leslie10646

I suppose I have hedged my bets by going up to 1:20.3 narrow gauge in the garden so that I can both see and run my models (though its !!!!!!!! expensive) while I still potter around trying to build workable models in 4mm scale when its too wet cold or dark to work in the garden. John, I've been tempted by this Garden Railway thing for over ten years since I saw a friend's huge garden railway - all LGB, mind you, so very much RTR. I've just succumbed to giving it a go - it's the fault of a guy selling his LGB stuff at Bangor. Hence the crocodile mentioned a few posts ago. I am a big fan of the Rhaetian Railway and my initial purchases have been for that railway. Of course, my world is the reverse of yours - I can run the garden railway on odd days, not as much sun in Surrey as Down Under - the GNR-based effort in the loft will always be the more appropriate activity!

Well, well! I do see, that like me, you've covered your boards in cork underlay, but mine hasn't got a cubic centimetre of ballast on it yet!

Just a short update. I had a chat with Roderick this evening and he tells me that the loco is on track to be ready by the Raheny exhibition in the Autumn. I'll admit that I was surprised at how few had been ordered - more than the UG, but less than the U Class, at present. If you want one, now's the time to act, as Roderick will make a small number over his order book, but that's usually that. Order yours now, if you want a member of Ireland's most numerous class for your railway. Later may be too late. Now, to make Beaumont's head swell a bit (see above), Roderick admitted that he realised that GREY really was the only colour these engines were in latterly, bar the last year or two of CIE steam when a FEW were painted black (I think for the 1964 All Ireland Tour). I realised that a while ago and changed my order to grey. Time to act?

I have now reached my '3 score + 10' and being retired have discovered that I don't have any free time any more. Apparently this is a common problem! Yep, it's bugger, isn't it? My birthday's coming up and people ask me what I want as a present. The answer is always the same - MORE TIME! You've made impressive strides with your line in a very short time. Makes me look like an even slower snail than I thought I was! I applaud another man who follows the principle - "First paint the baseboards grey" …….

It's only money that would otherwise be wasted on drink and women. Ah, Broithe, sure it's not all wasted at all - Mine likes trains, real and model - I've just bought her a Crocodile!

I will admit to total depression when "The Boys" announced that they were going to produce the CIE Sundries Container which I started doing as a kit last year (and sold a good number - my thanks to you who bought it). However, this thread has cheered me up no amount! Obviously there are still a lot of guys (and gals?) out there who still get satisfaction of saying "I built that"! I know I did when I had two working eyes and wasn't quite so handless! So, maybe I'll soldier on, although at 72 years maybe it's time to run them rather than make them?

Well done, Flange. "Irish Railways Today" is one of the most referred to book on my shelves - a font of useful info.

Heavens, Patrick - don't hide the beet bank, for when you park my corrugated wagons beside it it's the best advert I could possibly ask for! My eagle eye noted a lack of builder's plate on your bauxite "H Van". Did I not send you them with the kit (s)? They were an after thought - Steve at Railtec did them so well for my little ballast flat that I had them made (with appropitate numbers) for the "H"s as well.

It was Northern Ireland man, we dont make mistakes down south Heavens, David, you didn't really type that did you? Another nail in the Peace Process. While I can understand Miller's annoyance, I must say that the NDMRC guys put on a remarkable event, year on year - especially when you realise that they are a very modestly sized club - they punch well above their weight. As ever my thanks to Derek and Co for having me at the show (the Tenth appearance at it by Provincial Wagons) and to the reliable regulars who turned up to buy my wares! Leslie Now, all I have to do is keep at Michael to have a new wagon for Raheny!

Hope the Turf Burner CAD will be on show from IRM. Actually, George, I was helping them plan their first Train Set - GREEN Turf Burner, three WHITE Bubbles and three ORANGE bubbles - sure to sell well 'Up North"? Complete with crew of Oliver Bulleid, John Click and Ron Pocklington. Leslie

If you let us know your Grandfather's name, I could ask around. Some of us who timed trains in the 1960s will have the names of the crew in our notes.

Lots of the new Brown Van kit on my stand! Good oul' Des has produced the transfers for me as you can see. However, Michael did most of it with this lovely detail, right down to the little struts which supported that huge body. See just how big it is on Saturday! I look forward to seeing some of you "up North". Leslie (posted from Dublin - I'm on the way!)

Thanks for those of you who bought kits from Anthony at the weekend. Thanks, too, to those on the site who kindly posted piccies which shows that I missed a good show. Well done Wexford. Leslie (Provincial wagons)

The kit is now in production and I should have about fifty with me at Bangor. However, as I have over fifty "expressions of interest" on file, please let me know if you hope to pick one up at the Show and I'll reserve it for you. Same goes for any other kit you want - especially CIE wagons as I don't stock up on those for the Northerners! Please e-mail me via my website or at lesliemcallister@aol.com Thanks Leslie

Great info as always snapper. Will we see 131 south of Heuston this year? Never mind Heuston - it would be nice to see her go to Greystones and back - my only Q Class run was to there in the early 1960s, with sister 132. 131 will be my second Q Class "for haulage" in May, (DV). One friend has already notched up 200 miles with her! Happy Days!

Just an extra note to say that the van kit is now in production and I should have about fifty kits at Bangor on 21/22 April. As I have over fifty "statements of interest", if you plan to pick one up at Bangor, please send me a message through my website and I will reserve one for you. The van kit, is priced at £29 and comes complete with transfers offering several different numbers - these will be the original numbers which they carried - there was a re-numbering. Leslie

John Despite the website entry only showing the old MRN article, the Madder Valley is at Pendon in all it's glory - a whole room given up to it. I'm not sure if they ever operate it - when I saw it yesterday (yes, it was wet in Oxfordshire too) it had trains positioned in stations etc, but no sign that they use it any more. I got to chatting with one of the volunteers and guess what (Andy), he's just starting to model Courtmacsheery in 7mm! So, another correct guage layout is on the way. I can't recommend Pendon too much - friendly guides who make sure you miss nothing, and who will search out things for you if you ask "have you got an example of…..?". Add to that an impossibly good standard of scenic and buildings work - interiors to houses, for Pete's sake! To make sure you don't miss these, they turn the lights off, so that all you can see are the lighted windows of the thatched cottages, farms , barns etc. Right down to wallpaper, pictures hanging ……. If you plan a visit, make sure your satnav is working - it's not easy to find!

You'll find a Provincial Wagons stand at the Show but regrettably not me. Easter is a three-line whip in the family as I have to organise the Easter Egg Hunt (for my forty year kids!) in the garden of "Pettigo Fair" on Easter Sunday (after getting up for the 6.30am SONrise service, held on the banks of the Thames and then in a church that's mentioned in the Doomsday Book). Having seen the list of layouts - well done Wexford - I know where I'd prefer to be! Anthony McDonald will have a good selection of my kits with him, with an emphasis on CIE wagons. You'll have to wait for Raheny for my next new "CIE" wagon. Best wishes to everyone for an enjoyable and successful exhibition. Leslie

Tony Surely there would have been three men in each cabin covering the 24 hours? I must have a look at my 1964 WTT and check the hours of opening for the cabins. It's a valuable lesson to look at the WTTs to see how much DID go on in the wee small hours. I have to do this research for Portadown to work out a running sequence. Being a major junction with three lines through it, it can seldom have been very quiet and I pity local residents who may have had shunting going on at unearthly hours! I'm sure you have the WTT for your period, but if not, contact me. As I have several years of GNR (1950s) and UTA - certainly 1964, I'm happy to help you or any other friend modelling the GN. The things you pick up over the years and keep in boxes! Leslie

Nice picture, Tony. Very evocative with the Post Office van in front! In the days running up to Christmas 1964, I was travelling on a Runabout ticket to get as many miles as possible of steam haulage on the Derry Road before it was gone forever. One evening, I was in the signal cabin at Omagh and I asked the signalman when he finished work for the day - "In an hour or so", he answered, "and then I'll do some overtime on the platform helping with the post!" Of course, in those days, there was mountains of it. Brought it all back. Thanks. Leslie

Paul (and others) The book in question is McCutcheon's "Industrial Archaeology of the North of Ireland" (only). Amazing stuff on old mills, canals etc as well as railways. A useful reference work. As you say, long out of print, but there is a copy in this house and if someone has a particular query, or wants a scan - just ask. My secondhand copy came back across The Pond from the USA. "Slasher" McCutcheon taught me at school! Leslie

John, Thanks for that feedback. I have no doubt the disruption would be horrendous, but it seemed that the recent Luas building work to get across the Liffey was just as bad? The beauty of such a method, if practical, is that once it's down (and covered over) the trams run down the centre of the street, but without disrupting the traffic. The public just drop down an escalator and jump on a speedy public transport system. As I said, the one in Strasbourg is terrific and now that I've sussed it, when I lead tours through there, I save my elderly clients a long walk from our hotel near the station to the Cathedral etc by hopping on a tram for a few stops.

Thanks, Barl, for the explanation of the LUAS consultation and why tunnelling would be difficult in Dublin. Can I ask a question, regarding cut and cover tunnelling in the centre? Would it have been possible (if expensive) to have made some use of a sub surface line in the City Centre (Yes - I know that the river would get in the way!) - what I'm thinking of is that LUAS pops undergorund to avoid the busy centre city road junctions and pops above ground again further up O'Connell Street? The Strasbourg trams do something like this (albeit the tunnel is deep enough to withstand a thermo-nuclear blast). Anthony McDonald gave a great presentation to the IRRS London on LUAS recently and included a speeded up film of the laying of some of those city centre road junctions - brilliant engineering.

Come on JB - pay attention - the meeting was last week - you'd need a Time Machine - not Captain Kirk's teleport! However, I have the job of reporting the meeting and this is what I posted on the London Area website - 15 March 2017 Michael Davies, who had just returned from his 132nd visit to Ireland, continued his account of his earliest travels in Ireland during the 1950s,. His talk attracted the largest attendance of the season to date, your writer noted visiting members from Scotland, Wales and Ireland! Michael set out to travel on as much of Ireland’s railway system as possible and he recounted how he largely achieved this goal by 1957 – only a very few branch lines eluded him! Like all young people, he had to be careful with his limited resources, but he was aided by the fact that rural Ireland then had many hotels offering Bed and Breakfast for ten shillings (50p). When a rail connection was not available he used buses and on many occasions hitched a lift with commercial travellers and on one occasion, a parish priest. While exploring the Cavan and Leitrim one Sunday, he obtained the loan of a bicycle, but a tyre succumbed to the rough roads. Nothing daunted, he discovered a cycle repair business in the next town, knocked on the door, only to discover that the proprietor was at Mass. The man’s wife fed young Michael, while he waited and when the owner returned and carried out the repair, he would not accept a payment. Michael’s ingenuity knew no bounds and to resolve difficult connections he would write in advance to station masters to ask them have a “Hackney Carriage” waiting when his train arrived - and they did. It was a different world! He illustrated his talk with photographs taken on his father’s “Box Brownie” camera and he acknowledged the skill shown by Area member Richard McLachlan in restoring the images and bringing them out in their full glory. Thus the audience was transported back to 1950s Letterkenny (by the Swilly and the Donegal), the length of the Cavan and Leitrim (clearly his favourite), the Midland Great Western from Inny Jct to Cavan and on to Clones by the Great Northern. Michael was also in time to travel several times on the Sligo Leitrim and Northern Counties before that singular railway closed. Along the way, Michael made many enduring friends among Irish railwaymen and he made more friends tonight with his entertaining account of travels over half a century ago. Next meeting is Charlie Friel - Thursday 19th April 2018 “The GNR(I) lines to Newcastle and Derry” by Charles Friel Archivist, historian and RPSI activist, Charles Friel pays us another visit. He starts with lines closed in 1956 – an illustrated journey along the busy Belfast to Banbridge line, the cross-country extension to meet the BCDR at Newcastle and the sleepy branch to Scarva. He will then present a recording of an evocative BBC NI television programme, largely based on the cine of the late Fred Cooper, made to mark the 50th anniversary of the closure of the fondly-remembered former GN route from Portadown to Londonderry (Foyle Road) in 1965. find details of this and all the Area's activities at - https://irrslondon.com

For those of you to whom the railways of the Black North are an anathema - my first job next week is to send a mass of photos and drawings to Michael for our next offering - aimed at being ready for Raheny. Now Richie - not a word!