murrayec

Hi David It's all looking excellent and congratulations on the win, nice trophy and well deserved. Eoin

The February date for the Fair, note due to hall availability the Fair is on the Saturday;-

@Broithe A great collection of layouts, your spoilt for viewing choice. Eoin

Thanks guys, There is allowance for strip lighting and maybe some passengers but that work was not included in the project now- maybe later as I have a few more kits to build for this client and he may decide on that later.... Eoin

...and finally the laminate coach lightly weathered;- A light spray coating of track dust to the running gear and the coach ends, a few small rust patches here n there, a brown & black wash was dripped down the sides and then cleaned up and the roof was kind of dry brushed with a grey wash and and a rust wash and then cleaned off, axle boxes were painted with metal cote black and polished when dry, same to the buffers, suspension springs given a rust wash..... This project is now complete. Thanks for watching, helping, and posting your great comments during this build. Eoin

@controller Set up the marker lights to run off the green or purple wire, you will have to switch them on/off manually on F1 or F2 depending on which wire you use- thats the simplest way. or You could wire the marker lights off the directional yellow & white wires but you will have to use diodes in the circuit to stop an electrical loop when you alternate between forward & reverse, otherwise both headlights will stay on! thats the complex way. Eoin

Does she not have an on/off button?

So on the Class 800, after sorting the valve link problems I returned to final body and chassis work;- Fixing up the gaping hole in the cab and installing a not so prototypical backhead (it's what the client gave me and he's happy to use it!), the brass cover piece was folded up and made to fit. I installed a BA screw in the backhead so that its bolted in and can be changed in the future. The step in the floor is required to clear the wheels and to allow the chassis to be fitted in. Next is the steam dome- its missing it's edge for about 70% and just would not look right! I cut a hole in a piece of .5mm styrene card to the diameter of the flange and stuck it on around the dome to fill the recess with plastic filler. The dome seems to be part plastic and lead so decided to keep the soldering iron away from it. Filled ready for painting the undercoat then I will clean it up. Next the oil pump boxes on the running boards- I'm doing the drive rods from the valve gear for these and as the came they are in the wrong position- to far back and to far in from the edge so..... ....pop them off, filled the holes in the boxes with brass rod for drilling new 14BA taped holes..... .....soldered back on in the correct position with BA screw showing which will hold the little brass hand-wheels and drive gear in place. Detail bits are now glued onto boiler front with epoxy. The buffer shanks were de soldered for the painting process. Bogie truck is next, I made frame stretchers in .5mm brass for back and front of bogie with a little bit of rivet detail. After folding up the stretchers the bogie was jigged up to keep all straight n level in relation to the axles, the stretchers taped to a piece of mdf to hold in position while soldering. All soldered up. Then the tender chassis, one of the the middle axle bearing needed to be re fixed to the springing system, a short length of brass tube was used to slide over the spring and then soldered to the bearing without soldering it to the spring or chassis frame. Next installing the tender breaks. The breaks are done as per the loco and can be removed by springing off the spigots soldered into the chassis frames I decided to de-solder the tender WM spring n axle boxes, this will make the painting and lining process in this area far easier. The buffer shanks were also de-soldered for the painting process. Cleaning up. Done. Soldering up the vac pipes. Done, bent into shape and cleaned up. and we are now ready to start the painting process.....yippee Eoin

@LM186 Yes that would be correct, if you build a lateral beam with brass channel like the Bull-Ant type you can then hang the Spud and the third axle frame from it. Eoin

Hi @LM186 Tenshodo motor bogie also known as the 'Spud', Branchlines in the UK have the best price on them Eoin

Some more photos of the old Fry layout at this link;-

Yes, really is a shame, not much of that stuff will ever been seen again, nor a Gauge O layout of that size- very sad, I believe an opportunity lost....... Eoin

Mike Sharman stuff;-

My favourite of the Fry Models has to be the D&KR Hibernia Loco and coaches;- Eoin Edit;- 'R' for 'W'

My own little 185th year celebration for one of the first locomotives on the Dublin & Kingstown Railway;- Eoin

Hi Colin R Studio Scale Models do a brass Class S kit. Eoin oops! narrow gauge I see in the title, ignore me!

I calculate it out at a scale difference of .8875 so 6.11mm = 1ft?? But I have to agree with Galteemore it would be far easer to make 5'3'' track than it would be to model in 6.1 or 6.26mm scale, it even knocks out kits, everything would have to be scratch built. Eoin

Talk to Diarmuid in Weirpark he may be interested?? Eoin

George Weirpark Books, Kieran the Soldier-man & Edward White to name three do plastic kits, there are a few others that have kits sometimes but I don't know their names. Weirpark & Edward can be contacted on facebook to check their stock Eoin

Will be going for the Rocket myself

@scahalane Go for an ESU V5 chip, something like a J72 would probably work- Peters Spares have a good range of sound chips. If a model has been opened by the end user most manufacturing warranty are voided! Eoin

Happy New Year to all Train & Model Fair patrons and IRM members, our flyer this year is sporting DART no. 1, 1980's livery. It also includes future dates up to 3 months ahead, and please note the February date is on a Saturday due to availability of the hall.

Good ahead planning @Dave Dawes Lidl have aluminium coin cases for €14.00 at the moment, though they have coin trays instead of foam but I'm sure that can be remedied...... Eoin Edit;- Just thinking! It may be prudent to store the locos across the case (rotate 90 deg) as this will protect the couplers and front end detail when the case is upright and in bumpy transit.