leslie10646

Thanks @Tullygrainey for the great pictures which do, indeed, show some fine modelling. I see that William Redpath has got a QGT for "Portadown"? Every time I see William's great depiction of that roundhouse, I curse my inability to model - third attempt coming up this winter!

Clan Line on the fast lines at Goring tonight, after dark. Not great, rather quiet at speed (I can hear the "music" at the Reading festival more clearly - I have no idea what the little green dots are! IMG_3079.MOV

I know the feeling, John, I've been selling off my King and Country vehicles and soldiers because the family won't want them and I'm now convinced that WW2 should not have happened (or WW1, for that matter). At a 50% profit usually and I've had ten year's looking at them. Principally, to make room for more locomotives in my display case - mainly Modern European ones I like and have travelled behind, bought from eBay at "a good price". Like you, I admire "The Lads" efforts but when all's said and done, I'm in my eightieth year. So no "800" (a crazy choice in my book, but will sell for folk who want another glass cabinet model) or ICR - fine units that they are - and the models will be - they have no place on a fifties layout. All that said, there are three Irish locos on order, as I subscribe quite heavily to @Old Blarney's excellent dictum -"It's my layout and I'll run what I like on it! Very astute philosopher, is our Mr White!

Good luck with the Show! I had planned to attend as I was to be over for the RPSI steam on Sunday, but I returned from Austria barely able to walk, so I'm still in England.

Three Month Interrail Ticket Part Two: I'll do Part One some other time (nearly three weeks in Switzerland). Not having been to the Austro-Hungarian Empire for two years, it was off to Jenbach in the Tirol for ten days in August - I had to pay for Eurostar, but otherwise the travel was free and there was plenty of it. We arrived on Wednesday 6 August and next morning got going slowly, so that it was 11 o'clock when we got to the station to find that OBB are going to use "VECTRONS" on the through trains from Munich to Italy via Innsbruck. Then to posh Kitzbuhel using a Railjet to Worgl (11m48s, max a steady 100mph) then a CityJet electric unit. The plan was to catch the Westbound Eurocity which is one of the few loco-hauled trains over this "Giselabahn" line which was celebrating 150 years. Great line with much curves, two hairpins etc etc - NOT for speed! So here is the EC entering Kitzbuhel town station (the cafe here does brilliant Gulaschsuppe with a roll for €6 - no need to eat for the rest of the day!). I video-ed most loco-hauled trains entering (no defensive driving here - they came in hard and stood on the brakes!) as it was the sure way to get the (pretty small) number - the First Class was often at the other end of a seven coach train and the train might be off again before I got the number on getting off! IMG_2886.MOV More later.

Nice one, Bob!!!!!! its would certainly storm up the Bleach Green bank with the 8.5pm Goods!

There's no way I am going to model the Bertram Mills Circus train! Even though I have a Class UG to pull it - I believe that's what they used for motive power in the 1960s tour they did in Ireland? I was going to say that it would be maintained, as a friendly gesture, at Inchicore..... But she'd wreck herself going through the Phoenix Park tunnel? Good idea, Jim, but she's only for TRUNK routes!

Now - tongue firmly in cheek - new motive power for Portadown Junction! I had a ride behind this locomotive - a Swiss Class C5/6 locomotive built for the Gotthard railway in 1917 or so. Nicknamed - "The Elephant" I bought the model as I'd had a short trip behind it on the main line from Brugg to Frick last June. At CHF 80 for a fifty kilometre round trip it literally did COST ME A POUND A MINUTE! I'm hoping that by buying the model (for the Glass Case)) I'll be satisfied and NOT succumb to paying CHF for a 40 kilometre trip on the Gotthard in three week's time!

Real Time Trains suggested a couple of interesting workings yesterday, O I grabbed my walking poles and got to the Cursor Bridge in good time -- but no trains - they were still in the Eastleigh area! So a slow walk from Lock 25 down to Lock 19, checking RTT every couple locks - the first train was sitting in a loop near Eastleigh, the Light Engine was still in the sidings. At Lock 19, I discovered that the first train was on the move, so I came back a lot quicker! Still no train - it had been looped again. I think that there was single line working in the Winchester area. Anyway, it was overtaken by the Light Engine and this is what turned up! Patience, it's what's on the back that's of note - and making some noise! IMG_2824 2.MOV The Ultrasonic train heading back to Derby, possibly for the Rail 200 event there? I whipped round and got a distant, but nice sound, shot of it going under the flyover carrying the Up Alton line. IMG_2825.MOV Does Accurascale model 37.116 in Colas colours? Feel free to use the video ;loads, to sell your lovely 37s!

There is a model of such a loco on this site, I believe, so the builder must have some info. Hint hint @Galteemore

Good find, @Mol_PMB! It goes to show that you can get away with almost any combination of your layout - it will have happened somewhere, sometime!

Thanks again, Ernie for this latest lot from the Donegal. A nice piece of social history captured. Killybegs looked after its waiting passengers well with a bench (complete with the photographer's bag - that probably had in it everything for a week's trip in those days!) AND a Waiting Room - better than 99% of stations these days? The road transport outside Donegal's goods shed makes an interesting contrast.

I must agree with then others - a remarkable quartet of photos, Ernie. I was totally unaware of that coaling stage at Waterford, so that adds to the fund of human knowledge, as the folk who would ever have seen it may no longer be with us; Enniskillen views are always of interest - even one of my bread containers! The Killybegs shot is one of those - "write an essay" shots! A lot to see, generally unseen - like the Waterford shot - adds to our knowledge; The CBSCR goods is another illumination - twenty wagons and the brake van not in view. More traffic than perhaps we might have expected. I bet the little C Class made a lot of noise. Our West Cork brethren will have to increase the length of the loops on their layouts! A really Four Star posting, thanks.

Like @jhb171achill, the name of the Great King always gets my attention too. Hey, @Darius43, you've only got eleven spoil wagons, according to my database - do you need more? I look forward to seeing an NCC Castle careering through on a late-running Boat Train!

Yes, Ben made a valiant effort today - I thought it was very gentlemanly of him to allow a Frog to win one stage in his home race? Good Tour for the Celts, as Oscar Onley, a young Scot, is riding right out of his skin! (4th, to Ben's 9th). the first ENGLISHMAN is 25th and over a hour behind Onley! In fairness, Adam Yates is there to work for the man in the lead - Pogacar. Still haven't spotted a train!

Good luck with the Show, David - a pity that's it's so far away - over two hours by train for me - I need notice to plan an expedition like that! I wouldn't do it by car! So, make sure we know a month before? If you did, I'll consider my hand slapped for not noticing. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

Reference the point about this being no use to you if you're heading to Dublin Airport from Belfast - The Northerners jump on the Express bus - members of my family in the North use them regularly and extol their virtues. @Louth - I hope that you will live to see that it will be a magnet for people going into the City, just as Thameslink and the Elizabeth Line have been to London. However, with one caveat - there has to be car parking at each station in the suburbs so that people can "Park and Ride". There may never be the volumes to make feeder buses really take over from people's own vehicles - but, it can be done. When I'm in Switzerland, I stay in a village a few kilometres out of Spiez and that place (population in the low hundreds) enjoys being on a two buses an hour service. People use them, sometimes they are full and standing, because they are utterly reliable - which is the key. I just hope that they get on with it before the costs rise any more!

Any of you semi-addicted to the Tour, like me? I watch for the brilliant scenery, glimpses of railways (plenty of them, but never seen a TRAIN!) and a bit for the race itself. Anyway, today, Bastille Day, a Brit, a Welshman, to be precise, and so a CELT, won the Stage! But, but, but, just behind him, having torn the race apart earlier was a very brave Irishman Ben Healy, who now leads the Tour and wears the fabled Yellow Jersey! Only the fourth Irishman in history to have ever worn the famous jersey, so well-done Ben! So, while @Past-Avenue races cars up hills, Ben CYCLES up them ...... I should whisper, for rivet counters among you, that although Ben was born in Birmingham, in his youth, he chose to compete for Ireland

This is a retro "next wagon". I'm withdrawing my double beet kit after 278 sales. Instead I'll be offering @Past-Avenue's version which is effectively RTR. Sorry to those who like building things. With this kit also goes my Flat wagon which was the basis for my double beet. Again, I'll supply Enda's excellent RTR 20 (or 22ft) flats - I use them on my layout with my own earlier facts - they're good. If you're in Ireland, obviously buy from Enda, if you're in UK, contact me. There MAY be a new wagon at the end of all this - I've sent drawings to Enda .......

And me, please. And the MGWR A Class No idea where I'll run them - the 400 was probably too big for the GN, but nice to have one in memory of the Master Modeller Drew Donaldson who had No.409 as a favourite. The A Class could have got over "our way" on a GAA special when the GN was too busy to loan a loco when someone was playing Armagh? Real reason is hope that the younger grandson might like models ......

Sorry if this has been stated earlier in this thread which I have only been casually been following (except when I helped Paul to get his wagon drawings) - anyway: The Society has published: GNR T1 and T2 Tanks Compound VS U Class SG2 Class and SG3 They're all around £50 for a digital copy - you could buiild a 12 inches to the foot model from them. The job of scanning the ancient sheets needed a lot of setting up and skill. The plan is to make the lists etc accessible on the Society's new website, so be patient. If folk need things sooner, let me know what you are after - email preferred: lesliemcallister@aol.com and I'll get on the Drawings archivist who will shortly be in Switzerland for the summer (but I know where!).

Thanks, JB, for stating the situation which is accurate. Richard McLachlan is in the process of making this information more easily available, but he has other priorities, like anyone else. The loss of Anthony McD, his Dublin right hand man, really took the wind out of a great piece of work which they were doing together. If people contact me, ON EMAIL please, I'll try and help. lesliemcallister@aol.com

Hmm, mulling this over. Much more interesting than an 800 Class - at least there were ten of them! No.409 was a great favourite of Drew Donaldson's Mind you rebuilt more time than the current UK Government's policies!

Keep out of this, JB, I'm trying to make money for the IRRS. Remember, we have your address! Honestly, I haven't much, but I'll message our friend @Westcorkrailway

can you see this working to Foynes? IMG_2576.MOV