leslie10646

And now for something completely different. I've gritted my teeth and had a go at buildings for Portadown Station which is hidden under the eaves of the attic and at ninety degrees to the Junction. You've seen my effort at doing the water tower under the Farewell to the Derry Road thread. Well this is what I was also working on, the mysterious building (there are no photos except from a great distance) which dominated Platform 4. First an along the way shot (last night): And after much faffing about, I got the roof complete - it's a foot long and the Wills slate sheets are six inches, hence the unsightly join: If you think that is pretty bad, the other side shows that it was built by Mr Mills' Dublin roofers on a Friday afternoon after they had spent lunchtime in the nearest pub, in preparation of knocking off early as there was a big match at Croke Park next day. The blank bit at the bottom is because the platform will be there. Smaller windows on this side - the building is a work of fiction! No-one will see this side on the layout, so nothing is finished on the outer side of platforms etc. I spent several hours tidying my working area earlier in the week as I have two six foot platforms to build. I losely put the bits together, so that you can see where this is heading: The idea is to try and recreate this appearance as seen in na Lance King photo which was a lot of the evidence which I used. That's me until Monday when I hope to "plant" this lot in situ!

I promised a completely Bulleid train. First the fake one with the re-gauged "Leader". Lovely wagons, by the way, guys. Run very freely - I found that my supposedly level layout had a slight gradient! Congratulations! IMG_1343.MOV Or with a loco which Oliver Bulleid ordered for use in Ireland. I don't have a steel-sided CIE brake, sorry. This one's a kit masterfully built by young Nelson. IMG_1347.MOV

Obviously the DPD men get up earlier in West Sussex than Surrey. My first delivery - curiously one Grain, one H - has just arrived. Photo of a complete Bulleid train later. Hey, IRM, your Packaging AI packed one lot like this: The other with just some crumpled paper! Good protection for the H's? Thanks Leslie

Have you guys made these vans particularly HEAVY??? TWO different DPD drivers delivering NINE wagons!

Great excitement, I've now had a text from DPD who have a parcel for me! And a flood of e-mails as I'd somehow put the orders in separately! Of course, I know what a H Van looks like as my kit built runs are dotted here and there! (But not a grain van!).

David, you're right to point that out. Having (once) been in 186's tender, I was amazed at the framework (I was nineteen at the time). Also, I was castigated by Richard McLachlan for not putting struts inside my GNR Coal wagons (but I did, correctly, in my beet wagons). Where this tank is going to be, even I won't see it - and having tried to put a semblance of water in it - I think that I will cheat, which my lack of skill usually dictates!

I mentioned why my mind was elsewhere. Here's why - no laughing (Patrick, I am NOT!!!) ... . It's meant to be the semi-hidden water tower behind the wall of Platform 4 at Portadown. There are only the vaguest photos of it - the one I used was taken from the other end of the Bann Bridge. When you look at this thing, from the same point it'll look OK. Just off to order laser cut quoins for the other corners! The door is Wills, but the rest is scratch.

Oh, all right then. You might as well have the whole NCC loco! Class W No. 91 shunting the yard at Pomeroy. 22 August 1964. Photo by the late Lance King Copyright the Irish Railway Record Society To save me endlessly appeasing you - a GNR locomotive climbing Carrickmore! UTA No. 40 ex GNR(I) Class SG2 No. 18 on a goods for Derry the same day. Photo by the late Lance King Copyright the Irish Railway Record Society

Alas, David, I didn't give it a thought! My granddaughter's birthday. Although, to be honest, I was continuing my fight with Plastkard, embossed brick, window material etc in my attempts to produce something vaguely like the buildings on Platform 4 at Portadown. William Redpath will laugh when he sees it after his magnificent effort. Anyway, "In Honour of the Day" as Mrs Crachett said when asked to drink Scrooge's health (like asking us to drink Henry Benson's health?): I can't give you a "Big D" but its smaller cousin in the form of UTA No.38 - formerly GNR(I) Class SG2 No. 16 setting off from Portadown with a freight for the Derry Road after the July Holidays in 1964. Photo by the late Lance King Copyright the Irish Railway Record Society Staying in the Dickensian mode, Tiny Tim might have uttered: "God Bless GEORGE GLOVER everyone"?

Easily the best EMU of the Privatisation era. I wish you masses of orders! We have 387s out to Reading and I always opt for a semi-fast into London with them (at 110mph) rather than be thrown about in the Jap Cxxp jokingly referred to a an Intercity Express Train - in the running for the World's Worst train. I hope that IR keep way from the so called Bi-modes!

Obviously, IR aren't reading Modern Railways which is full of misery stories of hydrogen trains being withdrawn IN GERMANY where they know a bit about engineering - and being replaced by DIESELS.

Don't tell Ken Fox that or he'll be clamouring to his union for them to bring No.4 and a rake of coaches down for him keep his hand in every day!

You've been the bottle again! That Co Tyrone poteen is deadly!

Thanks for the Heads-up @LNERW1. Looks interesting. I got into railway building games when I discovered "1829", as developed by the late Francis Tresham. It is so called because the map of GB is clear of main line railways - the Liverpool and Manchester opened the next year. I first bought the game in Liverpool about 45 years ago. There are now many versions, depending on the country - 1825 (the date of the Stockton and Darlington); 1835 is Germany (a brilliant evolution of Tresham's original idea); 1853 India; and lots of US versions such as 1830 (US generally); 1876 (Texas)etc. Their great plus is that you play with other people. My pals and I (typically 5 or 6) would start at 10am on a Saturday, adjourn for lunch about 1330 and then play through to about 7pm. We'd go out for a curry and then disperse to the four points of the compass. My younger son met Francis about ten years ago, and he was interested in doing 1834 (D&K in case you've forgotten), alas I hadn't the time to get it moving! If anyone is in Surrey or near Reading, I'd be delighted to host a game of one of the six versions I have! It can be played with two or more. Leslie

Oh, come on, JB! You're a serious historian - show me a single log of a narrow gauge loco in action! I think I know most of the people who might have timed a narrow gauge train, but cannot remember a single log. Saying that these things did 50mph is as likely as the Casey Jones 130 (?) mph which the Yanks claim as the steam world speed record! Mind you, they look fast, but without evidence .... When I die, I'll leave you my stopwatches and GPS!!!!!

You might at least have switched on the loco lights!!!

John I hope that you have a good alarm on your place!

I can't remember ever seeing a photo of the BDC Enterprise there. I real find by you, congratulations. AND it's the GNR(I) set!

Very nice, but what about your THIRD (IRISH) steam loco? I'm 78 years, 7 months and counting ..........

Re the Dapol one. This was one of my original quartet of wagons in 2007. I did these flats, similarly lettered, for No.4 Furniture container also. I think I have seen such containers as high as No.6! You can find them in various books. The CIE one would be easy enough to do but Dapol don't just do containers painted to order - I think I have to do a flat as well! They sell them unpainted as a pair. If anyone is interested in a "pretend" CIE Flat (lettering can be researched) with the white container - speak up! I've been looking at ways of doing a GNR / CIE / CDRJC half container of the type which was to be fou8nd latterly on the narrow gauge. Maybe a 3D print.

Terrific model, Alan. I had to smile when you announced that you were going to fit a sound chip. You're on a safe wicket of course, as no-one alive will know what she sounded like and certainly not me - am I the oldest here? I was four and living in the Sergeant's quarter of Carrickmore RUC barrck when she was withdrawn! Downpatrick Loop line platform for your next layout so that you can show her rolling through with the Golfer's Express on a Saturday?

Hi guys When are you going to send out the H vans, grain wagons which I paid for ten days or so ago? Thanks Leslie

Shame on you @Galteemore telling fibs! The line was closed and lifted before the "Inst" Railway Society was even thought of!

Nice wagons on your train, Patrick! I wonder where you got them from? (I won't wind you up with the thought that those wagons weren't painted like that until long after the closure of the station!). Lovely model, as others have rightly said.

Hi LNWRW1 Maybe I've been lucky and got a Monday afternoon one which was put together well? It won't get a lot of running, so maybe I'll never find out. it was (honestly) bought for the Glass Cabinet as another of the Blessed Oliver's creations, but I DID cough up for a DCC-fitted one as I wanted to run it occasionally until IRM do the Turf Burner. Only time will tell - it survived forty minutes running which for most layouts is probably quite a lot - with 21 x 17 a run round my layout wears out these wee engines! I'm waiting for Darius to run his round his layout to hear the chuffs properly!