leslie10646

Don't blame me, @Galteemore, when the PP is finished, you'll be happy that you did it! My PP, built by Tony Ragg and came to me via Ken Gillen, is delightful.

Dear friends I am giving serious consideration to retirement. If I get to 2026 (DV), I'll be 80, so maybe the time has come to stop? Reluctantly, I will not deny as I / we get plenty of fun out of it but the "work and getting there" bit is a lot less fun! At present, postal sales are almost nil, thanks to Brexit - and of course the excellent products from a certain bunch of youngsters in Dublin! Any sales I make are at exhibitions in Ireland and an invitation to attend the NDMRC (Bangor) exhibition in April has provoked much debate between Richard McLachlan and I whether to do "one more year" (even to the extent of checking hotel rates in Blackrock in October!). We're sleeping on it! It is no exaggeration to say that each exhibition is knackering, takes up at least two weeks of time, each time - more if I'm bringing new product as I would be chasing the producer for months before! At best I cover my costs. I don't intend to produce more kits beyond what is on order now, or in my attic. That is: NCC Brown Vans 6 SLNCR Cattle 4 GNR Brake 0 Double Beet 10 GNR Y5 Van 3 GSWR Brake 4 CIE Cattle 12 GNR 10T Ftd 9 GNR 10T U/Ftd 6 GNR 9T U/Ftd 6 GNR Cattle 4 GNR 6 Plank 7 GNR 4Plank 7 GNR Loco Coal 3 Spoil wagon 0 (but some on order) Bread containers 17 I still have about ten Grey RTR CIE van with broken wheel and 20 or so Brown vans, also with a broken wheel.

To quote another famous UK Grumpy Old Man "I CAN'T BELIEVE IT"! You're NOT an IRRS member, Ivan? Time that you corrected that! As David says above, in invaluable source of Irish Railway info!

Niles There's more ballast and scenery on your line than the whole of Portadown Jct in ten years! I'm trying to correct that at present!

Why not for the owner of Enniskillen, rather than me? Slaps wrist. Sorry, David, I know that you like building them YOURSELF? AND it's not MGWR!

I certainly agree, SP. Their volunteers make a lot of a little and with a cheerful smile.

Friends Compliments of the Season. The weather forecast wasn't promising, but suggested an improvement this afternoon. So as soon as the New Year's day Concert was nearly over - we jumped into the car and headed for Chinnor in ever wetter conditions! I had planned to do the last two return trips of the day, but decided , as I drove, that one trip would do to allow me to drive home in semi-light - to allow me to see the large quantities of surface water on Oxfordshire's well-maintained roads! 1369 is one of those unusual outside cylinder pannier tanks - mainly used on dockside lines. She has spent her preserved life on the Dart Valley, where I MIGHT have had her before, I can't check as my "preserved loco" book is in Frimley. The train worked to Princes Risborough with 08.825 hauling and the pannier pushing, nothing over 14mph. There is at least one 5mph tsr and the need to stop for a level crossing. Complimentary teas and coffees were expeditiously distributed on board by cheerful volunteers to the adults; juices for the kids. A very creditable and appreciated service. It rained throughout the run and the layover at PR. Returning, the occasional noise from the Pannier, nothing over 16mph. After a visit to their shop, nothing there to extract money from my wallet and then attempted to photograph the last train departing. The diesel was easy: But less so the steam loco, which wreathed itself in steam! Even more amusing to try and video it! IMG_1243.MOV Still, I'd managed my first steam of the year. Happy New Year! Leslie IMG_1243.MOV

Richard McLachlan has done it. I'll reply fully when I get back from my New Year's Day steam train ride .......

The loose wire was a PICK-UP!!! Bent it back into place and the loco started working, after a fashion. Something is causing it to derail, more investigation required. Set her to one side, hoping to find another which would work! Frankly, an afternoon of frustration, I have at least six locos (all steam - you diesel freaks have it easy!) requiring attention. All brass hand made jobs and made by good guys. If you're going to run this type of loco you need a @Tullygrainey, @Galteemore, @David Holman or an @Andy Cundick living next door to you! I'm doing other things and will be away from the layout - probably the best for my sanity. IF (a very big IF) I ever build another layout, will someone remind me to make it smaller!

Paul It looks great in the Ranks Red and yes, you should have bought more than one, but I suspect that John didn't have them to sell - I wanted two and got one! Nice wagon to have.

Almost certainly right - I've brought it downstairs (the cleaning was done at my desk in the loft in iffy light, so I've probably recked havoc to all those sand pipes brake gear etc. While they look nice, they're maybe not so useful on a model? There IS a loose wire to boot! I'll report back!

David I found the Peco set up pretty useless. Have I got this wrong, but I assume that I could only turn the wheels of a DCC loco with a DCC controller - hence those visits to the track?

Boxing Day, I ran the weedkilling train - aka my new CMX rail cleaner (which was recommended by @WRENNEIRE). Endless circuits - I have double track, loops galore. They all had three passes at least. Great fun changing pads, pouring IPA into the tank thing. Paint drying wasn't in it for entertainment! They recommend a hefty loco, preferably two, to haul / push this one wagon train (the CMX weighs the same as a diesel loco). I used a Crossley-engined A Class which ground its way round without a hitch. I took a video, but the movie shot on my iPhone wouldn't load on my Mac Air - explain that! Today, I decided that before testing the track I'd have a session of wheel cleaning of my steam locos - you know the drill? Cotton bud soaked in Iso Propyl, gentle rubbbing of the tyres on the wheels. onto the track to turn the wheels a little. New cotton bud, repeat process a few times until you think the wheels MIGHT be clean. THEN ..... see if the recalcitrant loco will take off on your newly cleaned track and do a circuit. Three did, but the brass S Class shorted out the system - needless to say at the other end of the 21ft long layout, so I had to make my way along to rescue it, ducking under the roof supports. Look at the first page of this thread to see my loft!!! I've changed my mind - IRM MAY do a S Class - I'll stick the brass ones in a siding! Beats watching the awful Christmas TV.

Hardly even run in?

Back in the 1960s, one of the most-photographed trains was the "Red Bank Parcels" - I'm amazed to find that my memory was right as it's described here - worth a read! http://www.hall-royd-junction.co.uk/Hall_Royd_Trains/Red_Bank_parcels.html

I was musing earlier in this thread about the consist of the Day Mail. Haven't found on yet, but these two Lance King shots give you an idea of the varied stock on the Cork mainline in the 1950s! 801 at LMJ IRRS 402 at Mallow IRRS

Simply breath-taking, Ernie - thanks! The shot of the U Class at Clones is like a painting, while, of course, EVERY photo of No.207 is to be exalted. Who took them - just lovely. By the way Minister, there were invariably a good number of ladies on those early IRRs tours and today, the clientelle on a steam tour in GB is 50/50.

So Mr Alexander was The Primate? It turns out that we Armachians can't lay claim to Cecil Frances, as she died before her husband was elevated to Armagh - so all claim to her belongs to Derry! Nonetheless , through Mrs Alexander, we ULSTER folk do well in church at the two great festivals - invariably the first hymn at the Ceremony of Nine Lessons and Carols is Once in Royal David's City; while There is a Green Hill is always sung at Easter. Mr Alexander's wife was a talented lady?

Photos of the Day Mail usually show a very heterogeneous collection of vehicles with roof and side elevations constantly changing. Obviously a TPO, net 'n all; probably a full brake and a complement of varying coaches, vans etc. Must try and find a photie! Just popped in to let the dog out (his owner is in St Lucia enjoying his 50th), while I'm replete with a great Christmas Dinner cooked by his "Little Brother"! Dare I say it here? I thought that The King was on good form, quoting Mrs Alexander (Once in Royal David's City). @Galteemore will tell you, even if you don't know - she was the wife of the Dean of ARMAGH (Centre of the Known Universe). Happy Christmas and Peace to Men of Goodwill.

Yes, mail / parcels trains are great - you can stick almost anything into the consist. The "Big Four" rand twelve bogies with a crack express engine. In 1965, the NCC had a daily extra mail train to Derry which typically consisted of a passenger coach, a bogie van and two brown vans. One of them reputedly did 86 mph down the hill into Antrim, so I went out to see: My Journey precis for the day said: "1145 Postal Special. These trains had been rumoured to be real flyers, Train of one bogie, a bogie van and two brown vans. 25 min on Bank, then tsr and wrong line working, so nothing to write home about". PS David, love those vans at Enniskillen. Happy Christmas, all.

And now with motion (and a sort of music!)! A rather electric start, but a WT with 100 tons would have FLOWN! I'd forgotten that the GN(E) van had lights! If I'm honest, I was afraid that the loco would stall on my track which hasn't been cleaned. Let's hope that the CMX rail cleaner really works! Mail Train.mov

Christmas time, so time to run the Christmas Postal extras. My bogie vans are packed away (somewhere), so this year's train is a very made-up job. WT No.10 on a train of four and six wheelers - Brown Van (would never have seen Portadown), DNGR (really LNWR) full brake, Great Northern six wheel full brake (wrong GN, of course), a CIE Green full brake (just about legitimate) and a PW GNR(I) Y5 van (TOTALLY legitimate!). I LOVE tail vans.

Well done, Paul. If Airdrop worked from my useless iPhone 13 to my (probably more useless) Mac Air (2015), I'd show you Enda's Uniload containers on this wagon - a perfect fit! WHOOOPPPEEE!!! It's worked.

Interesting to see the U Class at Foyle Road - when I was doing my Summer Runabout in August 1964, there was a S Class on the 1015 from Derry most days, which I would pick up at Strabane. However, on 6 August 1964, No.201 (UTA No.66) was on the train and by an unhappy circumstance, I only was able to travel with her from Portadown to Belfast, not very speedily! Quite why she was on the train, my eighteen year old self did not ascertain. No.171 had gone to Derry on the previous day's 3pm train, and should have been on the 1015 on the 5th. She may have developed a fault and the little U Class was substituted. A S Class was back on the 3.15 that afternoon in the shape of No.172 (UTA No.60) and ran well enough for me to risk the Omagh connection into the 5.08pm relief back to Belfast - which I made! Takes you back ......

Interesting. I like the loop with the crossover which feeds trains back from whence they came, but on the correct line. However, how does an arriving train (an "UP" train), get across to the departure platform to form a "Down" train - don't you need a crossover somewhere? You've hit the age-old issue that points take up a lot of linear layout, which I sort of got round by buying a big house and mortgaging myself to the hilt (paid off when I was 75!). Good luck though, just a bit more innovation?