile OS map. There are some errors on the map, none of the building footprints tie in with reality, the platforms seem ok though. Hope that helps? Are we about to see a 7mm Dromahair break cover? Cheers Angus

Hi Ken, At the risk of diverting David's thread, I'm modelling to 10.5mm gauge so a simple scale down will work thanks

How about 2mm just to complete the set? If it were possible I'd be interested in a couple of prints, appreciating that this doesn't represent a good business case!

It's more a problem when you inhale.......

A productive day has been spent drilling out the chassis and cutting to shape. I did take a couple of photos of the process but either my camera or computer has managed to corrupt them. The chassis assembly in the post above was set up in the mill and the axle holes drilled to 0.5mm then 1.0mm and finally 1.5mm before being reamed, the reamer didn't seem to take any material so I suspect my 1.5mm drill is slightly oversize. I then drilled out the brake holes, I tried using a 0.3mm carbide drill but manged to break this in the frame (I really cannot get on with these drills!). As my HSS 0.2mm drill was too short to drill through 1.7mm of the frames plus etch I reverted to the 0.5mm diameter. The holes will slightly oversize, but not seen behind the brakes. I also had to re-drill under the snapped drill so this will be slightly out of line, but again hidden under the brake gear. The frames was then roughly cut to shape with a piercing saw, I am always amazed how quick this is now I've learnt some proper technique, I only broke one blade in the process and that through stupidity. After attacking them with some files I've a presentable pair of frames. They just need separating and cleaning up. The chassis assembly can then commence. Three of the tender springs are photobombing the picture, I must get them soldered in!

0.5mm shanked drills are available from Proxxon at reasonable prices and also quality German and Swiss 0.5mm drills can also be found via the Jewellery tool supplier Cousins UK and Cookson Gold. I have some Seiko drills in the 0.2 to 0.3mm range that appear on Ebay from time to time price is around £25 for a box of ten. Other than that there are plenty of straight shanked drills available, I just find handling them a bit of a pain once they get down to the smaller diameters. You also need a decent quality pin chuck to hold them. I also use some three side micro broaches from Bergeon for adjusting very small holes to size

One thing that helps is to make sure you are using HSS bits (I prefer the shanked variety) and not the tungsten carbide bits widely (and cheaply) available on ebay and other outlets The tungsten carbide bits are very brittle and aggressively fluted so break really easy. The HSS ones are more flexible and more tolerant of use and abuse.

Thanks both for the advice. I'll look at adding the ashpan. I was planning to incorporate this as a separate layer behind the frames to give some depth. Although given the frames are a scale 4.5" thick that might be too much relief. I've considered a RSU on several occasions David, more for my 7mm modelling though. I see the benefits there, particularly when soldering overlays onto large chunks of brass. For the finer 2mm stuff I would be worried about the vaporisation effect, some of the metal thickness used are wafer thin. There is also the faff factor. A unit would be too big to keep out on the workbench so would need to be unpacked and put away each session whereas a soldering iron just sits at the side waiting to be switched on. Most of my problems occur from rushing and not clamping firmly and using heat sinks. I am getting better though! For the tender brake gear I am not going to use the items from the etch. Trying to make up the separate components would be too taxing. Instead I have some etched brake shoes complete with arms purchased from the Worsley Works scrap box at a show. I am hoping these will make life simpler.

Time to tackle one job I've been putting off, the tender handrails. There is no easy way of doing these, initially I drilled the tender base then added the uprights in 0.3mm brass wire. For the handrail tops I tried 0.5mm strip, but accurately drilling the 0.3mm hole in the centre of a 0.5mm strip proved too difficult so I just went with some more 0.3mm wire. I also realised why I couldn't fit the brake standard between the sandboxes and handrail, it actually fixes to the handrail. I've also removed the buffers, I decided I couldn't live with them and await a smaller set in the post. Apart from the rear lamp irons, which I will fit with the new buffers, that will finish the soldering on the body so I can start adding the plastic details. I've still the tender brake gear to fit to the chassis, another job I'm not looking forward to...... As I've reached a hiatus with the tender I've started on the loco chassis. Experience with the tender chassis showed that the etch is too thin to provide enough rigidity for the loco, it's ok for the tender chassis but not the loco, any twisting would jam the coupling rods. So I'm going to cut the chassis from sheet using the etched version as a template. Two layers of 30 thou phosphor bronze sheet (using phosphor bronze avoids the need for bearings in the frames) and the chassis etch were solder together with a blow torch then the coupling rod soldered on top to provide a guide for drilling the axle holes. Once the holes are drilled for the axles and the brake gear I'll cut out the chassis shape with a piercing saw. It's the first time I've attempted to do this, it could be interesting!

It's alright David, over on RMweb I called it a G2 then edited it to a G3 leaving a comment that any fool would know it was a G3 before finally realising my mistake and corrected it back to G2 Confused? I know am! I blame the gin......

Thanks Mayner and JHB, Actually the photo is a bit deceptive, I deliberately took it from a low angle as I've managed to dish the sandbox lids slightly. A touch of filler and a quick sand off to level will sort before the primer goes on though. The 101 etch is a bit a weird in that some parts fold and fit fine, others don't. I have experienced this before which shot down etches, I think the process removes any tolerance. That said your MGWR horsebox and meat van went together well so I've high hopes for the K class.

Some more progress with J15 tender, decent photos of the standard GSWR A type tender do seem hard to come by for detailing purposes. The rear is nearly finished, just the lamp irons to add. The rear steps caused a problem as the etched ones pinged off into the wildness after I'd very carefully bent them to shape. Some 1mm x 0.5mm brass channel was used as a substitute. When cut 1mm wide it is on the edge of what is visible to manipulate into position. I am also not sure about the buffers, they look a bit over scale. In some photos that buffers are large in comparison though. The front is also progressing nicely, I just need to add the handrails (a job I'm not looking forward to) and the brake standard, then all soldering on the body is complete. I can then add the plastic details. I have some 3d printed springs that look the appropriate dimension and the toolboxes will be from plastic strip with the etched ends and top glued on. The etched bodies provided with the sheet were way oversize, anomalies like this quite often occur when etches are shrunk to a smaller scale. I've a feeling the sandboxes on the front have a similar issue as I am struggling to find space to fit the brake standard. I've just noticed the righthand top steps needs bending back horizontal, the joys of model photography!

A modicum of progress can be reported. The easing of lockdown in the UK has meant days away for work, the opportunity to catch up with relatives along with a holiday (in the UK) has left little time at the workbench. A grotty day today gave the excuse for a few hours at the bench this afternoon so more progress was made with tender. A lot of forming and fettling to fit needs to be done and it was one of those days where everything seemed to need fitting twice, still persistence paid off. Most of the tender body is now complete with only the detailing needed. A bit of cleaning up is needed but it's coming along nicely. The motor will be mounted in the tender so I will need to form an opening in the coal plate for the drive shaft. I'll do that once I have the gears mounted in the loco chassis and the motor fixed in the tender. This will help me get it in the right place. In other news, my appeal for any unbuilt J15 etches turned up another two with one set of casting. This will let me build another J15 in the future, it will built as running in the early 60's hopefully with a superheated boiler so I can run it alongside the C Class diesel. With the etches came a nicely assembled footplate. This should speed up the body construction, which is useful as I really want to crack on to get to my next project. One I'm really looking forward to. John Mayner kindly agreed to reduce a couple of his etched locos to 2mm scale for me so I'm now in proud possession of MGWR K class, I've already bought the wheels, motor and gears but need to resist the temptation to start and just focus on the J15 until it is complete.

Hi KMCE, You are correct the end of the loop at Dromahair is too short for loco (at least as scaled form the 25" map). I think livestock were loaded near the station building end of the goods dock, the loop would enable the horseboxes and cattle trucks to be moved in, loaded and removed without having to shunt any wagons being unload at the two goods warehouses further down the goods bay. At least that's my supposition.