leslie10646

Great stuff, Patrick. Super layout enhanced by the interesting period rolling stock - but then I would say that, wouldn't I? Nice to see the cattle wagons au naturel and in vacuum mode.

Noel remarked: I only discovered three days ago the the chuck in my hand drill can reverse handling narrow or wider drill bits. Had it 3 years but only figured that out doing this wagon. 0.5mm is now my goto drill bit and ideal for the 121 grab rails too. That's mild, Noel - after twelve years I discovered that my Smart Car's tailgate had a keyhole and could be opened by turning the key! Previously I'd always used the wee button inside by the steering wheel. Unobservant, or what? You can thank Michael for the kit - I simply suggest the things, find the info and then harry him until it appears. I'll whisper, too, that Glenderg of This Parish was a willing contributor of critical info for this van.

Great stuff, Noel. I usually ask my customers to confirm arrival of kits, but you've gone one better by posting them on line and e-mailing me, thanks. Sorry about the woodworm in your 130 year old woodwork! Likewise sorry the handbrake wheel proved a pain, but it's a really nice little detail. Another Master Class in resin kit building, thanks. Good old Halfords! Like you, I find my little "twist drill" invaluable - mine has been mainly used track-laying, mind. I've been buying all sorts of tools, encouraged by Richard McLachlan and guess what? After years sitting in boxes, they are all proving useful now! I wish you many years of happy running with the finished article - a lovely piece of archaic rolling stock! Keep well. Leslie

Well done for not accepting what was available out of a box - a very nice job. I'm afraid that having a Fleischmann motorised turntable from my German days, that's in the middle of Portadown - I'll have a to try a d bit of surgery. In fact, that's today's job - adjusting the Peco level crossing to approximate to the one that was at Richill. Keep it up and stay well. As David mentioned - good old Kernow have delivered to me during lockdown.

Heaven, Lm, you'll have me searching out a copy of "Steam's Silver Lining", which I published - it includes a RPSI coaching list correct (I hope) for the first 25 years of the Society. Like it or not, we're a very small minority on the Island of Ireland and we're lucky Jimmy's stuff is safe, even if badly described. The National Archive in the UK does "employ" (at the volunteers' own expense) a lot of people who do know their stuff to make sure the catalogy=uing, etc of railway stuff is "correct". Now, my turn for a rant. When people hear that you're interested in railways they immediately say - "I expect you've travelled behind the "Flying Scotsman"? Between us, yes, I have and on the footplate on two occasions on the mainline, but I wouldn't go from here to the front door to see her. Why? The wrong A3 was preserved. There is a myth that she was the first steam engine to do 100mph - she wasn't (and certainly neither did "City of Truro"). She did 98mph according to Cecil J Allen, who was timing the train on the day - the 100mph thing was claimed by the LNER publicity Department. As the actress said - "They would, wouldn't they?" The first engine to do the Ton was 2750 "Papyrus" (also an A3) - in fact 108mph on trials before they decided to build the A4s and ran the Silver Jubilee in four months from drawing board. For younger readers - Silver Link reeled off forty miles at 100mph on the famous Press Run - they had no speedo on the loco and they crew thought they were doing about 90mph - the max was 112mph! Rant over. Glad you're obviously in good form, Stephen! Leslie

Played a blinder there, Noel. No-one has any excuse for not trying the kit of this iconic, ubiquitous Irish wagon. Over 300 kits sold now - my best seller by a century or so. There are more upstairs for when anyone wants to have a go! Between us, I didn't quite believe it when the first batch of kits arrived at "Pettigo Fair" with those staples, but you've got to hand it to Michael, it produces a very good representation of a very delicate brake gear set-up. Bet the Chinese couldn't do better! Very well done Sir, even if the eyes are getting on a bit - they obviously work! And are well co-ordinated with your hands Leslie

Re the Nohab diesel. Fleischmann used to make one - obviously in HO. See: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fleischmann-danische-NOHAB-Diesellok-MY/402245656044?hash=item5da7b59dec:g:rQ4AAOSwWSJepeIS Belgium, SNCB: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/188HO-Fleischmann-HO-1385-Diesellok-Nohab-202016-grun-gelb-SNCB/352874373859?hash=item5228f3a2e3:g:~ZUAAOSwYAdd48te Also MAV (HUngary) had them and I've got at least one trip with them, as one is preserved.I can't see a Fleischmann version of the Hungarian version as Hungary was behind the Iron Curtain when it was in production! These days ROCO make the Nohab as well. Quick paint job .......

Patience, Old Boy. Des is probably busy at the Day Job. He's almost certainly busy doing that from home.

Super, Noel Not only a master class in building it, but you've got what Michael called the "dustbin zinc colouring" to prefection! Very well done. Leslie

Super, Noel Not only a master class in building it, but you've got what Michael called the "dustbin zinc colouring" to prefection! I'm afraid you didn't need to rush - the Post from Frimley to The Republic seems to be taking two weeks plus. Did you ever build the Bulleid open kit I sent ages ago? I'd like to see the outcome of that after your treatment. Keep it up. Great stuff.

Hi Mark I was intrigued by the name you use - you obviously like Bagnall locos? I can supply the IRRS (London)'s MGWR picture book at its original cover price (£2.95) plus postage (about a quid at the moment). It will be from The Syndicate's stock. FYI, The dubiously-named Syndicate is a small group of UK based Irish enthusiasts who have raised funds for Irish preservation for half a century. If you are interested in the GSWR loco book, I am pretty certain we've got that as well - again at Cover Price (£30 - £35). Just Message me with your interests. Leslie

We've found a much better picture of Anthony, on the happy occasion of the IRRS 70th Anniversary meeting at the Irish Embassy in London. The Society will miss him as much as his close friends. Best to remember him with that smile on his face?

(Oh dear, Patrick, you should have been sent them with the kit! Mea culpa. I'll get some to you asap.) Oh, just read the post properly - maybe I should do a "Vac Pack" for you guys who want to treat the poor animals to a frightening ride? Bad enough that they probably got soaked in the Irish weather with those planked roffs!

It’s impossible to do justice in a few words to Anthony’s memory. A guy who lived a half century of life to the full – in fact you might say he crammed two half centuries of life into one. The word enthusiastic was made for him - for when he was on a favoured topic, not only his eyes, but his whole being lit up with his passion for the subject. Some of you will know that Anthony acted as Provincial Wagons agent in Dublin, attending the last two Wexford Easter exhibitions on my behalf. He also built a large number of wagons from my kits for clients who wanted a RTR version. If you’ve got one of those, treasure it, for he was a master modeller, as well as a really great guy. Richard, who has been digitising the IRRS drawings archive, has lost an able and helpful assistant. We can both testify to how a request turned into speedy action and useful results – we just had to ask! If he didn’t know something, he knew someone who did! When I said “PALVan” to him, he arrived in England a month ago with thirty pages of drawings, photos and details. A man of many parts - from his younger days in England (he was no stranger to the House of Commons, no-less); a really serious cyclist; very involved in Scouting; a first aider; a very competent engineer with an eye and enthusiasm for detail and getting things just right; skills he demonstrated anew in smaller scales. Shamrock Rovers has lost a passionate supporter, the President will have to cheer louder in future. But most of all he will be dreadfully missed by his wife Lorna, Caoimhe, Oisin and little Fainne (pictured with her Daddy at Wexford in 2018), to whom all our love and sympathy is showered at this very sad time. Pax tecum, noster amice Leslie McAllister and Richard McLachlan

First, to restate the @Wrenneire point, if it looks too good to be true, it usually is. That said, we've all been there, except we are unusually astute. Needless to say, no-one will get anywhere challenging as corrupt a system as the Chinese one can be. (It has many good points so I don't condemn everyone). It was a standing joke in my Hong Kong days to see people walking about in the UK in very expensive, badly made, "Designer" clothes - when you went into China (as I did often) you saw the least well-off folk in gear with all the Big Names on them. We used to smile at Chinese guys who walked around in SUITS with the Fashion Chain's label still on the outside of the sleeve, to show off. Don't misunderstand me, the ordinary people were lovely - nosey, staring at you but as helpful and kind as you could imagine - as is the case almost everywhere - it's the politicians who muck it all up.

Hi MM Thanks. It probably got lost in my verbiage, but it's only a loading platform for goods and is part of the Richhill station on the layout.

Well, for good or ill, I've made a start to scenery. I'm ballasting the Junction area and of course, you can only do a bit before you go crazy and in any event, it's best to leave each section to dry for a day or two. Soooo...... It so happens that the station at the North end of the house - Richhill - has had beautiful buildings for the past 5/6 years, but nothing else. The builder is a man of great renown on this site and I'll name him when I get the buildings planted. A large area needs to be built up to platform level for the station yard facing the building entrance (on the level, no steps) and a goods "beach" (dock to most people who didn't hear the local stationmaster call it that). The building up has been done - photos later, but for now, that "Beach". No laughing at the first efforts for fifty-odd years of a one eyed (LEFT, by the way) right-handed 73 year old bloke, who was never any good at modelling anyway. This is the side everyone would see and this other side is invisible, except you crawl under the board and view it from the suitcase storage area behind! You can see my "method" - platform height batten with a Plasticard surface. The Plasticard embossed sides were painted and then stuck on with good oul' Rocket Cardboard glue. Those sides were given a "mortar" undercoat and then "dry-brushed to bring out the stones - to say that it's a slow process would be a fine piece of English understatement. The gravel surface used a method championed by Gordon Gravett in his landscape modelling book - a thick coat of paint and then scatter the preferred surface material. I did it in small sections, scattering the material when the paint was barely off the brush. I have made an error in that the prototype had edging right down the ramp and the edging stones should be off-white. You may wonder at the long wall with no surface. Just a feature of my design tactics - it WILL get a surface! Final point - I first modelled this beach in 1970 (in the bedroom of my digs in Manchester) on the first Richhill - believe me, it was crude!

Actually, David, it's neither. If I've got the name right, it's Paddy Dobbin who did Ballymena to Belfast start to stop in 34m43s on 8 April 1969. My best time between Ballymena and Belfast. The fireman (on the other side, of course, is Albert Plews. My other tank is No.10 (presently out of action with a broken buffer beam (the result of a 4ft fall from my display cabinet). No. 10 is my fastest tank and the driver modelled is the late, great, "Saint" Thomas Crymble. 83mph at Muckamore on a very wet day - I got soaked timing it put of an open window.

OK, a quick opportunity to listen to and see my No.53. There's a lot of ballasting work going on, hence the pots, paints etc in the background. I can't let you hear her bashing round with eight coaches as I'm also working at Richhill at the other end of the layout - logical, you see - work at one end and while that dries out, or sets, work at the other end? You CAN turn the sound up - no commentary! Gosh doesn't the Digitrax reverser make a lot of noise? Loco by Colm Flanagan, from a Hornby Fowler tank, digitised by Coastal DCC who put a LMS 4MT 2-6-4T sound chip in her No 53 sound.m4v

Terrific model Mr R. Glad to know that the 4mm boys can set a few challenges for the 7mm guys! I did ask Michael to include a representation of the consignment clip if possible. If only that a dab of white to represent the the document would relieve the endless Halford's grey. I wonder do they realise how much of their primers are sold to non-car men!

I can claim to have been born within the sound of a GN whistle, so I suppose I can claim proper GN parentage. However, the greater part of my life in Ireland was within a few miles of York Road and it was the performances of the later NCC men (on the Tanks) which set me on a lifetime of timing trains worldwide. I once told Frank Dunlop, then in his eighties - he had kindly given me a lift after one of Charles' RPSI meetings - that if he and his men hadn't been such consummate enginenmen, I might have spent the last fifty years differently! I'll get No.10 out at Portadown Jct and let you hear her.

Hmmm. Wot about the long bunker on the WT? That's neither Ivatt or Fairburn (who was an electrical engineer anyway?). What the heck, it's Noel's railway! Back to dry-brushing embossed stone Plasticard. I don't know if it drives me more bonkers, or the ballasting!

I hate to rain on this parade, but the "Tanks" were a parallel boilered loco. The base used for the two built for me (by a well-known gent in Co. Down) is the Hornby Fowler tank - which was, anyway, the grandpa of the Class WT. That said, thanks for the video of the Fairburn, Noel. I had one ride in 1966 behind one between Birkenhead and Hooton on the day I was interviewed for the job which is still paying my pension!

I thought there was no room at the Inn? Interesting how pubs are mentioned in the Bible? The Samaritan popped into one as I remember?

Maybe one of our pals in the Republic can confirm that back in day, depending on your school - you learned either Latin OR Greek?