Mike 84C

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.

Serious steam followed by very serious diesel. I wonder what a Baldwin Centipede sounded like at full throttle? And a 9000 did they also have the Gresley beat? Darius your taste in locomotion ranges far and wide please keep posting.

When I worked for the Festiniog fuel costs were always the topic of conversation, oil being not as cheap as it was. We in the upstairs office were always appraising how many passengers were in the first one and a half coaches. If full of passengers we had covered the fuel cost, if not Oh Dear! A very rough rule of thumb but it was rarely far out. JHB your thoughts look spot on. Is the fate of mainline steam hanging by a thread on both sides of the Irish sea?

I'm very happy to see the enthusiasm about Bantry now its on the Emerald Isle. As for its demise over here, well things move on and a lack of storage. I expect it will get broken up one day but I don't expect it will bother me by then! I may be available to throw bolts of lightning, fire and brimstone.!

And was'nt it heaving on Saturday! Llanfair rather pleased me! although no chance to speak with Andy, lots of punters bending his ear! I thought Trowland was rather good but again it hit it when the crowds were there! Hey ho! Nice to see Dduallt and chat with Dave and Robert Waller. The layout is 32years old now and still looks good. But I would say that would'nt I !

Well lads, its been decided. Our Bantry layout is going to be broken up. SO if any of you guys have any interest in a 16x2 +4ft fiddle yd act now 'cos in 2 weeks demolition starts. All peco streamline dcc wired complete with buildings, signals t. table all ready to go! plug in legs jumper wiring . £200 and take it away. Great shame but the club needs the space. pm me or the club for more info/photos. Mike

I understand this collection has been bought by one dealer and will be on the market very soon. What the collection consists of I have no idea. I will post if/when I hear more.

Just looked at the little video of No6, stunning! I have engine envy! And my swmbo, who is a train person liked No 6 even better pulling its coaches. The bar has been raised higher!

From my days of buying said oils from Morris Lubricants of Shrewsbury, the stickyness/temp range is measured in centistokes and the higher the number the higher the steam temperature the oil can cope with. I believe rape oil is added to help the stickyness needed for valves and pistons. I had not thought about that subject for 25yrs! That little backhead needs some asbestos tape secured over the piping from that right hand injector not a piece of old rag!

We have an AEC set at our club which runs/ran on Bantry. I found it rather fragile and have had to do repairs to one of the bogies. In fairness its construction is maybe too light for club use and the "fat finger brigade" I do feel the overall look is fine and the front/windows area is better than a cut and shut BR version. Until "another manufacturer" comes up with the goods, Silverfox it is.

Hi Ben, Lots of good advice there, I like Leslie have been down the "its my last layout" route, finished up with a bowl of spaghetti in my garage! track everywhere. Totally overwhelmed me and set back running trains by a few years. So I think take small steps and grow into it. Keep it manageable is sound advise. Mick

Wow, that is impressive but mad! is there nothing that some niche company will not produce ready to run? I live in greater hope of a CB&SC Baldwin 0-6-2t or maybe a D&SE 2-6-0. Both engines of very small classes.

Reading all of the above comments and tributes Leslie. I wish it was in my remit and its not because I'm only a couple of years behind you! for a younger person to pick up the token you are hanging on the catcher and for Provincial Wagons to keep rolling into the future. Just a thought and I wish it could be me. Mick

Hi Leslie, I'm very happy to have met and had conversations with you at the London IRRS meetings in the past. You have given your time and energy very freely to all of us with interest in Irish railways. So I say a very big thank you. Yourself and your excellent models have made modelling Irish railways so much easier. My only sadness is you seem to be joining a growing band of cottage industry suppliers who are deciding on retirement. So I say to you, get out there and enjoy retirement! Best Regards Mick

Brilliant! Went there 30yrs ago! where has that time gone to! All enthusiasts should try and visit Colorado and its railways, its all rather epic!

Even the Greenore hgv tractor unit is a bit special. A Dennis Maxim? of all things. Not very common UK. V8 Perkins under the floor I believe.

My son is exactly the wait for it to be produced rtr rather than build a kit person. When I look at the stock on his layout I think " HOW MUCH"? Don't plead poverty to me!!