meathdane

Another quick update. Patsy is more or less complete, I've applied the varnish, which has dulled the brown weathering, so I'll need to have a look at that, as well as painting the bufferbeams red, still more work to be done! Seen here alongside my retired Y class locomotive

Thanks a million! Really appreciate it

I've been continuing on with my conversions, and my largest one to date is ticking along, while not impressive to some of the master craftspeople here, it's my first foray into locomotive conversions. This is the progress on my N class conversion. Number 211 "Patsy" . Named for my late grandfather Patsy, and numbered for his birthday (21/1). Custom brass nameplates and running number have been attached to show this. More work definitely required, including but not limited to, coal and crew, lamps, weathering the other side, apply decals and painting the buffer beams, but I'm happy with. Hopefully some day in the future I might sent him away to get a smoke generator, directional lighting and DCC to bring him more up to date. The progress so far with the exception of a snapped cab side, but it's been somewhat repaired and will remain under the story of the engine being repaired after an incident with the repair scar there to prove it. After I'm finished Patsy, I'll be moving onto 255 "Daisy" so they can be reunited again in another form. Thanks all! Dane

Quick update. Found a pine shelf in Woodies that was nearly perfect in dimensions a bit over 5ft in length and a hair under 1ft in width, little bit of trimming and that's my baseboard ready! I've decided on code 75, going with 2 long radius lefts and a long radius Y, all electrofrog. The track, the joiners and insulated fishplates can all be got easy enough, however nowhere seems to have this selection of points in stock, so if anyone could point me in the direction of some in stock, I'd be forever grateful! Thanks all!

Definitely worth looking into, I'm by no means a prototypical modeller, I go by the saying, "if it looks good, good enough". That being said, I do want to make this somewhat plausible looking, so I may just go with the code 75 and leave the code 100 to the main layout. It does open up more options for pointwork too!

Just have some spare and that's what I'm geared up for. I could go to 75, most definitely, it'll open up the option for a electrofrog double slip, I've been toying with that idea, but it's also a case of if I buy an older loco with deep flanges (highly unlikely but you never know) it won't cause problems with movements. I'm not completely set, I'll lay it out with code 100, and consider my options at that point Yes JHB, sorry! That's the plan, I did this during my lunch at work and was pressed for time to finish it up and get back to earning money to do this! I must have gotten mixed up and forgot to add the tag for the converted goods shed. Sorry about the confusion! But that is essentially the plan, there's a few other bits not listed, including, light posts, ground signals, fencing possibly an engine hoist, old rails and sleepers, disconnected point work and the imprint of removed trackwork. This is the rough outline to keep me "on track" so to speak! I have great plans to detail this as highly as possible, just a matter of seeing if my skills line up with my imagination!

Hi everyone, Im Planning to start a small 5ftx1ft layout to display my engines/stow them in the house during the winter due to a lack of insulation where the Main layout is being constructed (for the moment). It is representing a near derelict station with most of the tracwork removed with only the bare bones trackwork remaining, and a now defunct goods shed converted to preserve/store engines, I want to keep it simple, so it can be done quick enough and take minimal maintenance, and use for a test bed for scenic techniques. It will all be done using Code 100 track and electrofrog points. The layout is as yet unnamed, but below is a rough sketch of my plans. Anyone have any additions to the layout? I may add an engine hoist behind the shed as of yet. I need to get the track and lay it out to see how it sizes up. Keep in mind, its not designed for freight/passenger operations, so the lack of a runaround is of no concern to me, it is in essence there to display my loco collection. Blue and red dots represent power feeders, yellow is Point motors. I haven't committed to a double slip, i may use two points in its place, hence the lack of droppers at that point. I also Swap the water tower and inspection pit positions Thanks all! Kind Regards, Dane

Hi all, Bit of a hens teeth situation, but has anyone got one of the Bachmann two car sets they'd be willing to sell? This is not for myself, but I was contacted by the carer for a young man who is very ill at the moment and has received some bad news, and all he wants is "the green train", and no other one will do. There are funds available to purchase this set if one can be got, not even the full set, or box but even just the two car set. Kindest Regards, Dane

I'll share mine, not as long or exciting, but one which inspired me to ask for a train set for Christmas that year! My grandfather worked the railway from the 70s to the late 90s, he helped to pull up the line from Dublin-Navan in '06/'09 (greatest mistake he would often mumble, even into his twilight years with dementia. Through his connections still within the network, he got us on a working to Platin Cement Drogheda in the cab of an engine, now, young me was unable to take in all the details, but i remember gawking up at this giant, awe inspiring orange machine, caked in the oil and grease only an Irish locomotive can apparently accrue, and i distinctly remember believing this engine was black. Pointing the black engine out to my grandfather got a chuckle, and he corrected me, "This one, is in fact Orange, the days of black engines are long done and dusted". I remember being lifted into the cab of this engine, and being amazed at the complexity of the engine, and how one man could figure it all out! but i was shown the most important piece of equipment. without which, this train could not function, and the piece that i would be in charge of, The horn! and let me tell you, i mastered that horn! that engine was probably sent to Inichore to get the horn refurbished after i was done! But it was an amazing experience, one I'm proud to have had. And i remember walking through the yard with no hi-vis on any of us, Im not sure that would fly anymore, so i feel very lucky and privileged to have had the experience i had! My poor mother spend an age chasing us in the car! Another one is the sleeper incident. and lets just say, most of my grandfathers sheds are built from IE sleeper and rail from Irish Rail, triggering an investigation as to why there was a tow truck laden down with sleepers leaving a yard. (not into my grandfather, but into the purported seller of said sleepers mind you). We're still getting great use out of those sleepers!

I'm not sure what time period you're modelling, but as a suggestion, you could model a disused turntable, with just the pit remaining. again, I'm not sure if you want it to be functional with the talk of motors i would assume you would, but you could model it as such and then in the future you could come back to the pit and 'Finish' it so you could build the rest of the layout but still have the provisions for your turntable?

Not a mind-blowing conversion but a start! A heavy bash of the weathering stick and I have a (semi) passable rake of CIE wagons. I have to say I'm very impressed with the Railtec transfers! Next up is a K class conversion from the Bachmann Southern N class!