David Holman

As well as being very sad news, that is a real blow, leaving just Gibson and Ultrascale as the only option for kit builders. Mayner's comments nicely clarify the 21mm gauge issues: works with metal bodied, steam locos, but not with plastic or resin. That said, if a loco has no splashers, there are no clearance problems - though not many of these on the Irish scene. EM gauge may not be perfect for 4mms scale, but has been a practical option for about 70 years now - though also the time it has taken to get limited commercial support for track! I think modern image has a chance with 21mm while Andy Cundick clearly knows how to make it work with steam and diesel on Valencia Harbour. I suspect that what we are looking at here though is a workable option to convert rtr to 21mms and, for now at least, it remains more in the realm of kit and scratch building.

Utterly bonkers and comp!early wonderful. Love it.

Handsome engine and a very handsome model. Got to be pleased with that! Nice to complete a project that was otherwise languishing in a shelf somewhere.

Love all the fine detail on these big models. Simple things like the bolt heads, while the caboose interior is fantastic.

After a bit of a pause, while I had some louvres 3D printed, the Swilly bogie brake now nears completion. My first experience of such things, they look the part, though I soon found out they needed filing to shape, rather than cutting with a craft knife - far too brittle. While waiting for the prints to arrive, I made a start on another Swilly brake third, which will go with the bogie brake for the train for a Kerr Stuart 4-6-2T. Progress has been pretty good - enough to pose the two vehicles together, albeit with final details still needed. The brake third is pretty convention - a 40 thou plasticard shell, overlaid with micro strip for the outside strapping and frames. Bogies are from Alphagraphix, while took an idea from Tullygrainy for the roof vents, which are wooden dowel, shaped with files in an electric drill. As for that 4-6-2T, heard from Allen Doherty [Worsley Works], that the etches are done and should be with me next week, which is nice as I was wondering what I might do next!

Wow! A phenomenal project for anyone to contemplate, but brilliant to see it coming from the next generation of engineers.

7mm scale can be more like engineering, Alan, but certainly doesn't need to be and I should know! Indeed, am sure your own practical, methodical approach would be very well suited to the larger scale. Size makes some things easier, but it can also demand finer detail. Having started in EM and then gone through 7mmNG and standard gauge before being bitten by the Irish scene, would say 1:43 is very well suited to 5'3. Therefore always surprised there seem to be so few of us doing it, though can also appreciate why too.

Doubt if it is a kit, as all Worsley stuff is just a set of etches. So no castings and no instructions either. On the other hand, they make a good start for any scratchbuilding project because they remove the need for a lot of marking and cutting out. Generally pretty accurate in my experience, but that lack of instructions can make identification of parts difficult. Have a look at my workshop thread for the Swilly Barclay 4-6-0T I build last year

Interesting to hear of the problems with larger scale stuff, but that Rio Grande stock is fabulous. I could easily be smitten, had I the space...

One (fairly) straightforward Alphagraphix kit v a total scratchbuild. Fine work by Tony, but no contest in the difficulty stakes, methinks. As for colour, one is clean and ex works, the other has been cleaned with the proverbial oily rag, but both look stunning.

Mmmm...., been there and got that t-shirt during my own dcc phase. Surprised in a way that the chip makers don't fully insulate the things in the first place - especially the sound equipped ones which are well into three figures.

See folks, this is what you can do if you don't have a TV! Prolific is only half a description, especially when all Andy's projects are such good quality too. As for the Clare, have often thought it offer possibilities - nice 4-6-0Ts, those 0-6-2Ts with the big trailing wheels, plus the railcars and interesting centre cab diesel locos. Needs more space than I have available though!

At least it is a 2-4-0, so a Beattie Well Tank should be fine for sound and good luck to anyone trying to replicate the original As for the model, to steal a quote from Strictly: one word, three syllables: fab- u -lous!

Andy Cundick has done loads in 4mm - all to scale too. Castlederg, Donegal Town and Arigna all spring to mind, though wouldn't be surprised if there are others!

Yep, my Achill Movie cost me £125 for an ABC/Canon gearbox and motor in 7mm scale. Haven't really thought about it, but maybe tender drive, via a shaft to the loco drivers might be an option in 4mms scale? Very pretty loco in MGWR green, though less sure about later rebuild and grey livery.

Mmm... Beg to differ. If it was only a 'bit of weathering' all track would look this good!

Fascinating. Another form of scratchbuilding and every bit as worthy. Just looking at the art work makes my brain hurt!

Lovely work Alan, not least because there's that red line as well. Scary enough in 7mm, but in 4mm, where every minor error is amplified... Can't see any flaws though and did enlarge the picture to find the red lines. No wonder you haven't posted for over a week!

Have at last equipped all my new stock with couplings, so thought a few photos might be of interest. Whenever I build a layout, I usually have a very specific idea of the trains I want to depict and run and Swillybegs is no exception. For The Londonderry & Lough Swilly, there are two trains. Firstly a Barclay 4-6-0T and a short mixed train. It is made of two/three wagons and a brake third coach for the guard & occasional passengers. There are a couple of 'spare' wagons [one of which is a former CVR butter van] which are exchanged as part of the shunting moves. The second Swilly train is yet to be built, though have made a start on a bogie fish van & another brake third, which will be pulled by a Kerr Stuart 4-6-2T. Swilly traffic would not be complete without a bus service and this Corgi Class lurks outside the station, waiting to be relettered. For the Donegal, it is all internal combustion, starting with Railcar 10 [ex CVR] and a trailer. A second railcar [No 7 or 8] will have three 'red wagons' to play with. Freight will be handle by the ex CVR 'Unit', with Phoenix doing the shunting, to and from the off scene goods yard. Trains are just 'posed' at the moment. One of my next jobs is to get things up and running again, so I can properly test those new couplings. When that will be I have no idea. One of the joys of layout building is that you can go where the Muse takes you!

Good to hear! We survived the '87 Michael Fish hurricane that wasn't supposed to be. Trees down everywhere, but only lost a few fence panels, though without power for a week. My wife, a notoriously light sleeper, slept right through it, while I was awake most of the night listening to the wind roaring outside. Whether the wind got to 100mph hereabouts I don't know, but it was scary stuff. More recently, we had a red warning, but the eye of the storm passed right overhead - I know this because our aneroid barometer needle actually fell off the bottom of the scale. The pressure was probably about 950, but the wind was negligible, whereas a few miles north and south it was a howling gale.

Have a look at www.locosnstuff.com Mark Clark is a Chatham Club member and seriously clever dude in all things mechanical. Taught himself CAD and 3D printing and now runs his own business. Mainly narrow gauge [& some exotic prototypes], but has produced various kits and bespoke chassis, which may provide inspiration or even something you can use. Either way, the website is well worth a look for its own sake.

Seriously clever stuff, well beyond my pay grade - which is probably why my eyes are glazing over! On my Deutz G class shunter, I used Delrin chain and gears, but can this be done in 4mm? Once built a Y10 Double Sentinel, which relied on single axle drive and a lot of ballast, to move half a dozen wagons. The other axle could rock, so pick up was reasonable.

Good luck to everyone on the north west coast tomorrow. Just checked Belmullet, where the wind is peaking at 116 mph!

Amen to the above plus the following: Read as much as you can - magazines, books, online Start small - a simple track plan that can be incorporated into something larger later, or just be disposable in terms of building experience. Better than diving in feet first and finding it is all too much. Do you want to mostly play trains, or are more on the creative side of things? It can be fairly easy to lay some track on a board and get stuff running, but months and years to make it scenic. How are your basic skills? Carpentry (baseboards), electronics (soldering, wiring), kit building and so on. Doesn't matter what level you are coming from, because there is much fun in learning If you can, join a club. Great for advice and they may have a layout you can run your own stuff on too.

That makes sense, because N gauge couplers are a real eyesore, especially in smaller stock. Terriers, 03 shunters and the like seem dwarfed by them.