leslie10646

I'll have B121 in Grey to sell at Blackrock, so no postage, if you pick it up. Still with accessories in bag, so Lambeg Man probably never used it! €140.

And the 1961 All Ireland Tour ........ Lance King Collection, copyright IRRS I don't think it's as late as that, JIm, as the first coach is in blue and cream and I don't remember those on steam trains as late as 1963.

Hi Noel I'm sorry that you have had difficulty with my "website". The "links" are on the right hand side of the Home page - offering "About us"; contacting us"; "Exhibitions"; "Home" and "News". The last one announces the new wagon 2211N and its UK price £17. As Dave says above "provincialwagons.com" will take you to the site, as will a query "Provincial Wagons" - my site comes top of the page on Google. My preferred way to deal with orders is through my e-mail, which gets looked at regularly. I do apologise for the exceedingly amateur website. I just haven't got the knack, patience or time to conquer "Wordpress" - I even bought the book, but it remains a Black Art! I'll stick to "The Good Book" - a much better read!

Brave man. Good luck with the re-engineering!

Thanks, Derek According to Dapol, they are making them tomorrow, 16th. Fingers tightly crossed. However, the "Flying Snail" version was with me before its scheduled build date! I'll know precisely when I get a demand for a Grand or so from Andrea in their accounts department! I promise that you folk will be the first to know! In terms of Expressions of Interest, the "Wheel" version is nearly half spoken for, and the Snail, over a third. Leslie

Get on with it, Patrick. Mine used to be Armagh, I think 35ft LONG would do it. I have an old map from the museum. That's why the Dream Layout is Portadown jct - roundhouse (to use the Flesichmann turntable), trains TO Armagh, via Richhill. Masses of trains through each day. Of course, I've been beaten to it by William (?) Redpath. I've got the track down, close to proper trackplan too, just a matter of bringing it up Mr Redpath's level of scenery. He's got the layout, and I've got the rolling stock!

Good man - how many? A "Proper" name would be good, then I can reserve one for you. Send me a pM. Thanks Leslie

Your name's on one, Patrick, thanks. As you're in UK, I'm happy to post it to you.

Now, lads, I'm not in IRM's league, so no photos of containers just a big box from Dapol a couple of hours ago. At least the first one looks fine ..... Fingers crossed for the second one. this was a week early! Back to a bit of labelling, certificates etc ..... Blackrock is just around the corner (time-wise)

Mayner suggested: Perhaps the best option would be for OO Works to produce a model of McDonald's NER D38 Class https://www.lner.info/locos/D/ner_38.php which look very close to the GSWR 60 Class, though its difficult if there is sufficient interest in a D38 Class among NER enthusiasts. Yes, superficially close, I haven't got McMahon to hand to check fully, but a look at photos in Decade of Steam certainly show likeness and quite major differences - the larger cab carried in later years, the safety valves, smokebox details, from the trivial (wheel versus levers) and a different "saddle". The tender could be tweaked. None beyond Roderick's capability, I would think. Who's going to ask him ......?????

Regarding John's comment about the 00 Works U Class, I don't remember having an issue with mine. That MAY be because I never put more than a few coaches behind her. Anyway, the proof of the pudding is to try it and as my granddaughter (4) is apparently dying to see my trains working - her dad took her upstairs to see when I wasn't around - I shall get the U Class out (layout cleared for trackwork) and try it with, say, five bogies. They wouldn't have taken more than maybe six or seven, even on the Bundoran Express. I had one run with a "U" in 1964 on the 1015 from Derry (probably five plus a van) and it was well below the relatively poor standard of the S Class usually on the train. Unhappily John is right, getting a model 4-4-0 to pull as much as their prototype seems very hard work. I nearly cried when my brass S Class, after much modification by Alan Edgar (Splendid Fellow), took ELEVEN round the layout - twenty years after the engine had been built! More later. I have to stay downstairs to her the Postie when he delivers a load of kits from Michael.

JB I agree that a rtr model of one of the GSWR 4-4-0s, would be delightful, but did they run many trains after about 1955? A quick scan of some of the books, plus Irish Railfans' News for 1955 suggest very rapid dieselisation and such mainline steam as was on the Cork line was 400 or 800 Class 4-6-0s, or Woolwich moguls. The humble J15 still did a lot of secondary work still and bizarrely a handful of MGWR 2-4-0s (like Mayner's little engines) ran some of the branches right into the 1960s, as did various ex-MGWR 0-6-0 classes.

A green A Class, a grey 121, two BnT 141s, five Cravens and three sets of grey bubbles. I need to get the numbers of each to produce a list and they're not with me at present.

As well as selling my kits and RTR wagons, I will be selling the Modern Image, unused, collection of our late friend Steve Rafferty (aka "Lamberg Man"). I'll produce a list later this week which includes locos, Cravens and bubbles. I'll also have the superb BOOKS on Irish Narrow Gauge, as published by Lightmoor Press, includng the new Traleee and Dingle book at a Show Price of €60 (RRP £60 sterling).

All being well, I'll be there, with one or two new wagons, already announced. Please light candles, etc on 12th and 14th when they are on the factory worksheet! I'm just off the phone to Michael Rayner, aka "My Man". The very bad news is that he is retiring. As an Octagenarian, I can't blame him! (A couple of weeks in hospital haven't helped either). Theoretically, I will still be able to get my kits made through the new Smallbrook owner, but maybe it's time to retire myself? I have been building up stock, ready for Blackrock, but some kits will be in limited supply so if you have specific needs, now's the time to have me reserve them. As usual, either PM me, or send an e-mail to me. Like Patrick, if the Steam announcement isn't made in October, I'll get very upset, maybe not to the extent of needing the Samaritans! At my age, pre-ordering stuff is a risk! PS Good luck with your "New Arrival", Mr Mogul.

Thanks for the heads up, David. Every time I've looked at it it appears to be out of stock everywhere.

My brass coach-building / IRRS Drawings man, Richard McLachlan is heavily involved with various Scale Four Society projects. Why do you ask? PS Ivan is certainly not "messing" with his P4 stuff, neither is Richard, whose work is exquisite. I'm not sure if he's building DNGR coaches or more K15s for me at present .....

I'm preparing for Blackrock and it occurred to me that some of you might like a copy of the Tralee and Dingle book. I am prepared to supply the book, picked up at Blackrock, for €60 a copy (normally UK Sterling £60). Either PM me to put in a pre-order, or e-mail me lesliemcallister@aol.com Profit to Irish preservation funds. Thanks Leslie (for The Syndicate)

Isn’t the best way to preserve the 071s to rip out the Diesel engine (good as it is) and stick a pantograph on the roof, put some electrical wizardry in its place and, Hey Presto, you have an electric loco fit for another thirty years. I’m assuming that the All-Ireland Plan goes ahead and we have wires almost everywhere. For the non- wired bits - stick a battery in a few of them. PS if IE takes up this splendid idea, my lawyers will be in touch, re consultancy fees.

There is a page in the September "Today's Railways" (European edition) on this report. So, there'll be trains through Armagh again? All I have to do is live to be 102! And Banbridge!!!!! I note that the cost of the Northern Ireland section is equal-ish to the price of a couple of aircraft carriers - so all we have to do is persuade Rishi / Kier Starmer to cancel the next one and get on with it. If Ireland can do without a big army / navy / airforce - then so can we? Oh, and we could rejoin the EU and let sanity return .........

Congratulations, Tony. Apparently your book was the third best seller of Transport Treasury's books this summer - which looking at the books it beat ......

Yes, Dave, the Royal Mail's International prices are a nightmare for anyone trying to trade. I was sending a book to Australia and the guy at the counter asked for £20 plus (so doubling the price of the book - it was Tony's latest). However, if you study their rates and are prepared to do some the work yourself - the cost just about halves. Perhaps this guy is a bit lazy re keeping the costs down to his customers? I had a look at the Addresspal thing, as Sean suggests, but note that you're still landed with not just the VAT but a charge for them telling you what you owe. Bearing in mind that it's all done by computer and no human hands touch it - it makes the average Company for Theft and Murder look reasonable in their dealings. I've deleted the expletives about the Little Englanders who took us out of the EU.

As requested.

To quote Captain Mainwaring - "Stupid Boy - Don't give him your name, Beaumont!".