Kirley

Thanks Gareth, I'm just finishing building the Chassis and will then make a start on the body. You make it look straight forward but I'm sure I'll have many questions as I work my way through the build.

I agree the description that jumps out of this layout is one of atmosphere; you have captured it in your scenic pictures, buildings and rolling stock. I love picture 13, the one showing the Village with the cattle being driven up the street. Well done.

Excellent work Ivor, for models over 10 years old they still look very fresh. If you were building a set today what you consider for the power unit looking at the improvement of model traction since the Lima days?

What am I listening too?-- well my ears are still ringing from last night's concert at the King Hall grounds, Belfast by the mighty E Street Band fronted by Bruce Springsteen. http://www.backstreets.com/setlists.html Fantastic nonstop 3 hours of music on a beautiful sunny evening (I think that's the 1st outdoor concert of his I've been at when it has not rained). The Show was fantastic as anyone who made the Limerick and Cork Concerts will agree. My only grips were the bar service (40 mins queuing to get served) and Translink Special Concert Service, had to wait 20 mins for a train which took us to Gt Victoria St and then had to wait another 20 mins before the train to Bangor set off. But the night was too good to let that spoil it and Bruce is doing another two night in Kilkenny, if you can get tickets it will be well worth it.

Good to have you back Patrick, you've been gone to long.

Anthony is right about Modern Image, Bachmann are the ones to go for. However for an earlier era the Dapol are worth a go. The paints I used was what ever I gathered up over the years and it's a mixture of enamel and acrylics. I first gave them a coat of Halfords grey primer and then did a light wash of well thinned black. After drying period I applied the colours.

Have to keep doing something even if this glorious weather keeps you outside. Very basic job painting Dapol Workman Figures. There's quite a difference after adding a bit of paint to these figures. Now all I have to do is remove the plastic bases and drill holes in legs to accept a thin wire to hold the figure on the layout.

You have missed lots of interesting things and even more dross.

Mickey Jones was a drummer with "The Band" on Bob Dylan's World Tour in 1966. He was a keen movie maker and took some footage of their trip from Dublin to Belfast by Train. The quality in the clip below is not great but you get a few glimpses of the Blue/Cream UTA Enterprise Train. http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/109415/BOB_DYLAN_GOES_ELECTRIC__1966_WORLD_TOUR__UK__RARE_CLIPSS__12/

Thanks Richie thats helpful, Would you have a guess at the height of the building at wall level and at roof level please? email you later. K

Hi Rich Did you get any photographs yet? I’ve been trawling the Web for photographs and can get three sides but not the side facing the road. The nearest I’ve come is these two photographs which shows a canopy on that side. Any photographs showing what wall openings were there and levels with the road would be great.

During a trawl of the Web I came across this site: http://www.drimnagh-road.com/irlhome.htm It’s titled Ireland 2007-2011: The End of Loco Haulage on Iarnród Éireann Some great pictures.

Thanks Guys. The MAK has not been converted to DCC so it's still with the other DC models in the old roof space layout.

In my gather up of locomotives over the years I always meant to attach the accessories that came with a new model and to lightly weather it. At last I got around to it and adapted the centre section of the layout to be a temporary paint shop allowing me sufficient room to stack the locomotives and lightly weather them.

Really like your detached houses and gardens, they look the part

The Junction as busy as ever, keep it going Noel.

I would love to be in your position in having 5 fertilizer wagons kits. I only have two and they look very lonely on their own. It's nice to see where you were with the 'found photographs' compared to your more focused layout of today.

Great pictures, thanks for sharing.

Finally the day has arrived and I have completed all the bridges in the1st phase of my layout build. My method of operation was to rough build the structure and get Glenderg to come up with a suitable covering. It's not a method I would recommend especially if you are not totally accurate (like me) in your measurements down to the last mm. The Station Bridge was awkward in that it was curved and had a rail and road bridge. A mistake in a earlier attempt at a bridge surround was utilised in the entrance to the centre storage sidings. (Nothing was wasted). The long stretch of wall between these bridges was broken up by the use of pillars and posters. Glenderg provided Stone textured papers and coping stones for the walls. It's amazing how some posters date so quickly. The Helix Entrance was an idea from Glenderg and while the layout was not built to have a helix entrance I had to come up with something to complement Glenderg's construction. The first go had to be rejected as I failed to allow the swing out in the rolling stock when doing the measurements. Richie came up with a revised entrance. I like his little touches as shown in the year of build displayed in Roman Numerals. The rest of the pictures shows a test runs to see all the clearances for Mark iii's worked. It's being a long road to get to this stage but I am delighted with the results. Now to move onto the Centre Section including a Clonmel type Station.

Thanks Rich and Broithe. Ballybrophy Shed has certain similarities to Clonmel, it's a sound looking building.

Check out John Wiffen's Scalescene site. http://scalescenes.com If you search for BRASSMASTERS etched windows he does a wide range of windows for buildings, handy for scratch-builders.

Paul Greene introduces his S Scale Irish 5'3'' broad gauge layout in August's edition of British Railway Modelling. Here's a teaser.

You have really captured the feel of a Irish Railway scene with 21 mm gauge helping, well done. Love your buildings. Please tell us more about your scratchbuilt items.

Thanks Dave, well spotted

Thanks Gareth76