leslie10646

Nice one Dave. However, already I have my bubbles tearing round the railway upstairs and I take the people who have given me them for Christmas up to see them! Being a nice guy - I even let them drive the engine pulling "their" wagons! A Happy and Blessed Christmas to everyone. The IRM boys, especially, for the package from them really made my Christmas! Leslie

As the Good 'oul Post Office pay some of my pension, I'd be the last person to say something good about a courier firm. However, the Lads addressed my package with just the well-known name of my house ("Pettigo Fair") and the DPD guy, to his great credit, walked right round Lansdowne Road looking for the name! Now this Lansdowne Road is probably more of a maze than the corridors under the REAL Lansdowne Road, but he found me and delivered the package with a smile. And it was a day early! Top Marks! Now, as for FEDEX - NEVER go near them - I sat in all day last Thursday week awaiting Conrad Natzio's new book - the package was in their Camberley office at 9am, for deliver by 6pm - it was delivered the next morning. THEY don't answer their phones either. Finally, Lads, thank you for making such an effort to make so many of us guys happy by getting our pressies to us for Christmas. Nine of mine (the other three are still in their box) are whizzing round the loft behind my grey B121 and a fine sight they make. Not in my wildest dreams when I saw these wagons for the first time as a teenager in the 1960s did I think that one day I would take mass-produced models of them out of a box and run them on my model railway! Heartiest congratulations and thanks from a very happy septuagenarian! Leslie

I've already said this to Fran in a PM, but ORANGE really was the "iconic" livery for these unique wagons, so I'm delighted for you guys that they are racing off the shelves, even if you're having to forego the usual pre Christmas drinks at the pub, as you'll be so busy packing! To quote Jon Bon Jovi (I had to listen to him endlessly while my elder son was growing up) - "Live when I'm alive and sleep when I'm dead". But, hey, stick around, I bet there are even greater things to come! I'll be standing at the door all day Friday waiting for the "Man with a Van". Leslie

Thanks, Broithe for that link. I knew that Belfast's favourite acting son had built the train in a studio, but didn't realise that it was within eight miles of where I'm typing this - Longcross is a former MOD establishment now used by various indistries, including, and this was new to me, a film studio. Shame on me, when my other half asked me what the loco was, I thought it entirely CGI stuff, but it turns out that they DID use a real train for some shots - a French Chemin de fer de l'Est 4-8-2 - really serious engines - and there is, indeed, one preserved in Switzerland. Now I'll have to see the film a THIRD time to work out which scenes were computer-generated and which"the real thing"! Personally, I'd give the film eight out of ten - some very good acting, Branagh, of course, Johnny Depp was superb as the baddie who meets a grisly end, nice cameo roles by two favourites of mine - Willem Dafoe and Derek Jacobi. If you haven't seen it, take your other half - although she may not like to see the girls' heart-throb Depp being butchered!

Just a line to say that it was great to see familiar faces at Warley again this year, including a Royal visit from Patrick and Fran! Lots of interest in Richard's drawings - it was the books of NCC and GNR station layouts and signalling diagrams produced by the late Russell Currie which seemed to steal the show! Being opposite Old Blarney and Arigna we were never short of entertainment. Lord White was in fine form, although he failed to convince a local mayor who was visiting just WHY an elephant was in an Irish town! Always a crowd in front of the layout which has dozens of super little cameo scenes built in. My observation to David that there weren't nearly enough people at the funeral taking place in the local parish church was met by the demand - do you think I am made of money - have you counted how many people there are on this layout already? Suitably chastened, I took myself off to the races (at the other end of the layout). Even Andy came up with some story as to why the first train on the Saturday morning was a loaded coal train ARRIVING at Arigna - although I can't remember what his line was, so it can't have been that convincing. Well done the Warley Club, a good way to spend a weekend, as always the place to be on the last weekend of November. And thanks to those of you who supported Richard and I. Leslie

I always knew that R had a dirty mind - disgraceful in one so young! Have you seen what he did to one of my beautiful H vans? (It was on display at Blackrock!). L PS I'm reporting you to the RSPCW!

Ah, a shame to have missed that, David. I was just along the coast at South Hants Model Railway Club's exhibition in Portsmouth - I was picking up my Class AL and my Class UG - they had been in for chipping with Coastal DCC. I hope that you had a good and appreciative attendance.

As usual, the Irish Railway Record Society will have a stand at this exhibition at the NEC this weekend 25/6 November. We're Stand B100. Show is open Saturday 9.45am to 6pm and on Sunday 9.45am to 5pm. We will particularly be showing how the Society's Archive can help the modeller, through the digitisation of loco, carriage and wagon drawings held by the Society. This is the work of my pal Richard McLachlan, who will be on hand to tell you what's available and what might become available! Recent additions to the drawings catalogue include architectural drawings (mainly GNR), station layouts and signalling diagrams (NCC only at the moment, I believe). You can pick up our current catalogue, or even buy books (or discs) of the drawings. We will be selling some Irish books, too, including the recent book on the Lough Swilly and the pictorial Irish Railways in the 1950s and 1960s. PLus many out of print items - a treasury for the collector! Please note that I won't be SELLING my wagon kits at the event, but if you pre-order kits, they can be delivered to you there. Now, even better news - WE ARE NOT ALONE! Across the aisle from us, on stands B84 and B85 you will find Andy Cundick's Arigna (Cavan and Leitrim 3foot gauge) and next door is David White's Old Blarney. Two of my favourite layouts - they pass my test of a good exhibition layout in that there is always something going on, unlike too many otherwise excellent layouts. Now, before I get the usual deluge of comments about how awful Warley is - yes, it's busy on the Saturday, without fail, but Sunday is a good bet and you get peace to admire the many superb layouts in peace. It's also a great place to visit traders and get those tools or materials which you'd otherwise be sending for in the post! Nicer to see before you buy? Do call by and say "Hallo". Leslie

Folks, you've probably all seen this, but the December British Railway Modelling has an article on this far-famed 3mm Irish layout - while I don't think that the photos do full justice to the work of Steve, Mick and Alan, it's well worth a look. The other place to admire the layout (if you can't catch up with it at a show) is Model Railway Journal No.249 - for me that showed the superb weathering on wagons etc that the guys have achieved. Getting back to BRM - the same edition has "World's End" which was at Bangor recently; and the huge and remarkable Burtisland. Well worth the money for once? Leslie

Heavens, Eamonn, you Wexford men work quickly - you only got the kits from me a week ago! The corrugated open is a thing of "beauty" - your weathering really makes it look the part. Great stuff! Leslie

Ah, Dave, you're right as usual. What we Northerners call a "Chancer"! Note he has a score of FOURTEEN - so he hasn't got a clue what he's up to.

Tony My memory is that Dapol used what they call "MILNER" Grey for the unfitted. I don't think you'll find that in any catalogue! In general, we suggest painting "grey" wagons with Halford's grey primer! As for the brown - I'm sorry I can't help. Leslie

Both! Grey for unfitted wagons; brown for fitted. Take a look at "GNR Wagons" and you'll see the colours used by Dapol on my earlier conflats. I did several hundred of them. Of course they were BR ones repainted. MY Bread Containers (of which you have a couple?) were scaled a little to fit two on one of these. Are you going to scratch build a "proper" Flat? Leslie

A hundred, Robert? Hmm, we'll have to work out a discount scheme! Can't wait to see the rake - you certainly don't hang about, as you'd only bought them a few hours ago. At least the other guys can see that they're easy to build! Richie, Old Boy, I brought twenty odd home with me (after selling about twice that, which is seriously good in the "Kit Business"). You can get one from Anthony McDonald of IRRS fame any Tuesday "Library Night" at Heuston. Leslie

Have to agree with the last post - which is why I have a dozen "ornge" ones on order - they only sent ORNGE ones up North, you know? Now, what's next from you guys after your mining wagons? Maybe I should open a book on it?

Just a line or two to say thanks to Paul and the SDMRC team for a great weekend. This exhibition was the first I attended in the "South" (two years ago) and I was more than pleased with the result and the splendid hospitality. A great place to meet loads of my customers, to put a name to a face and to hear the uses to which my kits get put. And, of course, just generally have great craic. Dun Laoghaire was splendid, as were Eoin's wonderful DARTS - I may be steam to the gills, but I have no doubt that electric trains are best for railways! Well done the IRM chaps with their bubbles - I took full advantage of their offer, now that they have decided to do them in the right colour! Still on the subject of bubbles - my felicitations to whoever it was who built the rake of orange ones running on Lucan South (another nice layout!). A nice piece of work. Finally, I've just heard from Richard that he made it safely home - we had left Holyhead at 1245am this morning and had our fastest ever run to Reading (and bed!!!!). R then went on to the flatlands of Ipswich once he'd been well res and rested. See you all at Raheny (DV) in a year's time. Leslie

Ah, Rich, that'd be telling' (but thanks for asking, I'm certainly not complaining!) - I can afford to buy some of Project Four! Great to see a lot of my regular customers - some who have been buying Provincial Wagons since the start TEN years ago! A brave few thousand wagons spread, literally Worldwide, since then. Thanks to those who came by today - I'll be at Blackrock for the rest of the weekend! Great event as always. Well done SDMRC.

Well, now that I know what Project 4 is, Christmas is sorted! Well done you guys. It really added to the fun of the day to see the queue of lads at your stand patients awaiting their bubbles! Leslie

Broithe You've solved my problem of the colour for my containers - I'll get them finished in that tartan - one of the "oranges" must be right! Leslie

And I thought I had trouble getting stuff from the Isle of Wight (60 miles away from me)! The Irish customs didn't even look at us as we steamed off the ferry this morning with a few hundred wagons in the back! They'll be Stand 14 at 11am on Saturday morning. Leslie PS Seriously, though, I'm looking froward to seeing the Bubbles - when will the ORANGE ones be ready?

You'll be very welcome to have "a few" Joe. Sound like we have a love of a particular railway in common? Just about to set off for the Holyhead boat, IF Richard ever gets here in his limousine! Leslie

The last two boxes of kits (more beets, containers and conflats) have just been delivered, so I'm about to get back to putting MORE transfers into kits (Michael makes 'em, but I provide the transfers). Then pack up the Smart car with goodies which will be transferred to Richard's car for Ireland tomorrow. Think of us on the early morning Holyhead Boat on Thursday morning. Please remember to come and give my kits a look over on Stand 14 - better still (buy some?). See you (DV) on Saturday (Sunday or Monday). Leslie

Steve at Railtec has worked overtime to produce my transfer set for this new container - sorry that my painting and transferring skills are very rusty - last practised in the 1970s! Each transfer set includes a spare of each transfer you can see. Come and see for yourself at Blackrock. Buying there will be cheaper than by post, as Her Majesty's Mail is criminally expense to non-Brexit countries (my Irish passport application is in!). Do drop along and say "Hi" even if this isn't your period. Stand 14 Leslie

Sorry to hear that you got an imperfect Journal. If you're at Blackrock next weekend, I'm sure you can swap it on the IRRS stand. I'll tip them off that you had a problem. Mine was OK - just been consuming it on a run out of Paddington, much checked by electrification work. Leslie

I have been checking up on progress back at my "factory" on a well-known off-shore island and I should have a reasonable stock of this kit available for Blackrock, but to be sure of getting yours, or indeed any of my kits, just send an e-mail to the address on my website - http://www.provincialwagons.com As I haven't been able to source the full transfer set which I require for the container (no problem with the flat), the kit price will be €34 at the exhibition. You will still get a quartet of "broken wheels" for the container, which may be quite enough for some of you? When the full set of transfers is ready, you can get them from me by post, at cost (a Euro plus postage should cover it), or over the counter at Bangor - the next time I'll be in Ireland. Leslie