leslie10646

Ernie, please forgive my impertinence in correcting the account of the Dunlavin photo. The train REALLY was stock run down for a a cattle special from Baltinglass on the Monday, 16th. The coaches were for the IRRS members who travelled down on Sunday 15h March with the empty train of wagons ("The Last Train to Tullow"). Most members returned home that evening but on 16th the Fair was held in Baltinglass and the cattle were duly loaded at the bank: Baltinglass 16.3.1959 Lance King collection, Copyright IRRS Thanks for the super JGD photo of No.207!

It was great to meet up with Andy and David today. It was the 13th on one respect that I missed a photo of the Great Britain tour having failed to find the watering point near Wantage (now grotesquely build up!). Linda, though, had the Winner in the National! Here's the three of them admiring the Forbesian Cavalade to end all n arrow gauge cavalcades with Andy's CDRJC railcars in numerical order No.1 (two versions of No.2) right through to No.12, so Phoenix was there as No.11 - being admired by @Galteemore, @Andy Cundick and my Chauffeuse! Then as the line grew! Quite show of narrow gauge delights! Brilliant Andy and thnaks for getting them out for @Galteemore

Well done for finding this, Nelson - a real gem, especially the shipping. My shipping books are not beside me, otherwise I'd have a go at identifying the Cross Channel ships which are about the size of the lifeboats on the Ulysses! The shunter is NCC No.16 a 0-4-0ST built by Bowman Malcolm in 1916 at York Road. She lasted until 1951. (Info Bill Scott's Bible and Northern Counties Railway Vol 3). The newer GNR vans were built 1922 on, so that helps date it?/

If the Flirts resemble the Swiss ones, fine, but if like UK ones, it's still time to think of a move.

You poor souls - @Galteemore is almost certainly right - you're going to get the AWFUL Intercity Express Trains (IETs) which we suffer here on the "Other" (Unimportant) Island. Even worse than Vomiters (sorry, mistype, Voyagers). Emigrate before it happens! I'm too old, or I would have done it already.

Too late, Cathal, they have already done that sneakily on the "Borris" thread! I was certain they were mine (as Fergal had bought a couple of my kits in the past) but they are the pristine "as built in 1958" version. I should have noted the lettering below the solebar - I never provided transfers! Very well done.

BRUCKLESS ALERT! Mind you you have to be Wiltshire this weekend (so no excuse @Galteemore). Bruckless is at Calne, see below! https://www.calnemrs.org.uk/ Come and see a narrow gauge line which was almost as good as the Rhaetian Railway (was - EMUs everywhere these days!)!

Ah, the Turbostars? He may get a loco and coaches in the future if the Railway Press is correct, as Chiltern Railways are looking at running the (Accurascale) Mark V coaches behind Class 68s. Good news for The Lads and Dapol, who do the Class 68.

Really, Noel? You obviously haven't travelled on an IET in the UK - not for nothing are the seats referred to as "Ironing Boards". In fact we call the Trains that and avoid them like the plague. Travelling into Paddington, I carefully seek out the semi-fasts operated with 387 EMUs which take a only slightly longer - being capable of and do achieve 110mph.

I will retell the story of when I first saw this layout at the Guildford exhibition some years ago. The show was at the Methodiist Church Hall and I managed to park my Smart Car in a tiny space in front of the church (on the Main Road, you can't any more). I had two hours free parking. I sent "The Boss" off into the Town Centre to have a mooch around the shops and told her to come back two hours later, as the Show wasn't that large. I saw this layout listed as "Ballyconnell Road" and assumed that it was (another) Co Donegal layout or the like. Everyone knows my pathological dislike of the Irish narrow gauge, but I thought I'd have a quick look just to show support for Ireland. Ninety minutes later, I was still walking round this vision of Heaven on Earth, chatting all the while with Steve and Mick. I rang The Boss and told her I was moving the car into the Multi-Storey and to come back another hour later, so that I could have a glance at the rest of the Show!! I followed the Lads to Southampton a few weeks later, to have another "fix"! Thanks for sharing these photos, David. I see that the threatened VS Class hasn't appeared yet! You never tire of seeing this.

Ah, yes, but what wonderful wagons they are (but I would say that, wouldn't I?). Oops, the new IRM ones are nearly as good as mine, as modelled by Michael. My records show that I've sold you a couple of mine, Fergal - but I didn't realise that you were hiring out Mott's Line for trials of new rolling stock! Apologies. The dustbin Zinc colour has been well captured by IRM's Chinese accomplises. Lovely.

WEBSITE UPDATED (AT LAST!) No, my ability to update using Wordpress, is no better, but I have managed to to list (with photos) all my present offerings. See: https://provincialwagons.com READY TO RUN: In particular, can I mention that I have a very few RTR Open wagons built from my GNR Open wagon kit, a couple of UTA Brown vans and painted and decorated examples of all six bakery containers. Photos of the actual wagons are dotted about on the website. The latest CIE vans are, of course, still available. Have a look, please.

There's gratitude for you.

NO! Mine are so fitted, so it can be done!

Hi Tony, my second UG is likewise un-lined, but I wouldn't sell it for less than £350. As for the U Class - think of a (large) number! I WOULD split them and look for £350 for the 0-6-0 and £400 for the 4-4-0. I'll see if I can find a buyer, as I'm always being asked for them! What's my agent's fee?

The same retailer is selling Pokemon card sets (the price of those makes our hobby look cheap), Dapol locos and lots of model vehicles. I'm with Paddy on this, for sure. Caveat Emptor indeed. The seller is quite open that he's in China and I'm sure that Paddy will confirm that he has no retailer there! So it's crystal clear they ain't kosher? If something's too go to be true - it usually isn't.

Unhappily, this production of fakes in China is nothing new. I won't recount how markets in Hong Kong were full of fake Designer Clothes, but your story rang a bell. I'm reading "The Silk Roads" - "A New History of The World" (a mere 600 pages). There I read that in the 1600s, books were written in China itself to help one to spot fakes. I wish Paddy well with this, we've all been informed of the issue now. On a lighter note, Dave, I'd no idea that you were SO young!!!!

CC1 at Inchicore at the time of the Grand Tour in 1961 Photo Lance King Copyright Irish Railway Record Society I got an e-mail about this: https://railsofsheffield.com/products/sr-bulleid-the-leader-prototype-grey-early-crest-0-6-6-0-articulated-steam-locomotive-dcc-fitted My 77 year old memory failed me when I thought that the chassis from this might have a secondary use on CC1, but alas: The bogies look pretty different and CC1 was 7 feet shorter than 36001 (the Leader Prototype). Much easier to find a 60ft CoCo loco, unscrew the body and get to work with the Plastikard? That said, I'm very tempted to have one for the "Glass Case".

Best of all at Bangor was meeting Ivor Hughes (aka @33lima), who in the late 1990s built me a lot of rolling stock on the recommendation of our late friend Steve Rafferty (aka "Lambegman"). We had never met - now he's a customer of mine! I've almost recovered now - the boxes of wagons are back in the loft (still a few left, although orders are coming in ....). Great to meet a lot of friends over a busy weekend, especially William Redpath (and his wife) who have firmly put me to shame with their wonderful model of Portadown. Just brilliant!

Safely home from the above event and almost got my equilibrium back - we arrived back at 7am on Tuesday, then had to take a friend to see "Madame Butterfly" at Cinema (don't bother) that night, some recovery then Good Friday given over to The Messiah by the Royal Choral Society at the Albert Hall. At last got the sums done - I might have made a few bob after the not insubstantial costs of just being there when you live in Surrey! Thanks, first, to Richard who took me in his Merc and did ALL the driving; to NDMRC who put the event on. But most especially to the 70 or so folk who came by and spent money! Second Hand books raised £200 for the "171 Appeal", which might pay for some minor part, but it all helps to move the project forward - so a special thanks to those who added to their libraries (and reduced the load on the return journey). Richard enjoyed taking me to Ballycastle for Fish and Chips at Morton's on the front, Fair Head looked amazing in the Winter sun and the waves last Thursday ...... Thanks all. Leslie

How dare you make my lovely vans so filthy!!!

Hi folk I managed to post an unwanted grey bagged Cement van to a customer in Toureen, Ballysimon, Co Limerick. This one, to be precise: If you're after one and are in the vicinity, you can pick it up from the customer (full info will be given to potential customer) - it's yours for €20. Thanks Leslie

It would have been unusual if the T2 was on the Irish North - I suspect it had come up through Armagh on the Ulster Railway. They were used on trains through Richhill in the late fifties - I remember travelling behind one out of Portadown with my grandmother (mind you just to the said Centre of the Universe!). No.58 is on the Thursday All-in tour to Dublin for tourists staying at UTA hotels in the North - the Laharnara in Larne especially if my memory serves. Note the diner! Finally, a personal thanks for confirmation that I have been hauled by B147, which pulled the RPSI tour into Wicklow (Murrough) in 1972 or so.

Thanks, Ernie. Wonderful to see a younger Mr Dewing in the flesh - he'd have been about forty at the time, but happily lived into his early 90s - still attending IRRS meetings ON HIS BIKE! Note to modern enthusiasts - note the shirt, jacket and tie for steam holidays! A wonderful man with an amused glint in his eye, always!

Have I misread this - IRM AREN"T going to be there? So no announcement this weekend .......