leslie10646

Folks As well as my wagons, I will have a selection of recently published Irish Railway books. I know that many are not easily available in Ireland, another "benefit" of Brexit, so I usually bring some with me. In particular the Tralee and Dingle Railway book which retails here at £60 sterling - I'll do pre-orders at 60 Euros - but please let me know. Profit goes to RPSI. Any other books - just ask. Thanks Leslie

Next door was an even wider gauge - Mr Brunel's 7ft 0¼in - as it was in mixed gauge days with interleaved 4ft 8½in. It is a model of Ealing Broadway - "but not as we know it". A really remarkable though station with sector plate at each end. The layout includes a works with traverser, a loco shed and a very fine station building over the tracks - enjoy - I certainly did!

And now, a surprise visitor from Bandon! Apologies, this is as light as I could get - it was a rainy day in Valencia!

On Saturday last, I made my way to Swindon to see Valencia Harbour again. I was rewarded by seeing my CIE Cattle wagon kit,built by Simon de Souza being shunted by Andy's No.133. Behind is Andy's fine GSWR brake which I mercilessly plagurised for my kit of the same vehicle!

I think that most pf you know that I was involved in the RPSI from the inaugural meeting. When an English society asked me to give them I talk the RPSI, I also offered the IRRS London the same talk, as they have had to postpone our October meeting. So, an extra IRRS London meeting - by ZOOM only. I will publicise the Zoom codes nearer the day. It's a great story and I have great illustrations from Charles Friel and Lance King to back me up. All are welcome to join in. "RPSI at 60 Tonight we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the RPSI (on 30 September 1964). Leslie McAllister was one of the attendees at that inaugural meeting addressed by Lord O’Neill, and from 1972 to 1990 was the Society’s London Agent, with a responsibility for encouraging British enthusiasts to cross the Irish Sea to enjoy the delights of main line steam travel in Ireland. This is very much an Exile’s view, but Leslie travelled on many of the early tours and especially the “Two Day” tours which made the Society famous. The talk will cover some of those early tours in great detail and then offer a history of the Society through the lives of its steam Locomotives and vintage coaches; right up to today when it has an extensive, well-equipped Workshop and Museum at Whitehead. Photographs from Charles Friel (acknowledged by all as the Society’s “Official Photographer”), the late Lance King, Joe Cassells and a few from the speaker. Log in tonight and share memories of a remarkable six decades of mainline steam and successes the Founders couldn’t even have dreamt of!"

Good news, Dave. A masterpiece of a layout!

And, while we are winding each other up ........ IRM will have their new locomotives on sale!!!!!!! You heard it first here .......

And only three traders - the usual suspects. Well, MRSI, I've told you that I'll be there with my latest vans (see Bangor Exhibition thread) and kits.

I quite like the 60s as well - if only because they give a break from the monotony of endless 66s at Goring - they are used on oil trains from Theale near Reading to South Wales. Livery looks good - almost GSR Steam Grey!

Re an Irish version: a) People can make their own transfers or b) There are folk out their who do very good "Transfers to order".

I was around when they first ventured to Belfast on the Enterprise and I can't remember what we referred to them as except, possibly "B Bullets". You see - when the Blessed Oliver painted the early diesels in the silver livery, "senior" steam enthusiasts like Drew Donaldson etc referred to them as "Bullets". So, logically when the American B Class came along they were referred to a "B Bullets". Latterly, I've always referred to them as "Single-ended Yankees" - but that's not in common use, even if it describes them well. The RPSI had cause to be glad of them, as their existence meant you needed TURNTABLES - which just happened to be useful for turning steam locos with tenders!

In my diary.

The girls can go inside my Y5 van - glad to see that Patrick made a special niche for a niche wagon. By the way, Patrick, I loved seeing the Nun's hitching a ride in MY GNR Open - still available from me by return of post, complete with choice of number transfers. Both six and four plank.

It'd be some layout to have twelve stations!

The Silver Fox coaches look the business, Patrick, not perfect, but windows the right shape and in the right place etc and the colour works pretty well. I have one of his railcar sets - have you managed to persuade yours to go slowly? I need to do some homework on my DCC manual to get the acceleration right! Mine takes off like a Saturn Five rocket! Of course, the coach set is just made by the Y5 van from a very well known source - you've done a very nice job building it. An absolutely super layout!

Several Provincial wagons on eBay! I nearly did a rerun of the van in GN colours this Spring for Bangor. He's asking a round £25 a wagon. If I re-did it, it would be £18 post free. (With postage his is £29.50). If there's any interest, SPEAK UP, please. My first ever wagon: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235711470243?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l1120&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=da70c22a978e45449e8353d7523c2a3f&bu=43025934942&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20240824044849&segname=11021 The second version of my GNR Open: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235711464964?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l1120&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=da70c22a978e45449e8353d7523c2a3f&bu=43025934942&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20240824044849&segname=11021 The original verison of my GNR flat with Furniture Container https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235711476334?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m43.l1120&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=da70c22a978e45449e8353d7523c2a3f&bu=43025934942&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20240824044849&segname=11021 OR, you can really pay through the nose for the original van from a different seller! I can't believe this price - I'd probably offer three of a rerun for this price! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266704807557?_trksid=p1.c101732.m5053&_trkparms=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2F266704807557%3F_trkparms%3Damclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230719113457%26meid%3D57fd1f28b8ec4fb18c332e51cc811db2%26pid%3D101732%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26b%3D1%26sd%3D235711470243%26itm%3D266704807557%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D1%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebWithV11WebTrimmedV3VisualRankerWithKnnV3AndUltBRecall%26brand%3DDapol&_trksid=p1.c101732.m5053&mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m5053.l9429&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=da70c22a978e45449e8353d7523c2a3f&bu=43025934942&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20240824044849&segname=11021 Finally at the same £43.59 (including post) the Dapol SLNCR cattle wagon - MY KIT (still available) is a proper job at just £25. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256435473564?_trksid=p1.c101732.m5053&_trkparms=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fitm%2F256435473564%3F_trkparms%3Damclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20230719113457%26meid%3D57fd1f28b8ec4fb18c332e51cc811db2%26pid%3D101732%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D4%26b%3D1%26sd%3D235711470243%26itm%3D256435473564%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D1%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWebWithV11WebTrimmedV3VisualRankerWithKnnV3AndUltBRecall%26brand%3DDapol&_trksid=p1.c101732.m5053&mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11021.m5053.l9430&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=da70c22a978e45449e8353d7523c2a3f&bu=43025934942&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20240824044849&segname=11021 As I say, if you're interested in a new run of the GN van, say so - obviously with a different number!

Glad to see some progress with your 3D stuff again, John. I can give them a very positive testimony - by far the best 3D prints I've seen to date. I'll be in touch as I have PARTS of some wagons upstairs! Good luck with this run.

You're right about the strange choice, but as others have said - a "Quick Win". Back in the Sixties, it was the first Irish loco we all had by repainting a Hornby Jinty - every layout had one!

Snap, Ivan - I got MY model of 18.201 on eBay as well. She was a must as I've done 100mph with her! My latest relative bargain on eBay was the Bavarian S3/6 Pacific from Hamo. I travelled behind her in June and was so delighted I just HAD to have a model of 3673 - she's behind me in the display cabinet - tender to tender with 18.201! eBay is always worth a look if you have a "want".

Glad to see my taxes being well-spent - at least I'm pretty sure that the said apprentices are in part funded by Sir Keir and Co. Well done and good luck with the project!

Vide: Although these are Hattons' ones! LNWR passing.mov

John The "modern" building in the background is the former RIC Barracks, burnt out by "The Boys" during the original troubles. I'm pleased to see the building restored - it looked like that when I dragged one of my English tour parties to view the bridge over the river - which is also still there - at least what I told them - I wanted to see the station!

Seen at Killorglin with the Valentia Line lifting train in June 1961. A David Soggee photo, Copyright IRRS.

I thought that to differentiate between my "Trainspotting" on the Western and my search on the Southern (near the family home) for semi-interesting trains, that I'd start a new Thread. "Deepcut" refers to the Deep Cut through a ridge in the local hills to get the Basingstoke Canal (1794) through. When the London and Southampton Railway was opened in 1840, they had to build a wall 8ft high between the railway and the canal so that the horses were not frightened! You can see in some of my videos taken at The Curzon Bridge - two bridges East of the actual DEEPCUT BRIDGE from which the first of these shots was taken. It is a VERY high bridge, as the railway is at a lower level than the canal which climbed over the ridge by courtesy of a ladder of FOURTEEN locks. The canal is a lovely place to walk, was it not for the cyclists, who don't seem to have heard of bells! Oh, and the occasional military men out keeping fit - the Curzon Bridge leads into the former Guards' Depot at Pirbright. It's all within two miles of the house! So first, a light engine movement this morning from Tonbridge to Eastleigh - no less than the Electro-diesels (nearly sixty years old) 73109 + 73213. They are on the Fast Line as there's work going on on the slow line. They are just approaching the top of the ten mile 1 in 300 or so climb to milepost 31 from London - the white box by the track almost marks the spot. IMG_0041.MOV Next today was a mysterious "Empty Coaching Stock" shown as timed for an electric multiple unit, maximum speed 33 mph - I'm only quote from "Realtime Trains". This one is filmed from the Curzon Bridge a mile to the east. Guess what turned up, a PULLMAN-liveried Class 67 (67.021) doing 75/80 I'd say - IMG_0043.MOV After a nice walk from Lock 25 at the Curzon Bridge down to Lock 19 and back, I video'd the good old boring Mountfield Sidings (near Robertsbridge in Kent) to Eastleigh empty stone train. A real Accurascale benefit - I think that these are wagons which they've produced? The Basingstoke Canal is behind the trees on the left (you can't see the wall, which IS 8ft high) for the overgrown vegetation!). Mountfield 5824.mov

I think that Darrman is on the right track (pun intended). The more that this line is build on a Brown Field Site, the better. HS1 was so built and came in close to time and budget. All that said, the Government of the Peoples' Popular and Democratic Republic of Grot Britain has cancelled ALL further rail reopenings, so you can forget about it altogether, as Ivan says?