murrayec

@Galteemore yes, the book I referenced covers ply sleepers only, I had seen a copy of your book and wondered what's the difference- I'd say a lot of the info is the same except for the rail to sleeper fixing and finishing the ply.... Eoin

I'm not sure I know the book your referring to, but it sounds lake a broad scope book on building a full layout? Whereas the book above only deals with building track the Rice detailed way.... Eoin

Building Track / Ian Rice...... You have to have a copy of this;- ISBN 1874103003 Eoin

What happened to 'Aussi Phil'? he was building an amazing BNM layout and stock;-

This was my favourite Crew Car;- and I have a bit of Ex BNM Stock! A BSA C15T used by the works foremen in the early 60's;- Eoin

Dependant on the quality of the cork, it can expand and distort when using pva for doing the ballast if not stuck down! If your not worried about the sound I recommend sticking it down.. Eoin

@Georgeconna I just gave it it's first run and then back into the box, I plan to make a storage/display case for it with the four coaches and when this is done the driver n fireman will be attached. The box and packaging it came in is pretty good, so good at holding the models firm that I can see it getting damaged taking it in and out - A display case I think is the best solution and then I can look at it while stored on the wall Eoin

With the test track up today working through a few repairs, I took a break to run this fabulous little thing;- Eoin

T-Cut can be got in a motor factors, it's a car product for cut restoring & polishing car paint. SSM can be contacted through their website;- http://www.studio-scale-models.com/Index.shtml A very small quantity of T-Cut is required, gently rubbed over the decals with the bud, no force is required and after a few minutes the decal will rub off. The T-Cut should be washed off and the paintwork buffed with a clean cloth to take the new decal. Eoin

A dab of T-Cut and cotton bud will remove the existing numbers and SSM do decal numbers for this job. On hacking your own sound chips;- if your not a user of the ESU programmer- buy the MM chip and have an easier and less costly 121 life! The 'Experts' would have you believe it's easy! - capture this, edit that, and learn to program the thingie! 'Don't'...... Eoin

Next Train & Model Fair date- Sun, 09, Aug;-

I can hear it, but cant see it? Sounds good Eoin

I visited one of the Fair's patron's garden railway layout in the Avoca hills, Co. Wicklow yeasterday;- Eoin

Hi John I'll go for two kits - Luggage van & Heating/Luggage van Eoin

Have a look here;- http://www.tower-models.com/towermodels/ogauge/dapol/dapolloco/jinty/index.htm Eoin

@Georgeconna yes the higher it gets the better shots I can get from the garden, the city lights become less interfering and with a guided camera I can get longer exposures- hopefully!! Eoin

Yes, some success in getting a few photos last night, 6 seconds unguided shots;- The glow in the lower part of the pictures is Dublin city sodium lights, adjustment has been done to remove as much sodium red, on the second photo the red can be seen in the comet tail but adjusting that further messes up the shot...... Eoin

Maybe a chance tonight!!;- Comet Neowise over the Poolbeg power station in Dublin in the early hours of Saturday morning. Photograph: Antonio Martin-Carrillo

Thats a wagon behind the Tamper Machine;- Eoin

Really need to go for 1:87 scale for modern stuff, Oxford do have some Range Rovers & a Volvo but not much else for modern times. Here is a Ford Focus at 1:87;- https://www.minichamps.de/kategorie_neu/street-car/?order=ASC&orderby=title&suchbegriff=&filter_scale=187&filter_material=&filter_jahr=&filter_hersteller=&filter_lieferbarkeit=&filter_fahrer=&filter_haendler=&filter_sammler=&filter_marke=ford Eoin

@WRENNEIRE is the man to talk to, the MM 141s are up here with today's models and their the only 141s available! Eoin

Hi JB Yes, it's going to be silver Eoin

The painting started last night, first was a light coating of etch primer to the metal parts. I decided to paint the chassis also. I was going to metal black the roof plate lifting hooks and stick them on later, but recently saw a photo that showed them in the same colour as the body, so I stuck them on and primed them to. The bogie sides were 70deg soldered to the brass motor out-riggers, thinning the brass with 180deg solder first. Some of the sides detail going on- brake pull rods and a bit of over frame piping, I'll hold off on the ladders until the body and chassis are out of the paintshop just to get the alignment right! The front of the bogies is looking a bit crude so I have worked up a drawing to do a front crossframe and revised wheel guards, the guards cast on the bogie frames are way out from the track..... Eoin

The best solution for this is to use Deluxe 'Tacky-Wax' to hold them on, then they can be easily removed and attached elsewhere..... Eoin