Darius43

The Markin locos and stock were very detailed, well made and robust - much better than contemporary Hornby and Lima models. Being a 16V AC centre stud contact system, two rail DC UK locos were incompatible and obtaining Marklin stock in the UK in the late 1970s and early 1980s was almost impossible. Added to that was the price of the locos - well over double that of a typical Hornby loco at the time. Things improved a bit when a shop called Mega Models opened in London (Rathbone Place off Oxford Street) that stocked Markin and I was slowly able to obtain more track and a couple of locos. I was also able to adapt Lima wagons as their “UK” range contained several continental prototypes with spurious UK liveries. Visits to Leisure World in North Queen Street, Belfast helped in this respect - they also had a limited stock of Pola and Faller building kits. Other buildings I scratch built from card and thin plywood based on pictures in a Vollmer catalogue that I found at a model railway exhibition. Cheers Darius

Just found out about this. I remember “hedgehog” flavour crisps in the 1980s - marginally unpleasant but we didn’t know what hedgehogs tasted like anyway so had no frame of reference. Cheese and onion crisp bits in a chocolate bar… Has anyone tried them? Cheers Darius

Some pictures of my childhood (well -teenage years) layout - now long gone. Cheers Darius

Can anyone identify where in Belfast our house was? Cheers Darius PS it’s still there…

Found some photos that I took when the bungalow model was first completed. These will come in useful for the refurb. Also some pics of a model that I made of our family home in Belfast a year or so after I made the bungalow model. Cheers Darius

For the TPE coaches you need a Dapol TPE Class 68. Other retailers are available… Cheers Darius

One completed - a few more to go… Cheers Darius

3D printed JGA wagon kit from 3DWagonWorks via eBay. I added some details using brass wire, tube and electrical wire. These are very nice kits with excellent detail. The material is easy to work with. Cheers Darius

One-plank wagons completed. Cheers Darius

Another Cambrian kit assembled… Cheers Darius

Dunpaintin… Cheers Darius

Bachmann issue them as a pack of three. Cheers Darius

Couple of Cambrian LMS 5-plank kits built up… I think the brake levers will need to be moved upwards to avoid clashing with the door bangers. Cheers Darius

Initial repairs completed. Some bits are missing so will need to be re-done. Cheers Darius

This is a model of my Grandparents’ bungalow in Seaford, East Sussex* that I made in the early 1980s - over 40 years ago. I scratch built it using 1mm plywood, Perspex sheet, cardboard, paint and sawdust. Time has not been good to it so my latest project is to repair and refurbish it. Sone parts are missing so these will need to be rebuilt. Cheers Darius * Not to be confused with Seaforde Co. Down.

In have been wondering whether BR type Conflat wagons operated in Ireland or did the older style containers just get placed on regular flat wagons? If they did it would be nice to model one. Cheers Darius

Cheers Darius

Superb modelling!!! Cheers Darius

Absolutely superb models. Cheers Darius

And to pull them along… Cheers Darius

A big box has just been delivered containing these. The destination panels are provided separately for northbound and southbound trains. I secured them in place with small dabs of pva to enable future removal/swapping if required. Quite superb models - by far the best coach models that I have ever seen. Cheers Darius

She doesn’t look best pleased in the photo above. Haven’t watched the vid so can’t say if her demeanour improves… Cheers Darius

Look, the money was just resting in my account… Cheers Darius

Second portal completed. Cheers Darius

Dummy tunnel lining fitted. Cheers Darius