David Holman

The layout is Gilestown and Ballyharry, by Michael Martin. It is in the 'through the railway room door' series. Mostly diesels in the photos but some intriguing hints of steam loco conversions in the stocklists. Adams Radial to SLNCR small tank, for example.

A touch of the Blarney in this month's Modeller. Firstly a full page advert for the A class diesel, which looks stunning, then a review of the splendid 121, which notes that it can be regauged to 21mm. In a full page advert from Lightmoor Press is a new album from Michael Whitehouse (son of the great Patrick) on Irish railways. The standard of the previous one was stunning, so this is definitely on my list. We also have an Irish layout article! Only had a quick skim, but we'll worth a look.

Back to the 1900s Recent work on the GSWR Brake 3rd, plus new wheels for WL&WR 0-6-0 Shannon have all been about moving Belmullet backwards about 50 years to the early 1900s. A few liberties are being taken, because my 101 0-6-0, being a later Coey engine, wasn't built until 1903, while the WL&WR had already been taken over/absorbed by the GSWR by then. However, it always took time for locos and stock to be repainted, so hopefully what I'm doing isn't too outrageous, although a railway to Belmullet never existed anyway of course. Anyway, Shannon now has its new wheels and the bodywork has been given a further bit of TLC, touching up paint chips here and there, plus a bit more work with T-cut to freshen up the rest. Still needs balance weights to be added to the wheels, while have just noticed one of the handrails need straightening - is any model ever really finished? However, was keen to pose and operate the two new trains to herald the move back in time. Shannon's train is very much a nod to creator Richard Chown, being what he called a 'Mail Goods'. This featured on his Castle Rackrent system and as well as Shannon, I also have his two Dublin and Meath brake vans. Quite why he built even one of these is anybody's guess, but he was often drawn to obscure prototypes and with their salmon pink ends, these vans are certainly that. The rest of the train comprises my own scratchbuilt models of a WL&WR full brake, plus a carriage truck from the same company. On Castle Rackrent, photos show a carriage truck on the Mail Goods, sporting what looks like a horse drawn pantechnicon - there's a word for you! These days we call it a removal van. My fiddle yard is 43 inches long, but Shannon's train is only 39 inches - hence not enough room for another wagon. The WL&WR did have a couple of six wheel carriage trucks, but at just over 9 inches long, there is not enough room for one of these. At the moment anyway! The 101's train has previously been described as a private excursion, though with a six wheel first, brake third and two horse boxes, probably works as an ordinary service train too. However, 101 0-6-0s rarely ventured this far north or west, so a 'special' probably makes more sense. The two trains are shown with Shannon waiting in the bay, ready to depart east, then south for Limerick with mail and parcels, while the 101 leaves first for [eventually] Dublin or Cork. Suspect the coaches will be added to another train somewhere further on.

Quite right too - it works beautifully.

Below is my plan of Fintonagh. 7mm scale, 21mm gauge. You can find it in the layouts section under Clogher Valley Project.

Evocative scenes - actually looks like it is raining. Presume that is the lighting, but certainly works. Indeed, can recall very few layouts that portray a dull wet day and fewer still that manage it as successfully as this.

If you haven't already, check out Ballyconnell Road. It's 3mmFS, but certainly shows what can be done with a circle and displays fantastic modelling. Runs beautifully too. Another thought is that, in going for a circle, by planning ahead a bit, you can always add straight(ish) sections at a later date. Either way, will certainly look forward to seeing the project develop.

Nearly there with the brake third. Grab handles and hand rails [0.8mm brass wire] the main task, then it was a case of finishing off the roof. I raided my dwindling parts boxes for fittings, but Sod's Law has meant that I only have five torpedo vents, when I need six, and while I found three lamp tops, they were of two different styles. Got ahead of myself then and painted the roof, but forgot to add the rain strips. Needed a second coat though, so not far off now. The photos show the third with its intended train. This comprises an Alphagraphix/Tyrconnel 6w first [brass kit], along with a WL&W horse box and carriage truck - both scratchbuilt. The idea is that this is a private excursion carrying a well to do group [in the first], together with servants and luggage [in the brake third], plus horses and a [yet to be built] carriage. Both the latter can be shunted/unloaded in the cattle/unloading docks. Meanwhile, as before while waiting for paint/glue to dry, carried on playing around with rebuilding Shannon. The loco has had pick ups fitted and runs fairly well, though I think the coupling rods still need easing a little. The RG4 gearbox is proving a little noisy, so may yet replace it with a Mashima type unit from Precision - especially as RG4s do not like feedback control anyway. As for the tender, having stripped everything out last time, I decided to make a new set of inside frames from plastic sheet, rather than spend ages fretting sides and spacers from brass. Not as radical as you might think, as I've used brass bearings, but certainly a lot quicker. As you can see from the photos, the inside frames are pretty much hidden. It runs well enough, so fingers crossed!

A single coach is a lot of work (I should know!), so a three car unit is a major project and not surprised it is taking a while. Looking good though, so certainly worth the effort.

The Hastings line, six car units, we're similarly characterful, especially when doubled into a 12 car set packing 2000hp. Those class80 units should make an ideal lockdown project.

Things still going slowly with the Brake Third, but it has been given two coats of dark lake, with the door handles and glazing going in as well, along with the birdcage lookout and some passengers. Just occasionally, I remember to plan ahead, so the sides were built with spaces for 20thou perspex to be slid in. While waiting for the paint to dry, I busied myself with the 101 adding tender pickups and wiring these to the loco. Much to my surprise, the loco runs really well. However, another 0-6-0, Richard Chown's Shannon, has been having some attention. The model is approaching 50 years old and while the body work has stood the test of time, the same can't be said for the chassis. The driving wheels are so worn that there is a clear rut in the treads, while the centre drivers had a 2mm wobble. Shannon nevertheless still ran ok, probably helped by the fact the the centre wheels are flangeless. The tender wheels were similarly worn, this time the problems was more about the flanges, which had worn to a razor edge. The latter probably because the tender had considerable extra weight thanks to a speaker and electrics for an old Pacific Fast Mail sound system. The lead and middle drivers came off ok - am guessing they are Walsall wheels and have a Romford style centre nut which requires a screwdriver with a slot cut in the blade to undo it. The rear drivers were much more of a problem, being fixed with a slotted bolt/screw, which refused to budge, so I had to resort to brute force in the form of a slitting disc in the Dremel to cut the wheels off. The motor/gearbox is an adapted Portescap RG4 and despite running many actual miles, still seems ok. So an order was sent off to Slaters for new driving and tender wheels, along with six broad gauge axles. Cost me over £150, which is why buying an 0 gauge loco kit is only half what you eventually pay. The tender wheels had been fitted inside the body, so the only way to get them out was the Dremel again, cutting the axles in half. The plan is to build a new set of inside frames for the tender, though haven't yet decided how this will be fixed in place. Meanwhile, the loco wheels were reasonably simple to replace, the main work being adapting the coupling rods, which had to have their bosses drilled out to accept the Slater's crankpin bearings. Better that the holes needed enlarging than making bushes had they been already too big, methinks. Found that I needed to thin down the rod slightly, to take the nuts and washers which hold them in place. Assembling everything again then showed that the old wheels had thicker centres than the new ones, which meant the rods were fouling the brake gear. In the photos, you can see this in the shiny spots where I've had to file some areas down. Thus far, its been a really interesting exercise and [fingers crossed] Shannon still runs as well as her maker intended and should be good for a few more years now. Working on it has felt like a bit of archeology at times & it's certainly been a privilege to see how Richard approached building what is still a lovely model.

Always looks good!

Shades of Ballydehob and Roaringwater Bay. Fine work.

As others are saying, if the back to back measurements are consistent, then most likely the problem is the point itself. A single wagon might have a twisted chassis, so check if it rocks when on a known flat surface. If it is just one point, not all of them, then it might not have been laid flat, which as Mayner says will upset everything. Problems with running have to be dealt with by a process of elimination. Note where any faults are and record the stock which has problems. Same with areas of trackwork. Eventually you will isolate the problem(s) and be able to take appropriate action. Being methodical is really important.

Not bad at all. On a Terrier chassis?

It's the same in 7mm scale (where ready painted figures can be £5 or more each), proper sized people can be a tight fit. Fortunately, Slaters do a pack of 16, unpainted, figures which are probably closer to 1/48 than 1/43. Crude, but they are ideal for putting in coaches and other right spaces where you just need an impression. Even so, several have had legs cut off at the knees to fit. Needs must!

Lovely stuff!

Interesting re the footboards - your experience is pretty much like mine. The current ones use 0.8mm brass wire in holes drilled in the floor. Initially held the wire in place with solvent, which meant it was adjustable so I could get the levels right. Fixed the boards to these with thick cyano, plus more of the latter to fix the wires in place, so everything is actually quite solid for once! As for the buffers, some Markits ones are very nice, though you pay for it - anything up to £20 a set of four, whereas white metal castings are more like a fiver and under a coat of paint not always easy to tell the difference...

Slow progress with the GS&WR brake third. The Markits buffers were decidedly disappointing. Being lost wax brass castings, the shanks had a huge lump of sprue attached which needed a slitting disc in the Dremel to remove. Then the shanks needed drilling out to take the buffer heads, which eventually took five [yes really] different drill bits in four different drills. Finally managed the process by using my pillar drill, when even the Dremel failed. After that, it was a case of tidying up the sides and ends, including drilling many holes for door and grab handles. Door ventilators were crafted from lozenges of 40 thou plastic, filed to shape, then went over all the panelling again, to check for for errors. One job I particularly dislike with six wheel coaches is making the footboards and especially their brackets. Am sure there must be a better way than my usual bodging with wire and cyano, but have yet to find one. The last job before the paint shop was to make a false roof for the guard's lookout to sit on. I sometimes wonder if it is worth doing too much cleaning up before spraying on a 'witness' coat of primer, as no matter how thorough you think you've been, blemishes still show up. Hence some more rubbing down before what I hope is the final coat you can see below.

Clear that those who knew him are richer for the experience, while the rest of us at least had the pleasure of seeing his work online. RIP indeed.

Salivating already....

Cyano works well too, though you need the right stuff - probably one of the more viscous, slower setting ones.

What a joy and mine of information this forum is! Thanks everyone, and yes please to any plans, Ken. The drifter looks fun too, but will certainly get the Scalescenes one to see if I can enlarge it. As I said earlier, £200 is more than a bit steep, plus I can always pick Gordon Gravett's brains - he made model ships for a living back in the day.

Am interested to know if the coasters known as Clyde Puffers made their way around Ireland? Reason is that in Chatham Maritime, there resides Vic96 (see photo below), a stunning little ship that would be ideal as a modelling project at just 80' long and 19' wide. A former Admiralty supply ship, it is now preserved and has its own websites. Amazingly, it wasn't built until 1946, but the fact that it looks much older is because the design was based on the Clyde Puffers. Langley models do a kit of a Puffer, though it is a fairly eye watering £198 - rather a lot for a static, waterline model methinks. However, one of our Lockdown walks takes us past Vic96 and it is becoming an itch I may need to scratch!

Mmm. About 48x21" in 7mm scale or 13" x 6" in 2mm scale, to go with Ken's 26x13.