Mike 84C

Thanks for posting Jim, the year I started work, on the railway! I shall never forget cycling 6 miles to work in the snow, 6 days a week. Engine cleaners got £3 15/- for a 48hr week. The Midland Red bus cost 42p per week! which is why I biked. The amount of snow around Banbury was staggering.All we did was keep braziers alight 24/7 around the locos to try and stop them freezing up.

I now know more about Chaldron's than I did ten minutes ago! Wow! what a choice of wagon, brilliant. I can see lots of Ian Rice type diarama type layouts .

West Cork I spoke with him and he was OK to help you, maybe try again?

Hey, West Cork you have a builder with great skill hardly 30 miles from you. Also willing to pass on his skills so you can do it yourself! Did I not give you his contact points?

Brilliant! thanks to you all for pointing me in the right direction. A cornucopia of different signals, I don't think that's a question I need ask again.

Before I make a complete faux pas and paint my signal, are the light parts in B&W photos from the 1950's/60's white or silver? Would like to get it right first time!

My old employer in GB, Moy Park, is I am told moving its diesel powered hgv fleet to gas power. Thats about 70 tractor units.

Just recieved a W.Wks Park Royal open saloon kit. Any one out there built one? Any hints or tips so I can get it right first time! Many thanks in advance. Mick

It fits like a hand in a glove! I wish my soldering was as clean as yours, lots of clean up time saved! Thanks for posting because the principles apply to any etched kit. very good stuff Eoin.

Its sad to see the T&D so neglected and run down but it has an atmosphere about it. Also shows the amount of neglect a railway will stand and keep operating. I have seen worse on BR in the 1960's

Thank's for showing the Clayton railcar Ken and your comments on the difficulty getting a decent finish. You used similar technique to a guy on RMweb Nial who has posted quite a lot of info; and it just seems to be a great deal of filing rubbing down and probable loss of detail. I did think of contacting the vendor to discuss alternative print material but came to the conclusion that many Shapeways vendors have never printed their own models. Still an interesting model though! Mick

I very much like that first picture of 385, it has place and feeling. Just needs the driver leaning from the cab wiping his hands!

I fancied the Clayton railcar but if they are as bad as you guys intimate I'll save my money. I expect they are printed with old tech printers, one of our club guys has got some very good results with a new printer and low statification lines and is going to try printing using resin.

Perhaps we are so far under the radar our existence is not recognised ? Our club chairman is still determined to take Bantry to Bantry but he is much younger than me!

The guys at IRM have created more exceptional models in these coaches The bar has been raised even higher! for others to follow. My only concern is, when steam/ transition era stock is introduced will my wallet be able to afford it!? Will my swimbo let me pay 200 notes for three Park Royals! Very well done the lads at IRM!

Got my copy Jonathon! maybe next time in in Ireland I'll get you to sign it. You and Oakwood have done a fantastic job of the information and presentation, only wish I could be at Maam Cross but I have no desire to be on the menu as sweet course! How did those "flyaway" cabs keep the crew dry? If it looks right it is right and they don't!

Shock horror! butcher a GC A5to get a Bandon tank shame on you!! Buy the SSM kit it goes together very well, happy with mine.

Thanks Wrenneire, yes I am. I would have prefered a more acute bend from the vertical to the horizontal at the buffer beam but white metal has its limitations! Made the best of a poor situation. Now a question, in the parts bag is a cylinder/tank with a pipe coming out of it. Where does it go? 'cos I worked out where all the other detail parts go.

I should have also said that when I mounted the vac pipe I drilled the buffer beams to accept said pipe, put a dimple where the dummy end mounts on the buffer beam and a small piece of plastic strip between the body and the white metal mounting bracket on the vac pipe. And bend the white metal pipe very carefully!

Sorry its taken a week! buttt! I did'nt keep the plastic vac pipes nor have I painted the white metal ones yet L&N grey is not a match I have found yet.

Your new printed wagons have a very DSER look and "feel" about them, excellent. I look forward to more additions to your fleet.

My 121 now has whitemetal vac pipes from 55L much more robust than the Murphy Models one's and a little "beefier" so look better. Or so I think. It all sounds as if my remark made some time ago about my 121's and MM's Quality control was correct which is a shame as I thought the 121 was to be Mr Murphys swansong.

My truck going over the railway bridge loaded with bags of fertilizer! Did that many many times. After my all to brief sojurn with BR

Our Club layout Bantry, is taken apart for storage after every meet, once a week before covid! and our base board joints have suffered a bit. I soldered copper paxolin strips up to the b/b edge and cut paper sleepers & ballasted to disguise the paxolin and the join. Not invisible but its worked! I think the moral of the story is do not pull the b/b's unless you have to. Your b/b joins look rather good.

I may have said something similar before but having been involved at the Festiniog as a volunteer and on staff for near 30 years, maybe you should try selling the idea of putting book knowledge into practise to the engineering and civils depts; of Irelands colleges and universities. That's how the FR built the deviation, laid much of the track on the WHR and built networks of contacts in the railway and civils world. Volunteering on the FR is a recognised opener of doors into employment in the railway world. Many early vols have now retired to the North Wales area and return to restore rolling stock, locos, track etc; Colins, L&B idea is worthy of consideration, the FR model is similar but the board elects itself from its trustees and always has two society members elected to the board. Might sound a little incestuous but I could not possibly comment!