leslie10646

If I survive to see October, I'm sure that I can help you out, but I hope to make a decent dent in the stock with Bangor attendees!

Not at all, David. Johnny Morris reading the books on LPs was The Man. Now, I'm showing my age! Even the great Mac Arnold - not an easy man to please - said that Mr Awdry's books were pretty correct technically and he encouraged his grandchildren to read them.

Yes Mr B from Limerick or thereabouts - you're lucky - there were only three Dereks in my database: one very regrettably deceased, one is an eminent member of the N Down MRC so you must be yon ither yin. I'll send you a suitably inflated bill. Thanks Leslie

Thanks, Derek. Bangor is the N Down MRC's exhibition on 23/24 March. The grey job will be £18, the Brown 'un £17, or £34 the pair! Postage to RoI will have to be a little extra. PM me with an address and we'll see what I might do. If you're in UK, you can have them earlier!

Thanks, George, making work for me. Easier to get a pal to pick one up for you in Bangor and hand it over when you next see each other! Same applies, Joe! There WILL be plenty left, for Bangor is the wrong end of the country to sell CIE wagons (?).

Just opened the boxes! First, a near repeat: 1681N, ex GNR Bagged Cement van in grey with two tone "Broken Wheel". and now for something complete;y different, 1069N, the same type of wagon but as they ran late in their lives. First the original: and now the model. Plenty of opportunity for the weathering experts here!

I think that @Galteemore has highlighted this gent already, but he's done paintings from all parts of the Irish railway network - something for everyone, even the road transport types! See: https://www.painters-online.co.uk/gallery/?Search=briggs

A further update on my new wagons. I paid Dapol for them an hour ago! (Meaning that they've been made!). So, I should have them with me at the Show in March. Photographs when they arrive at "Pettigo Fair". Leslie

See: https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/14415-next-provincial-wagon/page/4/#comments Not that exciting!

Sorry, Patrick, I DID announce the wagons already - read the "Next" posts again. CIE liveries. I thought of doing a GN one, but wasn't convinced that it'd sell!

And a certain Irish Wagon Maker, with two new RTR wagons .......

Lovely model, Dave, but Wikipedia (or somewhere else) has led you astray. No. 101 was named Lord Massereene in September 1949. "As Every Schoolboy Knows" Viscount Massereene and Ferrard cut the first sod on the Belfast and Ballymena Railway on 6 November 1845 at Whitehouse, Co Antrim - so an appropriate acknowledgment, albeit a century late! No.103 was named Thomas Somerset in March 1943. Mr Somerset was Chairman of the NCC. As you can clearly see! Limavady Junction 1948. Photo by Henry Casserley, copyright The Syndicate

I have been asked, at very short notice, to give another "Lance" talk to the Reading Transport Group. This one will be "The NCC in Action". If you (or anyone you know who wants to see the talk) are free, we'd be delighted to see you. Basically it's the talk given to the IRRS London Area in December 2022, with a few additions like a few Casserley and Christian Hewison photos. Spoil Trains a aplenty. Meetings are held on the first floor of Church House, Church Street, Caversham next to Waitrose. There is a small car park at the rear of the venue for 'blue disc' holders, additionally there is the Waitrose car park at the rear of the St Martins precinct. The venue also has a lift to the first floor for those unable to use the stairs. Reading buses stop nearby, services 22,24,25,27 and 29 plus Thames Travel X39/40 from Woodcote. We open at 7.30 and usually commence at 7.45. The attendance charge is £3. It's be great to see any of you who live in the Thames Valley. Leslie

The detail in these coaches, particularly the interiors, is very impressive. Congratulations! A pity that they're not my "Zone of interest", but others will fall over themselves to get them!

Portadown had subways, but Robert's bridge looks very nice and is very tempting!

One of the questionable benefits of being a grumpy old 77 year old, is that by now, you've been there, bought the teeshirt and worn it out. Jonathan is right, there isn't the money, nor the potential support for another railway museum. I assume from his chosen name that Newtoncork in the Cork area and I'm sorry that the two existing museums are so far from him. Cultra has been widely praised by British pals who've visited and is at least free to enter thanks to MY generosity (as a UK tax payer). Support it. It's a pity that there are relatively few "Southern" exhibits, but that was an issue of time-line. Most of the interesting Southern kit, like the lovely 4-4-0s, 2-4-0s had gone long before Cultra was open. The price of early dieslisation. He does mention being "professional" and I must say that I had a bit of a search to find out just what is in Cultra - it's not on their website - that could be better. Support what's there and don't dissipate scarce resources.

My dear Metro, Patrick can be offended if he likes, but the four wheel van is a Quality Produce, courtesy of yours truly (Patrick is a valued and revered customer of long standing) STILL AVAILABLE FROM PROVINCIAL WAGONS. Every home (layout) should have one!!

This is one for JHB, or Mayner. Anything remotely like this in Ireland? With their name, I assume that they were for moving TANKS? Not aware of any such vehicles finding their way here, even during the Emergency as you Southern guys delightfully refer to the apocalypse that was WW2. I wonder what the Irish word for Aramgeddon is .... (I bet Dave knows). Back to the topic. Good luck with the Hatton lines, boys.

Dave Your GNR locos look lovely. You've got a wee job to do renumbering your "U" - the 1915 ones didn't have "County" names, so you're stuck with choosing your favourite "Lough" - No.199 was Lough Derg, went to CIE and was the last survivor there. It may have been mentioned before, but the T Tanks were a "U" Class with tanks and a bunker! I always thought them rather nice little locos (hence three 4mm ones on my layout!

Hi Darius Yes, they look nice, but how many? Even an 071 could pull TWENTY - OR DID YOU PHOTOGRAPH EACH SIDE ......

I can only report that Daniel Wu, my builder in Hong Kong, would have agreed 100% with David's views. He had built a lot of DJH kits but said that the TMD ones went together much better than them. I have much to thank Terry (and Daniel) for, as they got the Irish Ball rolling for me - two blue S Class and a black one, plus a SG during my time in HK. Now over a dozen GN locos! I've four of Adrian's locos as well, including one built by him.

"69" at Goring! What's a "69"? Started life as a BR-built Co-Co Class 56 around 1980. Not very successful, so re-engined as a cheaper alternative to a new loco. EMD/Caterpillar engine rated as 3,200hp. The trailing load is a brand new SWR Class 701 EMU - going to storage until they've trained enough drivers! Who says the UK is short of money? You couldn't make it up! 69.008 Goring.mp4 Having a blonde standing waving to the driver usually gets a "beep"

David That coupling mechanism is a work of genius. A pity that I have at least a hundred wagons, so while I'd love to use it, I just don't have time for such a conversion job!

Beano, Old Boy, I was talking about the complaints about timescales, rather than quality. I can't comment on liveries at all - I leave that to those who were there! It does seem to be a minefield. Maybe that is why I stick to wagons - almost all a sort of grey colour! Mind you you can get into a bog with that too, a recent article I skimmed over mentions the difficulties of getting Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway grey just right. Anything that happened after 1970 in Ireland was only noticed "in passing" by me when I was over for RPSI tours - the rest of the time I was chasing the remaining steam locos all over the Globe.

Apologies about the way the "Site" iimplanted my comment in the "Quote" box - so expand it and see my point. We had a UK Prime Minister, Harold MacMillan, who once said "You've never had it so good"! And you haven't - stop whinging!