Flying Snail

Looking very well ... I have to say the box looks great too: it really pops out!! I'll have mine waiting for me when I get home from holidays next week (cue frantic scrambling to get DPD to redirect delivery)

Interesting - I wonder will more pop up in places like Newry? For model railway items where there's no customs duty, that €3 fee represents a saving of 50c on the customs processing fee charged by An Post. You'll also save another 3% on the ex VAT price of the item as UK VAT is 20% versus Irish VAT at 23%. So there's a saving there - but you'd want to be near Belcoo for it to be worthwhile. However, its also an option for those UK model railway suppliers that can't be bothered filling out a customs form and won't ship to the Republic as a result - DC Kits springs to mind. Edit: and its an option where UK VAT isn't deducted - like the pre-owned stuff from Rails of Sheffield

I've a fondness for the LNWR, so if you had said the West Coast Main Line circa 1894 ... But seriously, there's a few members doing a bit of BR modelling on here - @Darius43 springs to mind as someone whose threads you should check out.

I'm really enjoying your threads Gibbo. Inspiring stuff! Welcome to the forum and keep it coming please.

No, but there's allocated seating for all passengers

Just seen this on Facebook. Stradbally Woodland Railway have taken delivery of Bord na Móna Wagonmaster diesel loco LM335 which worked the local bog at Cúil na Móna. Some nice pictures on their social media .. see link below https://www.facebook.com/share/p/JgHqZ9U4ThBqAcmc/

Thats a nice idea!

Thats some list to work through .... maybe we'll get some leaks announcements soon @BosKonay?

he's definitely not a silly ass!

Too many neigh-sayers here! Time to get me coat and trot off home .... Horse out side: Horse (on his way) inside: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/hoofing-around-curious-horse-trots-onto-sydney-train-station-platform/cxjy6qpmq

'Modelling Irish Railways' by Stephen Johnson and Alan O'Rourke is a great starting point for those interested in modifying British outline models to represent Irish stock. It's from 2004, so a bit dated now but back then there was practically no Irish RTR - the Irish scene was all about scratch building, kits and modifying other models. They give a list of convertible OO locos and an extensive list of carriage conversions too.

My flats still show as not fulfilled when I checked my account just now - I got my opens this morning though (and very nice they are too)

A1 now - nice job! Edit: before anyone says it ... I know, I know, its a 3MT not an A1

Maybe I've gotten my downloads mixed up, but I see a video of a (very nice) railcar set and not the 3MT?

Thats a nice little model - the flyaway roof on the cab is very elegant (although I wouldn't want to have been standing on the prototype's footplate on a rainy winter's day). Would anyone know how a model like that scales down to 4mm in terms of suitable motors and gear boxes?

preferable to unobtainable surely?

Sorry to see this John - I've purchased a few this morning. Would putting your designs on a platform like shapeways be an option for generating some passive income and getting some more return from all your hard work?

Getting non-British marques in OO can be challenging - Renault 4's definitely a good one to have ... and for me another big gap are the ubiquitous Hino lorries

I misread that and for a second there I thought you were canvassing for a container ship to go with the B&I ferry ...

That will be the sods of turf that Broithe, Hawkerhellfire and David Holman referred to in their advice. Just in case any other readers are wondering, 'turf' in the Irish vernacular is what we call peat that has been cut from the bog for domestic fuel. And sods are what we call the rectangular 'lumps' of turf.

Rest in Peace Dave, and my condolences to his family and friends. I'll echo what was said above Noel - that was a nice tribute.

Here's a good picture of a Bord na Mona train hauling milled peat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonmacnoise_and_West_Offaly_Railway#/media/File:Bord_na_Mona_-_"The_Bog_Train"_-_At_Edenderry,_Co._Offaly,_Ireland_(14225837858).jpg And here's a fine turf train from the Emergency (WW2) modelled by David Holman on this forum: https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/2849-davids-workbench/page/20/#comment-143420

Hi Andreas, First question to answer is what type of peat you're transporting: If it's the milled peat like that transported in contemporary Bord na Mona trains for use as fuel in power plants (or in the manufacture of briquettes and peat moss fertiliser), then it will be powdery - almost sand like. If its the traditional sods of turf burnt in homes across Ireland and carried in the WW2 era turf trains to Dublin, then the sods will typically be rectangular/box shape about 10cm thick and 30 to 40cm long - this is what Broithe is describing above

Excellent ..... been looking forward to these for a while!