Horsetan

I'm afraid that my one and only visit to Warley in 2001 put me off for life. The sheer crush of people was as bad as travelling on the London Underground, coupled with scenes of barely-contained acquisitive savagery at the Bachmann trade stand. It was the show at which the notorious Dapol Virgin Pendolino set became available, so there was extra savagery there.

What they need is a steam-hauled service.....

Just after buying a copy of this book, so. Should be useful read.

Would there be any Australian blood in ye now?

Found a couple of reasonably clear views of 553 only just fitting on the turntable at Tramore: http://www.nrm.org.uk/ourcollection/photo?group=Sellick%20collection&objid=1997-7219_RJS_IR_15 http://www.nrm.org.uk/ourcollection/photo?group=Sellick%20collection&objid=1997-7219_RJS_IR_16 Of interest are the "inset" footsteps (catered for in the kit), and the almost Wainwright look of the smokebox door (twin handles, instead of the more common wheel-and-handle) and strapping. Minogues, and An Teach Ol, in Tulla for me. Happy memories of winter lock-ins during the hunting season

'tis out in the West.

They call him "The Menace Of Ennis". Anyhow, everyone knows that the best pints of Guinness are those served in Clare. Sure I've had a fair few of those meself.

I suddenly feel a need for the SSM GNRI 20t brake van....

"...but first, a word from our Sponsor...."

This is where you need to use the closest available P4 profile wheel. Sources: AGW, Branchlines, and - if you have all the time in the world - Ultrascale. You'll probably have seen the CLAG site which has just about everything under the sun for CSBs, seeing as they more or less invented the modern interpretation of the system. It's probably safer to have split chassis AND split axles. If you have a rigid axle, chances are that axle is the one that would make the model lurch. Only one axle driven per bogie - a total of two axles out of how many? It might be a bit underpowered. If you're going to be making your own gearboxes and gears, why not try making bevel-and-spur gears? Lower rolling resistance, higher efficiency.

Inchicore's a bit like a black hole for things like that.

I'm sure there are many different answers. A bit like Catholicism - "it's so vague, and nobody really knows how it works....":ROFL: I think it's to do with the feeling that you're actually making something that moves.

Compare with this view: Strictly speaking, there should be brass-coloured bearing covers over the eccentric rod big-end as well, but I'm not sure those were in the kit.

Until I saw the photos of the fiddle yard, I actually thought this was going to be 21mm gauge. The scenery so far is certainly worthy of it. Almost makes you wish there was going to be enough space to model the oul Ormonde Cinema at Greystones.

Not exactly. More to do with the feeling that there hasn't really been a longstanding and sizeable tradition of Irish railway modelling, unlike elsewhere. If anything, if there is to be a tradition, it is being developed now.

Great advert for Des / SSM's "800" kit. I can think of at least one UK builder, who I've nicknamed "Stella Artois" on account of the fact that everything he does is "reassuringly expensive", who would charge five figures followed by a decimal point, for something like this. I've seen photos of the 21mm gauge build, and I'm convinced that the kit is something to save up for. BTW, it looks like the reversing arms are missing from the motion on your model.

Update: MOSI replied as follows: "Thank you for your enquiry. Digital copies of our archive holdings are now supplied through the Science and Society Picture Library. The engineering drawing you are looking for is available on their site here http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/results.asp?image=10672266 Please contact the picture library directly to obtain a copy of the drawing by emailing picture.library@ScienceMuseum.ac.uk Best wishes, Jan Hicks Archives & Information Manager Tel: 0161 606 0115 "

I can't see The Irish Times printing something like this......

I did. Once. Terrible overcrowding. Never again.

It must be wonderful to understand how to use CAD. I have AutoCAD 2005 here, but I cannot understand how it is supposed to work or how measurements are reflected.

The W&T "garden shed" cab is not present on the etches I have, which are untouched. It wasn't my intention to build the W&T variant, as it happens. The rivetted smokebox would be very helpful. In respect of the two types of chassis, the brass one does look friendlier towards CSB suspension, but I can only determine this once I have the later n/s version to compare it with. I will be using my usual coreless motor (RG4) to power it; can't stand worm gears. Here is the castings pack, applicable to the original "E": Note the tall chimney that seems to go on forever, and the unusual "Y"-strapping on the original smokebox door. It is said that Martin Atock was as much an artist as he was a locomotive designer, giving not much time to the styling conventions of the day. Had he lived in a later era and worked in the car industry, I like to think he would have fitted in very well at Citroen prior to the PSA takeover.

Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery...