Irishswissernie

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/283248588625 This one is a rather embarrassing 'cock-up' of mine! I should have realised that the Mark 2A's apparently only ran with the Dutch Vans. All I need now is a Dutch Van! Ernie

Over in Brugg Switzerland, there is a model railway built by 3 successive generations of the Lang Family who own a private hotel ; the Hotel Terminus opposite the station. The layout is housed on the entire top floor of the hotel and is some 60 feet x 80feet , Gauge 1 and Gauge 0. THis is the web site which includes a history of the layout and a photo gallery http://eisenbahn.terminus-brugg.ch/geschichte-en.html I have stayed at the Hotel over 20 times and on one visit Alfred Lang showed me a Gauge 1 british loco acquired by his grandfather before WWII which he didn't know what the prototype was. It was a North British Railway Atlantic 4-4-2 in original livery. There were also numerous Denver & Rio Grande ON3 brass narrow gauge locos on display. I began to understand why Swiss Hotels are so pricey! Ernie

I recently tried to order an A Class from Silver Fox and passed on to Chris Dyer but luckily didn't get anywhere with my emails!! Must have been fate> 2 A Class ordered and also the Container Bundle tonight. Ernie

I can't get to Raheny today as there is no Public Transport from Haltwhistle to Dublin. However I am going to Newsham, Blyth Show which is the biggest event in Newsham with a footfall of at least 25 per day (Hang on people have 2 feet so that's 50 per day!) I will have no internet either so my Container Flat order will have to wait a few days, hopefully there will be a 5 pack left then. Looking forward to reading the 11am proclamation when I return this evening. Ernie

I forgot I had that view in the archive, here is another with a slight variation in the positioning and size of the "10ton brake" lettering and also metal sheeting on the ducket. Also at Youghal Ernie

They were freelance scratch-built, mainly plastikard on Bachmann GWR mogul or Manor chassis, based on the Dingle Kerr Stuart plans. The boiler was some plastic plumbing pipe, smoke box, a button from a charity shop, Cab windows- brass marine modelling port holes. Chimneys/domes were 7mm Drummond style white metal but I can't remember the manufacturer. Slaters hand rail knobs. I think I built about 20 narrow gauge locos in this way; I needed perhaps 10 for the layout but I used to take completed models along to various model railway shows and was usually persuaded to sell them. The same thing happened when I took along coaches, wagons etc. When I built stock I always found that something wasn't quite right in my eyes so I was usually quite happy to part with it and try again! My main regret is that we didn't take more photographs. Ernie

Yes its Letterkenny shed, its captioned so on the Flickr album but I keep forgetting that the captions don't come up if I link one of my flickr photos to here. There is a CDRJC tank hiding in the undergrowth at their yard on the right of the photo. Ernie

RM Arnold's Golden Years of the GN Vol 2 has some information on the Belfast Boat Express. It would appear that the train ceased running after the accidental sinking of the LNWR Passenger steamer 'Connemara' when it collided with the Clanrye Steamship Co 'Retriever' at the mouth of Carlingford Lough on 3 November 1916. Arnold seems to imply that the GNR provided the motive power from Greenore, probably a PP or U or similar small 4-4-0 as nothing larger was permitted. Express due in 1913 at Edward Street, Newry 6.42am a GNR Breakfast car was included in the consist and arrival at GVS 7.45am. I have the GNRI Working Timetabl;es for 1917 together with additional working notices etc and there is accordingly no mention of any boat express's or through coaches off the DN&GR to Belfast or Derry. Ernie

I don't think there was a standard design as such, but the 4 sections of line had certain characteristic features. Graving Dock to Buncrana no distinctive style although Buncrana was fairly impressive. Tooban to Letterkenny , Newton Cunningham, Sallybrook, Manorcunningham and Letterkenny shared various architectural features. The Carndonagh extension buildings shared similar brick decorative work. The Burtonport extension buildings were pretty basic. The Swilly was fond of curved corrugated iron roofing on its goods and loco sheds and also on Graving Dock station. Smaller signal boxes are best described as single pitched roof 'garden sheds' The revised edition of Dr EM Patterson's Lough Swilly book recently published by Colourpoint has some small line sketches of various station buildings. Ernie

Hope this link works http://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk/archive/photos/jjs/b04/4-56-1.htm Definitely not 31 feet! You can buy copies of the print from the Bluebell Railway, this is the link http://www.bluebell-railway-museum.co.uk/archive/photos/buy.htm The prices appear reasonable if the web site prices are up to date. Quite a selection of Tooban Junction photos. Ernie

voted! Ernie

The layout or 8ft x 2ft test track cum display was dismantled many years ago as other projects and growing children needed the space. Here is another view; the locos as previously mentioned have all moved on. Ernie

Not Glengarriff! but another old modelling photo which might be of interest I have just come across . 7mm O gauge PP & JT outside shed based on Enniskillen GNRI shed . Most of the stone/brick work on the shed front was made from individual pieces of plastikard. I must have had more time in those days - working full time and with 5 bairns, 2 dogs, rabbit , Guinea pigs, ferrets and rats and the wife to keep amused! (ER not necessarily in that order- nearly shot myself in the foot!) Ernie

A bit more progress. All the ground now has some paintwork done . Foliage now started but I have discovered that I don't seem to have any 'turf' flocking. I am off to the Welsh Highland Gala tomorrow so hopefully will be able to pick some up then. Ernie

Looks as if its actually on the site of the old track bed of the Newry to Armagh line! Ernie

Had a reply from Tommy which confirms his email address given above. He had to close his IFM site as it had been hacked badly but may set it up again in the future. Ernie

I have sent him a message on 'faecesbook' asking him for an email address which I can put on here so you can contact him direct. I have purchased a fair number of wagons from him over the years ; they aren't a patch on the Irish Railway Models items but they were the best available at the time. He also sells items on E Bay trading as helix0_8 , there is a laminate on there at the moment. Ernie

On the facebook page at the left side there is the word 'STORE' click on that and it will bring up the shop

On my own today for a few hours so a bit of progress. The time of year is supposed to be Autumn so I can have a variety of greens and browns. The trees are heather which has been lying in the loft for some 6 years and whilst it is quite brittle Haltwhistle and the surrounding countryside's main contribution to nature can easily be re-plenished. It is probably somewhat over-scale. The box needs an interior.

I prefer to use it, as a.) Its easy to lay, has a 'built in' 'shoulder' , b.) Using loose ballast plus PVA or similar adhesive; this tends to get in the points etc and affects the electrical contacts, and most importantly c.) doesn't fall off when moving boards or even more importantly falls off on the carpet thereby causing a hiatus in marital harmony! The weathered bubbles are a marriage between the Dapol Prestwin chassis and my son Alan's designed 3D printed Shapeways Bubble mouldings. He built and weathered them and amongst the weathering material was some toothpaste! One or two developed an interesting green mould on this over the years. Yesterday I took the plunge and started similar heavy weathering (less toothpaste) on an IRM bubble. I think I hear cries of 'Sacrilege' but that's the way I remember them.

The ballast is Gaugemaster GM200 ballast underlay which you have to lay under the track as you lay the track down. Its is far less messy than trying to ballast the track with loose ballast/glue etc. You have to cut the strip when laying it under points but its quite easy after a bit of practice. The rails were painted after the ballasted track was laid.

Rails are painted with Phoenix Precision P950 Light Rust. I use oils, acrylics and poster/water colour somewhat randomly for ground cover, stonework etc . The next big job is grass, foliage etc.

Managed to do a bit more 'ground' work this week. Flocking and foliage to follow. The signal box has been re-built and awaits the paint brush. Ernie

With the temperature in the loft now down to bearable level and even more importantly Mrs B , No. 5 offspring and son-in-law in London for the week and therefore only me and the dogs in residence; work has re-started. I wanted a long cattle/sheep loading bank ,one of the main features of many Irish stations but now invariably overgrown with the demise of livestock traffic. Mine runs along the front of the right hand baseboard and will be used as the Guinness storage facility. The tracks in the yard have had the ground level built up to rail height where the bogie Guinness flats can be unloaded by Fork Lift; the 4 wheel flats can be unloaded direct from the loading bank by fork lift as the wagon 'bed' is higher. I have been converting the Bachmann signal box to look a little more Irish with the removal of the balcony and re-positioning of the steps. The end barge-boards have also been amended. Only 2 more weeks of the school holidays to go and then I should be able to crack on in earnest! Ernie

Glengarriff doesn't have a lifting section but the boards are at a height of 42 inches (107 cm I think - I'm to old to go metric!) which helps. I crawl under due to a bad back as well. I've actually done some work on the layout today as the loft temperature is only 70F; the Monsoon is now in full swing in Haltwhistle plus Mrs B and the 'lodgers' (daughter and hubby) are away for a week in London Ernie