leslie10646

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.

Sorry, Steve, the GSWR loco was inside cylinders and appears to have had a more highly pitched boiler.

I've just had another Hattons e-mail - Rapido Trains are doing the famous Scottish loco the "Jones Goods" (a 4-6-0 in YELLOW (or green) for you youngsters!) - we should all stop speculating - just live long enough, and EVERYTHING will appear! Certainly the Highland Railway modellers will be reaching for the 20 year old Malt this Christmas in celebration of what is to come!

Kevin, Your work simply makes my lower jaw hit the floor - you're a man of few "posts", but what work! As Robert said a lot earlier in this thread - double "Wow" no other words for it. A master class. Congratulations

My infamy has spread and one of my neighbours bought me a trainset this Christmas. Here seen on the kitchen table with a few of Linda's toys (she loves signal boxes, hence the Kernow one of Bude), the Tayto lorry needs no explanation beyond that she was born almost within the sound of the Tayto factory hooter) and the church is actually sold as "Saint Andrews", which is the church we attend. I didn't add the UTA bus and her Flying Banana! Damned clever these Chinese, chuffs, bells and whistles no less. Happy Christmas to you all! IMG_4317.mp4

When this link arrived in my inbox this morning, I thought that if these guys can do something as obscure as this, then almost anything is possible. Mind you, the Festiniog (all 14 miles of it) has more followers than the all the railways in Ireland. Robert Shrives will be over the Moon! https://www.hattons.co.uk/directory/versiondetails/5499/peco_products_oo9_ffestiniog_4_wheel_quarryman&utm_source=klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=modvehid5499-pecoquarrymanfrgreyinstock#models

Hate to say ANYTHING good about the French, but the TGV was a class train. A lot better than the rubbish we're asked to travel in the in The Kingdom

Just a little Addendum to the story of Leslie's LNWR coaches. Wrenneire won't like them - Hattons' producer has devised a simple to open secure packaging for these six wheelers - so no video on how to open the box is necessary! You'll all see what I mean when the "Snail" versions arrive on your doorstep! Great story, Broithe. Long live the men of skill. I bet he smoked a pipe and enjoyed his glass too.

Well done Dave. DIY! Don't wait for someone to do it for you. I worked for a month one summer and put the proceedings (after paying my Stamp and a bit to Mum for housekeeping) into the Hornby Dublo "Cardiff Castle".

My first trainset? Andy Cundick, at least, will enjoy this - CASTLEDERG, 1950: My Dad was the Customs sergeant at the RUC Barrack and I was four years old. A shop in Omagh (I guess) arranged for Santa to come round on, if my memory hasn't failed, a horse drawn coach from which presents were handed down to the children of customers. I assume mine was opened on Christmas Day. It was a clockwork train (loco, tender and, I think, two open wagons) with a circle of track. There's a much sadder sequel. My Dad became Station Sergeant at Carrickmore the following year and on the day we moved into the Sergeant's Quarters (at one end of the barrack - it's still there!) I was sent outside to play. I took my train and was filling the wagons with gravel from the Barrack's drive. A large shadow loomed over me - "What do you think you're doing?" The owner of the voice was one Constable Cecil Cunningham, who I remember as a big amiable fellow, but who was destined to be the sixth RUC man to be killed in The Troubles. So, I'll not forget that trainset (or him). On a happier note, I'm still playing trains 72 years later!

Now, in motion - arriving at Richhill LNWR at Richhill.mov They run very well indeed around my 2ft radius curves and even survive being reversed over my pointwork. Looking good for the CIE ones to come!

As promised my new train, here hauled by the nearest thing I have to a DNGR tank - a GNR Tank. Three Hattons six wheelers. I really wanted the full brake, but thought I might as well have a short train!

Yes, I would have thought that highly paid folk at RTE would have worked out that the Ampersand was in the wrong place! It's a particularly nice photo of a Whitelegg Baltic, which like most Baltics belied its fine appearance with mediocre performance.

Thanks, Jon and David. David, although I have a GN Working Appendix and WTT somewhere, I doubt if I ever looked the lamp codes up! So, having fallen for the wind-up, I wonder what gauge you'd be modelling in to CHANGE the lamps each time depending on the type of train. To say nothing of moving the tail lamp to the front of the loco is you were reversing to the shed!. One plus of all these DCC-fitted disease-als where it's all done for you!

Christmas Mail Train time again. Sorry to bore you with the same S Class as last year! No.172 races through Richhill with an extra mail train for Armagh, 19 December 1956. Had to get this up today in honour of my elder son's 48th birthday today. On this date in 1956, his Dad was eleven! IMG_4147.MOV And a still of the return working crossing the points at The Junction with a very busy yard behind. My "new" train tomorrow!

стахановец, my dear David? Not many Workers in USSR worked as hard as that. As such workers were bent on striving even harder for good of The Socialist State, you were right not to use it - after all, you serve TWO Kings!

David, that looks terrific. Bit worried about the "Great Leap Forward" bit - the last iijit to have one of those starved countlless millions. I hope you're not starving Timothy and Christopher?

Excellent idea, David. All we need is a "Competent Man" (as the late Drew Donaldson would have said) to do it. One of you youngsters can get on with it, we Oldies have plenty on our plates and a reducing time to do it!

Ouch!

New stock arrives at Portadown (displaced from Greenore via Liverpool). The local traffic superintendent couldn't resist it. Side view: Quite a weighty coach, with a nice sliding centre axle -we'll see how it likes my rotten trackwork (not just arrears of maintainence, but Jerry built in first place!). Its sister Full Brake will be given a run on the Christmas Mails on Monday.

Yes, the running off to watch the Swilly's trains wasn't a very glorious episode, but better that than lose modern battleships. Don't knock John Jellicoe, his "distant blockade" (Scotland to Norway which you rightly mention) did a lot to help win WW1. Before you bring up Jutland, remember what the New York Times reported a day or two later - "The German High Seas Fleet has assaulted its jailer, but is still in Jail!" We'd better stop this or we'll be banned. Now, if IRM opted as their next steam offering a 4mm model of HMS Caroline I'd be first in the queue!