leslie10646

The simplest solution of all is to use COVERED vans. While I can't offer statistics, even in the steam era most goods trains seem to have been covered wagons - just look at the photographs which do exist. That said, Andy is quite right to suggest using tarpaulins - somewhere on this site there's a photo of quite a string of corrugateds at Kilkenny covered in tarpaulins. Of course, in the North, we could have a nice bit of variety with conflats and colourful bread containers!

Ernie Thanks for these. Isn't it extraordinary how many photographs were taken (mainly by Englishmen) of this little railway? Possibly even more per mile than even the Fontana Horse Tram! Oh that they had expended more photographs on main line trains of the big companies?

Bearing in mind the prototype, Kevin, I thought it was for @Patrick Davey's next Co Antrim layout ........ A very nice model, well done.

Your Broad Gauge - "first trip out" - a new layout!!!!??????

Folks An unmissable date for folk on this forum and an opportunity to hear two major members speak about their models. 1800hrs on Friday 16 January by Zoom only. The real railway will be covered in the first half and the modelling in the second (about 1915 on). @Galteemore and the Colonel are talking about the Sligo Leitrim and modelling it, illustrating it with their models. I'll post more details later when I have the Zoom info. There is no charge for Zoom attendance, but a donation is appreciated, please. Please put it on your diaries - I expect a sell-out for such a distinguished pair of contributors! Thanks Leslie

Southampton MREx was the first thing written into my 2026 diary. Even more compulsory attendance if it will have TWO Irish layouts! What are you bringing this time Andy?

It being the Season of Goodwill, I will say that the CIE version of the 800s looks very nice and is tempting. I am unsure of your reference to these ladies as "Goddesses", my understanding was that they were ladies from Irish history? I'm sure that our resident Gaelic-speaker @WRENNEIRE can give me the Chapter and Verse?

PM sent.

@DJ Dangerous, you're forgiven. People, Dave sent me a photo of him in action tending to his poorly cats - but (at the risk of being politically incorrect) I also saw his "beautiful assistant". I should have trained as a vet ........ @Galteemore - you're dead right, I wouldn't have dared comment about Drew's cat! Paul, those must be the best builds of my vans. Simply super.

I've made a note on my files .......

Happy Christmas Dave (and everyone else!). I can't believe that I sell wagons to a man who likes CATS!!!! Still, in the spirit of The Season - "it takes all sorts!". Leslie

Of course they will, Bob. I won't show the video until they do! Incidentally, it was great fun getting your lovely bogie coach onto the high level track. Thanks to @Galteemore I have a good "railer" and it slid on with ease - you certainly need them with the six wheelers! All part of Life's rich pattern!

Thanks to Ian Sinclair, I have got my facts right (it has been corrected in the original post). The layout was previously known as "Dargle Road" and "Little Ditching" and was built by Ken Vernon, a North Down MRC member. The River Dargle rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows into the Irish Sea at Bray.

I agree with all of you - beautiful models - all credit to Mr Sankey's remarkable skills built up over a lifetime of such work. Thanks for the name suggestions - apart from the culinary suggestions from the officer in the Cookery Corps. I like Cabra (Midland), and Clonliffe from Our Man in the Achill Islands. Still open to ideas.

Yes, Jonathan, that's what I thought as a possibility. So what's the name of the Townland where Liffey Junction is situated? Or, as you say, en route to the docks, then I can pose Bob's cattle train on the upper line, en route to the Boat ......

Some time ago I mentioned that I had taken the opportunity of my Autumn trip to Ireland to pick up the layout previously known as "Dargle Road" and "Little Ditching". It was built by Ken Vernon, a North Down MRC member. (Thanks Ian Sinclair for illuminating me). The River Dargle rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows into the Irish Sea at Bray. As I explained earlier, I wanted the layout to show off Bob Sankey's wonderful MGWR locomotives which he gave me three years ago. I still haven't dreamt up a name for the shed, as there is nowhere on the MGWR with a location like this, but I stand to be educated. I'm open to suggested names. Next a tour via a snip of iffy video. You can see the back garden in Caversham! IMG_4264.mp4 And a couple of close-ups. And finally, Bob's beautiful L Class "Mayo". I'll get the layout set up properly in 2026, God willing, and we'll have some motion. Thanks, @Northroader, for passing these lovely models on. A gift on the priceless level, if you like Mr Atock's creations, as I do!

Ah, so once you get yours, IRM will be marking things "Sold out"?

I get quite enough fun out of watching the Red Kites in our back garden in Caversham - four down to collect bits of fat within 15 seconds! We're very privileged to see these once rare birds - we see more than we do Blue Tits etc. It's great watching them scare off the seagulls ...... Kites.mov

Obviously lawyers don't earn as much as I thought ........

Dave, if you were a better dancer, she'd only have charged type a tenner!

There are "workarounds" ...... Relations in GB / UK help ......

Good luck @Irishrailwayman with your "re-purposing" of your layout. When I have time, I'll wind everyone up with pictures of Portadown Jct with GERMAN (think of a German Class 50 on a goods at Richhill!) and Southern Railway rolling stock (all electric of course!). Back to the real Thread. The little E Class should serve you very well. Reference has been made by @Galteemore to his build of one - and very nice it is too - that's downstairs in my Railway Room on "Rosses Point" (on 36.75mm track!). Then there's @Northroader's one (on 32mm track). I must place that in the engine shed and take a photie! Almost as bad as pre-Major General Pasley's Big Decision - I have TWO Irish gauges within a couple of feet of each other (and on the SAME railway company!). .......

Note that it is unavailable on Amazon. Someone's twigged that this is a reprint of Conroy's book published in 1928 (my copy is not with me). I note on ABE Books various Indian reprints of books - this one is on "Print on demand" from some organisation in India. Enough said.

Polite reminder. Our pre-Christmas meeting is tonight at 6pm (followed by the Area AGM at 8pm). If you're in London Area, please support us while we're still here!!!!

6pm on Friday, super slides and a acknowledgeable speaker. If you're near London, come and be there - without live meetings, the London Area will die! But if you're miles away - tune in - details below! LIVE + ZOOM : 18.00 – 20.40 Friday 5 December 2025 18.00 “Last days of the Irish narrow gauge – through the lens of David Soggee” by Joe Begley 20.00 London Area AGM David Soggee was a much travelled enthusiast with renowned camera skills. A vast collection of his colour slides bequeathed to the IRRS show a preference for branch lines and smaller railways. On three visits to Ireland in 1959 and 1960, he travelled on the last three remaining Irish narrow gauge railways, the C&L, CDRJC and West Clare lines. Joe Begley shows images from these visits which present a vivid snapshot of these lines as they moved towards the end of their working lives. COME TO OUR LIVE MEETING ….. ….. at The Gallery at Alan Baxter, 100m from Farringdon station. Door opens at 17.30. The Gallery is a smart and spacious community space, ideal for our talks, and with stepfree access available. We hope as many as possible will be able to come along, see the speaker live, contribute directly to the discussion, meet the Committee and other members, and enjoy refreshment in a nearby pub afterwards. Advice for those attending the live meeting, including directions to the venue, is attached ATTENDING BY ZOOM To obtain a Zoom link for the meeting, please register by clicking REGISTER HERE and fill in your name and email address to be sent a personalised Zoom ink. You can register at any time up to (or during) the meeting, and you can copy this registration link to others. Please note that the link will be sent by Zoom(not IRRS London) and will arrive immediately after registration. Those who have registered should also receive a reminder from Zoom nearer the meeting. Alternatively, open Zoom on your device and enter the following : Webinar ID: 848 9043 3111 passcode: 126948 For those participating in the meeting via Zoom, please note that should Zoom fail and there is no transmission, we will try and email everyone on the London Area email list with an update so please watch your Inbox LIVE MEETINGS - PLEASE COME We invited more people to come to our live meetings and were very pleased with the attendance for Roger Joanes’ talk on 21st November. Please try and attend our live meetings when you can as, to encourage the speaker and add to the atmosphere in the room. DONATIONS TO THE IRRS (LONDON AREA) We invite voluntary donations to support the IRRS (London Area) from those of you who watch our meetings online and who do not have an opportunity to otherwise contribute. The London Area needs to raise funds to cover inter alia the day-to-day running of the Area, our publicity, publishing Irish railway books, and safeguarding, referencing and digitising significant Irish railway collections given to us. If you would like to support our activities, please go to www.irrs.ie , click on Branches > London and then the Donations tab. We suggest £3/meeting or you may prefer to make a single donation to cover the whole season. The exact sum is at your discretion. Payment is by GooglePay, credit or debit card. You do not need to register or set up a Square account. Please note that Square accepts payments in sterling only and as the IRRS is a Limited Liability Company, donations are not eligible for UK Gift Aid. Payments can be made from credit cards based in other currencies subject to the usual charge made by many card companies and banks for foreign transaction handling and currency conversion.