leslie10646

It would be hard to argue with Mr B re an overnight trip behind steam in South Africa - I once sat up all night timing De Aar to Capetown - boy was I knackered next day! Now, for a younger man's taste in locos, Hexagon's list would be hard to beat. A Class 87 gave me my only sub-five hour loco-hauled trip London to Glasgow - arriving fifteen minutes early in roughly 4hrs 45mins (first week of electrics to Glasgow and on The Royal Scot); I'm not familiar with the French job, but the 103 Class on DB are imposing, fast machines and looked terrific with a train of red / cream TEE coaches The Deltic and the A4 speak for themselves I never saw her, but I've seen both her nameplates and have held the one which the RPSI museum now has - that nearly counts? Mr Holman lists locos which have undoubted charm, but this particular Philistine is into brute force, noise and speed.

So, back to the sad tale of the SAND! When you apply Humbrol 66 (described as "Olive Drab") to a surface of sand on Gloss No.5, you should get a nice black-ish colour, as on my platforms - But instead, it came out quite a light GREY, look right at the back of the yard, please ..... Now how did that happen? Same combination of paints (No.5)/ sand (from Andy's sandpit) / paint (No.66) which should come up a nice tarmac-y black. Back to Mr Gravett to see what I'd done wrong. Easy (and very boring) the platforms have a Plasticard surface, on which was painted the Gloss No.5, the sand scattered on that and finally, after 24 hours a coat of No.66. However, Mr G remarked (and I IGNORED) that if you were putting a road, or whatever on a porous surface - to give it a coat of Shellac (whatever that is, especially in Lockdown). The observant among you will have noticed that the Goods Yard has surface of cork right across the place, so, guess what - a very different result! I found a tin of Black and sloshed on a sample, didn't look too bad, so continued..... and ran out of paint, just as I covered the last bit (for now). When does Kernow, Guildford open again? LESSON - read everything the experts tell you, not just the bits that YOU think are important! That's that for 24 hours while it dries.

Wow, this is great stuff and such a wonderful choice of JUNCTION station - I think I'll stop work on mine and watch yours grow! I've always loved that frontage of the refreshment room - I wonder is it unique - well done for including it. Like you, I've omitted the "other line" - to the disgust of my GNR(I) pals, I have omitted the Derry line from what should be a three line junction. The reason is simple - no room AND the family all came from up the road at Richhill, so the Armagh line had to be there! When you have time to spare in a couple of years' time, you can do a cameo of the RPSI boys resurrecting No.184 from scrap condition to a running loco in a month for The Great Train Robbery.

Despite all this, I am making a bit of progress!

Now, the sandy area ..... I was looking at Andy Cundick's Valentia Harbour and was admiring the rough road surface at the front of the layout - so I asked him how it was done. "PVC, playpit sand ant d Acrylic paint" was the answer. I made notes, lost them (naturally) but vaguely remembered the method when I came to simulate roads / loading areas between the sidings at the Portadown Goods. I bought playsand, dried it out and then put it in a bag for a couple of years. That bit wasn't intentional, but when Lockdown began, I started to add "scenery" to the layout and the first thing I tried was that road. It went well until I applied the paint - I used a water-based sample pot from B&Q (remember, it should have been Acrylic) and guess what - the sand lost contact with the PVC and moved all over the place - result a very messy "road". I e-mailed Andy who put me straight! Now, instead of PVC, Gordon Gravett (Grass and Scenery book) likes to use Gloss Paint (Admiralty Gloss, Humbrol No.5), then scatter Talcum powder scattered through an old stocking. Tried it - couldn't make any sense of it. I tried the gloss paint and scattered the playpit sand on it to simulate gravel surfaces on my platforms and I liked the result - hence the sandy area in the previous post. Ah, now that's a bit too much - I usually just blow it off - but it's 18 inches away and I can't bend that far .... So that's what this thing was for - stolen from a wardrobe - quick blast and there's a lot less of it. Leave 24 hours and let it dry - I did remember that bit of Andy's advice. You're probably wondering about the hammer beside the hair-dryer - for banging in an earth for the static grass thingy - I have a pet nail which has more grass adherring to it than on the layout.

Anyway, getting back to the rail built buffer stops, mentioned as a "lesson" elsewhere. I was so enthusiastic chucking ballast in the rear sidings that the stop wouldn't clip onto the ballasted track - so quick change of plan and put the two I had in stock before Lockdown on less-ballasted sidings and then played with static grass (a great toy). Interesting how the close-up shows that my hand-held vacuum cleaner hasn't picked up all the spare blades of grass - nor is the stop as well clipped down as it could be - but with my lighting, you'd never notice it - this is under an anglepoise lamp!. The sandy area behind needs a bit of explaining - but that's for tomorrow.

Noel It certainly does, but appears to have relied on just the two upper hinges, with the wee "ramp" closing up over them. A bit like these modern trains which have all manner of gadgetary folding out when the train stops and the doors open, to ensure that even a drunken passenger couldn't fall through the gap.

Desert Island Trains (a copy of my offering to the RPSI e-mails) To start at the beginning: I was born within whistle-sound of the GNR(I), so I suppose that had an effect? When I was still a babe in arms I would be held up to look down over the fields to Richhill station to see the trains depart from the little station there. I am using the Lockdown to try and complete my model of the station in my loft – it sits under the original signal cabin diagram. The first loco which I was aware of was No.83 Eagle which hauled us from Portadown to Belfast, but it is the VS Class which is my first Desert Island loco and I suppose No.207 Boyne, on which Ned O’Hara gave me a footplate ride from Goraghwood to Portadown in 1964. It’s hard to explain exactly why, but the smoke deflectors gave them a certain something and they certainly were fine engines. My first railtour was Class PP No.42 (UTA number) on an IRRS tour to Coalisland and Omagh – the start of a lifetime of enthusiast travel. I often say that if the NCC men of the 1960s, led by the estimable Frank Dunlop, hadn’t been such fine enginemen, giving me many memorable runs, I wouldn’t have spent my life travelling the world, timing steam trains. So, bless the memory of a remarkable bunch of drivers and their equally remarkable young firemen. Class WT No.10 (which gave me my fastest speed with steam in Ireland) has to join No.207 on the Island as well. 1967 saw me move to England and I managed 10,000 miles on Southern steam, so obviously a Bulleid Pacific is another Desert Island loco – never quite got the ton, but 35028 Clan Line gave me 97mph one morning near Winchfield – so that’s were my ashes will go! Norman Foster and David Houston were on the same train! My younger son, Oliver, was named for the designer! 1969 saw my first visit to West Germany and an introduction to the oil-burning 01.10 Pacifics. The following year I went to Hamburg and enjoyed endless (VERY) noisy running at 80mph with them. There was one train from Hamburg in the afternoon to Kiel – four sections of roughly twenty miles and sharply-timed. Almost every run saw a jet engine roar up to 80mph and hard braking to the next stop, often averaging mile a minute. Definitely another engine for the list! Family life began in the early 1970s, so there was no money for travels to East Germany, as many another Irish timer did – I did manage a steam run on the Dresden line as part of my honeymoon! Family holidays were often spent in North Wales (for cheapness) and much travel on the Ffestiniog Railway. My sons have travelled hundreds of miles on that railway and I was commanded by my elder son to come to Wales to accompany my grandson on his first run on the line. Oliver went one better, by proposing to his wife on the Cob at Porthmadog. So, the little tender tank engine Linda is another Desert Island engine – the family’s favourite. – good for about 20mph on a good day! In the mid-1980s, British Rail ran a series of Sunday Luncheon Trains The Shakespeare Express from London Marylebone to Stratford upon Avon. In those days, it was local men who drove steam on a volunteer basis, so these were guys who drove diesel railcars during the week. One of the firemen was Richard Rogers, son of the pre-War NCC driver. At the time, I was flush enough to travel on almost every train – ah, there’s a thought – use the Lockdown to write the logs up properly. Anyway, a galaxy of locos worked the trains, but easily the cream of the crop was 46227 Duchess of Hamilton. One Sunday, the Inspector decided that it was perfect conditions to try and get over Saunderton Bank with a minimum speed of 75mph (I should mention that there was a 60mph limit on steam at the time!). Restarting from the High Wycombe stop and once we were off the 45mph curves the sound level went off the dial and we topped the climb at 74mph – setting a new horsepower record for British steam in the process. So, the Duchess is another engine for the Desert Island. On another occasion, Flying Scotsman worked the outbound trip and Mallard the return. William and I were on the train and afterwards spent an hour on the A4’s footplate doing some very rare track – including turning on the Marylebone turntable. So, Mallard has to join me on the Island – well, actually pretty well any Class A4 would do! A couple of years later, I took William out to Vienna for the weekend to do 90mph with steam – this time behind 18.201, an East German hybrid pacific. The crew so forgot themselves that we did 100mph for 400 metres. William, at 45 years old now ((he was twelve then), remains, I think, the youngest person alive to have stopwatch-timed a speed in the high nineties with steam. He only made it 98mph! So, 18.201 is on the list. Fast forward to my retirement year (1996) and I participated (and timed about 60% of) Tim Littler’s ground-breaking Trans Siberian tour. Just 76 different steam locos used between Berlin and Vladivostok. After a month, the Russian L Class 2-10-0s became my most numerous Class for travel (53 locos, now after a further trip, it’s about 75 of them). So, an L Class is on the list. Finally, my two years in Hong Kong saw me travel extensively in China. I travelled behind 85 different members of the QJ Class 2-10-0s. So I’ll have one of those too, please. Finally, the best comes at the end. I have helped, with The Syndicate, to raise a few quid for the Society and once presented Peter Scott with a cheque for a couple of Grand and asked him to get No.171 running again before I die. It’s still my fervent wish. The numerate among you will have noted that I’ve gone past the “Eight Records” allowed by the BBC and even the Top Ten Locos suggested originally. I should explain that I was thrown out of Uni because of my poor Maths. Finally, that Desert Island Book. It has to be Tales of the Glasgow and South Western Railway by David L Smith. Less than eighty pages, but a sheer joy to read. My copy has been to Vladivostok and Hong Kong. So, incidentally has Mac Arnold’s Golden Years of the GNR – it would be hard to choose between them! I’ll do another epistle with top ten journeys when I have a moment to spare and tell you what I’d use a Time Machine for ….. Keep well. Leslie

Noel suggests doing a CIE cattle wagon with open doors, as Kirley did with my GNR ones. To help him long - maybe this helps? And maybe not - can't see the bottom door! Copyright IRRS Lance King Collection. Noel - can you write small and get the purchaser's name on the door in 4mm chalk? The original photo has FOUR CIE personnel, the buyer or his agent (Mr Lyons?) in a trilby hat and another gent, plus the youngster learning the trade.

Patrick Thanks for the background - we were tempted to take 186 down the pier in 1972, but the crew had more sense! I wonder did your Dad know the Gleasure family at Tullig / Kilflynn - two of my cousins married into the family.

Maybe I should change the supplier of staples? Sorry you guys have had issues. I hope that you agree that the final result is a good representation of that very spindly brake gear? Leslie

Great stuff, Noel. Another Master Class in building resin kits. Aren't lackey bands wonderful? Your Wagon Works certainly looks more productive over this Lockdown than my ballasting team and gardeners (grassey bits). I've almost got something to show for it all. Latest entertaining lesson - fit your rail-built buffer stops BEFORE ballasting.

Patrick, as always it's a treat to see your railway. Watching a few of the videos what struck me was your excellent lighting - you probably told us how somewhere earlier, but maybe you share the info again? Thanks to the lighting, the triangulated chassis on the Bullied opens shows up to advantage. You're one of the few people to have my little Ballast flat and using it as they did - AS A CAR CARRIER. Keep well and prosper Leslie

I've just had an e-mail from Andy Cundick telling me that Courtmacsherry is featured in the latest edition. His reason for telling me is that his layout has a few of my (Michael's) corrugated opens on it.

Oh dear, did I forget to put them in?

Hi LH (and Mr Holman, who is also called David), While I am into running trains and NOT the sorts of Works of Art which he produces - I have to say that enforced "modelling" during the lock-down has been an education AND very satisfying. Great Rail Journeys, my part time employer has the By-line - "The Journey is just the Start of the Adventure". The cabin looks great.

David said - Thought it was probably time to tidy up the workbench a bit this afternoon as I was starting to lose tools and materials! No doubt, within a few minutes of starting again, it will be just as messy, but at least I know where things are again. You should see my dining room table - at least you are losing your tools and bits in a bigger space. One end is "Workbench" - the other end (for the days I fancy working on them) is the Mac Air surrounded by correspondence, logbooks etc. Ireland in 1964, before you ask - I'm meant to be doing China (1996 - 2002). Every time some good soul orders kits, the logbooks etc get moved to check the kit, pack it etc ...... No wonder I've not really completed anything! You may wonder at the various tubs - holding bits or for carrying things up to the loft to check they fit. The platform is the final part of Richhill's Down platform under construction. The important tool is the yellow-handled job - the Olfa knife which I use to cut Plastiicard - what a wondrous invention (Well - it works for me!). Not today's paper, by the way - it's stopping me gluing the platform to the cutting mat! Now David is certainly getting there with his L Class (or was she a Lm?). Brass locos look terrific during construction - keep it up David. I hope we are all spared to see her running at an exhibition!

Whaaaaat!!! It's even got the fire extinguisher INSIDE THE DRIVER'S CAB!!!!!!! Actually, I resume that that works too? Plenty of stories that they caught fire regularly. I have this abiding memory of seeing them in 1958 on our hols to Bray making at lrast as much smoke as the steam locos they shared the work with. Amazing detail - very well done, gents. Now, do you guys know anything about vaccines? I know a guy who'll buy a few million from you if you can crack that one too.

Very nice, Dave, but I wanna a grey ' un, wi' yella stripes 'n' thon Snail thing ........

The bugger is that I like some of the repeats, your Chopping and Changing post sounded like one of the cryptic crossword clues I do with a friend by phone every day ........

I think that some of you know that I retired aged fifty and three months from a well-known British communications firm. Like Gavin, I was in IT. You got Brownie Points if you participated in outsourcing to India. Having spent years making profitable work for people, I spent the last few "working" years retiring people or bribing them to leave. The moment I could, I did the same thing and breathed a sigh of relief to get away from the accountants. So now we have this dyed blonde in London telling us that he'll make Britain great and sell our products overseas - what products? Can't even ORDER things properly from suppliers overseas, never mind making them. However, as we celebrate eighty years from Dunkirk (I have VERY good reason to be thankful for that - it's a long story ....) maybe this new "Dunkirk" moment will wake the country up before Ireland loses a major customer forever. Oh, I haven't stopped working either. After the two years working in Hong Kong, I've worked twenty one years in a well-known travel company, albeit part time. Now, where's me bricks and mortar - got to lay the Up Platform at Richhill.........

Hi Wex70 At the risk of sounding like David, the instructions were in the Post - now go to Layouts - Portadown Jct and all will be revealed, sort of .......

Yes, it's an amusing thought that the Midland had locos which could run upside down! John, now you're awake, I can thank you more personally. I hope to try her again today at the Richhill end of the railway - where she can have a longer run. At the moment, with platform building, ballasting, grass sowing etc, there are a lot of things over the track! Enyoy your evening.

Tony I have an idea that a UG went for over £300 about six months or so ago. Sorry you had an issue with eBay - that's an absolute pain. Keep well Leslie

So, specially for Mr Mayne - Thanks by the way - he's probably asleep as I post this - First Steps in the Northern Hemisphere - much more exciting than that on the Moon (Yep, saw that) or getting Americans to the ISS the other day (saw that too). Here she runs even under the dubious gravity of Surrey - apologies that I haven't got David's skills with a video camera! By the way, turn the sound up - REAL steam sounds - actually it's the fan, as it's sweltering up there today! Aurora first Northern steps.m4v As Mr Ahrons said of the Midland - "The Most Irish of Railways". Hmm, now I need some six wheelers .... Great stuff Mayner - thanks a Million.