leslie10646

Kits of all my wagons AVAILABLE NOW!

 I have IN STOCK kits of every handmade wagon I have produced. That is GNR(CIE) brake van; GNR Cattle Wagon; SLNCR Cattle Wagon; GNR 9 ton van; GNR Loco Coal Wagon. Order now for immediate delivery, or reserve yours for picking up at Bangor on 12 April. Kit includes wheels, couplings and transfers. If you are modelling on 21mm gauge, we will supply without the chassis and wheels and suitably reduce the price. I have not repeated this information on every page of my website where the RTR wagon is described, as the price is pretty well the same throughout. Price £22.50 or €27.00, which includes postage. Except for the - GNR (CIE) brake van is dearer at £28 or €34 If you want several kits, I will give you a little discount, as I save on postage, etc - the kit won't go as a Large Letter which is a pain, but I can get several in a "Small Parcel". HEALTH WARNING: Until we see how well the kits sell, they come with a uniform set of instructions - namely those written for the GNR Cattle wagon, which has sold pretty well in this form. So beware, you will have to work out what is what on the other wagons - that said, most kits are just over a dozen parts! Easier than building an Airfix "Spitfire"? As is common with resin kits, you will have to clean up the castings before use - take a look at the photo of the Cattle Kit on the GNR pages of my website. http://www.provincialwagons.com/

Richie Thanks for the sanity check on the real cost of doing RTR. I was yelled down as a thief and a robber when I did the GN brake van for £40 (€47 at the time). Well - after selling over a hundred brakevans, my modeller realised that it was taking over his life and demanded a lot more! Not as attractive at a sensible price, if orders are anything to go by! Leslie

Sorry, old boy, that simply doesn't work out in practice. I agree that you would think that most guys would want, say ten bubbles, but most don't have layouts that big and they don't buy in those amounts - so you 5,000 is a dream! I produced a RTR cattle wagon, which like the bubble would have run in at least tens on specials - yet only three modellers bought anything like that size of rake. Producing an easy to make kit is probably the way forward - but I do mean easy to make, for like a couple of the guys above, I ain't into brass, resin, whitemetal, plastic etc! A good moment to mention that ALL my handmade wagons are now available as kits at about €26 Euros each (£22 to the Brits!). Good night Leslie

I've been racking my brains - I know the book you mean - by two (or three?) guys, if memory serves. I'll ask my pal who I seel with tomorrow and give you a heads-up after the weekend. Leslie

This reply for friends based in the 'other' island, but our "out of print" service may help others. It is provoked by the string on Alan's North Kerry book which you can buy from us. I am one of the founders of a British (London-based) group called The Syndicate. The Syndicate raises money for Irish Preservation, presently entirely towards the 171 Appeal, to which we have contributed about £10,000. We sell almost every Irish transport book in print and are your first port of call for out of print books (I have a garage full of such books on British Railways). Our prices are good - we have always claimed to be the John Lewis of railway bookselling! We've been at it for over forty years, have bought a coach for the RPSI, helped complete the restoration of another about two years ago - but mainly we ask for our money to go to loco preservation. We DID step off this path to send a donation to restore the SLNCR railcar at Downpatrick. Any of you who may find themselves at IRRS Meetings in London will find the book on sale on our book stand there (we share the profit with the local IRRS Area for this attendance). Or on any event attended by The Syndicate in England this year - currently Acton LT Museum Open Day this weekend (15/16); the Transport Collector's Market at Chiswick Town Hall on 22 March (a good place to find other people interested in Irish railways, as the IRRS runs it!); Bracknell, Berks 31 May. Contact me for exact details. Thanks for reading this! Leslie

Well, actually, Leslie has no idea! But, say £15,000 for tooling and then, say a fiver each to mould them? Even a thousand would be £20 a pop! I was thinking of getting "My Man" to do me a resin bubble to go on the Dapol kit, but I've been beaten to it! I've still not given up the idea of a complete kit, but I wonder if all of you who want a train of bubbles have already got them? As for the Prestwin, regrettably no-one makes them any longer, or you could get the chassis for about £7/£8 a shot, less if you buy loads. Hornby did do it and you'll find them on eBay, but was it sufficiently to scale? One photo I found was pretty ugly, compared to what the kit will make for you. But, more importantly, it was much too short - take a look on eBay. Leslie ***** Mod edit: Thread split from 'New cement bubble kit now available from D&M Models' as it had veered away from the original topic into a separate discussion.

There's no satisfying some people! You want the model to be live steam? What about the turf SMELL as well - now there's one for Gareth's chip magician!

Careful, John, the site has at least one Mandarin-speaking member! CNR makes a lot of use of the GNR's railcar livery on locos and some coaching. Behind me in the showcase is a Bachmann model of a DF11 Co-Co on Blue and Cream. Of course it's nearly invisible behind the Class QJ 2-10-2, which is enormous. Thinking of that, when the roundhouse is built, I'll photo it beside a VS!!!!!! Leslie

Hey, Ivan, That's hardly fair! CIE DID GIVE the RPSI No.186 in 1965/6, then her sister 184 and No. 461, I could go on ....... CIE in the 1960s and 70s was amazingly co-operative with the preservation movement. Anyway, WHAT would you have done with the underframes? Ireland wasn't a rich country in the 1970s, and it takes money and effort to maintain these things. Both were, and always have been, at a premium in the Irish preservation scene. Leslie (by the way, a RPSI founder member and a member of the committee throughout the 70s and 80s)

Dave, That's a very nice model and I can understand why you'd want to leave it in brass. When I had my Class AL built recently, I asked the builder to take a works photo for me (ie, as finished, but before painting). To my amazement, he asked me if I'd like it painted in grey, as per the works photos of old, which decorate so many books on locos. Etched brass locos look lovely in their before painting style - Alan's model of a NCC "Whippet" which is somewhere on this site shows just how nice! Thanks for letting us see CC1. Leslie

Well, I haven't heard the story about the frames, but I have met the guy who really designed the Turf Burner. I told his story under the title "The Third Man" to the RPSI in Belfast about five years ago. As it was only a half evening talk, but I could fill an evening with my modelling talk - all that's needed is for someone to pay my fare to Ireland! By the way, the single-ended Turf Burner shown in Ernie Shepherd's book was drawn by "My Man". Anyone for a model TB? There are quite a few Leaders around on Southern layouts over here, the only model TB I know of was, I think, on Cyril Fry's railway? Leslie

John Thanks for the link, which brought back very happy memories, of my time in Hong Kong. I noticed that the girls were all muffled up against the cold - it was probably in single figures Centigrade and as the guy on the clip says, not heating in a place which is normally cooking hot. On that tooling costs thing, David White and i were quoted £10,000 to tool up to produce a GN cattle wagon, so you can guess what Paddy, God love him, has spent! You may be entertained by the "factory" - but they used to build QJs at Datong with just as few signs of "automation". Very happy days, notching up rides behind 75 of those QJ 2-10-2s - always travelling on my own - the Chinese were lovely friendly people AND, I even got into a Christian church on Christmas Day in 1998 (there were a fair few Christmas trees around even then!). Easter Sunday in Shanghai in 2002 was one of the most moving days of my life, in a packed church, singing the same hymns as we do in any Irish church on that day. On another thread, Ivan mentioned that he didn't know that I was Provincial Wagons - now I'll let him into another secret - I was the last European Chairman of the Hong Kong Railway Society - my first four GNR locos were built in the former colony! John, thanks again for that illuminating link. Leslie

Folks I've just updated my website for the first time in a while. See - http://www.provincialwagons.com/ I am offering a variation on my 9 ton van - the same mould is used, but it will be lettered up for the SLNCR, which had several of these vans (the website points you at the evidence!), which were deemed SEVEN ton vans on that line! I have supplies in stock again of the GNR 9 ton van, the GN cattle wagon, CIE Guinness skeletons and the tubs to go on them. The other news is that I will, in future, offer all of my wagons in kit form, for around £20 - £22 (circa €26), including wheels, couplings, transfers, post paid. A bit less, if bought in bulk - one customer recently bought a dozen cattle wagon kits and saved himself a lot over the individual price. Leslie

Dave Have you used the Cobalt "levers" which look just like a signal cabin lever. I had thought of fitting up a complete cabin of them for Richhill, tp give the grandson something else to amuse him (other than the sound locos!). I'd be interested to know WHY you say that the Cobalt motors are easier to instal. Mind you, anything MUST be easier than installing normal Peco under the board - fortunately, my younger son earned his right to stay living at home by fitting them for me!!!! The new PECO kit DOES look good and while it's dear, I note that it includes the switches to control the motors - which I calculated saved about a fiver a point over Tortoise/Cobalt etc, much more if you're using Cobalts levers as well!. The proof of the pudding (pointing?) is in the eating, so when someone has tried them, will they give us a critique, please? Leslie

Ivan Thanks for sharing the photos. To give credit where due, the NIR 071 has Gareth's sound chip (Belfast Model Shop) installed and is unbelievably good, right from start-up to running down. The loco even seems to take an age to turn over and cough into life!!!! It even amused a steam man like me. Strongly recommended to those of you who want sound! The Coastal DCC chip in my Class WT is also wonderful - as it captures a lot of the sounds I associate with these engines, even though it's actually sounds from a 4MT of some kind! Leslie

Hey, Train Model, why NIR when you're in MGWR territory? I must say the traffic jam in the photo looks as bad as Galway traffic always is when I visit! I see you've got one of Seamus' CAFs, or did you do it yourself?

I know it's after Twelfth Night, but thought I'd really wind you up with my pressies! Like John, I got the thick socks - same reason! Then (bought by me, but paid for by them!) a 5 BEL set (rich elder son) a 4 VEP (very forgiving wife) I bought my grandson a 2EPB. WHY? Half price at the London Transport Museum in October, when I was there selling for the 171 Appeal. The sun shines on ....... Sooo, a Southern electric layout is being built in the parts of the loft where the GNR can't reach! Talking of the GN, I eventually got a complete circuit down on Christmas Eve and ran No.207 (BLUE built 1947, NOT the other thing!), a L12 brake/3rd, two M1 vans and a M2 van, with one of my own 9ton vans on a Christmas mail relief! After Christmas, I linked up the Digital controller for the first time and ran No.53 round - complete with sound chip - better than xxx - well almost - serious chuffage, clanks, shovelling sounds, squealing brakes. It was planned to amuse said grandson, but it amuses his Grandpa even more! By the way, Dunluce, your Lankie Tank looks just lovely - I wonder how close the chassis is to a Class JT? Happy New Year all Leslie

Before you all get too excited, mayabe you should wait and get reports on next Thursday - I'm not THAT good! The talk wouldn't really fit with what Charlie sets up for the RPSI Belfast meetings, but there is at least on Model Railway Society who meets? Wait and see what people think after Thursday - silence will tell you all you need to know! Must get the talk finished!

I know. I'm waiting to see if, amongst the huge drawing collection that was transferred from Inchicore, there are any covering the "S" class 1938/39 Dundalk rebuilds..... Dear Mr Clare (if you're the Earl, please say so and I'll address you as "Your Grace") The answer to this is YES. You can buy a set next Thursday in London, if you tip us off to bring a set. If memory serves, Richard has done the VS, S, T tank and the B4 tender - he'll have them on display / sale on Thursday. He's even done a A4 laminated reduced general arrangement drawing which looks nice on a layout room wall (£4 each, if memory serves). Leslie

Less of this talk of groupies, I'm in enough trouble with my wife! Mr Clare, you will be most welcome in London, you'll be fleeced financially at the door! Theoretically it's a fiver for non-members, but as it's a AGM night and you only get a half evening, chuck a few quid in the pot. Just don't tell our chairman I told you that. We DO need the fiver on most evenings, as we have a lot of speakers over from Ireland. Richard McLachlan, with whom I am theoretically giving the talk (he's been rather busy with family matters, so it was left largely to me), is giving a talk based on his drawings research to IRRS in Dublin on 10 April. He may let me put in a bit as an addendum, as I'll be with him, en route for the Bangor exhibition. Talking of Dylan, which we weren't, one of the groups who play at Danny Mann's in Killarney do a wonderful send-up of Dylan singing the Patriot Game!!!! Serious point to finish, the IRRS London welcomes non-members and we even have an offer of reduced price membership in place at the moment. If any of you come, do say "Hallo". Leslie

Dear Kerryman When I started work on Portadown, I asked Colm Flanagan about this ballasting thing. He recommended cork underlay, but also said he used the Gaugemaster stuff for curves. So, I did exactly that for my first circuit. When I read your thread the other day, I rushed upstairs to the loft and ran both a 201 and a Class WT round with the same results - the foam Gaugemanster stuff is a BIT quieter - a definite change of sound. This is laid on a plywood baseboard with quite deep framing, which COULD produce a noisy result - but with either of these solutions, it's pretty quiet. So, take your pick - the Gaugemaster stuff ain't cheap at over £20 a roll! DON'T use the Peco stuff, which crumbles to sticky dust after about 15 years - having been used on the previous German layout (which, needless to say got nowhere during my working years). Of course, you couldn't tell at all the difference at all if you're running sound locos - you're so busy listening to the lovely chuffs and clanks that the house could be falling down .......... Leslie

At the risk of being branded a self-publicist, I'm giving a half-evening talk on "Irish Railway Modelling comes of Age" to the IRRS London Area at 7pm, on Thursday 16 January 2014. We meet at the Exmouth Arms, 1 Starcross Street, London NW1. I will be covering the period from when everything was scratch built through to Murphy, McAllister and Co with their RTR stuff. I have illustrations of some erarly Irish modelling and of more recent layouts. I hope, if we can sort out the technology, to show a few film clips of Adavoyle when it was in its prime! We'll have some models on display as well. If you're in the South East of England, come and have a look! Leslie

Heavens, aren't you guys all members of the RPSI anyway? I only joined the evening the Society was founded - I have photographic evidence that I was there! AND the IRRS, which has an archive beyond your dreams! Charlie Friel will be giving his 50th Anniversary talk in London on 16 October 2014. Leslie