Mol_PMB

Super! Many thanks. I guess the thicker base uses a bit more plastic and time, so please PM me to let me know the total cost including postage, and I'll send the ££ over. Cheers, Mol

Operating that timetable at a model exhibition would make for a very relaxed show!

Some of the mill buildings are still in existence, as seen in these photos from Fred Dean and Jason McAree on Flickr. I think I'll need to make a field trip there next time I'm in Ireland.

Plenty more progress today on Quartertown Mill. Having marked out the track positions, I then had to juggle the desired positions of point tiebars and uncoupling magnets, with the diagonal bracing underneath the boards. This was made easier because I hadn't fitted the diagonal bracing, and indeed I had to modify it from the intended design to make it clear the leg mounting positions as well as the point tiebars. Anyway, here is the result, seen from underneath: The two boards will be permanently joined together in due course, and will sandwich another piece of ply that will be part of the structure of the scenic breaks. Here are the main components temporarily bolted together, but there are still a lot more parts to make: Also seen in the photo above are the track bases. These are 4mm MDF, cut to shape on my little laser cutter. Raising the track slightly above the board gives me some height for the sector plates, and also helps to avoid the 'flat earth effect'. There will be another layer of 3mm cork on top of the MDF. Another thing visible in the photo above is that the scenic breaks are about 50mm wider than the main boards. I'm not sure why this is - they are all standard parts from Grainge&Hodder and have the same interface geometry. I've decided to use this to my advantage and to widen the board by 50mm at the rear (fiddle yard) side with a cantilevered extension. This will simplify the track geometry in the fiddle yard and the scenic break along the length of the layout between the fiddle yard and the visible section. Here's a view showing the main sector plate, a home-made laser-cut assembly: Finally, here's the crossover positioned on the layout. This is the only complicated bit of track, the rest is plain line although there are some more sections with checkrails: Also on this image I've tried to sketch in (in blue) the scenic break that will hide the fiddle yard. This will form a backdrop to the low-relief mill buildings. I feel I've made good progress this weekend, though I can't hope to match Darius's speed!

Hi Rob, I used quite a lot of the 3dp track bases in my display cabinet, but I still have some left over and I'm hoping they will be enough for this layout. I've just got them out of the box to have a look, and it's going to be tight. If I do the sector plates on copperclad then I'll have just enough 3dp bases for the rest of the plain line (both the scenic side and the fiddle yard). It'll be tight though. However, the copperclad I'm using is 1.5mm and the 3dp bases are 1mm thick, so I'll need to pack it all, which is a bit of a pain. Are you able to do the 3dp bases 1.5mm thick? If so I'd need 40 sections. Cheers, Paul I'll use copperclad where there are checkrails, but there are plenty of areas without, where the 3dp bases are easier than soldering and look better too!

Today I have assembled the baseboards. I have also made a start transferring the trackplan from the computer to the board. This is a kind of 'human in the loop' plotting exercise...

Looking closer at the photo I posted, the loco has a load of coal in the tender, and is a bit grubby in places, suggesting that it may have seen a bit of use (trials?) in this condition. Note that it does not carry a nameplate, or the GSR crest on the tender. IRM's photo at the top of the thread has the cast GSR crest, but less (or no) coal in the tender.

This image is from the Inchicore 175 album on Flickr, showing another view in grey. It seems to have been moved around for photos in different locations at Inchicore, at least!

Please let us know how you get on. I have one of their laser cutters which I have been very pleased with.

Excellent work! I’m presently planning to use sector plates for my little layout but you have got me thinking about cassettes as an alternative.

That's crying out to be made use of elsewhere... (Neil Smith photo on Flickr)

Switch blades now made and fitted, and some wires for power supply added too: I've tried a couple of wagons and they seem to run smoothly through it. The next job is a good clean up, and then I need to try and fill the insulation gaps in the 'timbers' so they're not so obvious. At the weekend I might put the baseboard together.

That looks superb!

Wonderful! I have duly ordered a 5-car rake in the original livery to go with 'Eagle'. Thanks for making these available individually so we can choose our preferred combination.

Given the recent publicity and IRM's support for its move and restoration, I'm wondering whether the small announcement will be a special edition cement bubble 25199?

Great photos. Coach 1130 was a kitchen car, originally built by the GSWR in 1914 and it survived until 1968. Seen in your photo sandwiched between two of the 1497-1503 series open standards which were built at Inchicore in 1962, just before the Cravens. Coach 1319 S was an 8-compartment corridor third built by the GSR in 1926. It was in front-line service in 1961 but the S suffix indicates that it had been demoted to secondary stock by the date of the photo (1965). In 1969 the secondary stock was renumbered in the 4000 series and 1319 became 4035. The coach to its right appears to be one of the 1119-1131 series, also 8-compartment corridor thirds built by the GSWR in 1914/15. These were also demoted to secondary stock and some survived until 1969/70.

Especially with the current scandal about the grand old Duke of York, royal connections may not be something people want to admit…

Some more progress on the 21mm gauge pointwork, with the crossings and stock rails in place. The middle part of this crossover is embedded in concrete so the checkrails are a bit more extensive than usual. I have a day off tomorrow and I’m going to tackle the switch blades. I think they will be the most challenging part.

I also decided to drill through the axleboxes from the outside and insert brass pinpoint bearings (without flanges) from the outside. Trying to significantly deepen the pinpoint bearing holes from the inside (whilst keeping it all square) defeated me.

The bubbles have 26mm axles, and insufficient clearance for broad gauge wheels, so a fair bit of surgery is required. I started on one but it got put to one side waiting parts. I now have the parts but haven’t yet tried to finish it.

Yes, I have quite a few awaiting that task. Not as straightforward as the more recent wagon types. What’s your preferred method?

Thanks for the update. In that case, I apologise for raising the issues. I had the impression that it wasn't too late to change them, and was hoping to have a positive influence in improving the accuracy of the product. Moaning at you in your birthday week was not my intention.

I have once seen a layout where the builder very carefully made all the stock with suspension or compensation capable of coping with really terrible track quality, and then deliberately built the track to be prototypically awful. It did work, derailments were avoided, and the locos and wagons rocked and rolled over the uneven weedy track in a very convincing way. In its own way, it was a remarkable piece of modelling and really stood out at an exhibition. But I think you would struggle to achieve that in the small scale you're working with - not enough space for the suspension and the rolling stock wouldn't have enough inertia to rock and roll convincingly. Mass and inertia don't scale very well. MIP has enough character of its own in the locos, wagons and scenery!

Those locos and stock are very characterful! I can see the appeal of modelling MIP and look forward to watching your progress. Are you going to try and replicate the terrible track quality? Could be a challenge keeping things on those rails in such a small scale.

Another 2' gauge peat bog system was the Marconi railway at Clifden, which was unusual in being steam-worked by a very smart little 0-4-0 saddle tank. Although originally built to help with construction of the radio transmitting station, the railway's later use was transporting sod peat from the bog to the power station that generated current for the radio transmitter. I've never seen a model of the line, but often wondered about making one!