David Holman

Great work - subtle, understated and has that indefinable thing called 'atmosphere'.

Very much looking forward to following this. At first, I thought the lost wax castings were whistles and safety valves till I looked closer and realised they are chimneys and domes! That's the difference between 7mm and 2mm scale for you...

1900s trains It's been a while since I shared some photos of Belmullet, so here are a few photos of the trains I'm assembling for the 1900s period. Whether I'm at home, or at exhibitions, I like my trains to have a real purpose, which in turn helps to assemble rakes that I hope are representative of both the period and local area. Belmullet is imagined to be served by no less than four 'pre-grouping' companies [rather like Sligo], so we have the SLNCR, WL&WR, MGWR and GS&WR. First up is a freight from the Sligo Leitrim. Harbour branch loco 'Lark' [aka Timoleague & Courtmacsherry's St Mologa] brings coal wagons up from the quay, then Small Tank Fermanagh arrives with a rake of cattle wagons. While Fermanagh goes on shed for turning & servicing, Lark shunts the two trains, so that the coal can go back towards Ballina and the cattle vans go down to the harbour. The two rakes rotate, turn and turn about - so it is either coal coming in by sea for domestic use, or arriving from the Arigna mines for use in either the distillery or by local shipping. The second freight is a mixed one, hauled by my Coey 101 class 0-6-0. This serves the station goods shed and is made up of wagons from different companies. At the moment, I'm experimenting with using Lark as the station pilot/shunter. Being small, it is ideal for shuffling wagons about, with the return trip eventually departing from the bay. Currently, most wagons are Sligo Leitrim, but the plan is to build one or two from GSWR, MGWR and WL&WR, plus a DSER short van is also underway. Rails to Achill has a photo of one of these, so I reason it could have made it to Belmullet as well. As for passenger traffic, we have the MGWR Mail Goods, plus a two coach GS&WR train. The 101 is doubling up on this for now, but eventually I hope to build either an F6 2-4-2T or another 4-4-0, maybe one of the 6'6 versions. There is also the WL&WR Mail Goods, but photos of that are on my workshop thread, from last week. Running trains has thrown up a few problems. One of the point motors needs adjusting, for some reason the turntable is not sending power to the track, plus the new signals need linking to the control panel. This will mean getting to the underside of the baseboards, which is always a pain, though with the hope that we may yet be getting back to exhibitions later in the year, there will be further work required to ensure the layout is both presentable and transportable, so the bullet needs biting...

Bonkers - and I love it. Such delicate work.

Jason is right, there is a subtlety to your palette which makes everything look so natural. It is so easy to over do things, but these dioramas look just right.

Great piece of creative modelling and makes for an unusual and interesting train. Fine work

Now that looks interesting. The thing is, is that a 5p or a 10 p coin? Love the small scale stuff, but definitely sticking to 7mm scale!

So, WL&WR 4 wheel third is now finished, albeit still lacking its vacuum pipes. Unlike the brake van, it is at least based on a photo of a prototype - No3, as shown in Ernie Shepherd's book. To be honest, it is not my best work, but should pass the two foot rule, and it runs well enough. The first picture shows it in Hycote Ford Burgundy Red, which is a bit too bright for my liking, so this has been toned down with Null Oil - a black wash from the Games Workshop range. This has resulted in a slightly scruffy appearance [which rather matches my workmanship!], appropriate for a coach that hasn't been painted for ten years or more. Lettering is from an HMRS L&SWR sheet The other pictures show it as part of my 'Mail Goods', with 0-6-0 Shannon in charge. There seem to be quite a few photos of trains like this, having a four or six wheeled coach at the head of a long rake of wagons and somehow I rather like this. Not many wagons at the moment, but in the long journey south to Limerick, I guess a fair few will be added along the way.

Splendid, as ever. Love the term 'hungry boards', never come across it before, but very apt!

Coming on nicely, Noel. Like the lack of uniformity which is what you get in a station, where brake dust and oil accumulate. The baseboard join is disappearing too.

The latest issue has just arrived and is quite a tour de force. Articles on 00n3, converting diesels to 21mm gauge, plus one from Andy Cundick on his C class diesel. Excellent stuff!

Believe it or not, the 101 on Belmullet was built from the same etch, blown up to 7mm scale. Amazing to think it was done in three different scales, especially as this was well before the days of CAD. I recorded the build in the workshop thread under the heading 'A tribute to Richard Chown'. Got the kit at Guildex as part of the last remnants of his estate, he's had it since the late 90s and somehow never got round to building it. In 7mm scale, it was fascinating to build, with some clever ideas to ensure the curved footplate goes together well. Guess it is likely the original 4mm etch was photo enlarged to 7mm scale and if so, Terry's work must have been very accurate as the fit of parts was really good, so going down to 2mm should be fine. Putting it together another matter, but it should make an exquisite model. Love the 5p picture. I hand lettered mine with a fine nibbed dipping pen, so this is another level entirely!

Progress continues on the WL&WR 'mail goods' train for Shannon. Like most rolling stock scratch builds, you think you've got the model nearly finished, but it is the detailing that takes the time. However, the brake van is now just about there. The first picture shows the plastic shells for both the van and the four wheel coach. The brake van though has been painted, lettered and given a bit of light weathering. The nice thing about both models is that they have been made from what I had in stock, so it feels like they haven't cost me anything. They have, of course - a pair of wagon/coach wheels is around a tenner, couplings a fiver and sets of cast buffers and W irons another fiver each, so £25 is about the minimum for a 7mm scale wagon, plus of course a few hours of [mostly] pleasurable work. The rest of the pictures show the brake van with what will be the rest of its train - all WL&W vehicles, with a six wheel full brake, a carriage truck and a horse box. The latter has been reverse modelled from an SLNCR vehicle I built a few years ago, the prototype actually coming from the WLW. It must be said though that the brake van is decidedly dubious in terms of accuracy, being an amalgam of two early types - Dublin & Meath and Waterford & Central Ireland. I thought about painting it in passenger livery, so that the whole train would be crimson lake, but in the end I didn't have any screw link couplings, so it's ended up dark grey.

Wonderful information and can only agree about the horsebox - my 7mm scale one is not as sharp as this.

Just been looking back at the 5p pictures to remind myself how tiny these wagons are. Little jewels! The two Dublin and Meath brake vans I got from Richard Chown have their wheel centres in varnished wood,meanwhile, am sure it won't be long before our livery guru can advise. Going back to the horse box, when you think how small it is, the smallest error will throw the shape of it completely, which only goes to show what a fine model it is. Keep 'em coming Angus!

Interesting. Using 5.5mm/ft gives a scale of 1:55 - a remarkable bit of symmetry. For comparison: 7mm/0 is 1:43 S is 1:64 00 is 1:72 H0 is 1:87 TT/3mm is (approx 1:100) British N is 1:148 Continental N is 1:160 Without wanting to hijack J-Mo 's thread, I hadn't realised 5.5 was bigger than S. Clearly it was a scale designed to make 16.5mm track work with a known prototype gauge and I believe was also used with 12mm track for two foot gauge. Obviously a scratchbuilders scale, anyone know what figures and road vehicles were used? Another potential Irish scale/gauge combination is 6mm scale. It is close to 1:48, which Americans use for 0 gauge, while 32mm, standard 0 gauge track and 18mm EM, track work nicely for 5'3 and 3'. Indeed has much potential for Irish narrow gauge, with plenty of figures and road vehicles available in 1:48, but works less well with loco driving wheels for 5'3 as scaled down from 7mm, the number of spokes no longer match for a given size. Considered it for a while, but easier to stay in 7mm and use 36.75 track. Anyway, am sure J-Mo's stuff is far more interesting than my wittering here!

Excellent stuff, keep posting! One dodge I use a lot on my layouts is a siding going off scene into the fiddle yard. On Belmullet, it is harbour branch, for Fintonagh it leads to a transfer siding for broad gauge, while on Arigna Town it was a branch to the coal mines. The point is that the siding can be anything you want and because it goes off scene, no extra modelling/space is needed, though you have the opportunity to build whatever stock you might want to serve it.

Object lessons for us all, add in Ken's similar project and there is much inspiration in these small projects.

Excellent ground cover. Presume you used a static grass machine to create the weeds growing through old sleepers and rubbish? Likewise, how do you create the concrete hard standing? Colour and texture look just right.

Remarkable! How long did the Midland vehicles last in these colours? Also, what colour was WL&W freight stock, pre take over by the GSWR? Photos in Ernie Shepherd's book suggest varnished wood with black metalwork, but am guessing that was probably like photographic grey.

Whatever next?! Having said that Dart Castings have produced a Michael Portillo, in trade mark lurid trousers and a range of scales too, for his railway journeys programmes.

With laser scanning and 3D printing, all you need to do is track the lady down and ask her if she is willing to have a model figure made from her. Might be getting on a bit by now though....

Indeed! Feel sure a C class will look at home on a Sligo Leitrim layout and never ceases to amaze me on what folk are doing out there.

Great work and fine though the modern diesels are, it's lovely to see something different. Will there be some weathering added?

Filling gaps I don't know whether other folk do this, but I often find myself pondering and brooding over the make up of the trains I run on my layouts. For Belmullet in its early 1900s guise, a lot of time has been spent recently on the MGWR Mail Train, which is now finished. There are seven tracks in the fiddle yard and there have been more than a few furrowed brows over the last few months about how I might fill them. Some were fairly easy, such as a Sligo Leitrim freight, hauled by 'Small Tank' Fermanagh. This is made up of SLNCR cattle wagons, or private owner coal wagons from the Arigna mines, so that's three roads done. A fourth road is occupied by a Waterford, Limerick and Western 'Mail Goods', with 0-6-0 Shannon at the head, with a 6w parcels van, 4w carriage truck and horse box from the same company.. However, have only recently realised that I only had two passenger trains, so have decided to turn the Mail Goods into a mixed train, by adding a 4w third class coach - more of which later. The fifth road was originally occupied by my Coey 101 class 0-6-0, but have recently decided to put this loco on freight duty - which is where a few more gaps need filling. Currently, I only have one GSWR van, plus a brake, so a couple more need adding to the stock building list. At least one open topped livestock van, plus an open or two are currently favourite. As for the GSWR passenger, this comprises two six wheelers & have decided I would now like them to be hauled by an F6 2-4-2T. These were really built for the Valencia Harbour line, but [had it been built] the Belmullet route would have been similarly twisty, so an F6 moving north is not out of the question, while Galteemore of course has one on Rosses Point! Alphagraphix do a kit though it will need adapting to its original [oven type] smokebox doors. A couple of fish vans would complete things nicely. So that is six roads covered. The seventh is split in two, with in 1950s guise the railbus at one end and the railcar at the other. For the 1900s, the short [railbus] end will eventually be occupied by 0-4-2T Sprite and its semi permanently attached pay coach. In the longer road, there is room for a short goods train and news that Alphagraphix are due to re-release the E/J26 kit offers the chance of doing a MGWR goods, with the loco in lined green too. I quite like the idea of having each of the independent railway companies operating their own trains & stock. This side of the water, wagons in particular eventually all got mixed up, so that by the 1923 grouping, you could find a variety in most trains. Suspect it was the same in Ireland, so the GSWR freight, hauled by the 101, will have a variety, but the WL&W, MGW and SLNC ones will stay 'independent'. Among the stock I've built, this is not a problem, but having acquired two Richard Chown Dublin & Meath brake vans, I've wondered ever since how to include them. These are the ones in purple lake with salmon pink ends [!]. Richard ran them with Shannon on the Mail Goods, but the Dublin & Meath was taken over by the MGWR, so by 1900 should I suspect, be in brown livery. So, one at least can be repainted as the brake for the MGW freight, plus I have a horse box from the same company. A couple more MGW wagons should complete the line up. So, where does all this lead - and apologies if you are now bored to tears with my ramblings! The latest mini project centres on the WL&WR Mail Goods. In Ernie Shepherd's history, there is a nice picture of a four wheel third class coach which [unlike the parcels van] has plain panelling and doesn't need an awkward lattice cutting out, so can all be done with micro strip. Alongside this, am building a Waterford and Central Ireland Railway brake van. This company was actually in open conflict with the WLW for a while, over access to Waterford station, but later the former took over working its trains for a few years, before the WCIR became independent again. In the end, it was absorbed by the GSWR, so am hoping my model is vaguely plausible. One thing for sure, early brake vans are not easy to find, so this one is a bit of an amalgam of the WCIR and D&M prototypes. However, the rounded tops to the panelling nicely match those of the 4w coach, so fingers crossed! The models very much follow techniques used by David Jenkinson in his book Carriage Modelling Made Easy. Plastic sheet and micro strip make up the bodywork for both, while the spares box seems to have enough white metal castings for W-irons, springs, buffers etc. Deciding how my trains will be made up may cause a bit of head scratching, but if you can make stuff yourself, at least you don't have to wait for a manufacturer to produce one.