leslie10646

Despite the name, apparently these Gee gees were always MARES!!!! So tube arrangements might be more complicated?

The working model of "Dick" the horse, had better come with: a) Tram b) little boy as driver (see below) c) Class PP and suitable train for diorama background. 1957 view by Lance King, copyright IRRS.

I'm not with my copy of "Here be Dragons" - Phil Girdlestone's biography. Phil did a lot of work improving steam locos and I think the oil-firing of the FR engines was in his time - however, if I'm not mistaken they burned quite awful sump oil mixed with lighter stuff and if the mix wasn't right, the loco didn't steam. They were all converted back to coal but that was because of the price of oil!!! It cost half as much to use coal! We need to start digging the stuff up again in UK and not burn American forests in our power stations!

Oil firing chucks out even more filth - you should see a German 01.10 in full flight! The Swiss line at Bauma uses BRITISH smokeless fuel - a super idea as it buggers up the photo for non-paying photographers ....... But then we are all photographers of RPSI trains because they're booked out in minutes of going on sale. Now, the Flirts. You guys with a vote in the Republic, demand that EVERY TD is sent to Switzerland to ride on theirs AND THEN REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANYTHING LESS. The British" version don't come up to the mark at all. You can tell that I'm having a bad day - two hours trying to book an important X ray for my partner - don't live in Reading! Have a nice day Y'all.

Obviously time I sold mine .......

Well done, Patrick. I look forward to seeing you! Lance took great slides - I can't c comment on the commentary!!!! Leslie

Some of you will be aware that I've stayed on a few days to give a talk - so the risk of blowing my own trumpet - "With Lance King In Ireland - 1957 to 1970" Wednesday 1st April Leslie McAllister pays tribute to his late friend Lance King who faithfully recorded, in colour, the last days of steam haulage in Ireland between 1958 and 1970. In this talk, Leslie will concentrate north of Dundalk on the lines of the former GNR and NCC. With many exquisite scenes seldom seen in public, it will be a fitting end to our meetings season. This is one of the Belfast season of public meetings. It starts at 7:30pm and finishes by 10:00pm. Parke Hall, Orangefield Presbyterian Church, Castlereagh Road, Belfast, BT5 6BH." I can't say what the talk will be like, but the images are top class. From GNR steam in full flight, through the last SG3-hauled goods over the border to the Spoil Trains (which Lance took exquisite photos of). Come along and remember to say hello, please. Leslie

Thank you to those of you who gave Enda and I a busy morning. We hope to see more of you on Sunday afternoon.

Lettered examples of my new cattle wagons. Well done Enda for producing them in double quick time. Just off to set up and I hope sell some at Bangor tomorrow. Thanks Leslie

Lettered cattle wagons. GNR: and SL&NCR

Can't recommend this too highly, Ciaran has done a brilliant job of restoration and does his research for talks very thoroughly. Unhappily, I'll be the boat to Belfast .......

I am repeating myself here, but to make sure that the word is out ...... Just a heads up to the kit builders. I will have VERY few kits at Bangor. As things stand, I think that I may have had my last kit from my producer. A fairly big order went in three months ago, but I got no feedback until I was told a month ago that the moulds were inaccessible and that production of my latest batch wasn't possible. Bearing in mind that some kits do not sell in numbers to make the cost of 3D printing viable, some wagons may now be in the collectable bracket! This is what I have, which you can PM me to either reserve and pick up, or I will extract from the box and post it to you later. Unhappily, it may be that when they're gone, they're gone! Thanks Leslie

I have to back up @west_clare_wanderer's comment. It's a great resource. Thank you to you tax payers in the Republic for underwriting a great resource! When I was cataloguing the late David Soggee's superb slides, I found a sequence around Palace East and could not work out what was happening. Off to OSI maps, where I blew the map section up and up until I could nearly count the sleepers, could see the exact layout and work out a solution. Better, I think, than ours over here! Honestly never tried the UK one!

Just a heads up to the kit builders. I will have VERY few kits at Bangor. As things stand, I think that I may have had my last kit from my producer. A fairly big order went in three months ago, but I got no feedback until I was told a month ago that the moulds were inaccessible and that production of my latest batch wasn't possible. Bearing in mind that some kits do not sell in numbers to make the cost of 3D printing viable, some wagons may now be in the collectable bracket! This is what I have, which you can PM me to either reserve and pick up, or I will extract from the box and post it to you later. Unhappily, it may be that when they're gone, they're gone! Thanks Leslie

And it was! Ken on great form as always! Lots of scenes which I hadn't seen before with an excellent commentary from Ken.

Ready for launch at Bangor, Provincial Wagons in association with CK 3D printing ((Enda!!!) and replacing a pretty popular kit dating from 2012. A READY TO RUN 3D printed version of the Great Northern Railway of Ireland 9 Ton Covered Goods Wagon This type of wagon was built to Diagram 10 at Dundalk Works from 1941 onwards. The prototype wagon, No.2670 was completed on 28 February 1941. The type was deemed to be a conversion from an existing class of 8 ton vans and reused existing ironwork. The wagons were turned out in batches of eight at roughly monthly intervals from then until 1950. Then after a break of two years or so, further batches were completed monthly from 1953 until 30 July 1957, a matter of months before the dissolution of the railway between the UTA and CIE. There were about 600 wagons of this type and they would have worked all over the GNR system and farther afield. On sale at Bangor this weekend at an introductory price of £40 per wagon

Enda has worked his magic again! The 3D printed GNR 9 ton van - on sale at Bangor this weekend at £40 introductory price.

Or, you can have a copy of the GSR Loco book from The Syndicate (me!) at the original price of £35 (€40), delivered at Bangor this weekend. The money goes to the IRRS as the book was a donation. Let me know, as I'm leaving home at lunchtime on Thursday. Thanks Leslie

Hah! @Galteemore, at least you made sure that the "New U" was "ARMAGH itself (which is in my collection, of course). Actually, I find GNR black with mahogany coaches almost as big a turn on. Like a wee T Tank with mahogany coaches.

No, no Bob! The sky SHOULD be very dull. I once told Andy Cundick that his Valentia Harbour needed some clever use of maybe a double layer of glass with water pouring down it to simulate the real thing!

Another getting ready shot. As well as my remaining kits and the NEW RTR wagons, I'll be selling books on behalf of the IRRS London and through The Syndicate - railway preservation - hence the visible library oof books. NOT the final layout, but close! I have to leave some room for Enda's stock - second year we'll be selling those at Bangor. Thank goodness Linda has the patience of Job! I've just noticed that I'm giving my original Smart Car "Myvanwy" some "air time". I plan to fix her as she's better than my present one - six forward gears, three gear systems (Tiptronic, paddles - I refer to them as Michael Schumacher - and automatic) and good for 80mpg on a motorway run (never exceeding 55!!!!). Off to bed, shattered!

Ah, no, Bob. The "device" comes with two remote controls, so I can pretend it's my model of the Lartigue system. Cabin luggage? I need a whole ship ...... and Richard's car!

No doubt someone from the NDMRC will get around to publicising this event, which is just ten days away. Some of us have to start early. Getting kits and wagons out of the loft is a tiring job, but I had help this year. 'Er indoors broke her foot, so I invested in a Stair Lift, which can be quite useful ..... The guy who sold it to me asked what weight I was - I didn't tell him that I needed it to be able to carry 50 16 ton wagons, the parts for fifteen CIE cattle wagons, a C Class and a Single-ended Yankee!

Now, George, you're boasting about how old you are ...... Zero one - I can JUST about remember that system. Of course to some of us a Zero One is a twelve wheeler German express loco. The modern electric equivalent is a Class 101 - you can have great fun with numbers!

I'm hopeless at times - eighty years are catching up! As well as the coaches etc above, I have FOUR boxes (ie each "set" for each of the following IRM wagons and as they will never run on my layout, I might as well as pass them on to someone who wants them. I can deliver too you, or your representative at Bangor next week. Plus Two - Set E of brown Taras also at £80 a box and TWO - Sets A and D of Fertiliser wagons. Same price of £80 per box. I'm going to be pushed for space at Bangor, so I'm keen to sell in advance, rather than cover my table with IRM's products!!!! Thanks for looking. Leslie