leslie10646

Real Time Trains suggested a couple of interesting workings yesterday, O I grabbed my walking poles and got to the Cursor Bridge in good time -- but no trains - they were still in the Eastleigh area! So a slow walk from Lock 25 down to Lock 19, checking RTT every couple locks - the first train was sitting in a loop near Eastleigh, the Light Engine was still in the sidings. At Lock 19, I discovered that the first train was on the move, so I came back a lot quicker! Still no train - it had been looped again. I think that there was single line working in the Winchester area. Anyway, it was overtaken by the Light Engine and this is what turned up! Patience, it's what's on the back that's of note - and making some noise! IMG_2824 2.MOV The Ultrasonic train heading back to Derby, possibly for the Rail 200 event there? I whipped round and got a distant, but nice sound, shot of it going under the flyover carrying the Up Alton line. IMG_2825.MOV Does Accurascale model 37.116 in Colas colours? Feel free to use the video ;loads, to sell your lovely 37s!

There is a model of such a loco on this site, I believe, so the builder must have some info. Hint hint @Galteemore

Good find, @Mol_PMB! It goes to show that you can get away with almost any combination of your layout - it will have happened somewhere, sometime!

Thanks again, Ernie for this latest lot from the Donegal. A nice piece of social history captured. Killybegs looked after its waiting passengers well with a bench (complete with the photographer's bag - that probably had in it everything for a week's trip in those days!) AND a Waiting Room - better than 99% of stations these days? The road transport outside Donegal's goods shed makes an interesting contrast.

I must agree with then others - a remarkable quartet of photos, Ernie. I was totally unaware of that coaling stage at Waterford, so that adds to the fund of human knowledge, as the folk who would ever have seen it may no longer be with us; Enniskillen views are always of interest - even one of my bread containers! The Killybegs shot is one of those - "write an essay" shots! A lot to see, generally unseen - like the Waterford shot - adds to our knowledge; The CBSCR goods is another illumination - twenty wagons and the brake van not in view. More traffic than perhaps we might have expected. I bet the little C Class made a lot of noise. Our West Cork brethren will have to increase the length of the loops on their layouts! A really Four Star posting, thanks.

Like @jhb171achill, the name of the Great King always gets my attention too. Hey, @Darius43, you've only got eleven spoil wagons, according to my database - do you need more? I look forward to seeing an NCC Castle careering through on a late-running Boat Train!

Yes, Ben made a valiant effort today - I thought it was very gentlemanly of him to allow a Frog to win one stage in his home race? Good Tour for the Celts, as Oscar Onley, a young Scot, is riding right out of his skin! (4th, to Ben's 9th). the first ENGLISHMAN is 25th and over a hour behind Onley! In fairness, Adam Yates is there to work for the man in the lead - Pogacar. Still haven't spotted a train!

Good luck with the Show, David - a pity that's it's so far away - over two hours by train for me - I need notice to plan an expedition like that! I wouldn't do it by car! So, make sure we know a month before? If you did, I'll consider my hand slapped for not noticing. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

Reference the point about this being no use to you if you're heading to Dublin Airport from Belfast - The Northerners jump on the Express bus - members of my family in the North use them regularly and extol their virtues. @Louth - I hope that you will live to see that it will be a magnet for people going into the City, just as Thameslink and the Elizabeth Line have been to London. However, with one caveat - there has to be car parking at each station in the suburbs so that people can "Park and Ride". There may never be the volumes to make feeder buses really take over from people's own vehicles - but, it can be done. When I'm in Switzerland, I stay in a village a few kilometres out of Spiez and that place (population in the low hundreds) enjoys being on a two buses an hour service. People use them, sometimes they are full and standing, because they are utterly reliable - which is the key. I just hope that they get on with it before the costs rise any more!

Any of you semi-addicted to the Tour, like me? I watch for the brilliant scenery, glimpses of railways (plenty of them, but never seen a TRAIN!) and a bit for the race itself. Anyway, today, Bastille Day, a Brit, a Welshman, to be precise, and so a CELT, won the Stage! But, but, but, just behind him, having torn the race apart earlier was a very brave Irishman Ben Healy, who now leads the Tour and wears the fabled Yellow Jersey! Only the fourth Irishman in history to have ever worn the famous jersey, so well-done Ben! So, while @Past-Avenue races cars up hills, Ben CYCLES up them ...... I should whisper, for rivet counters among you, that although Ben was born in Birmingham, in his youth, he chose to compete for Ireland

This is a retro "next wagon". I'm withdrawing my double beet kit after 278 sales. Instead I'll be offering @Past-Avenue's version which is effectively RTR. Sorry to those who like building things. With this kit also goes my Flat wagon which was the basis for my double beet. Again, I'll supply Enda's excellent RTR 20 (or 22ft) flats - I use them on my layout with my own earlier facts - they're good. If you're in Ireland, obviously buy from Enda, if you're in UK, contact me. There MAY be a new wagon at the end of all this - I've sent drawings to Enda .......

And me, please. And the MGWR A Class No idea where I'll run them - the 400 was probably too big for the GN, but nice to have one in memory of the Master Modeller Drew Donaldson who had No.409 as a favourite. The A Class could have got over "our way" on a GAA special when the GN was too busy to loan a loco when someone was playing Armagh? Real reason is hope that the younger grandson might like models ......

Sorry if this has been stated earlier in this thread which I have only been casually been following (except when I helped Paul to get his wagon drawings) - anyway: The Society has published: GNR T1 and T2 Tanks Compound VS U Class SG2 Class and SG3 They're all around £50 for a digital copy - you could buiild a 12 inches to the foot model from them. The job of scanning the ancient sheets needed a lot of setting up and skill. The plan is to make the lists etc accessible on the Society's new website, so be patient. If folk need things sooner, let me know what you are after - email preferred: lesliemcallister@aol.com and I'll get on the Drawings archivist who will shortly be in Switzerland for the summer (but I know where!).

Thanks, JB, for stating the situation which is accurate. Richard McLachlan is in the process of making this information more easily available, but he has other priorities, like anyone else. The loss of Anthony McD, his Dublin right hand man, really took the wind out of a great piece of work which they were doing together. If people contact me, ON EMAIL please, I'll try and help. lesliemcallister@aol.com

Hmm, mulling this over. Much more interesting than an 800 Class - at least there were ten of them! No.409 was a great favourite of Drew Donaldson's Mind you rebuilt more time than the current UK Government's policies!

Keep out of this, JB, I'm trying to make money for the IRRS. Remember, we have your address! Honestly, I haven't much, but I'll message our friend @Westcorkrailway

can you see this working to Foynes? IMG_2576.MOV

Not the usual Growler at Goring! In Real Time Trains it was simply a light engine, "on test". It was some engine which whirled round the corner, the driver reacting to Linda's waves! IMG_2576.MOV Wonderful to see an electric loco under the wires here - a first for me, anyway. Coming soon to Ireland?

I've got another for sale. 10€, pick up at Blackrock?

SONIC MODELS S4101-01A ROBINSON A5 (GCR CLASS 9N) 4-6-2 GCR GREAT CENTRAL GREEN NO.372 STEAM TANK LOCOMOTIVE John Robinson, he of Waterford Limerick and Western fame, produced these large tank locos which, bare a resemblance, in Great Central colours, to a BCDR Baltic (of course, he forgot the extra wheels!). Lovely looking loco. See it on Rails of Sheffield site.

Lovely work, David, especially the buildings. While I agree with @Galteemore that the Wantage Tank is delightful, it's the "Footballer" pic which caught my eye, almost a 12 inches to the foot photograph. Congratulations!

Hi Ciaran I'm glad to see that you caught some of the Swiss Re4/4s (sixty-ish years old) in the red livery. Also that you found some loco-hauled on the Rhaetische Bahn, which has gone Beyond The Pale by going almost all-unit! It used to be wonderful with locos on everything. A good piece of "spotting"!

Hi @David Holman (to differentiate between the two Clever Davids) That wheel cleaner of yours is "insanely brilliant" - (did I quote right from The Great Escape? Gordon Jackson exclaimed this on being shown David McCallum's solution to getting rid of the soil from the tunnels!). I've just had a happy, smelly couple of hours running the insanely dear CMX Rail Cleaning tank wagon (thanks again @WRENNEIRE) around the railway. The loco wheels are next - I must try and concoct a 4mm version of your invention - if I may!

See you at Aldershot! Can I bring my "toys"? I was worried that it clashed with the steam tour of the year - celebrating the Classic German "01" Pacifics - the first six days of October. As I told you nine months ago - the layout which replaced you was equally excellent, is a smaller scale! Keep it up!

Thanks for the GN Fest @Galteemore. It shows that the plain black livery which the GN used works and presents a handsome loco (well, two in this case!). Do David H's ex MGWR six wheelers have photographs on the compartment walls like the ones you made for me? @David Holman, as @Mol_PMB says above, your attention to little details is terrific. Loved the lobster pots and the well-posed figures. The whole layout is a delight and shows what you can do in a small space - even in 7mm!