leslie10646

Can someone answer the all-important question? What are these IRFM coaches like in reality? Finish, running, etc? The seem to offer very good value for a pretty unique coach. Leslie

Thanks to those of you who remembered Michael in your prayers. I'm glad to say he's getting there sufficiently to send me these photos of the new prototype today. If you compare this with the original at the beginning of this thread, you'll see that the hopper has grown somewhat, in line with the original (thanks Robert Drysdale in Norway, who pointed this out!!). I hope to see the actual kits by the end of August - Michael is writing the instructions, as I type this! Regards Leslie

In my capacity as the oldest person on the planet, well maybe this website, anyway - I was "timing trains" fifty years ago, so I the following can be backed up with the logs, WTT etc, if you want. Each Company ran its own "Enterprise". The UTA one was ex GNR railcars (probably BUTs by the mid sixties) to Dublin at 1030am and back at 5.30pm - non-stop in 2 hrs 10 minutes. The CIE Enterprise was by then a single ended B Class (121 to the younger viewers) to Belfast from Dublin at 11am, back at 4.45pm, both non-stop. The semi fasts were the 8.15, 12.30pm, 3.15pm and 6.20pm ex Belfast; the 9.15, 2.45pm and 6.30pm ex Dublin - yes unbalanced workings, but there was an early 2.15am ex Dublin, Newspaper Train. These trains were invariably 2-6-4 tanks to and from Dundalk, working South of Dundalk was by CIE diesel. The "good" day was Sunday when in summer anyway, the sole Belfast to Dublin semi fast was invariably No.207. I only ever timed her North of the border on the 6pm return of this train: on one unforgettable evening, from the footplate - the thrill of flying into the Knockarney dip from the Goraghwood stop - hitting 56mph in 3 mins 12 secs with NINE coaches (say 300 tons) - those were the days! Goods trains were worked steam in the North, diesel in the south - very seldom, if at all, would a CIE diesel be seen on goods North of Dundalk. Now, those specials. John M is right that No.207 invariably worked the Thursday Tourist Train throughout to Dublin and back. The CIE shoppers' train was often worked by No.85, at least until 1963. Again, referring to John M's reply, while No.207 invariably worked Dublin through trains, the three "S" Class 4-4-0s spent most of their time on the GNR Derry Road. In 1964, one was always on the 1015 ex Derry to Belfast and the 3.15pm return. Compulsory trains to travel on if you were out and about in 1964. Oh to have had my digital stopwatch and GPS then! Leslie

There's been a double hiccup on this project. Robert Drysdale pointed out a fault on the prototype, but as it turned out - not the right "fault - the hopper was too small and didn't have enough "overhang". So, Michael set about remodelling it and I understand is nearly there. Then, he had a mini-stroke! He says he's got over it, but it's sure to slow him up a bit for a while. So, if you're given to praying, add Michael to your prayer list. I'll keep the forum informed. Leslie

Anthony That's xxxxing brilliant! I'll make sure My Man sees it! Just terrific. Where do you find the time? Leslie PS Thanks for buying my kit

Careful, John, we'll be thrown off the site for straying from the topic! Happy Easter, everyone. Leslie

Nelson Thanks for the link to this wonderful cine film! The commentary is rather wayward, mind you. Those of us who were around then were a blessed generation - born just after the terrible World War; caught the end of real steam (I travelled behind EVERY Class WT, have done eighty with two of them in regular service), travelled behind a Class VS (I think about them every day, it seems); then on moving to England did 10,000 miles behind Bulleid Pacifics (with over a dozen runs with speed in the mid to high nineties - never quite the hundred!); then the end in Germany (eight years of THAT, 10,000 miles in Schleswig Holstein alone) and enjoyed the RPSI right from that first night in September 1964. Then, of course, there were The Kinks, The Stones, The Moody Blues and some lot from Liverpool. I won't mention the rest of it - you may be taller than me, but you're too young!!!! Keep up the modelling and searching out these gems. Leslie

John I reckon the blue is not far off correct. If you look at the photo on Page 33 of Tom Ferris' Irish Railways in Colour you can see a new wagon at the top of a train which looks very blue against the ones behind it which have been in service for a while. On the bottom of the same page is a train of new wagons unloading and they look a very bluey grey. Leslie

Seamus As I only intend to do it as a kit, YOU can paint it whatever colour you like! The prototype is in roughly duck egg blue, which is seemed to accord with the memories of the folk who have seen it (and are as ancient as me). Photographs show the inside as both painted and unpainted! Needless to say, they got VERY dirty and dented (THAT will be a nice challenge for you all!). Glad to say, the model got a VERY good reception at Bangor. Nice to see some of you, as well, of course! Leslie

John (s) That reflects my memory as well - they existed to build a ROAD after all! Now - see the real colour - my photos of the prottype today in the sun!!! Leslie

This is the pre-production prototype of my next KIT - the iconic Northern Ireland Railways spoil wagon built in the mid 1960s by Cravens for the Maghermorne Spoil Contract, which ran from 1966 to 1970. They place in history is safe as the last British freight stock to be steam-hauled in regular service. Trains of twenty of these wagons, topped and tailed by Class WT 2-6-4 tanks engines ran around six times a day between Maghermorne and the shore of Belfast Lough. Their legacy is the M2 Motorway running North out of Belfast, which is built on the land reclaimed from the sea by the spoil. A few of the wagons continued to be used as ballast wagons by NIR for some years after the contract finished. This wagon will be available as a kit of around 25 parts - the chain is maybe an optional extra, as we have yet to source a suitable chain - but doesn't it set the wagon off? Note that the final kit will have the hopper as a single casting, the door side being another - unlike this prototype (you can see the joins!). I hope that you agree that my modeller, Michael Rayner of Smallbrook Studio, has surpassed himself with this superb model - I replied to the e-mail sending the photo to me last night with the single word - "WOW"! We hope to have the kit available in quantity by June, price still to be set but between £22 and £25. Obviously, I'll be taking orders at Bangor, or by e-mail, of course! Thanks for looking Leslie

Gents For what it's worth, PW stock is painted Halford's undercoat - you first heard it here! It's all a bit academic between the effects of smoke, diesel fumes, sunlight (moonlight(ing)) etc etc? Leslie

Entirely steam era and GNR(I). His books of drawings cover Classes V, VS, U, UG plus the tenders. The rolling stock books are the first of five planned. The first covers vans etc which ran on passenger trains, including horseboxes; the second six wheel coaches (ie from about 100 years ago!). Leslie

My dear David What are you congratulating us for? Nice of you, of course ..... Leslie

First the interiors of the cattle wagon. Kirley is quite right that the interior should look "used". I had mine finished "as is" so people could decide just how used they wanted them to be, hence my selling them with unstuck roofs - also useful for adding six cows? As for the washing out with lime, or even whitewashing (described as useless!) - I understand that this became illegal in the UK around 1927 - see the "other" Irish chatroom for details. I have a small gallery of photos which we used when making the GN cattle wagons and ALL the wagons in the pictures are clean, with no sign of limewash - so leave them "clean" grey on the outside! The Law was quite specific about the thorough cleaning of the interior of cattle wagons, so maybe it IS OK just to paint the interior grey (BEFORE sticking the aforementioned six 4mm cattle in!) Nelson's other wagon made me think - the Irish railways used 4 and 6 plank wagons a lot - 5 and 7 plank, as were common in England, were uncommon in Ireland. The four plank wagons aren't a big problem, but there is no RTR British six plank to repaint and I thought Nelson had hit on the solution with this Cambrian kit. Alas, no, the axleboxes are too close together, never mind that the body length may be wrong. If you don't mind this, then this kit offers a way to vary the "look" of a train of opens on an Irish layout? Leslie

IRRS archive, perhaps? Leslie

PROVINCIAL WAGONS SPOIL WAGON KIT Subject to Special Delivery working next Wednesday morning, I'll have the pre-production version of my Spoil wagon on view at Bangor on 12/13 April. Unlike the 64 parts in Kirley's version, mentioned by Glenderg above, the kit will have about 20 parts - four sides, a chassis, buffers couplings etc - not quite Airfix kit ease, but close! Leslie PS Can't resist this - with this post, I become a Senior Member! Am I the senior member at nearly 68 years? No comments from the Police Commissioner, please! Know who I mean, David?

Provincial Wagons will be on Stand 15. I'll have - KITS of all my handmade wagons for sale, plus some RTR handmade wagons and my range of Dapol repaints. New for me are - RTR GNR(I) bogie passenger vans from the GLR 3D stable and the pre-production prototype of my Spoil Wagon kit. All this plus donor coaches, for you guys who like to build your own and items from my own collection which I don't need for Portadown Jct Next door at Stand 16 is Richard McLachlan, who will be selling books of loco and rolling stock diagrams produced from information in the IRRSarchives. And showing off his considerable skills as a coach modeller. Do call around and say hallo, even if you don't buy anything! It's nice to put faces to names! Regards Leslie and Richard

Snapper has beaten me to it. I think the book you're looking for is, indeed, From CIE to IR, which has a Supertrain on Bray Head as its cover. The price the Book Depository is offering it at is very good - £8 less than one in our stock! Leslie

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.