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Brack
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Posts posted by Brack
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On 28/4/2024 at 10:52 PM, Westcorkrailway said:
If I had enough money I’d buy one and paint it up like a Silver G class along with a maybe 50 meters of straight track….or is that sacreligous
From what I've seen I'm not sure Bord na Mona have 50m of straight and level track to sell you, and I'd worry that the loco would never have been tested on such a thing!
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2 hours ago, jhb171achill said:
Did you hear….. Everyone in Ireland and mainland Europe gets an annual allowance of €1000 a year towards model railways, starting next week…….
Well everyone in the uk gets £350 million pounds to....
Hang on, your figure is both more accurate and plausible than that one...
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6 hours ago, Mayner said:
Has anyone produced a 4mm model of the early Isle of Man 2-4-0T locos in rtr format?
Sort of...
http://www.oxfordrail.com/76/OR76IOM.htm
The Oxford rail model is a static die-cast, but looks good. It's also a somewhat later type.
If you put one in a sandwich bag it's ideal for an early 21st century Douglas shed diorama.
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3 hours ago, skinner75 said:
Thinking of a box I think!
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Navan?
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37 minutes ago, Branchline121 said:
One alternate history scenario I sometimes wonder about would be if the GSR/CIÉ decided to undertake an electrification scheme inspired by the Swiss, instead of the later dieselisation plan.
Presumably linked to the Shannon scheme?
If so, you'd imagine the electric locos would be from Siemens-Schuckert like the rest of the stuff.
Perhaps a look at what they provided in similar times to
Germany
Austria
Japan
UK (admittedly pre war).
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4 hours ago, Horsetan said:
would the LMS have then agreed to build them for the GSR? What would that have cost?
I think the old injunction that uk railway companies were not allowed to build for external sale would have prevented it (the LNWR built a batch of locos for the L&Y in the 19th century and upset the loco builders, following which all agreed to stick to their respective spheres).
What they might well have done was provide drawings to one of the established loco manufacturers.
Over a thousand McIntosh designed/inspired locos were built for Belgium. The first of them were direct copies of the Caledonian Dunalistairs, which the caley hadbuilt in house at St Rollox, but the belgian locos were built by Neilson Reid to Caley drawings. Subsequent orders went to continental builders.
If a GSR W mogul was to be built, it'd most probably be supplied by an outside builder.
Crewe building for the DN&G or The various LMS works building for the NCC was fine as they were wholly owned subsidiary companies, and thus building for their own consumption, so to speak.
I imagine the GNR(I) building railcar parts for the donegal was OK as they were part owners, or because it was too obscure and small for anyone to take much notice!
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I believe several preserved locos have had a master mechanics pattern spark arrestor and baffles fitted within the smokebox, without affecting the external appearance or hurting its steaming. Certainly the Vale of Rheidol tanks and britomart have one fitted, specifically to allow use on drier days.
Not sure what/if the current arrangements are, but perhaps worth investigating?
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On 26/3/2024 at 10:30 PM, Horsetan said:
Failing that, the 0-6-4T Lough Erne
You could do all 3 types with the same chassis....
Bet its a jinty.
Or a LNWR special tank...
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Make sure the track clearances are wide enough for the bachmann quarry hunslet...
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17 hours ago, jhb171achill said:
One must recognise good planning etc., and compensation for those inconvenienced, but nothing short of a massive root & branch upgrade, and hundreds of billions spent on it, will remedy the public transport in the east coast area
And not just on the East Coast of Ireland.
Last week we travelled Milan- florence on the high speed trains, reaching 300km/h. Prices are very reasonable if booked in advance.
The last 78km from bologna to Florence is a bit boring as 73km is in tunnels, but it does the trip in 2 hours, vs 3.5/4 in a car (whilst contending with Italian drivers).
The investment must've been huge for all those tunnels, but the results are very interesting - rail's market share of rome-milan traffic has gone from 36% in 2008 to 80% in 2018. Air transport's market share of rome-milan has dropped from 50% to 14%. Load factor averages 78%.
If we're serious about reducing carbon emissions and environmental impact from travel, this is how to do it. Make rail faster, cheaper, and less hassle than the alternatives. Yes it will involve investment, it might not make a profit so may need to involve the state, but it is a public good to reduce the pollution and congestion, and ease the movement of goods and people. An electric train powered mostly by renewables with regenerative braking is far more efficient and sensible than planes or hundreds of cars. Each train on the route has 500 seats, vs 189 on a Boeing 737-800.
Of course we could've had that in the uk, but we started 40 years too late, then built a quarter of the line, didn't put it into the cities at both ends, then cancel most of it so we can fill in a few potholes in London. The huge capacity issues on the bottom of the wcml still remain. The message that sends about investment and hope in the future is pitiful.
Short termist thinking, only concerned with what directly benefits themselves or their constituents and stuff everyone else is rife in political circles of all colours. If it can't be finished before the next election, then what's in it for them?
Infrastructure investment is needed and has huge benefits, the longer it's delayed or the project faffed about with, the more it costs. Every appeal, every review, every postponement or prevarication to appease some angry voter group upset at the thought that some tax funds might pay for something that might benefit someone else just makes the costs rise.
On this side of the Irish sea we knew well in advance we'd need to replace our nuclear power stations 30 years ago, but are just starting now, on half the number required. Guess what, they cost a lot more now.
I'd be pretty sure that the metro would certainly have plenty of passengers on it. This isn't some white elephant in the middle of nowhere, nor does it strike me as solely for the airport traffic's benefit. Build it. Whether or not a heavy rail spur to the airport is viable seems a separate thing.
There were similar complaints about LUAS when first mooted, but once built people just use it and are happy. Indeed the first proposals for that included a line to ballymun (I lived in glasnevin and Beaumont in 2001-3).
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On 8/4/2024 at 5:53 PM, StevieB said:
There seems to be a belief amongst planners that people are ok with having to change trains multiple times. Am I in the minority who believe that puts people off train travel?
Stephen
Every change increases the chances that something runs late and you miss a connection.
Airports are fairly critical on timings and arriving before the thing takes off is kind of key!
So with changes, it's not (just) the inconvenience, it's the risk you don't make it. Would I trust being able to get a train down from belfast then back out in time for a flight? Not sure. Last week I went to Italy with the family. Depending on time of day, there are 2-4 trains per hour to Newcastle, then the metro to the airport. Given the ticket prices, the fact I had my wife plus kids, the frequent strikes at the time I was booking the holiday, I drove to the airport and paid to park up, as I knew I could get there in just over half an hour rather than crossing my fingers nothing went wrong and taking twice as long, plus having to allow extra time so there was a backup service.
On the other hand, if I were flying in to the airport from somewhere else, I'd be getting the metro into Newcastle - a reliable service where you know where you're going and where/when it stops is essential. Buses in unfamiliar places are awful - never sure of where you are, where your stop is, and what the actual route is. Trains you can be sure of all that
I wonder what proportion of those coming in/out of Dublin airport are coming to/from Dublin City itself vs those coming in from further afield?
The LUAS makes getting between Heuston and connolly much easier, but I still can't help but think that part of the trouble is there are too many termini in Dublin. If long distance heavy rail services had been centralised in one station (the logical choice being connolly, though that'd probably make capacity problems there) then much of the connection problem would be removed. The issue is trying to connect to both heuston and connolly services with one N-S line.
As for Metro North vs a spur to the airport, putting in the new line will get far more traffic as there is currently an obvious railway/transit gap in that section of the city (likewise something through kimmage/bushy park/templeogue) on the south side). If the airport were connected in another way, I imagine there'd be no appetite/funding for a new line serving dublin 9/11.
Though whether you'd want the denizens of ballymun gaining increased access to the outside world is perhaps a different question...
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41 minutes ago, Broithe said:
I was required to go to the Wednesbury IKEA a few times in the last century.
I always had an urge to see if I could spend the night, undetected, in one of those high-level beds that they did.
In my early 20s we used to get a bunch of us together and play hide and seek or sardines in the local ikea (it was open til 10). Tons of great hiding places, and worth it for the look on someone's face when the move a curtain in a fake bedroom and there's half a dozen students crammed in, saying shhh! And asking in a whisper if there's a lad in a grey hoodie nearby.
We're probably responsible for a few heart attacks!
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On 26/2/2024 at 9:10 AM, Gabhal Luimnigh said:
With all the money in the world! I would love to see a narrow gauge rail system to all the remote villages in the country linking to a rail system covering each large town and city properly.
Looking at the proposed extensions for the schull and skibbereen and Clogher valley, you weren't the first person to think of that one!
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Out of interest did you read the article on laser cutting stencils in the latest review? He cut them in masking tape, so single use. I wonder if there would be a way to do a multi-use stencil in very thin plastic?
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2 hours ago, David Holman said:
have occasionally wondered if anyone has ever repurposed an actual goods wagon as a model railway room.
I believe Chris O'Donoghue might've put a layout in his garden studio, which is sort of a repurposed railway carriage.
(It's not a real carriage though, but a fake one built for his award winning 2007 Chelsea Flower Show garden)
Sadly I suspect the garden shed we'll build in the next year or two will be a bit more conventional in style.
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Perhaps one might restore 800, then run her in Brazil or Australia where the loading gauge or track might be less of a concern?
Perhaps shipping the loco plus interested spectators over there might be cheaper than rebuilding the entire main line?
If the paulista lines could fit these
Or
Then a 4-6-0 ought not to be much trouble.
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21 hours ago, DoctorPan said:
What makes it nonsense?
Only 2 rows of standing in all that space?
Even accounting for rising obesity rates, anyone who's been to London knows full well you could get another couple of rows in that gap in the middle.
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1 hour ago, Horsetan said:
I was frequently in the same area between 1998 and 2003 (and may even have walked past you without knowing; who knows!?) and my cousin - at the time a junior doctor at St. James - kept telling me I was lucky not to end up as one of his daily patients since he often had to patch up those who had either been assaulted, stabbed, or otherwise injured due to general inebriation.
I recall the gardai telling us to go a different way back to the flat than through fatima mansions one night... I think they were watching/staking out something. Likewise Dolphins barn could be hairy, and out inchicore way...
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When I lived there (2001-3) I can think of some intact unused track in the middle of dublin next to a major tourist attraction, with surviving original stock and locos which mightve been restored fairly easily.
Guinness presumably not interested?
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On 3/1/2024 at 3:48 PM, skinner75 said:
Possibly the Brennan Monorail system?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUYzuAJeg3M
a pretty crazy idea, which I only discovered for the first time over Christmas
The prototype is in the NRM at York, used to be in the interesting bit with all sorts near the signalling training layout and the large scale kitson meyer.
I've often wanted to build a working one. It has been done in japan by a couple of modellers.
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The barclay is shaping up nicely.
Zooming in on a few of Dad's photos, whilst i can't find a top down view (west donegal not entirely being overbridge country) and i don't think the tanks are sheeted over flat to the boiler, there is a little fill in piece at the front that follows the boiler's arc, where the handrail comes out (not entirely sure I'm making much sense here, but hopefully zooming in on the photos will help decipher what I'm saying!).
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Looking at the service sheet (linked on here)
https://support.hornby.com/hc/en-gb/articles/360016395479-HSS-415-Adams-Radial-4-4-2T
Might give some clues.
What I would say is that even if the rods will pass, do you want to go through all the work and effort of scratchbuilding a body and have that little metal bit sticking out over the corner of the wheel?
There was a guy on rmweb who used the chassis for some small highland 440s who chopped the protrusions off and just glued the motor in. I don't think it'd be too tricky, just drop the wheels and wrap everything in masking tape and clingfilm before you start cutting.
Ironically, the oxford Radial looks to be more amenable in the chassis department:
And theres a body free one on ebay
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LNERW1 Starts Arguments-Episode II: The Thomas Menace
in General Chat
Posted
Nope. The license costs a lot and the IP owners enjoy a bit of legal action.