leslie10646

Watching youse heroes play with wee thin brass thingies reminds me of a visit to Mr High Level's Stand with my Chief Mechanical Engineer, who also, like Dr Bracken, has a PhD. Mr HL picked out all manner of tiny bits with tweezers and put them in a wee dish, before decanting the lot into a paper bag and demanding my month's Pension in return. I suppose it was more than worth it, as my CME turned a recalcitrant 4-4-0 into a noble, strong model of its renowned prototype. I take my hat off to you for trying at all. Oh, Dave, they didn't teach Gaelic at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution either (Dr G's comment above refers). I'm embarrassed to say that I don't know how to say thank you in Irish, yet I know it in two versions of Chinese.

I agree with the others - great layout! Great rolling stock collection too (but then I would say that as they've come from me!). I did like the PALVan (not mine, I didn't get the response to my "would you like...." requests, but hey, who knows?). You're an inspiration.

Yes, a man with many good tips and ideas for railway modelling. I have at least one of his books upstairs to help with my faltering efforts! He'll be missed.

JB You must remember that most blokes are a bit colour blind, so it looks OK to me ( and I’ve seen the real thing!!!!).

The top photo is at one end of Old Mill Bay, I think it's the Magheramorne end with a loaded train. If I've compared photos correctly, this is the rear engine and he's not exerting himself! The photographer seems to be standing on the East side of the line. The line was crossed by the electricity lines from Ballylumford Power Station. One of the giant pylons is clearly visible in your photo. Lance King took a lot of shots in this area (from the West side, which seems to have given him better light), but while he had the signal in the photo and the actual wires, he managed to keep the pylon out of the shot!

The builders could name 105 "King Charles III", but I suspect that might reduce "her" route availability?

Johnny, I'm pretty sure that the answer is give 'em 12 volts (just like HO) and watch 'em go! Mind you I was thrown out of the Queens Electrical Engineering department (and never looked back.....)

Ref the lower photo above of No.85 after hauling HM, I'm told that the King Charles expressed an interest in a repeat! As the man said, may she indeed, Rest in Peace. She's certainly earned it.

Look forward to meeting you. Danish? Now that's different.

Yes, we have! €18 to you (and anyone else who wants a copy, as we have a few) Are you attending Raheny? I'll bring it over.

Look forward to seeing you, Ivan. HHmmmm, maybe I ought to do a horsebox .......

For folk in South of England, don’t forget to visit Scaleforum, the annual showpiece of the Scale Four Society. This year it is being held at the Cressex Community School, Holmers Lane, High Wycombe, HP12 4QA. Saturday 24th (10.30 to 17.30) and Sunday 25th September 2022 (10.00 to 16.30) I’ll be helping Richard McLachlan to run a stand on behalf of the Irish Railway Record Society. The emphasis will be on Richard’s drawings archive, available as books and digitally. However, if anyone attending needs any Provincial Wagons, I’ll make sure I have them with me! Hopefully we’ll see a few of you! Leslie (and Richard)

I'll see if The Syndicate still has a copy in stock.

Oh yes, I do like these old GWR railcars (grandparents of our own AEC jobs. Great job, Darius! PS Just noticed that you're another man who still has bits of Fleischmann track around! My turntable (see "Portadown Junction") is surrounded by this track (being Fleischmann itself.

Getting back to this year's exhibition calendar. Richard McLachlan and I are looking forward to "Raheny" at the end of October. It'll be light relief after a three month Interrail ticket! (actually, Richard was only on a two month one). Nothing new for you, but I'm building up stock in preparation for the event. Now, I can try and second guess what folk will buy, but it makes sense to ASK in advance, then I can get "My Man" (who is just out of hospital!!!!) to make the kits people want. So, if you want particular kits, I'll try and make sure I have enough. Please either e-mail me at lesliemcallister@aol.com or PM me. The list of wants is already growing ......... Thanks, Leslie

Likewise, my regrets that Provincial Wagons won't be present either. My "Agent" isn't available. Thanks for the invitations guys and have a great show.

It was converted into a private house by a local builder for one of his family. The massive goods shed had a mezannine floor added in the reconstruction.

Not at all, it looks like this ....... Shipper at Richhill.mov The Shipper drifts through (a work in progress) Richhill this afternoon. I tried to reproduce the Drew shot, but my PP wouldn't touch a seventeen wagon plus brakevan train. On the other hand Roderick's wee UG just romps along with it! I hope that Galteemore LIKES the SLNCR interlopers. Wagons by - ah, I've forgotten (it's an age thing!).

LB You're dead right about the singling beyond Richhill, after which part of the old "Up" road became a relief siding. There was a southern crossover before the singling, but I don't know how far out it was. So it would have been retained in any case, I assume wherever it had been located. The cabin diagram (which is over the model of the station upstairs) gives no indication of how far away the crossover was - BUT it does show that there had been a siding there even in doubletrack days.

Vis King James: Why not? While we're on "Might have beens" I'll include a Bulleid Pacific with the locos ........ Re the signalling, to quote Wrenneire of this parish - "I know a man ......."

Great stuff, Steve. When you've got it laid, I'll bring up half a dozen locos and a few dozen coaches and we can re-enact "Sham Fight Day!

Yes, it is indeed! Drew caught a lot of detail useful for attempting to model the place. Looking at it again today as I posted it, I realised that there was an overbridge to the South of the station - a useful way of hiding the "Rest of the World" on the model? I always knew about the bridge to the North - "Buntings Bridge" - still there - but the cutting has been filled in and you'd be pushed to realise that there'd ever been a railway there.

During the coverage of King Charles's visit to The Province today, as the royal party was awaited at Hillsborough Castle, the commentator listed some of those attending the official declaration of sympathy on the passing of the Queen. "Train driver Noel Playfair and fireman Anto Dargan". Noel and Anto are the only Irishmen to have crewed a steam locomotive hauling a Royal Train - when the Queen travelled from Coleraine to Bellarena to open the new station there. The Royal Train engine was, of course, No.85 Merlin. I couldn't see them in the room, but the camera position only covered about half the attendees. A well-deserved honour.

Mutter, mutter, what's wrong with my GNR Cattle wagons? Like Mr LB, I can't think of too many photos of long cattle specials in the late 1950s / early 1960s. As I've previously commented on this forum, the CIE Weekly Notice used to have a couple of dozen PAGES of details of that week's arrangements for cattle specials. I think that the most I noted in the brilliant collection held by the IRRS was about FORTY pages. It usually went right down in detail to the name of the inspector attending the fair and how many drovers etc he would have with him. Back to The Shipper. This photo was given to me by the late Drew Donaldson when he searched for photos of the Centre of Universe for me. I believe that it shows a (short) Enniskillen Shipper drifting through Richhill behind GNR(I) P Class No.105. The wagons all appear to be standard GNR cattle wagons with a standard brake at the rear - all available from Provincial Wagons - you'll have to build your own Class P! Richhill is having a moment in the spotlight, as the gates of Hillsborough Castle (all over TV today as King Charles visits The Province) were PINCHED in 1745 from Richhill Castle. There was much comment on this during the commentary on the royal visit. Small world.

Looking forward to seeing those wagons in traffic. Dane, if I didn't put in builder's plates for the 1953 vans, remind me, please. I have new transfers of them in production. As they say, plenty more of these kits available from me .......