leslie10646

@Galteemore and I turned up at the Tolworth Exhibition today to run our respective trains on David's wonderful Northport Quay. I overheard, David remark to one admirer that there were THREE people in the World modelling on 36.75mm gauge and that they were all in present in front of him - so having been given this not-inconsiderable accolade, I arranged a photo shoot! Of course, the two David's are the modellers, I am just an owner and runner! Not only did David let me place my little MGWR train on his hallowed turf, but he even let me drive it! A very serious business it is driving a train into a station which you haven't "signed for". I was terrified!

Ah, the buffers! Michael (aka "My Man") supplied ear studs, I think - very cheap, roughly right, ready-made!!!!!!!

I've learnt something - I didn't realise that the Muck wagons were renumbered. Sorry - I ain't producing new transfers! You get M for Muck plus numbers 01 - 60-ish.

David I watched Richard McLachlan spend THREE days (say fifteen hours) just tinkering with paint detail on a set he's building for a friend. He continued throughout the Clontarf bash and they're still not complete. LNWR livery takes some doing and these look worth the money - All you youngsters have to do is give up the Sex Drugs and Rock 'n Roll for a while ......

Fancy your own DN&GR Boat Train? Almost a hundred quid a pop - but just lovely? From Bachmann - April / May 2025. https://railsofsheffield.com/search?sort_by=relevance&q=lnwr arc roof&options[prefix]=last&filter.v.price.gte=0&filter.v.price.lte=170&filter.p.vendor=Bachmann&utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=campaign&utm_campaign=Bachmann Winter 2024 Announcements&utm_id=01JBXSXYMHW6R92BPS6EQA17JD&_kx=94TVSTwJKaw1u9s0VI6GSrlZad3yB7CBtaw17rSe4OjqnSFePN1n7xZw98DdvMB7.RXkVMS Fourteen variants.LNWR, LMS and Midland and Great Northern Jjoint With my love of "Tail vans", I can see the full brake being added to Portadown Jct!

Hi Patrick, Fran et al: take note of the FOURTH Ernie picture above - same chassis - and much demanded by this forum! Even though they're a bit outside my period - I'd buy a few for variety on the Cross border goods coming through Portadown.

Good luck with your PP, David. I only have two of them and they proved better runners than my S Class until Alan Edgar did his magic on them.

The new train is already in service, it seems - on the excellent Dun Laoighaire layout. This was a hurried "Phone shot". I've just woken up after a long sleep - Richard drove me back to Reading from Holyhead - a one-man effort by him. Thanks! Yes, may I echo Fran's thanks to David, Tony, Ed and a host of other MRSI guys for putting on a great show (even if my "pitch" was a bit cramped between Eamon's "Bog Road" (I only really saw the back!) and the two Michael's with their N Gauge layout where GNR locos brushed shoulders with Norfolk and Western diesels!). See Patrick's photo of me counting my ill-gotten gains and you'll see what I mean! I'm sold out of another two of my RTR vans, bar the remainder which is off to a man in the Canaries. Best of all, the people you meet - the Annual Dublin show has replaced the defunct club-run Warley as the place for Irish modellers to meet. More later, when I come round properly - I was so tired that I couldn't remember this computer's password! Thanks again guys!

Correct, Ivan. Not used now - does it still exist?

Agreed, but with IRM it is DEFINITELY the Infinite Improbability Drive which is steering their Steam Team.

Yes, indeed, although I was timing Bulleid Pacifics on the Bournemouth line that day! When I published a history of the first 25 years of the RPSI Steam's Silver Lining, I noted in the caption of the photo of 171 piloting No.207 Boyne - "The saddest photo in the book" - as it was No.207's last run. She was condemned by her 21 ton axle-loading, which would have restricted her usefulness on tours (Belfast - Dublin - Cork). Yet No.85, with the same loading has been almost everywhere - modern diesels, unthought of in 1965, are so much heavier!

Trying to be positive, I presume that the building site will eventually disappear and that they plan to demolish the unsightly block on the right in the first picture - then you can see the frontage? AND I enjoyed an "Express" run back to Bangor with a steady 70mph through Helen's Bay - which you wouldn't have done in steam days! BUT, it's a quarter of a mile further out from the City Centre and from this favoured watering hole, which I see is still where I left it! As for the loss of through services Bangor to Portadown - yes I know that only a modest number of folk would want that - one connection I looked up offered journeys of 1hr 18 minutes and 1 hour 41 minutes .... All part of the improvements?

For there were these guys too Dozens of 'em.

Paid a visit today from Bangor - the service is slower than steam days - nothing over 48 to Holywood! I'm glad i didn't try the journey in reverse: Find the station ...... The platform indicators were very good! This was at 1515 hours this afternoon. But, nil fesperandum, they had been replaced by humans telling you what train went where: I counted over ten in sight (ran out of fingers, you see .... Is this NIR solving the unemployment problems?

THERE IS! AND RICHARD AND I ARE GOING TO GIVE IT THE ONCE OVER ON THURSDAY BEFORE COMING SOUTH TO CLONTARF. I KNOW A MAN WHO MIGHT PRODUCE ONE ......

Enjoy them! You should have picked up a 00 Works J15 when they were on sale! HE HAS ONE OF NO. 125 AND NO.146 REMAINING

Don't know where to start, Ernie - the Compound entering Pordie-down is magic, especially with a uniform train of mahogany coaches. The dual track at The Harbour was very interesting. The "Double Engine" at Campbell's is wonderful - you'd be accelerating hard down the hill past Dduallt Manor, then the Platform and the PW Inspector's House and hoping that he'd keep the brakes off long enough for you to record a "twenty" (mph) before slowing for the 15mph through the little tunnel. I hope that the antibiotics work quickly! Well, @LNERW1 you should be ashamed at not knowing that, but you'll be able to replicate it - the Ballymena and Larne had 2-4-0Ts like the IOMR ones, which, I think you get buy in a RTR Box. Add your soon to be announced Class WTs from IRM and you can model the Harbour pretty well!

No, It's a Class WT. I've just ordered 1,000 Spoil Wagon kits which will be sent to the Philippines to be built in time for the iRM Christmas 2025 Boxed Set Offer - TWO Class WTs Twenty Spoil wagons as a Boxed Set, complete with oval of track and a few points and a Loading Bank so that you can have the whole Stone Train operation on your layout. Locos with sound, of course - digitally controlled from "Loud" to "Very, Very Loud" so that you can imitate the train going up the bank through Trooperslane.

First, I hope that Mum is as well as can be? Yes, you were missed. Did you arrange for your replacement - an American logging layout - I've forgotten the name, although I voted for it as the most appealing layout - who wouldn't have with Shays, Climaxes etc? Look forward to seeing the Quay elsewhere!

Yes, Colin, so you have! Thanks for buying them. IRM will have fun doing it as a wagon, as no drawings appear to exist. We didn't quite make it up, but a NORWEGIAN friend had made some measurements and with his permission, I'll pass them on - I'll act as his agent to negotiate a price!

The Kernow Models LSWR "Road Van" might offer a basis? https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/43665/SB003G-LSWR-10-Ton-Goods-Brake-Van-number-S54466 I bought mine because it was supposed to be "similar" to some BCDR brake van. Patrick might be able to share light? Ye Gods, @Galteemoregot it up two minutes before me! The B&NCR had something with a side door like this too - I'll have a look when short of things to do!

Hi Fishplate - No.85 is a BIRD - but don't worry, I made a mistake in Steam's Silver Lining saying that Merlin had just gone through HIS first tunnel (exiting Downhill Tunnel) and I usually refer, in talks, to 85's restoration as "Putting the Magic back into Merlin". Yes, a Compound would be wonderful. By the way, there's a brilliant article by Conrad Natzio in the latest edition of Milepost (journal of the Railway Performance Society) about the Compounds. It deserves a wider audience than the restricted circulation of the Timers' Times! (Pun intended).

John beat me to it - thanks, John - So what's wrong with my Spoil wagon kit - apart from that you have to build it? Over 220 in service and a new order for half a dozen today! (Thanks Damien!).

Congratulations on your big win at the Hornby Awards. For any of you who missed the announcement (sent to all IRM customers?) - here it is: "A massive thank you to everyone who voted for us in the 2024 Hornby Magazine awards. Our sister brand Accurascale won in all 5 categories we had an entry in, including the coveted "Manufacturer of the Year". We know many of our IRM customers vote for us, so thank you once again! One item that won was the joint project of our Mark 2 coaches, which were done for both Accurascale and IRM in our NIR and IR/IE coach packs." Think of HOW BIG YOU WILL WIN NEXT YEAR when your model of the GNR Q Class or "Merlin" is running on all of our layouts! Well done Leslie

I'd normally say, "well, if it is, I won't be buying one", but as they are sure to do No.4, I MIGHT ...... You see, my two are No.10 (83mph at Muckamore with Tommy Crymble) and No.53 which gave me my best time from Ballymena to Belfast - Paddy Dobbin with fireman Albert Plews. Sooooooo, No.4 would be a "new" engine. Oh, and yes, I've had eighty with her - well over thirty years ago! Only thirteen sleeps until we find out!