leslie10646

ZOOM only: 18.00 – 20.45 Friday 19 January 2024

“The Lough Swilly” by Joe Begley

Joe gave us a great talk about the County Donegal Railway a couple of years ago – well researched and excellently presented, and considered to have been one of the best talks delivered to the London Area. Come and hear him again on a closely related subject.

The Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway began life as a standard gauge railway connecting Derry to Buncrana but later expanded into the remotest parts of Donegal, areas ravaged by poverty and lacking any notable industrial activity. The Company was in continuous confrontation with the authorities, both in Derry and with the Board of Trade, a particular bone of contention being the Burtonport Extension, The rise of road transport had a crippling effect on the Company’s finances, and led to an early decision to move from rail to road services, leading to complete closure of the railway in 1953. Joe spices up the formal history with many local anecdotes.

ZOOM LINK – any time after 17.30

Open the Zoom app on your device and enter :

Meeting ID: 830 2102 6650

Passcode: 374120

The Chat facility will be available throughout the meeting for comment and (if necessary) communication with the IRRS (London Area). If Zoom fails, watch your Inbox in case we update you on the situation by email

If you e-mail me at

lesliemcallister@aol.com

I'll forward the full meeting notice, which should allow you simply to "click" in.

I've seen the content when we had a rehearsal ("It'll be all right on the night") and it looks very interesting, not just the railway but the associated social history.

If you have any affection for the narrow gauge, this is for you

See you there

Leslie (Chairman for the Night, our Leader is skiing)

Oh dear, another interesting "modern image" Bulleid for the display cabinet, where it would go nicely beside the Kernow 1CoCo1 Bulleid diesel - very nice in BLACK - which means this one would have to be black too - a pity as the SR Green Sunshine livery looks nice!

Thanks for sharing this George and Darius.

We'll let you away with that one, JB. I agree that the GN locos which got the full  bling UTA lined black looked very smart, when they were clean!

The issue was the sacrilege of covering up the beautiful blue to do it.

Of course, the overhaul / repaint indicated that they meant to keep them a while longer. Now they didn't do it to their two VS Class or their Compounds (scrapped almost immediately after the Dissolution).

Perhaps, as the VS Class ran posh specials like the Rugby Trains, they felt they should be a bit different?

Also, regrettably, they were never given a major overhaul by the UTA, which probably resulted in their diminishing use, in favour of the  ex-NCC Moguls.

The Antrim Branch which had to be traversed to get to the York Road workshops had a light axle loading, so the VS were banned from using it and thus not getting major work. There was one exception when No.59 (?) made an emergency run to York Road, so that a repair could be made before the Rugby special  season. I have a photo, but can't locate it!

It's very heartening to read David's reports regarding the Chatham Club - long may it continue. I was especially impressed by the "Social Media" comment. I have tended to sleep through the "Social Media Outreach" bit of IRRS committee meetings - I'll give it more attention!

Last Monday, my favourite ITV newscaster, Tom Bradley, introduced an end-piece on the the enduring popularity of model railways, starring the Cheltenhamd Model Centre and Pete Waterman (who had a bid involvement with Warley for several years). Worth a minute of your time to cheer you all up?

https://www.itv.com/watch/news/in-with-the-old-model-trains-see-a-resurgence-in-popularity/xw2nvdp

Gosh, John , you ARE a long way from home! Great images and of great interest to those of us who have crossed America or Canada by train. Keep it coming!

1 hour ago, Galteemore said:

Must be early UTA for the UG. Still pretty clean with GNR markings very clear!

Not just that, but the UG still has its GNR number!

The railcar shot is great to see - a bit of history as she is going under the "under construction" M1 overbridge. I remember experiencing an impressive blow-back from the open firebox door while going under that bridge on a tank engine!

Thanks Ernie!

9 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

This is all an ongoing debate in 7mm world. Consensus is that big shows may have had their day. Cameo shows like Larkrail seem to thrive, with smaller layouts requiring fewer crew and thus lower expenditure. Mind you, people probably thought collapse of IMREX decades ago was end of the world - and it wasn’t. https://www.themodelrailwayclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/15_Exhibition.pdf

I remember The Syndicate going to IMREX - yes, we would just drive up to Central London, unload, park somewhere, sell all day and drive home again. No real hassle! Try THAT today.

I'm saddened to hear about Warley and have written to the Club expressing the thanks of the iRRS for having us for over a quarter century. The Syndicate used to have a trade stand there, sometimes as well. It was hard work, but we raised a lot of money for the RPSI at that time. As luck would have it, the intricacies of the NEC worked well for us this year so that we were looking forward to the Show in November.

It was always a great place to meet like-minded folk and it was the first exhibition where Provincial Wagons went on sale in 2007.

Thanks to the  Warley Club and all their willing helpers (and they DID help) for many happy memories (and a few less happy ones, mainly down to those intricacies of the NEC)  over 25 odd years that we went. Now we'll have to meet people somewhere else!

Leslie (for The Syndicate and the IRRS)

Hhmmm, started the same year I did! Look at my "Username".

They clearly state Brexit as a reason -

Well I marched against it and I hope to be a party to replacing one of the gentlemen who supported it with a good Liberal Democrat at the next election.

Michael Gove, in case you're trying to guess!

7 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

See the above @leslie10646

 

 

Ah yes, EVENTUALLY! 2025/6!

29 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Two steam projects - interesting!  My money is still on one (or both?) being preserved RPSI, maybe one blue and one green/black/grey although I’m still not convinced that IRM would overshadow OO Works with an even better J15.  And I suppose it doesn’t even have to be a preserved locomotive, since the OO Works U and UG sold out…. 

TWO steam projects, Patrick? What have I missed? I was aware of one.

45 minutes ago, DiveController said:

I could certainly do with one, or two or….

just got some 20T from @Mayner but tbh I could even find a use for a 10T for early stuff too. There were many iterations of wooden vertical and horizontal off the top of my head plus various duckets and paneled sheet versions 

Well, you know where to come to for that!

One of the nicest wagons Michael did for me. I've still got a few!

Yes, worth every penny!

A health warning, though, you'll spend hours looking at them, but satisfaction guaranteed!

Well done Ciaran!

Another job for me this year is to add another two collections to this lot - a few thousand more!

On 2/1/2024 at 8:26 AM, Wexford70 said:

I'd love to see a guard's van (with working lamps of course) to go with the bulleid and other freight wagons. 

What's wrong with John Mayne's or my brake vans? Mind you, you'd have to fit your own light!

I'll wind up Patrick, Fran and Bosko by saying that they'd never do one as they sell SINGLY!!!! Not in threes!

2025 for a twin set of CIE brake vans - one with wood cladding and one with steel sheeting.

You heard it first here - from me. Definite prediction - just in time for my eightieth! (DV).

You know that it makes sense ......

1 hour ago, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

It's huge, money no object obviously.

Ah yes, but he certainly earns it!

31 minutes ago, Northroader said:

Don’t forget this one is fairly close to you.

https://swindon-cricklade-railway.org

Yes, Bob, but do they run STEAM - otherwise it doesn't really count (although Class 37s come close! I must give them a visit.

Download the video (it'll take a while, then play it from the start! Diesel and steam - something for everyone!

The second video doesn't exist - ignore it - I have no idea how to get rid of it!

8 hours ago, BosKonay said:

In terms of delivery, 2024 is scheduled to see the following delivered to customers, in no particular order:

• ICR Sets
• Bulleid Range (Flats, opens, perhaps some more)
• NIR Mk2b packs
• IRM Mk2c Packs
• Park Royals
• Murphy Models Mk2ds
• [Probably] Murphy Models 141/181 rerun (minimal details on the timeline just yet)

Beyond that into 2025, 26, there are four Diesel Projects, Two steam, Three coach, four wagon / freight stock and some accessory projects 'actively' underway as well as some overlapping Accurascale ranges that will feature IRM elements, all of which will be revealed once they have reached an advanced point (around about when Engineering samples / prototypes (*EP's) are in hand during 2024. 

2025 / 2026 before we "see" a RTR steam loco?

I'll be EIGHTY (DV).

At least let us know WHAT, so I have something to look forward to in my dotage!

Accurascale at Chinnor?

Happy New Year, TWO new locomotives for me:

First this Class 37 (37.227 NOT one which Accurascale did?) - it had hauled the train on the Chinnor to Princes Risborough line - seen at the destination.

And then we were hauled back by this Didcot-based "Large Prairie". As you can see the weather was delightful!

Still, the best possible way to start the New Year!  HNY!!!!

42 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

It goes with the longstanding culture of being able to extract something for almost nothing wherever possible.

I'd say Germany runs Britain pretty close in the heritage stakes, and they have loads more steam locomotives to draw on mainly because they built standardised classes in the hundreds, and some in the thousands. 

The list of German preserved engines is long and the list of mainline tours offered is even longer - and seldom a diesel on the back - the curse of British tours now.

I like pure steam haulage, so this year my steam miles totalled about 1,500 miles - 1,000 plus in Switzerland and Germany.

It's great what a bit of controversy leads to a good result. Never seen that photo of the "other" junction before.

Heresy? I was talking about the unrelieved grey of goods wagons - MY bread containers brighten up a GN goods train!

Congratulations, Ernie on the December haul. As Patrick said, the view at "The Junction" was most unusual and seldom photographed, was the angle taken at Ballyhaise.

Then, a rare sighting of a Brewster's Bread container at Strabane - still available from a certain model wagon company - they seem to have been a chocolate brown colour! Or at least, MINE are. The other Derry bakery won the prize with their light blue containers and white lettering. Very colourful on a railway which was mostly a bit grey!

Always a delight to see your collection, so thanks again.

1 hour ago, patrick said:

I appreciate everyone who is trying to sort this issue out. I am extremely bad at tech issues and the best I can offer is that I'm using a Samsung android phone to record and post the videos. Maybe there is something I can do at this end to help.

Patrick, I am sure that my videos have the same issue, but once you let them play through (with stops while the computer draws breath), I found that by restarting once it had downloaded they ran as one would hope they would! Yes, a painful process, but to see a good video .....

UPDATE. Tried again, NOTHING. I'm on a new iMac.

2 hours ago, irishrailways52 said:

could also run Dublin to Belfast. was transported by rail to cultra a few years ago.

Yes and no. A load of smoke deflecting plates had to removed from footbridges (?) to get her under and she was towed, I think quite slowly. Now these have almost certainly have gone by now, but as the track has been fettled up, the track may have been raised, so that a tall loco would clobber bridges. A comparison of the heights of No.131 and 800 would answer this, of course, but I don't have my Locos of the GNR book to hand.

Bearing in mind the colossal cost, why would anyone want to restore her to run on the Cork line for just a few runs a year? At least the GNR 4-4-0s can run almost anywhere?

I know that Ken and Rob would love to take her for a spin down to Cork, but .........

On the fourth Day of Christmas, we got round to opening the pressies (after Family activity Days 1,2,3)

So I gave my favourite train watcher:

An Accurascale  Rail Operations Group Class 37 - her favourite loco when train watching at never-boring Goring. Now, how do I get a scrap EMU set for it to pull .........

Note the locomotive is named after a lady in Greek mythology which is  appropriate as the recipient  is probably the only person on this forum, apart from @Galteemore who can read ancient Greek.

Wow, no new entries to this column. Some of you must have got a new trainset for Christmas!

So here's mine!

My Big Son kindly bought his Old Man this engine famous  for its activities during The (second) Railway Race to the North (1895)

Hattons do a suitable (ish) train. The Race train would have been bogies, but fairly like this!

But I really got her to go with my LNWR corridor set (long after The Race) - see my entry of this set with a GNR Class PP masquerading as a DNGR Boat Train.

MY REAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT HAS JUST ARRIVED AS I STOPPED TYPING THIS!

The Postman has just delivered my new Three Year Driving Licence - you see I've got Glaucoma and just one eye, so Praise the Lord, I passed the eyesight test!