colmflanagan

Using acrylic varnish on enamel paint isn't a good idea - I ruined one coach that way! The paint puckers up and peels off - a horrible mess. I am told (though haven't tried it) enamel varnish on acrylic is OK. I use enamels still for both paint and varnish. Colm

The UTA had a number of diesel liveries during its time - originally what was called "dark Brunswick" green with varying lines of pale green/white/cream/, MPDs were unlined green, then the shortish lived eau-de-nil already mentioned ( buses and trains weren't necessarily the same shade either!), then in 1961/2 the trains went back to a slightly lighter shade of Brunswick green unlined. (when new anyway!) In 1965 trains went multi hued with different liveries for the ex GNR sections (white/blue), BCDR (green/cream) - and NCC - red/white/light grey. Each had two versions. They looked well but of course inevitably you had trains made of different ones plus the remaining green, but all disappeared when NIR took over and maroon/grey became the order of the day. Steam hauled stock remained green lined yellow/red throughout until NIR painted some of the remaining carriages maroon with a broad white line at window level. As regards weathering, well, Ken likes his stuff weathered (though hasn't got round to it yet). I did some weathering some time ago but decided against it., I just prefer my models clean. We all decided on a compromise of the viaduct colour. It varied from clean bright concrete through pretty grotty weathered, then brilliant white in 2002, gradually fading now. If only someone could produce an instantly changeable finish everyone could be satisfied. Maybe. Colm

Since Bachmann first announced this model in 2012, I wondered about the possibility of doing a "Northern Irish" model, as that is my thing. The Belfast & County Down Railway had a number of 2-4-2 tanks and a larger number of 4-4-2s. To cut a long story short the model is too big for the 2-4-2 but about the right size for the 4-4-2 locos (but has one very obvious difference - it isn't actually a 4-4-2!!) For all that, I wondered if might pass muster as a sort of "amalgam" of the two, and recently did a repaint and slight modification to one, just to see if had a "County Down" look. The result is below; (the coaches are by Bachmann from their US "Thomas range"). I've built a couple of other B&CDR 4-4-2s from kits but they can't be easily made from any r-t-r so far produced. This would be the closest so far. It might be possible to use the Bachmann mechanism (which, as others have pointed out, is a lovely runner) as the basis for a more or less scratch built 4-4-2 body etc., but that's another story altogether. Colm Flanagan

Hello All, We plan to take Bleach Green to the Ist Bangor Model Railway exhibition in Bangor on 23rd May (7 -9.30pm) and 24th 10-17.00. The venue is the usual one, the church halls in Main Street just a few moments walk from bus or train. NCC Group

I think Leslie himself would confirm that at present he intends to produce a kit only - that was his info to me at the Bangor show where the prototype was on show. However it will not be a complex kit to build - which is good news for those of us who want a decent length train. We will have to wait for the final prices, though I expect (and hope) they will be broadly similar to the present wagon range. Colm

The Class 80s all had centre doors on the intermediate trailers as delivered. I used to dislike sitting in those seats as you looked out through a little window in the door and a blank panel either side; also people getting in and out tripped over your feet...they were usually the last seats to fill, along with the middle seat in 3+2 layout. However, during their long life a number of ex "Enterprise" trailers ran with them and these did not have intermediate doors. By the time the NIR intercity livery was in use, some definitely ran in this configuration; no doubt someone will know the exact numbers of the sets/coaches but it is a VERY complicated business, as these formations were not really "permanent".. Colm

Anthony, just a quick mod for even more realism - remove the centre lamp iron and fit a lamp or two! As far as I know Irish locos did not carry a centre lamp, except for Royal trains.- and there weren't many of them after the 1st world war, for rather obvious reasons. No doubt some of the more learned folk on the site can tell you what GSR codes were, and what colour its lamps were (apart from dirty, I expect, as most lamps were). I know the NCC ones but their Moguls looked a bit different.... The grey livery looks really well when clean, as usual a fine paint job.. Colm

Although most of their time was spent hauled Mk2s, they were also used for excrusion work in the seventies and would have haueld rakes of ex LMS NCC carriages and also possibly (though I've not seen any photos of this) de-engined MPD and BUT railcars which were used for a while as carriages. Colm

Is it just me, or is the bottom stripe on the Marks Model one wider than on the Murphy Models? The photos I've seen of this early era CIE livery suggest that the bottom stripe was actually narowwer than the top one. But maybe there were variations. On a running note, have Dapol fixed the terrible "wobble" which these ex Airfix (showing my age now!) coaches nearly all had? I did find a cure but the much more solid running qualities of the Mainline/Bachmann coaches led me to favour them. Colm

I travelled from the city centre to Blackrock regualry in 1969 -70 and one set had a compartment brake 3rd at each end of a rake of four Park Royals, all in b&t, usually pulled by an "A" class in black. Full of splendid sounf smoke and fury but not a lot of performance. The legroom in the compartment coaches was very tight, and the ride pretty poor also by that time. Colm

Just a note about power bogies. I have used the Black Beetle ones for most of my MPDs and MEDs and they work well, they can be got with correct wheelbase which really helps the look of the underneath bits, though i think that the old tri-ang/Hornby DMU bogie was also too long for the class 101 it was representing, but correct for an MPD or MED!! The BBs are a bit pricey though, I find that one powr bogie wil haul two trailers (even three) on the flat, unless they are very stiff (which is pretty prototypical too) - but not up a gradient. On "Bleach green" we run a 5 car set which has two "actual" power cars and this goes well up the 1 in 50 grade. If you are doing a vehicle without a brake end then they are genuine "underfloor" units. i think maybe that had a bearing on my thinking when I started building - follow the UTA practice of taking a "steam" coach and shoving an engine underneath it. The modern Hornby bogies are nice (and often available for a good deal less thana BB) but often need extra pickups fitted to a trailing bogie and they are distinctly noticable behind windows. I don't see why an old Tri-ang power bogie couldn't be converted to DCC failry easily, though unlike Ivor I always disliked the racket the serrated wheels made and the older ones used to jump on almost any track "finer" than what was called "Super Four" in those days. Colm

From a relatively regular 1970s/80s/90s passengers veiwpoint I am ambivalent about the NIR Mk2 train especially in their later days. I recall winter time trips spent without heat, with very poor light so if you wanted to read you needed to pick your seat carefully. Not something which has happened regularly to me at any rate in more recent years. I like the DDs to travel in, their main failing being the positioning of the table leg which can catch you unawares as you get in or out! Some have found their ride unsettling but compared with some earlier vehicles,( like the Class 70 power cars which were on the Enterpirse for a while, or the BUT railcars - my, did they bounce at speed!) - I've rarely been uncomfortable. At present I'd be more concerned about the slowness of the journey - back in 1996/7 we were promised 1hr and 35 min non stop...where did that go? On a modelling note, I would love to see a full rake of DDs with matching loco, I saw some coaches at Bagnor and they looked terrific - anyone yet bought such a train who could post a picture? Colm

Possibly one of the reasons why, for many folk, including myself, the DCC sound option doesn't work ultimately is that very small loudspeakers, no matter how well designed, still tend to sound "small" - and sound can't be "scaled down." When I frst started getting involved in hi-fi in the 1960s the arguments raged about loudspeaker size. To me, for a "small" loudspeaker to sound "real" it has still to be a awful lot bigger than the tiny on board ones. I find it interesting that some folk find the the "small" sounds like engines turning over, horns etc, seem preferred. I don't run DCC myself but do like the idea, at least from time to time, of hearing the wonderful noise of the EE 4SRKT engines as fitted to the NIR Class 70./80 DEMUs, and will when funds permit, try a system using a sound chip for a 205 but connected to a higher fidelity audio system, with the chip "motor" output going to my track. I think in theory it should work.. PS anyone got an unwanted sound chip they want rid of for a reasonable amount - it wouldn't have to be of any particular loco (as long as it was diesel). Right now i don't want to spend £100+ only to find I fry the chip or something... Colm Flanagan

Some of you may have seen that recently new postage regulations (UK) have come into force; this in effect means that glues, paints and such like items cannot be carried by air, and this means that NO Royal Mail deliveries containing such things can be sent to places like Northern ireland (and I presume the South as well) - none of their stuff comes by ship any more. They must come by courier, on average about £10 more per delivery. I first learnt of this from precision Paints, who do railway colours including irish ones previously made by them for MIR. I use PP as although they are more expensive, they appear much more consistent than Humbrol, especially for spraying. My last few tins cost me 10.00 + 14.50 for carriage! Some firms, such as Eileen's Emporium, who do a myriad of useful model items, will no longer "export" any of these items - i don't know if this will include Ireland. I wonder when the last time a 14ml tin of model enamel brought down an aircraft.....Acrylics are exempt, being water based, - but they aren't available in the colours I use. Worth ringing round a few friends now before you order enamel paint or plastic solvent. My local model shop is fine for some basics they can't stock items for only one person. Colm Flanagan

Hello All, We (the "Northern Counties Group") have created a website at http://www.lmsncc.org/ which is for anyone interested in the railway routes operated by the said company, its predecessor the BNCR and its successors, the UTA and NIR. There's a potted history of the lines, and a modelling section with pictures of some of our layouts past and present. We hope to add various resources of one kind and another as time permits. Colm Flanagan

I understand that First Group (I think) had a look at the Castles as a possible acquisition but the fact that they are (a) 25+ years old anyway and wouldn't really provide a better travelling ambience than a refurbished Pacer or Sprinter, and (b) would apparently have cost a good bit to convert to 4'8" , killed the idea. Over a couple of pints a few of us thought we'd buy a couple and run a micro franchise between Lisburn and Antrim, but for some deep reason which I forget, we didn't go ahead....

Ah. so that is what happened. Many thanks - as a matter of interest did they ALL arriive in that tan livery? Presumably some ran about in it for a year or two. Colm

Hello All, I am looking for some clarification on the "Supertrain" brand of CIE. This is triggered byt ehfact that i haev for review some MM 071s, and one is labelled as being in "original CIE livery" - a more tan shade, the iother as "supertrain" livery (186sa) which is more orangey. Now I know the tan did vary anyway towards orange and there are photos of different shades well intot he nineties.. It is my recollection (which may be faulty) that the "supertrain" term was coined for use with the Mk2d coaches which arrived in 1972, I have a publicity shot taken of an 001 class with them on the line to Wexford, I think. This was of course 4 years before the 071s arrived, and would suggest, that all 071s from the start were "supertrain" livery, whatever the shade? Or is there another explanation, which Paddy Murphy may have unearthed in his researches (I haven't asked him about it yet). Has anyone any publicity material from CIE which would explain? Colm Flanagan I don't know if this has been touched on on the MM thread but at 50+ pages I thoguht it quicker and simpler to post a new thread, as its not really about the model anyway.

Helllo All, Can some knowledgable person help me with an historical query. As most of you know, Leslie Mc Allister is producing the Guinness "spine" or "skeletal" wagons produced in the sixties, he says, for use with bulk barrels of Guinness to "The North" - they may have run elsewhere. Can anyone tell me how long they remained in service? I'm sure I saw lots of other wagons with smaller Guinness barrels until the freight trains to Belfast stopped, but am not sure about these ones. Colm Flanagan

Hello all, I am considering acquiring an NIR Hunslet hauled "Enterprise" set in the roiginal red/white/blue livery, using a Silver Fox Hunslet and 5 Bachmann Mk2a coaches - 4 opens and one corridor brake (yes i know they aren't 100% correct) coaches. I don't want to paint the coaches myself as I have "other fish to fry" but saw some very nicely painted coaches at the Bangor Show this year - does anyone know who did these, and if they can do a rake to order? Colm Flanagan

This is taking place at the Church Halls of 1st Bangor Presbyterian Church on Friday May 24 7-10pm and Sat 25 10-5. Further details on their website, i presume. The "Northern Counties group" plan to take our UTA era 4mm layout "Bleach Green" along. Colm F

Maybe not technically a "building and nd cetainly not likely to work in plaster, but what about a platform footbridge, so many irish ones were almost like a "standard" design, used north and south of the border and in GB as well. At the moment if you want one like this, you can either bodge the ancient Hornby one (overscale and a bit crude) or buy and build(!) a fiddly expensive etched brass kit. Colm

The side lettering would have been "standard" LMS style for the period, but frankly I wouldn't get too hung up over it anyway. Couple of things to note if you are modelling these engines in post 1948 UTA state, is that the vacuum gear was removed as they did not oeprate passneger trains; 19 (which lasted longest) also had the rear coal rails removed. Of course, some folk were at this sort of thing a long time ago; the model shown dates from the late 1960s when a friend of mine began to attermpt to model the LMS NCC. He chopped up Hornby Dublo carriages, and built a class WT Jeep from cardboard amongst others. His 0-6-0T class Y (to give it its proper title, they were not called jinties here as far as I know) may have the awful tri-ang wheels etc., but (for those with long memories) it has "syncrosmoke!" the final picture shows the two NCC locos and an unmodified Dublo 2-6-4 tank for comparison.

The model Heljan is proposing idindeed a Lynton & Barnstaple 2-6-2 tank - not really terribly like any Irish loco I can think of, but a pretty model nonetheless. I have one and will post a picture later -maybe someone may see an application for it!