leslie10646

As Andy won't show pics of his latest creation, I will. The Book (you need to be up with the HHGTTG terminology), suggested that I hire The Heart of Gold to test its time travel capabilities. I found myself in 1930s Donegal, however infinitely improbable that was...... The place, Bruckless on the Killybegs branch. "Forbes' taxi" (aka Railcar No.1) has just arrived with its trailer. Andy tells me that the "Taxi" was to carry EIGHT - the trailer had about thirty seats! I'm happy to say that "Bruckless" attracted a continuous flow of visitors at the Southampton MREx yesterday, with Andy kept busy describing how he had built up (actually HE BUILT THEM!) his immense collection of CDR stock over a period of about thirty years. Railcar No.9 (20 seater) Steam on the daily goods, complete with a "Henry Forbes" look-alike, in the form of the worthily proud builder.

I've been considering doing a kit of a GS(W)R or GNR horsebox for ages. Is there any interest in one? I have drawings and lots of photos.

You're right of course. Caveat Emptor. I note it's not even sound fitted! Mine was from Gareth of the erstwhile Belfast Model Shop. Great sound effects.

When I started PW in 2007, one of my original quartet of Dapol Commissions was their BR conflat with a furniture container mimicking the GNR's dark blue furniture container. I repeated it with container No.4 with a different conflat. Then I embarked on my bread container project and did other Dapol conflats to carry two bread containers. Sorry that it is a movie which will take foorever to load up, but I can't find a still at present. IMG_1289.MOV Anyway, the GNR built flats especially to carry bread containers, which DID NOT look like the British type. It's probably too late to offer one now, although 3D printing might offer a solution. If I thought there was an interest ..... I've plenty of bread containers for those who are happy to repaint British conflats - two fit beautifully on the Dapol ones.

Now, that's dedication! Mind you it should be worth it to see trains of some kind run in that fabulous scenery. When I took the Great Rail Journeys Irish tours, I always looked forward to the Connemara day. Could you get a modern diesel out there on a low loader? Only thinking out loud ........

Yes, I got massive points for choosing the Holiday Inn Express (highly recommended and with excellent included breakfast buffet) in Wuppertal last September. The Schwabebahn was right outside the window and the other half was over the Moon to be able to watch trains every ten minutes or so! Talking of German model shops, has anyone ventured into the HUGE one on the outside platforms at Munich - I've walked past loads of times, but always in a hurry to catch a train to or from Austria.

Actually, there's no need to emulate that autocracy. When they decided to get on with Midleton - Oliver Doyle and Co, spurred on their boss Dick Fearn, literally did sweep into Co Cork to bulldozer their way through the overgrowth to rediscover the trackbed. Jim Mead strikes me as a guy who will spur another generation to similar acts.

I've just read this in an e-mail from a "Timer" friend. Obviously Noel was very highly regarded by the Students of Locomotive Performance (aka "Timers"). He drove (and fired) most expertly and was just as enthusiastic about a day out on 186's footplate as he was on Merlin or No.4. He learned the craft of driving the big Compound from an earlier GNR driver and when the day came for the IR drivers to take Merlin on a RPSI tour, Rob Jolly came up to the North and travelled down on her footplate to get some tips. Noel drove to Dundalk, with Rob watching how it was done. At Dundalk, Noel put him in the driver's seat, took up the shovel himself and let Rob have a hands-on tutorial. That was the kind of guy Noel was. Nearly twenty years ago, he asked one of the timing fraternity for some idea of the best performances on the GNR main line in the preservation era. Armed with that information, he set about beating them. In particular, he was interested in getting Merlin over the great climb over the Border without falling below 50mph - he got very close! He got 70mph out of the recently-overhauled Q Class No.131 and we timers were looking forward to experiencing him driving No.171 when her overhaul is complete. Alas, that is a pleasure we will be denied. My sympathy to his friends, family and colleagues who have lost a truly great guy. May he indeed Rest in Peace and Rise in Glory.

Absolutely fabulous! Mind you, it shows how nice it is to have a nice big oval to test / run things in!

Firstly, David W, thanks for that remarkable video. I wonder who took it - John Laird or Craig Robb at a guess? The later film of No.800 was taken on 28 February, a Friday. The day she came North. Next day, the enthusiast community was at Adelaide to photograph her beside No.207 'Boyne" which was specially steamed. Back to the main subject: As Steve suggests, the gunpowder van is NCC. When researching my Gunpowder van, a photo came to light taken by the late Derek Young which shows its sister in much more detail - the W irons are not GNR but the oblong wagon plate is the real giveaway. On No. 2649, by the way. The one in the video is 2650, so it wasn't a solitary example. An amazing video with a lot to see and drool over. Thanks David

Obviously the City saw the video too, as their share price went South.

Perhaps they could persuade James Galway to don a Templemore Avenue Flute Band uniform again and be "scanned"?

Jaw-droppingly good. AND I had no idea that IKEA made baseboards which you can attach to the wall!!!!!

Good luck with the new venture, Steve. A quick look at the Dapol site reminds me that they do a Sentinel - the NCC had one of those, but not quite that version, I think - but maybe a quick win? Are none of their vans even close to Irish? Roger's Alphagraphix kits produce decent wagons too - I have a couple on Rosses' Point. I was prodding him re the lack of a chassis kit for his cardboard wagons - I think he may produce one sooner or later.

It'll be a long time before you see secondhand ones, but I'm sure one of the guys on this site lives near you and will have a few to bring and test?

Well, the RPSI has no obvious plans for running 184 / 186 again so why not a loan, given suitable assurances as to the loco's well-being?

I heartily agree. Wow, 23 feet long and no roofing struts, water tanks etc etc to contend with - you lucky lad. Keep it up Dane, you'll soon need more wagons!

Well that confirms what I always knew - my tracklaying is appalling!

Impressive strategic planning. Do you know what is going to win the 3pm at xxxxxxx today?

Sorry to have been so long reporting back regarding the suitability of these six wheelers to small radius curves. I tried my trio over the Setrak points in my yard this evening - they don't like them! The point is just under 18 inch radius, so I suggest that these coaches need a bit more! They are very happy on my normal 2 foot curves and sail over my crossover (medium radius - that's 36 inches, of course). I think if your curves are much under two feet, I'd get the loan of one and try it out!

Thanks for the reminder, Ernie. Steam Railway owes the IRRS for a couple of our photos used in Joe Cassell's Spoil Train article.

As Ivan says above, only the facade is there today, but it is the station which appears in several scenes of the Moustachio'd Man greeting folk like Musso arriving often behind double-headed streamlined pacifics! It was also the terminal point for my Christmas trainset (see appropriate thread) from Dresden (two arrivals / departures each day). He's NOT THE FIRST TO MODEL THIS STATION - just go to the Technical Museum in Berlin and in one of the roundhouses you'll find a HO model of the station and the approach lines, including the very roundhouse in which the model is located. Just stick "technical museum berlin" into Google and flip through the Tripadvisor pictures and you'll find an image of the model (about 20 / 30 pics in!). Worth going to Berlin to see! It looks a great video, so thanks, George for sharing it!

I don't see many "new trainsets" being shown off yet! So let me start the ball rolling ..... This was the Family pressie to me - bought at auction at few months ago. A Rivarossi "Henschel Wegmann Train" complete with the streamlined tank locomotive 61.001. The train was an especially lightweight set - the similarities to the Flying Hamburger etc are fairly obvious, except that this was STEAM, not diesel. It ran between Dresden and Berlin in the late 1930s on two expresses each way, each day at an average speed of 64mph for the 109 miles. 61.001 was a BALTIC Tank - one of the type that does seem to have done the job! This loco was reputedly capable of over 100mph, but I doubt if such a speed was needed regularly. I bought it because the very similar sister 61.002 (actually a 4-6-6T) provided the frames and 7'6" drivers for 18.201, the only steam engine I have done 100mph behind. Happy Boxing Day!

A Happy and Blessed Christmas to everyone here. I hope that Santa brings you all something new for your layouts! Leslie

Hi Leyney I have a Peco Setrack point (very small radius) in my goods yard, so I'll shunt my LNWR set over it and report back. They run very well on 2ft curves. It'll be after Christmas though, we're into Three Line Whip territory now and I have to be a good father / grandfather for the next 48 hours, then me time's me own. Merry Christmas.