David Holman

Thanks George, and indeed everyone. Just checked and only started the model on 29th May, so has taken just a month. What with lockdown and the domestic authority going easy on decorating and chores (did most of that stuff early on), probably averaged at least a couple of hours a day, say 70 hours overall. Not bad for a tender engine and very much down to it being a well thought out and interesting kit to build.

Tasty! Am sure I won't be the only one salivating over these!

Simple, but so very effective. Just goes to show you don't need masses of track to produce convincing scenes, though a large fiddle yard is useful to keep a parade of trains like these going!

Nearly there The J19 is almost finished, with just a few things like cab window glazing and wiring the tender pickups to the motor. It will also need some lead weights in the boiler and some running in. Was tempted to give it a heavy weathering job, but the in the colour photos I have, it seems fairly clean, if a bit dusty in some areas. Hence has mainly been worked on with weathering powders. The numbers are HMRS pressfix from their LSWR/SR sheet, while the coal continues to be that from a couple of lumps I liberated from a traction engine rally many years ago! As I've hinted at elsewhere, 603 needs a train and given that it has to be for my 1950s period, am thinking that some sort of mixed might be fun. I have a kit of the MGWR 'hearse' van, which later got used for fish traffic, so will add some 'semis' to that [as they seemed to also be used for fish]. Bringing up the rear will be a MGWR 'glasshouse' brake van. As you can see in the Questions section, one was used on the Achill branch, so my theory is it got used on a 'mixed fish' train to Westport. Tenuous at best, but there you go. The final picture attempts to show three of Mr Atcock's finest on shed at Belmullet.

Proper boys' toys - though girls can play too, of course!

Fascinating, thanks JB. Especially pleased to hear that at least one van worked on the Achill branch. In my fiction for Belmullet, not only does the SLNCR and WL&WR combine to build a line west from Ballina, but the MGW also decided to get in on the act by building one of the lines suggested in your book, north from Achill. Therefore, I have a tenuous excuse for a mixed train from Belmullet to Westport, carrying fish and other stuff, with the MGW 4w hearse at one end and the glasshouse brake at the other, with of course some 'semis' in between. It's my railway...

Thank you! Some interesting details there - though I think it is the six wheel, 20ton version, but very useful nonetheless. The dimensions on the drawing I have are quite difficult to read, so these should help. What I've done so far is to use a standard dimension, in this case the 6'3 between buffer centres, to rescale it on the printer/copier. Turns out the body is 9' wide, though maybe the 9'7 quoted is over the extremities?

Nice!

Am interested in building one of these. Have a drawing, which according to the wheels, seems 7mm scale. However, the dimensions in this article suggest otherwise, particularly with width, which you can see is given as 9'7" - generous, even by Irish standards. Also, cannot find any info on how long they lasted, though clearly at least up to 1932. Likewise, they seem a little camera shy. Essentially, am thinking that one of these, as part of a fish train (using the MGW hearse van), would make a nice consist for my new J19 to pull. 1950s period, would that be appropriate? Thanks as ever.

That looks an interesting bit of kit - tell us more!

You say it may not be perfect David, but it has the look - that almost indefinable something of proportion and colour which says it is right. Placed in the setting of Rosses Point, which also has all these qualities, then it all adds up to very fine modelling! Already looking forward to seeing what comes next.

They look very good indeed and as nobody has been on holiday much, what a splendid way to spend your hard earned. My only criticism is the ugly front coupling, which is pretty much unnecessary and spoils the otherwise handsome front end. Indeed, when not being run, both models merit being on display as fine examples of the model maker's craft. Enjoy!

Already capturing the feel of the loco and no doubt will be quite an impressive beast when finished. Then you'll need another one and a spoil train, or maybe a tender for those long runs south...

Fine setting for a fine model.

Thanks JB, and everyone. My chosen loco is 603 and have a rear three quarter colour picture of it in Keith Pirt's Colour Portfolio. It is at Sligo in 1961 and in black. Cleanish too and the buffer beam looks newly painted, so maybe it hadn't been black for long.

The J19 has become very, well... black. Must confess that I don't actually like this bit of loco construction much, as it is really more of a necessary evil, for me. You go from a gleaming brass model, through a grey one, with lots of filler, before eventually giving it the top coat - Halford's 'go faster' matt black in this case. It is however, very black, though a small positive in this case is that the model seems to wear it well, especially from the front three quarter view. On the other hand, one of the next jobs - painting the buffer beams red, is always a bit of a pain because Humbrol red really doesn't cover well and needs at least three coats. Another issue at this stage of the model is that, though it feels like it is nearly finished, it is anything but. I made a 'to do list' yesterday and it's grown to at least 18 separate items, ranging from making some mock inside motion, through fitting couplings, painting the back head, adding crew, numbers, vacuum pipes, cab glazing, coal, tender pickups and the all essential weathering in order to soften the overpowering blackness. First stage of the latter has been to put a coat of Humbrol 27004 [metalcote gunmetal] on the smokebox. Unfortunately, it probably a bit too grey - but would make a fair representation for GSR battleship methinks. Still, getting there.

Wish my first coach was that good!

A really interesting and enjoyable project to follow. Nice one, Ken.

Not a lot to show for quite a lot of effort over the last few days. The witness coat of primer turned out mostly as expected, with a few gaps around the footplate and boiler/smokebox joins. What I hadn't seen was the mess I'd made of the dome, where I'd been somewhat over enthusiastic in trying to reshape it, plus a far from perfect fit on the boiler top. Oh well... So, it was out with the filler again and while I was at it, added some cubes of 60thou Plastikard to the smokebox door to simulate the fixing clips, though still needs some 0.5mm wire for the handles. A second witness coat was then applied, followed by a bit more fettling around the dome and middle splashers and what I now hope will be the final squirt of primer.

Subtle, understated - how it should be.

Don't do the Circumvesuvio line to Sorrento then JB. No idea what the livery was as everything was completely obliterated! Great way to get around though.

This is turning into a fun exercise. Five non Irish locos? Deltic - gave me my best stop watch trip the ECML. Aberdeen mail, 15 on and Grantham to Newark, 15 miles in just over 12 minutes, start to stop. The howl of the twin engines through Peascliffe tunnel was astonishing! 9F 2-10-0 Denver and Rio Grande 2-8-2s A Chapelon pacific Any Shay logging engine, but the 3' gauge one I had a cab ride on at the Forest Museum, Vancouver Island was very special.

Slurry! Reminds me of our first trip to Ireland. We were driving into Roscrea and found ourselves behind a cattle truck. It was spring and the beasts had clearly been enjoying the fresh new grass, so prudence dictated we stayed a sensible distance behind the truck which was leaking a steady stream of slurry on to the road. Roscrea was busy and we were held up for several minutes, during which time a sizable brown pond formed. Two ladies, who had clearly been busy sweeping their front steps and pavement were not amused!

Good to see Sir Henry getting plenty of votes and likewise the Swilly 4-8-4Ts. A little surprised the GNRI S class not mentioned more, or anything in that fabulous blue livery. For sheer charm, Argadeen, the little 2-6-0T on the T&C is on my list, likewise the Achill bogies in original form.

As I understand it, 'vaping' offers a great range of tastes and smells, so potentially you could have something like a fried breakfast e-cigarette. On that basis we need to get folk interested in cowpat, steam oil, diesel exhaust, etc flavours so that our models could sport additional olfactory experiences! Equally am sure there is every chance that Noel's weathering is going to plant the Isle of Wight ferry thought anyway. Remember the old joke - what is brown and comes steaming out of cow(e)s?