leslie10646

Just another "improvement" since Brexit. NOT my fault, I've even been on marches, I I vote for a staunchly pro-European Party, my MP is their Europe Spokesman. It has destroyed businesses, who find it all too hard - meanwhile others seem to be coining it. As @jhb171achill has aid, useful having relations abroad!

Possibly the last word on this exhibition. In the same hall as the Fremo layout shown extensively in earlier posts was something - to me at least - much more interesting! This gives a clue to what's coming up. Another clue.... Or for the ecclesiastical types among us YES, Derry Waterside (so far). I suggested to the clever guys who put this together that as they have the bridge, they may as well do Foyle Road and Pennyburn as well? So, Waterside approaches. The station and a rather stunted model of the loco shed alongside. Then the CDR station . Victoria Road. The guys have their narrow gauge well populated, but the LMS side was a bit sparse. It didn't need to be super-active, there was just so much to see. A remarkable project, brilliantly executed.They are threatening to bring it to Bangor. If one of the builders gets in touch, I can probably offer them more stock to run for the weekend. Easily the best thing there - but then I am from the North!

Can't recommend Enda's grain hoppers too highly - every layout based in 1950s to, say 1970s, should have a couple. I have a @Mayner original in grey and a Ranks Red courtesy of Enda, who used John's designs. I had to have a red one, as I visited the late Drew Donaldson when he was constructing his 0 Guage one in the 1960s - not an easy task with tools and materials available then - the air was blue! They provide a nice contrast to endless H vans and Bulleid Opens on any civilised goods train. Go on lads and lasses, clear Enda's shelves!

The real thing is at WHITEHEAD, @Moogie-69, not that far from Drmore, so go and feast your eyes .......

Thanks, @James, I got in and got one for myself, but someone was seconds ahead of me, so I couldn't get a second one for my pal Richard. The maroon n' blue ones are sold out, AGAIN!!!!

Haven't a clue. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a photo of the roof. I must look - when I have nothing more exciting to do!

Ah ha, Noel! You need BREAD CONTAINERS! I'd better start another run of those!

Don't worry, Darius - the photo was taken of a handmade one and of my kit - ON THE RIGHT. Now that I'm back from Ireland, I'll get more of them in the post, yours included. The new order book is for more wagons than ever existed. And they're on top of the 200 kits already sold back in the day!

Jonathan, I'll have a look and see if I did a transfer for 770. If I did,I'll get it to you.

You're very welcome, Jonathan. I look forward to seeing my favourite passenger van in CIE green at t' Harbour

Off subject, but just to wish Accurascale success with their latest "toy" - the 0 Gauge BR Sulzer diesel, just announced. While I chatted to Fran on Monday, I was saying suitable (and well-deserved) nice things about them and I will say it louder this time, having seen the price which seems very good value for such a nice model in "0".

Someone asked me whether I had photographs of the LMS "Jinty" working in Belfast - it could have been a guy from Mark's Models. He wanted to make a little diorama of their 0 Gauge version at work. I now have a reply of sorts for him - Page 151 of Bill Scott's Locomotive's of the LMS(NCC) has No.19 on the docks in Belfast with a train of coal wagons - so that's not hard to replicate. She's on tramway track, in stone "setts", so easy to replicate; a low warehouse in the background. I'll break Bill's copyright and scan the SMALL picture for the gent if he gets in touch. "Ask and it shall be given".

And a good idea, it was too. Modern folk don't realise how it used to be dome!

IRRS Eightieth Celebrations and MRSI Show Weekend. A crazy few days. Nothing went right before we left England. The IRRS steam train on Saturday became a diesel when No.171 failed. So I was chasing the MRSI guys for a stand for three days, not two as planned. I was very keen to be at the Exhibition as I had mountains of books to sell – the IRRS gets given a lot of books! The lads at MRSI kindly found me six feet, despite me messing them about. So, Thursday I was in Dublin to give a talk to the IRRS at the “North Star”. Friday, Richard and I met up with Margaret Wynne, David’s widow., whom we hadn’t seen since his untimely death. Back to the Premier Inn at the airport (highly recommended) to change into posh togs for the IRRS’s 80th reception at the Ashling Hotel – another short speech about the work of the London Atrea of the Society. Once that was over, Richard battled through the Dublin traffic to the Mount Temple School to dump my books off. Just time to say hello to Enda and back on the road to the IRRS event, Part 2, where it was great to meet up with other Society members. Saturday, Richard dropped me at The School and he headed off to travel on the IRRS diesel. I got my stand into some sort of shape. I then had a record day of book selling at “Priced to sell” prices – how I love Dublin readers! I even sold some wagons. The morning was crazily busy for a one-man band. Sunday was much busier than I expected, more wagons as well as books. The exhibition dinner was great craic and good food – David and Tony are experts at finding a good location with yummy food. By Monday, I was down to twenty books – and even sold a few of those. 5pm, take the empty boxes out to the car, down to catch the “Ulysses” at 7.45pm. A late start, a very dumpy crossing in a gale, followed by an hour just to get docked! So we were very late on the road at Holyhead in driving rain and high winds most of the way South. Several stops to let Richard have a break and rest his eyes. We were “home” by 9am this morning – it’s usually 6am! To cap it all, Richard had a miserable trip back to East Anglia and got through his door at 7pm. Apart from better than expected business, Richard and I laid the foundations for more goodies for your layouts. As ever, it was great to meet old pals and some talented young ones. Being a Northerner, I loved seeing “Derry Waterside”, the big South Dublin layout was an excellent example of a good exhibition layout – constant activity – we’re here to entertain and I’m sure that our younger visitors loved it. Maam Road showed that you could do that even with a “branch” layout, as did Wexford South. Obviously, for you “modern image” men, the C Class Announcement was great news and very well it looks. NOW, do I provoke The Almighty and assume that I'll live long enough to run it for a few years? Last time? Maybe – the Great Eternal Plan may say otherwise, but I’ve still got hundreds of good books to sell and Dublin’s the place for that, so South Dublin may see me next year! Hard work at the time, but a very satisfactory outcome, for which my thanks to you, the customers; Tony, David, Ed and Co from the MRSI for laying on the exhibition and especially Richard – Chauffeur par excellence.

Even though the announcement wasn't a GNR Compound, I wish Fran, Patrick and colleagues all success with this little loco. They'll fly off the shelves, for there isn't a "diesel-age" "Southern" layout was shouldn't have one, at least. Mind you the scale 80mph is nuts - I doubt if one was ever timed much above sixty mph - if ever. To mis-quote (?) Starlight Express - a Really Useful Engine. To add to the photographic evidence, this is one of Lance King's shots on a Sunday in Cork in 1959 at Glanmire Road. Copyright IRRS. By the time the C Class reaches these shores, you should be able to have a decent fist at recreating this scene. Mum's the word ........

The privilege was mine, @dropshort105, you're an inspiration for all of us that when you put your mind to it, great things happen. The double beets look great - even if they were the easiest kit to build in my catalogue! They were withdrawn in favour of Enda's excellent offering, which I whole-heartedly recommend - now everyone can have their own beet train!

John You guys operating Nathan's layout was a highlight for me - seeing you youngsters doing the Bell Codes and having lots of fun shows that the Hobby has a future. Keep it up! Leslie

The Man's a Magician! Well done Darius. I'll start sending the Spoils out after Clontarf. The Order Book is up to 75 more - on top of a couple of hundred already sold!

Thanks, Darius. Come to my talk to RPSI at Orangefield Belfast in March 2027 for glorious spoil photos which will make you weep! Kits are coming on stream. I'll have a few at Clontarf at weekend. Thanks Leslie

My thanks to @Blaine and @WRENNEIRE (who "interceded" for me, a miserable Prod) who has just confirmed that Provincial Wagons will have a stand next weekend. I did mess the lads about, as I'd planned to travel on the now diesel special train that day. With No "171" on the train, the Exhibition is a much better way to spend the day! This will be my last MRSI show (I think that I've done 6 or 7 now), as I'm running PW down and stock has almost vanished. I will facilitate getting some of my kits done in the future, as required. I'm selling my last RTR wagons at near cost price, to clear, so a good time to build up your "pre-grouping" fleet? They won't take up a lot of my table, so I'll have mountains of pre-owned Irish books, priced to sell. Also some recently published books on Irish railways at a bit of a discount to help spread the railway gospel. Please call around and find me, even if only to say "Hi". Thanks, all. Leslie

At £19, the chassis is probably worth having? Oh no! It's three rail!

At least the vaiduct is sitting there still to be photographed!

I'm squeezing as much out of my visit to Ireland for the MRSI Exhibiton. I hope that this will be of interest to some of you. The photographs are outstanding, even if the speaker is a bit past it! LIVE MEETING with online attendance option THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 2026 @ 19:30 “Lance King in Ulster – the Great Northern” Leslie McAllister pays a tribute to his late friend Lance King, with a selection of Lance’s colour photography taken around the Great Northern Railway in the last years of steam traction. We hope that members and non-members alike based in the Greater Dublin Area will take the opportunity to join us for this in-person "hybrid" meeting of the Dublin Area. Please note that this meeting will now be held at the following venue: The Author's Lounge, The Address Connolly, Amiens Street, Dublin 1. (The former North Star Hotel opposite Connolly Station) Please refer to the IRRS website / Facebook for any possible changes close to the date of the meeting. An advisory email will also be sent out to all mailing list subscribers. ONLINE ATTENDANCE BY ZOOM Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82749281316?pwd=pgU2G2JTvh9ETxmuJBZeha7lvnXuvr.1 Passcode: 110559 YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO ENTER YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO JOIN THE MEETING ONLINE It is ESSENTIAL to check whether your Zoom app is up to date before logging on to the event. If the Zoom App is not up to date, the link may not function correctly. Audio only access is also available. One tap mobile : +35312408941,,82749281316#,,,,*110559# Ireland +35315369320,,82749281316#,,,,*110559# Ireland Join via audio: +353 1 240 8941 Ireland +353 1 536 9320 Ireland +353 1 653 3895 Ireland +353 1 653 3897 Ireland +353 1 653 3898 Ireland +353 6 163 9031 Ireland Webinar ID: 827 4928 1316 Passcode: 110559 International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kD7IoUmaK

Very much a variation on a theme to use a GWR chassis for this GNR loco. Much closer to correct driving wheel size, than my N2 which has When you've finalised your design, maybe I can persuade you to do a version that fits on a N2 chassis? N2 is a doubly bad choice having wheels nearly a foot too large. Must do my homework properly!

Oh, come on DOWN (pun definitely intended). Assuming that you're still at the same address, you're already on the main road to Dublin!