Mike 84C

David, Northport Quay looks fantastic I very much enjoy your foreground modelling but the backscene with its perspective and subtle detail, nothing leaps out but it's all there just ties it together. Well, it does for me!

When I worked at Bescot we had loads of 25's. My favourite diesel, always seemed very willing , very strong for their size and while I was at Bescot about 4/5 yrs never had one fail. Looking good Darius, you have done it again pigs ear into a silk purse!

How remarkable, several of us who have an interest in Irish railways, have done the same walks eaten in the same cafe and read the same books about a narrow gauge line in Staffordshire!

Simons business is advertised for sale in this months Railway Modeller. Maybe you should contact him?

That is a fabulous photo of Lagan, the engine crew are doing something. I like the fireman damping down the coal with the pep pipe. How sad the engine looks so neglected be quite a challenge to get that finish on a model and would you want to? Re minds me of my BR engine prep days had a special set just for that job. Then clean up and put the nice clean overalls on! Well cleanish!

I like the look of the tramline with four seasons on one layout. Brilliant modelling all round though. Thanks for posting.

I could easily see a Polloxfens from Ballysodare sort of mill in Bantry. Have a look on the Sligo Heritage website, I love the flying cupboards! And I'm sure JHB will know of more photographs!

Hello Dane I like your idea with the extension. Now I think you do need a distillery/ beet sidings/flour mill because after running Bantry for a while you may need more traffic to keep up the interest. And you know how many trains per day ran to Cork! All those locos need trains to pull! I had not realized the railcars where Bantry based but two round trips must mean those AEC's were very reliable. Mick

Replies from Des are often very slow I do not really understand why. Although I did have a reply to one I made in about ten days. I agree with Galteemore deffo; not a scammer.

David, i would expect the phrase's " double handling" and security to be used in the argument for lorries doing that sort of haul. I fail to see logic in using lorries to supply components, to factories in GB, that come in daily JIT flows from Europe. To me that just clutters our roads with traffic and must be the sort of flow that should be ideal for rail. Back in the day, days of steam really, there was a daily parts train that ran from Morris Cowley to Longbridge. Who knows what it carried but there were always forty or so box vans and then it just stopped running! As an aside last time I was in Ireland, I caught the night ferry back from Dublin to Holyhead. On the motorway from Cork it was very noticeable that trucks and busses were very law abiding regarding speed limits. As soon as the trucks and busses hit the A 55 in GB pedal to the metal and blow the cobwebs out the exhaust pipe. I wonder if that reflects different levels of enforcement?

Way back in a far off time,about forty years! i ran a fleet of bulk tipper lorries taking grain to ports and mills around the country. I seem to remember that an article in one of the trade papers proposed on researched costs that rail could compete on transits over fifty miles. One of the problems was many mills had rail connection removed and the docks we mainly went to the dock railways were closed or derilict. So one can only summise that BR did not want the traffic. We had transported barley for malting to Scotland by rail for a number of years but that traffic also stopped. Hundreds of tons went north on Scottish road hauliers. My experience was it was very easy to pick up the phone to a haulier arrange a verbal contract and fax the details. job done! We also used rail to bring palletized fertilizer from Ince nr Chester to the Midlands and that worked very well but all of a sudden that stopped and it all went by road direct from factory to farm. All rather tragic, I think that over here in GB it will take major reinvestment to put general freight back on rail and legislation to make it work. So I'm pretty certain it will not happen. Gosh that looks rather glum!

Comparing an 800 with a Manor is a bit like comparing Terriers and a Great Dane, both are dogs! Manors were not big engines but could punch way above their weight. Compare an 800 with a Castle, Lord Nelson or a rebuilt Scot would be fair. Sadly that front view makes the 800 look rather narrow gauge which it is.

Hey John! you look after yourself. You and I have chatted so much over the years .You feel like a pal, a friend and if you rocked up on my doorstep, come on in you are welcome. Just take a bit of time and chill! Do not neglect yourself. very best wishes Mick

And what a good couple of hours it was! The bookshop was a goldmine of interesting stuff, I spent pounds there far more than I spent at the other end of town!

I agree with all the above advice but my two cents worth would be, have a good idea of how a steam loco works and what all the different things that hang underneath and are bolted on top do. i'm thinking injectors, ejectors, vacuum bags, brake hangers. All those little details that you need to pick up on that will lift your model to something really special. You say several times your a young person and the above may be doing you a disservice. I hope you have already hoovered all this stuff up, I expect the lads will point you in the direction of another buying spree! Good luck enjoy the hobby and please post your results.