DJ Dangerous

Thanks, @RobertRoche, I'll check that out when I get a chance.

A rake of OO Gauge coaches for your N Gauge layout? To all who may be interested, as of right now, the following four Genesis coaches are the only ones still available to pre-order. Even though the images says that they're sold out, they ARE available to pre-order, at this moment. All the rest are showing as unavailable. 1. https://www.hattons.co.uk/1056107/hattons_originals_h4_6bs_1702a_6_wheel_brake_2nd_100_in_cie_light_green/stockdetail 2. https://www.hattons.co.uk/1056108/hattons_originals_h4_6bs_1702b_6_wheel_brake_2nd_101_in_cie_light_green/stockdetail 3. https://www.hattons.co.uk/1056100/hattons_originals_h4_6bt_1701a_6_wheel_brake_3rd_102_in_cie_dark_green/stockdetail 4. https://www.hattons.co.uk/1056101/hattons_originals_h4_6bt_1701b_6_wheel_brake_3rd_90_in_cie_dark_green/stockdetail Enjoy!

Wow, such sad news. Hatton's have been a wonderful resource for so many of us, despite the begrudgers calling them box-shifters and wishing them ill will over the years. I wonder why they opted to close completely instead of going online-only and tweaking their business model. Hopefully they keep their website live, even on a subscription-only basis, as an archive of the hobby. Talk about fall of the titans... Hatton's today, IRM tomorrow???

Received a text from my neighbour earlier to say that the postie had dropped in a parcel for me… Dapol / Lionheart BR Mk1 from Hatton’s! These yokes cost a fortune so I only buy them when they’re on offer. First impressions are good! Can’t figure out the couplings on any of these coaches, though. Even comes with a little booklet and two bags of bits!

Almost done, just have to stick the door on. Can’t turn your back for even a second…

Getting there. Think I’m happy with the layout of the shelves but should probably wait until I’m sure before ordering any more. Onto the second one!

Sorry, Scalextric, I need your glass shelves!

They don’t like the aul’ IRC Vet but the Semintra goes down OK. Moving on… I like the assembly a lot more than the prep!

Can anybody suggest decent software for converting images to good quality SVG format? There are a lot of options out there, but it’s not my forte. I wouldn’t know where to start. Basically, I would like to stick IRM and Murphy Models logos onto my cars in Gran Turismo! Thanks.

That’s him, @derek! Aul’ Mr. McMelterson is an old Bosch. Probably just caked with sand and sediment inside, needs a bit of a cleaning out. I think I got a photo the other day showing the sand floating in the air, must check. Lovely, @StevieB, he would have known. They always sense your intent. Interestingly, I have found that having a mix rather than a single type of food stimulates their appetites, even if the mix isn’t even. Bayley was lucky to have you!

And we made it in the end. All four pieces cut and cleaned up, ready for tomorrow. holes more or less line up, certainly good enough for my needs anyway.

Only two cut so far. I’m too easily distracted.

Well, Drillbot survived another day, overheating but didn’t melt, all four lateral pieces are drilled. Think he’s just like me, getting on in his years, overheats easily. Small momentary panic when I thought I’d left my saw thing at work but I found it!

Cold and cloudy today so I have the luxury of doing some drilling and cutting on the balcony for a change.

A family with big hearts, John. I’ve always found that one, two, three or four involve a very similar level of care, but as the numbers climb, and some develop special needs, it can become quite daunting. If the numbers at home get over 20 odd, it becomes unmanageable, for me at least. Speaking of unappreciative ingrates, one here has allergies and needs to be helped with cleaning her fur. She always seems happier AFTER a clean, but during is a different story…

Absolutely nothing wrong with them. I think that John has a few RTR brake vans in stock right now. https://jmdesignmodelrailways.com/products/copy-of-cie-20t-brake-van-light-grey-23580

Just watched the video on YouTube! Outstanding!!! The slow speed and the flange squeal are incredible. It's almost as if whoever was driving actually knows something about the real life counterparts.

And another here: https://www.ebay.ie/itm/126268243056 Don't mind the description, that seller always writes fanciful stuff on how rare his Irish stuff is, and how it's almost always brand new ex-shop-stock... Just check the photos, see if you're happy, and ask him to post from NI rather than the UK.

Thanks, @StevieB. Kidney failure is just awful. It's almost always too late to do anything by the time it's detected. I have lost so many to it over the years. Around five odd years back - maybe slightly more, maybe slightly less - I started introducing kidney food into their diet. It was a slow process, increasing the percentage over time, but their dry food is now around 80% to 90% kidney food. Half that 90% is Royal Canin and half is Purina. The remaining 10% to 20% is a cocktail of Purina Gastrointestinal, Purina Hipoalergenico, Afiniti Advance and Optima Nova. Since the change in diet, kidney failure has become one factor of several for those passing away, instead of one of the main factors. The amount passing solely due to kidney failure is almost zero. Four passed away this past year, one of undetermined age, multiple organ failure, died within weeks of me finding him, one of kidney failure, aged approx 14, two of multiple organ failure, aged a little over 15. The vets reckon the last three would have been dead years ago if not for the change in diet. Sorry, waffling a bit there! Cheers! Well, I don't intend passing away myself before I get to 120 odd, so you're probably in for a bit of a wait. I've already nominated @murphaph as the unlucky one who has to fly down here and help the family sell it all, after my rotting corpse has been removed, in case all of the sausages and rashers reduce my optimistic expiration estimate. The display cabinets will FORM the bulk of the layout when done, running along most of both walls, if all goes to plan. Two new cabinets every three months sounds like an attainable goal. Then it's just six removeable sections to cover the areas that I can't / won't be putting cabinets. Cheers, @Rob. Only do it all because I live too far from East Wall! Hint hint.

Well, I got distracted last night thanks to the excellent second season of Reacher, so my progress was limited to measuring, marking and scoring. Everything is stacked and ready for assembly, but with today being Reyes / Three Kings, I’m not sure that whipping out Drilly McMelterson would be appropriate. In theory, only three of the four lateral panels need to be cut, but cutting them all gives more modular flexibility further down the line. Get it? Down the line?

All mixed race, either dumped or unwanted. I only take home the ones who are old, sick, terminally ill, unloveable or unlikely to survive on the streets for whatever reason. Oldest one at the moment is estimated around sixteen. Quite old and weak, needs to be syringe-fed several times per day. All microchipped, too!

So, back to see if I can get one of the two 40’s at least cut and prepared for assembly. Revising things a little. Was initially thinking of running cabinets along one wall only, and having them finished for summer. Now thinking of doing both walls and being finished a year later. One wall is 6m, with a 95cm entryway, the other is 6,95m. The last unit each end will be 40cm rather than 80cm, as I want 1,2m curves in all four corners.

Speaking of… https://touch.adverts.ie/models/model-railway-murphy-models-coaches/32626686

I often flick through the "Pre-owned" section on the Hatton's website, and see an 0-6-0T that I have to double check whether it's Irish or not.

Same! Was thinking about an O Gauge one when they were on offer, but on lookind at the photos, there were just too many differences to turn a blind eye to. Maybe IRM's first O Gauge loco.....