Colonel

Oops! July it is. The weekend after next in fact....

A bit far for those of you on the other side of the water, but our latest Model Railway exhibition takes p!ace on 18/19 August in the Historic Dockyard Museum, Chatham. Well over 100 stands, including 30+ layouts and many of the major traders and manufacturers. If that wasn't enough, you can do "Driver for a Tenner" on one of the museum's diesel locos and even have a go at working one of the steam cranes.

You can only admire such tales of resourcefulness!

My new Model W arrived today and seems to have solved the problem, so guess that will be my 'go to' controller from now on - at least for Swillybegs. The feedback unit works well enough with my Northport Quay stock. The W is still needed for the mobile crane and as back up for the broad gauge of course.

It's been a while, but Swillybegs is back in the frame over the next few weeks, with a late invite to the Chatham Show in under two weeks time, then Hornby/Margate on 15/15 August, the latter alongside their full size collection. So, have recently been working on the layout and stock to get things ready. Fingers crossed, everything seems ok, but note my last entry, back at the end of January! Otherwise, it has mostly about integrating the newest item of stock, Donegal Railcar 8, into proceedings. Turned out to be a tale of two controllers at the moment. My go to has always been a Gaugemaster hand held, feedback model [the black one], with the Model W as standby. However, some motors, especially coreless ones, don't like the feedback model. The result is what might best be described as 'cogging' - hesitant running, almost as if there's a pick up astray somewhere. The Model W, being simpler, doesn't give such problems, but the payback is not such fine control. Anyway, whatever motor is in Railcar 8's bogie, it certainly doesn't like the feedback controller and though things are smoother with the W, they are very 'two speed'. The model crawls along up to about 'notch 5', then suddenly bursts into life. I must have had the W for 30 years, so I've ordered a new one. Yes, I know they come with a lifetime guarantee, but time is tight. The alternative is to run Railcar 8 in reverse, where, for whatever reason, the cogging effect is less. So, shades of Skibbereen, where trains arrived in the headhunt, before reversing into the platform, then likewise reversing out after turning. Have also added a bit of detailing to No8 in the form of luggage, both on the roof and inside - the latter being white metal to give a bit more weight over the motor bogie. The train is deemed to be running on the North Donegal Tramway & hence uses the front platform, so at the moment, the two ex Clogher tanks will act as spare engines.

Article in Railway Magazine confirms Ryder Cup services

Yep - everything hangs together really well.

Been round the Ring of Kerry three times and yet to see much due to (very) soft days. Better luck when we went to Dingle and with the road closely following the railway, you really can see how steep, wild and challenging the route must have been. Plus we have Patrick Whitehouse's fabulous photography of course.

Those card kits are a remarkable resource. I've built dozens of wagons, coaches and even a railbus or two by using them as starting points for construction in plasticard. At just three or four quid each, they are absolute bargains as well. The buildings are great too.

You could always change to 7mm scale JD - Alphagraphix do a good range of six wheelers, plus their card kits of course Can only agree with you on the way etched kits seem to be going, however, if it is coaches you want, what about plasticard? Basic tools only are needed - pencil, ruler, snap off bladed craft knife, plus time of course. The worst job with scratchbuilding coaches is marking out, then cutting out the sides and (especially) windows. A bit tedious and repetitive, likewise adding toplights and/or panelling from microstrip. Plastic seats are available and so also must be bogies, buffers and the like. Roofs can be something solid, like balsa, sanded to shape. Maybe worth a try?

Never seen that happen before!

Nice, small buildings for Macmine, but the station at Tipperary is enormous. Interesting to see the slide chairs on the point at Westport.

Always nice to see more photos of this remarkable model railway.

Good to know that both you and the layout are well, Paddy!

Sounds like different groups/individuals are cherry picking the Worsley archive - which makes sense I suppose, because it keeps the cost from being prohibitive. Can't help thing that in an ideal world a well funded individual or group would buy the lot and then donate the various parts to relevant societies, who could then act as custodians, because it would be a shame to lose what Allen has created over the years. Equally, as we know, the world is not ideal and as has already been shown, dealing with such things is far from simple. Well done to those who are trying!