David Holman

Seem to remember reading that a loco on Westport turntable could foul the running line while being turned and hence the table was interlocked with the signal box to prevent collisions. Arigna has a similar problem, especially the G2, but the 'one engine in steam' nature of the branch largely avoids this...

Guess it would make an interesting wagon load. Probably need one or more barrier wagons for those antennae too... Am guessing ready to run, rather than kit or scratch built, though clearly the latter well within your talents John!

Thanks chaps, interesting, especially the stencils which I have not seen before. Hand lettering with a gel pen has worked OK so far. I did have a Rotting pen but must confess I could not get on with it. If anything found it rather scratchy and had difficulty getting the ink to flow. Same with those pens which rely on pressing down the tip to get the ink flowing. All that happens to me with these is lots of blobs! So, I persevere with the gel pen... While I am here. Thanks for the PM, JB. Re the CVR letter crest am hoping I can do a large scale version and then shrink it on the photocopier, then create my own transfers. Alternatively, might approach Fox Transfers. Maybe the Ragstone kit and Branchlines coaches may yet lead to somebody producing transfers anyway?

Decent progress on the Sharpie thus far, though I wasted a lot of time trying to make the top section of the Joy valve gear work. At the moment, have given up on that - partly because all efforts have failed thus far & also because I am increasingly unsure if the movement will be seen anyway! What you might just see is a small piece of half round brass rod soldered to the front of the etched dummy motion, to make that bit look less flat. Maybe I'll have a go at making it work in the future. Inside motion on Sir Henry seemed much easier by comparison... However, this is certainly not the fault of the kit, for apart from a few exploded diagrams which would help make the instructions clearer, there is little to fault. The etchings are nicely done and join up extremely well so far. Like the Sligo tanks, there are a lot of rivets to press out [several hundred at least], but easy to do with the GW press. Am hoping to built two of the tanks, so this one will be either Errigal or Blackwater, the last two to work the line - though Erne also survived to the end, if very worn out. Interestingly, Errigal was painted green & Blackwater red [ish], which will make for a bit of variety.

Many thanks Andy and Joe. After a bit of research went for the All Components model. Interestingly were still issues with Fermanagh hunting/surging at moderate speed. However eventually traced the problem to a couple of poorly adjusted pick ups. Overall the issue with feedback controllers seems to be any loss of contact causes the feedback bit to over compensate and hence the surge. Am sure the more technical with have a proper explanation! In some ways have bought a new controller when none needed. On the other hand, I like the light action of the AC unit and its toggle switch for direction instead of slide on the GM unit. The latter also shut down when hot. Will be interesting to see how the new unit gets on at Crawley/Horsham next weekend.

Seems Worsley Works do etches for the railcar and unit in 4mm, so might be they can do me ones in 7mm, which would save some work. As for the lettering, it is white gel pen. Got mine from the local art shop. Always think it is a shame that Rotring and others do not do white, fine tipped marker pens as the gel pen is not as controllable as I would like. Similarly, would do my own transfers on the laptop, but no white printer ink either. Thank goodness the lettering is fairly simple. What I will have to sort out is transfers for the CVR logo and loco names.

Argadeen and St Mologa are two of the prettiest engines ever in my book JB. One day I'll get round to the former. Both are in the Alphagraphix/Tyrconnel catalogue (which is where St M came from) along with 90 too. Have long thought this makes the T&C an absolute banker for 7mm scale, especially as the coaches are available too. Why then has nobody taken up the challenge? The Swilly is also on my wish list (of course), though what many folk do not realise is that the Donegal 2-6-4Ts were almost as large as the former's 4-8-4Ts, only a couple of tons lighter in fact. Might still have the line drawing of StM. Will post it if I can find it, though hopefully Roger can supply too.

Thought it was time I got on with the Ragstone Models kit I bought at the Reading Trade Show in December. Before that I had to order wheels from Slaters, including an extra 21mm axle for the trailing pair, as noted earlier, this project will be to correct 3' gauge. Opening the box, one is faced with some very nice etchings, some labelled 'Alphagraphix 2001', so it seems the drawings had been around for sometime before Ragstone got hold of them. There are also nice sets of white metal and lost wax casting, the former for boiler fittings, the latter in the cab. The instructions seem reasonably clear, though can't help feeling it would help if there were one or two diagrams as it is not always obvious which way round some things go. Starting [as per instructions] with the chassis, one soon realises that this part is nice and easy. The side skirts mean much of the motion is hidden - indeed, there is more going on with a Dalek! The accuracy of the etching is very good indeed, with the coupling rods and axle holes matching exactly. So, two frame sides and three spacers later I was laminating the coupling rods so that within a couple of hours I had a smoothly rolling chassis. Very satisfying, so I can from here on concentrate on making the model look right, with no need to worry it might not run well. So far have resisted the temptation to fit sprung horn blocks, but have not ruled it out in the future. The kit partly caters for working cylinders, as it has slide bars and connecting rods, but no crosshead. The Joy valve gear is only represented by a fold up dummy etch on the footplate, which is also a bit of a shame, as this is the only visible working part of the finished model. Patterson's book has a nice picture of one loco in a state of undress, so am pondering how I can represent this. Am thinking it could be done without building the crosshead/cylinder/con rod bits. The completed chassis shows the loco is about the same length as St Mologa on the T&C tramway, though pretty chunky for a narrow gauge engine. Next step will be to get out the GW rivet press, as like the SLNCR locos, CVR ones were also well adorned and the etch dimples: should make the job a doddle.

I agree with John. A reverse loop will make a big difference to operation. As folk will realise, I am more of a scenics man, but those who help with Arigna Town often comment how much operation can be had from a loop, two sidings and a turntable. No surprise then that I think the design falls into the 'fill a big space with as much track as possible' trap. There are some pretty ugly curves there, first radius presumably? Nine feet to climb six inches is 1 in 18, which sounds like trouble. My other thoughts revolve around previous experience. Much better to start with a small project and get quick success than dive into something huge. The cost of the plan will be substantial in terms of track and wiring alone. Then there is operation. Is this to be a solo project or involve a group. If the latter, then fine as it appears to need a fair few operators to reach its potential. If a solo project, then it will be hard to make the most of a big station when one person can only run one train at a time. Some sort of automatic control essential methinks. My advise would be to make the most of the big terminal by building in some decent storage siding space and including that reverse loop. Any other space leave as plain track, for there is much pleasure to be had watching long trains run by on an unencumbered mainline. More manageable for the solo operator but expandable when friends join in too.

Seems that for the last umpteen shows, I have been using the wrong controller. Have both Gaugemaster handhelds, the W and its feedback brother. Mainly use the latter, but with Mashima 1824 motors, a slight 'hunting' motion is evident at slow speed. Rang GM and turns out they do not recommend the feedback unit for higher quality Mashimas. Knew about coreless, but not these. So back to the W. But not as smooth as I would like. Anyone got experience of other handhelds? No DCC thanks!

This must be one of the most splendid venues for a model show anywhere. The main hall is huge and cathedral like - even down to the stained glass windows and concert organ. The second hall is not much smaller. Run by The Model Railway Club [note the 'the'], it is heavily sponsored, indeed show manager Nick Freezer [son of the great Cyril] said he actually had no idea how much it costs to hire for three days - and wasn't that keen to know! Given the sports halls for my Chatham Club's show are costing £6000 this year, one can only surmise it is something eye watering. Because the halls are so big [and parking a long way off], exhibitors are allowed to drive their vehicles to their 'pitch'. Slightly scary when negotiating one's way between stands already set up. Everything from private cars to seven tonners too - there were some big layouts and trade stands - notably Bachmann and Warners [of BRM]. Organisation was generally very good & we were well looked after in terms of food & refreshments. Visitors were paying £12 to come in, so with a 9.30 opening, it was important to be there early on Saturday morning to ensure everything was in order. I'd actually set up over Friday lunchtime, when it was very cold in the halls. Same the following morning & as ever, the layout was a bit sticky first thing. My models live in centrally heated luxury & have decided they don't like the cold! All was well by about 10.30 though & overall everything ran properly from then on - apart from Lark, which developed a mechanical fault on Sunday afternoon. Turned out to be the cross head driven 'pump' was catching - but only in reverse! These things happen over a long day and doubt if many modellers operate intensively for 8 hours on the bounce at home without the occasional problem. The only downside was packing up on Sunday. I had a 5.15 'ticket' to bring my car in to load up, but did not get there till 6pm - 90 minutes after the show closed. It only takes 15 mins to dismantle & the same to load up, so it was more than frustrating to hang around waiting for others. If you check out the RMWeb pages on Allypally, there is a nice bit of video footage showing both Sir Henry and Railcar B in action. The photo below shows the layout against the vastness of the hall. There is as much behind the camera as in front...

Had my Arigna branch been built, I like to think it might have lasted, in some form at least until 1990. That was when the coal mines closed and the line would have gone past the power station on Lough Allen, where the coal was sent after the Cavan and Leitrim closed in 1959. The line was also wholly in the Republic, so no issues with border crossings. So, with a modicom of passenger traffic, the railcar might have been kept busy on a shuttle to Sligo, while coal may have been in the hands of a C or 121. The power station consumed around 1000 tons a week, or one ten to twelve wagon train a day. There again, perhaps the line would have been left as an isolated section from mine to power station, with an G or an industrial diesel brought in to work it. Not much interest as a layout though...

Probably not this time, Harry. Am working up a design for a simple passing station, not dissimilar to Brookeborough, so no passing loop and just two short sidings. Having said that, both fiddle yards will be of the turntable variety, though doubt if they will have CDR loco frames!

They are indeed. In fact, the layout would not have been built at all without Alphagraphix, for I have used several Tyrconnel etched brass kits, plus loads of the coach and wagon card kits as drawings to scratch build my own in plastic. You will no doubt have spotted the bakery, garage, station bar, Glenfarne goods shed, Florencecourt station & Manorhamilton signal box - all of which are based on the card kits but scratch built using Wills random stone on foam or 'greyboard' frames. Roger also put me in touch with Adrian Rowlands who let me buy his last tow 'small tank' kits - though happily they are now available again from Studio Scale Models & very fine kits they are too.

It was a fine weekend at the Wood Green Animal Centre, venue for the St Neots show. A different sort of hall to the usual school hall/sports centre usually favoured for model shows. Beaten earth floor for one - though it was carpeted, if a little uneven. A big space - am guessing around 200 feet long and 100 wide, so plenty of room for lots of big layouts. Star of the show was Fencehouses, a 2mm fine scale layout, bigger than many 0 gauge ones. It exploits the scenic potential of the scale, yet still manages to major of detail and quality, with lots of scratch built stock. Deservedly won both trophies and well worth seeking out at future shows. Arigna Town generally worked well. The few issues I put down largely to the [very] different environment from home. My workshop is dry & centrally heated, so a 6.15am start on Saturday morning meant overnight in the car [when there was a frost]. Pretty damned cold in the hall too at first, then the heating got going & it soon became quite hot & very humid. I blame the fiddle yard turntable fouling the baseboard edge on this, so have been filing the edges down a bit to try and cure this in future. Three of the steam locos operated without a crew for the whole weekend. They had come loose on the journey up there & it was not possible to refix till I got home. What I did have was an excellent crew on Saturday - Mike84C has driven the real thing [9Fs!] for a living, while long time friend and former Chatham Club member Ryk was in the Royal Engineers [did Falklands & South Georgia among many adventures] but is now a vicar & we know how well they go with railways! Many thanks to both. Doing it all again this weekend at Alexandra Palace. BRM are doing a photo shoot for a future article, so will be busy this week making sure everything is looking as good as possible.

Simple pleasures, with fine results so far. Will likewise look forward to seeing this develop.

Wondered if it was a Backwoods - 4mm scale, am guessing? Have heard that they are not for the faint hearted, as can be a challenge, but in the right hands [like this model] certainly make up into something splendid.

Many thanks Eoin - been on holiday, so only just picked this up. Will certainly investigate!

While preparing for two shows in the next two weeks [st Neots and Alyypally], have had the baseboards tipped up & wondered if I had shared some of the mechanical/electrica bits before? All have proved themselves over the last couple of years, so hope it might help anyone contemplating building a layout themselves. As you can see, nothing special on the electrics front, though I do find sprung audio terminals useful at shows, because they are quick to connect. A single, twin terminal for power from the transformer in the middle and two more [one each end] for the LED lights in the buildings. A simple, but not widely used innovation are the clothes pegs 'hot glued' to the underside of the baseboard, to hold cabling while in transit. Not my idea, but like all the simplest ones, is certainly a good 'un. Painting the underside in white emulsion not only seals the woodwork, but makes it easier when working on these areas. The two main mechanical bits are the turntable and the signals. The turntable mechanism is a Frizinghall Models kit [as advertised in RM & elsewhere]. Essentially a few bits of Meccanno, I have substituted a longer drive rod [3mm steel from Wickes] and a chocolate block connector to join the crank handle, which is removed in transit. The Frizinghall kit uses neoprene tube, but found this started to slip after a while, no doubt due to my heavy locos. The signals [like the points] are wire in tube, using home made cranks. Hopefully the picture shows more than I can describe.

Ye Gods, a Swilly 4-8-0. Scale, gauge, origins? A real beauty, whatever its origins. Like JB, am hoping there is dark green under the weathering. For me, the Swilly's locos represent the best of Irish narrow gauge. Would love to recreate Casserly's photos of Burtonport - if only I had the space...

Splendid to see my old coach recycled in such a great way, Dave and rather sobering to think that I originally built it over 25 years ago, yet still available today! Those pics on RMweb will be more than useful when I start the next one. Hopefully will make a better job of it this time too. Rumour has it they are selling as well as ever, no doubt due to new Ragstone kit. For those of you who have not come across Charmouth or Bridport, then pay careful attention. This is 7mm NG at its very best!

Well done Harry, good to see someone challenging themselves. Re those laminated rods, from the pics, looks like you held them in the vice to solder. A better way is to use a couple of small panel pins/tacks, through the crank pin holes into a piece of wood or board. Tin the layers first, flux an then apply the iron. Take your time and get the chassis rolling smoothly and the rest is cosmetic.

Would I be right in thinking these vans are therefore on the wonderful Charmouth, or is this another DT? Either way, good to know the coach has found new lives. One of the many joys of 7mmNG is the fun in adapting things. Planning for a proper Clogher Valley layout is well under way and hope to start building this summer. Heard a couple of years ago that the standard gauge follow up to High Weald, a roadside tramway called Loose End (also Kent based) found its way to France and the same barn where Ditchling Green resides. Whether they are still there, I have no idea, but it was nice to think the layout was in such good company!

Arigna Town and Valencia Harbour willing be flying the flag for 5'3 gauge in two weeks time at Allypally. If visiting, do come and say hello!

I have been using Halfords spray cans for years without any issues whatsoever. Indeed, for whatever reason, find the nozzle on their cans to be superior to other makers such as Humbrol, Precision etc. However, I only use their standard grey or orange primers, NOT the self etch ones. Grey is ideal for non fitted wagons and orange for fitted (ie bauxite). I use the same methods as the others. Can at room temp, or on a towel on a radiator to warm up a bit and shake well of course. Often do my basic spraying outdoors, even in winter - though not when it is raining! Have various bits of thick wire bent into hooks and hang a model from one in one hand and spray can in the other. Yes, even kit built locos. Heresy I know, but works for me and of course there is extensive titivating done in the workshop after the paint has dried for 24 hours.