Colonel

Thanks folks! Am currently leaning towards Sidhe as the name, which I now know is pronounced Shee and where Banshee also comes from. Delving beyond Paul's weblinks proved to be a fascinating insight into Irish folklore and clearly, it is a good idea to respect all the little people.

An absolute delight, Eoin. Catching up late on your threads, but a pleasure to do so. The dome and chimney alone are jewel like in their for and finish. While lots of proper engineering going on, simple things also stand out, like that wooden block to hold the body while it was being worked on. Am looking forward to reading more - probably several times!

As above Darren. You only learn by trying. That said, what you try makes a huge difference. Soldering can seem a black art at first and certainly requires care and practice. I suspect quite few of us, me included, have tried to build kits that were beyond our abilities at the time, a case of walk before you try to run. Maybe have a go at using plastic sheet and strip, which are much easier to cut and join - the old Airfix, now Dapol, kits are a cheap way to practice. Likewise any card kit, where all you need is a craft knife, steel rule and glue. From here it is a very short step to scratchbuilding in this material. Making your own stuff is very satisfying, so choose carefully and you'll be surprised how quickly skills develop and indeed new tools are acquired.

Another itch I've been wanting to scratch for several years now has been the Sprite and Fairy 'Pay Trains' and a moment of serendipity the other day actually got the project started again. You might remember I'd had a go at the pay coach, but the little loco [and other projects] had got in the way until I decided I needed something to do for a few days while we were away at my Mum's for Mothering Sunday. The serendipity came when I suddenly realised that a piece of plastic water pipe was exactly the right diameter for the boiler. Ergo, why not build the whole loco body from plastic - especially as I've got my eye in doing the Donegal railcar in this material. However, let me say that will not be an accurate replica. For one thing I can't find the right driving wheels. Size is ok, but both locos had 16 spokes, whereas 10 or 12 is the most available from Slater's. Also, photos are in short supply, while details of the coach interior aren't clear either. The two locos had subtle differences: Sprite had 5' drivers and 3'6 trailing wheels, while on Fairy they were 5'3 and 3'... So my model will be 'in the school of' - indeed, I'm looking for a different name, assuming that there was either a third Pay Train combo, or that the Midland had one too. All in all, it is really just a bit of fun. So, planning for this project goes back several years, starting with doing some drawings, which have been gradually added to as shown below. As already mentioned, the loco body is mostly plastic. 40 thou sheet for the footplate, 80 thou for the buffer beams, with a fair bit of 20 thou for where edges need to be thinner. For example the internal structure of the cab is 40 thou, but this is overlaid with 20 thou and the same goes for the splashers. The side tanks are complicated by their curved top, so 40 thou formers have been used, which will eventually be overlaid with more 20thou sheet, as shown below. The boiler is the plastic water pipe to which extra layers of 20 thou have been added to make the smokebox and firebox sections. These days, I mostly use Plastic Magic to weld pieces together, but had to resort to MEK to fix the first layer to the water pipe, which is made from a different type of plastic. So far, everything seems to have gone together ok, with the loco work being done over last weekend. The spares box will be raided to see what can be used for some of the fittings, though it may be that I'll have to turn the chimney and dome from brass. The chassis will be brass too and am hoping it should be fairly straightforward, albeit probably needing some of the boiler to be cut away to accommodate the motor. Two things where suggestions will be welcome: What livery would Sprite and Fairy have carried? Am assuming the locos would have been unlined black, with the coach that very dark crimson/purple lake. Sprite and Fairy are obviously mythical creatures, so what might a third loco have been called? Pixie [or Pisky] maybe? Elf perhaps - though not Leprechaun - not sure the tank sides are long enough!

Good stuff and love the sky. Maybe the scene just needs lowering a bit, so there is less land on show?

Back in the day, I seem to remember a starting point for building a kit was about three times its cost. These days, a big steam loco kit is usually well over £500. Motor gearbox £80 - £120, wheels around £200 (a single pair of Slaters drivers is now over £30). So, triple that and you are not far off three grand, which is also not far off what folk like Masterpiece models charge for their custom built short runs of bespoke models. If that sounds like a lot, remember that a big loco can easily take 100 hours or more to build and that won't include painting, lettering and so on. When you think that a Slaters wagon kit will be around £40 upwards, but a Dapol rtr wagon can be had for £60 or so, the latter is quite a bargain because even a humble wagon will take 10 - 15 hours to build. Which is why some many of us are happy to kit and scratchbuild our own stuff, for both the challenge and satisfaction it brings. Hats off though to the professional and semi pro builders who grace our hobby with their expertise - long may they prosper and likewise the manufacturers of components, kits, rtr and indeed the new band of CAD/3D printers. Where would we be without them?

Thanks Eoin - I wasn't aware of the Manufacturers thread on the Forum, so you've just opened a whole new window of modelling for me! Suspect I might not be the only one either. Looks like there's lots to inspire, not least from your own good self.

Wonderful - and what a railway!

Maybe someone could have a word at the open day and suggest a few of these folk might like to post on this forum. There's some mighty fine models in Eoin's pictures and it would be great to learn more about them. I've been a Guild member for over 30 years and very little has appeared in the Gazette in that time. Stuff like this needs a wider audience, methinks!

Yep, stunner.

Either a C or a 121 would work for me, though it is important to remember what a rtr loco costs in 0 gauge. Mainline diesels from Heljan are all north of £500, though Dapol seem to do smaller types for around half that. With steam outline, the perennial problem of splashers and outside motion raises its head, especially if the correct gauge is to be accommodated. That said, 36.75mm is proportionally less obvious compared to 32mm that 21/16.5 in 00. Diesels therefore the obvious choice, where drop in replacement wheels ought to be simple enough, as in 00. However, anyone contemplating Irish 7mm scale needs to remember that there is precious little rolling stock (rtr or even kits), available. ALL my stuff is hand built and Galteemore will tell you the same and am sure folk in this parish need no reminding that a lot of work is needed to convert British outline models to Irish ones. So, caveat emptor, as the saying goes. There again, 7mm scale can be very enjoyable and indeed, very addictive - in many ways arguably easier to do Ireland than in 4mm scale. So, as before, I'd still say: come on in, the water is lovely!

Worsley Works do a set of etches for the G class, Deutz shunter, while there are rtr options of other small, industrial type shutters such as a Sentinel and Rustons in 0 gauge too. Am assuming a 121 might be available as the original 'road switcher' on which they were based, though would be 1:48, not 1:43.

The paint jobs have finished things off beautifully. Subtle, understated and very much "baby bear porridge"!

Pickups need to be different on every loco, it seems and though loads more room on a big one like this, the high footplate posed a problem in trying to keep them hidden. I think plunger pickups would probably be best, but not provision made on the kit and certainly not keen to strip the chassis right down to drill out holes for them! Fortunately the balances will just about hide what I've done, especially from normal viewing angles.

Ordered a motor/gearbox from MSC Models today. They supply robust, ready assembled products, priced for all needs and tastes. 0 gauge power can be expensive: my MGWR Wolf Dog loco needed one that cost £125, but it is a fine piece of engineering with helical gears. BoB Sir Archibald Sinclair is getting a mid range, two stage unit that will hopefully fit in the firebox, with room to spare. Managed to get the rear wheels off without disturbing the brake gear [result!], but looking at the valve gear, realised the top half of it is missing. Fortunately, Premier Components do a full set of profile milled valve gear for just £30, which is not only a bargain in terms of time saved not having to make it yourself, but they also run an excellent service which includes not having to pay up front - they send an invoice and you only pay once the goods are received. Very gentlemanly and very civilised. Can't do much until the parts arrive, but this afternoon managed to install pickups, using pieces of copper clad and 0.5mm phosphor bronze wire. Top wipers on the drivers and back scrapers on the outer tender wheels.

Right, I think that is about as far as I can go at the moment with Railcar 8. Rear ladder in place, transfers applied [the Donegal crest is actually a Midland Railway one], the roof has been painted to match Railcar 10 and a bit of weathering powder applied. Still needs luggage, which I'm waiting for from Skytrex, but for now the two railcars are posed as part of a 'Hills of Donegal' special, which will be joining the rest of the cavalcade at Strabane, heading for Ballyshannon. Such trains could comprise at least 4 railcars, plus trailers and bogie coaches and must have been challenging to work as all the railcars had separate drivers. Going over Barnesmore Gap must have been difficult, to say the least. So the workbench has been cleared and tidied, but not for long, because a very different beast has appeared in the form of a Bulleid Rebuilt Battle of Britain 4-6-2. Vaguely Irish of course, but am adding a motor gearbox for a fellow club member. He picked it up online as a [mostly] complete Acme kit. Seems nicely done, but part of a collection that the previous owner built up but never motorised any of them. At least I have a small 0 gauge layout to eventually test it on and an MSC two stage motor gearbox has been ordered. Am hoping that finding room for it shouldn't be a problem, because there's a huge space inside the firebox. Just that cross member between the rear wheels to worry about - it's not exactly moveable as it forms the mounting for the rear pony truck...

Great space, great concept and all looks very well built so far. Good luck with the railway side of the project and keep us posted!

Life gets in the way John, but when they turn out like this, it is worth the wait - though not another 40 years, please!

A few things still left on the to do list, but the main stuff done over the weekend has been around the roof. Despite the kind words, it wasn't right, especially at the front, where the profile needed to be shallower and the rear better shaped to fit the body. The roof also needed some way of being held in place. As mentioned earlier, decided that magnets might be the best option, so glued three short pieces of steel wire across the top of the windows and then set three rare earth magnets [2x 10mm, 1x 4mm] into the underside of the roof. Seems to work well. The first coat of paint showed that both rear corners of the body need some filler, while with the roof properly in place the top line of the windows needed a bit of judicious filing to get it to sit properly. Added the safety chains to the dummy front coupling this morning - they really do define the word fiddly to assemble, along with a DG coupling at the rear. The latter enabled me to test the model's haulage capacity & at the moment it can manage my three 'red' [ex CVR] wagons [one open, two vans] and with a bit more ballast could probably cope with the prototypes maximum of four. I now have four items of County Donegal motive power - Railcars 10 & now 8, plus Phoenix and the 'Unit' from the CVR. Must admit that their red & cream livery really adds to the scene on Swillybegs, so am looking forward to being able to run a pure Donegal sequence when it appears at this year's Chatham show in July. Hopefully Railcar 8 can be finished soon - the luggage rack needs detailing and the rear ladder adding, plus number and crest transfers, along with some weathering, but certainly getting there now.

Getting there: the roof has been fettled a bit more and the luggage rack added. Slightly less obvious is the exhaust pipe [later position by the front window], fuel tank and brake cylinder.. The paint job was always going to be by brush and so far have added a single coat each of black, red and cream. Still a few more bits to do, including the rear ladder, coupling, vacuum pipe, some luggage, passengers & so on. However, certainly starting to look the part & have decided it will have to be No8, as this had a much shorter luggage rack in its later days. Am intending it will run with a couple of 'red vans'.

Assuming the material is stable, a 3D printed roof looks like a great way towards solving what is always a tricky problem. With all those rivets and straps already in place, a massive time saver too!

Thanks folks! The answer to your question Leslie is quite a lot - though it depends on what is being built of course: wagons and coaches can certainly get through it. However, it is such a useful and perhaps under rated material, with the best stuff at times difficult to get hold of. By that I mean Evergreen strip, which has such a comprehensive and accurate range of sizes and profiles. Time was, your local model shop would always stock it, but nobody near me seems to, while on line can be expensive. Indeed, a pack of ten strips is well over a fiver now, which works out at 6p for every 10cm, so think before chucking away even small off cuts! Alternatives like Plastruct don't have the same range and likewise Slaters. The latter is much cheaper (bigger packs), but hasn't the same quality. For example, their 20x40 can be slightly rounded on one face. Such a shame that Eileen's Emporium are no longer trading. ALWAYS a go to at shows, where you could also get A1 sheets of plasticard for the same price as an A4 one at your local shop. With 3D printing seemingly the go to these days, scratch building with plasticard still has merit. Yes, it needs time and care, but the skills and tools required are minimal. Patience certainly required, but it can be very therapeutic.

No signal box, but there is a ground frame on the platform. Will need to add another set of rodding...

Got the bit between my teeth over the last few days, as the two pictures of my workbench show. A lot of stuff has been used! Equally, it's all fairly basic: craft knife, pencil, ruler, solvent, a few files and [a lot] of plastic sheet and strip. This time, the work has been on the upper coach body. Thinking ahead for once [and thanks to David Jenkinson & his excellent book 'Carriage Modelling Made Easy'], I'd left a 5mm deep slot between the inner and outer skins, for the 1mm acrylic glazing strips to sit in. However, plasticard doesn't weld very well to acrylic, so have used 'Glue & Glaze' [special PVA] for much of the work. The glazing bars are 40x20 for the vertical and 60x20 for the horizontal top strip. Took a while to do this, mainly because inners and outers are needed. Bit of a faff to paint too... The front & rear doors came next - these are 20 thou inner & outer skins on 1mm acrylic again. This left the rear end, which involves some complex curves and the only way around this was to use thicker plastic in the corners, plus car body filler, which was then filed & sanded to shape. While still on the micro strip, I added the bodyside beading from 20x20 and 40x20. Took the body down to the club last night, to do a bit of fettling & regular operator John got us wondering whether the finished model would fit on Swillybegs turntable. Railcar 10 certainly does - though folk at shows often wonder - and I hadn't thought the new model would be a problem. However, though about the same wheel base, there is that substantial rear overhang, so this morning, fitted the power bogie and gave it a test. It does go round [just], but once the rear coupling is fitted, it will be very tight. The answer is simple enough - turn the railcar the other way, though this is complicated by the fact that the motor/gearbox really doesn't like going in reverse, so a new one will be needed eventually. The photos below hopefully show what I mean. And so to the roof. This turned out better than I'd thought and is essentially a block of laminated plastic sheet [5 layers of 2mm], cut, filed and sanded to shape. A fair bit more shaping to do, but it sits well enough, thanks to some 60 thou square strips welded across the underside, that slot inside the window frames. Am intending to epoxy some steel wire to the tops of the window frames and then embed some small, rare earth, magnets into the underside of the roof to hold it in place. The pictures below show progress thus far and will help me to improve the profile to something matching the prototypes. Have had it running on the layout and it negotiates the pointwork nicely. The solid roof gives a nice amount of weight, though it may need a bit more in the chassis too.

Slow, but steady progress on the railcar. It is an interesting project, but quite challenging in terms of working out what individual parts and sections might be, with repeated reference to drawings and photos. Have carried on with the bonnet/front pony truck area: the relationship between the two needs care to ensure one doesn't foul the other on points and curves. The bonnet is 80thou plastic sheet, including the radiator grill, where all I've done to represent this is score multiple vertical lines with a craft knife. The curved top of the bonnet is down to some judicious filing and sanding. Had to get my Chopper out to do the louvres on the sides of the bonnet and before anybody starts getting worried, it is the item below - a razor blade in a small guillotine affair I bought many years ago from Northwest Shortline. It is ideal for making multiple pieces of the same length - in this case 20thou square mircrostrip. Photos of the railcar in the late 1940s seem to suggest that these side panels were done away with, leaving the engine block largely exposed, apart from what looks like a tarpaulin draped over the top. Much as I hate doing louvres, in this case it seemed easier than trying to produce an engine block and associated gubbins... In later life, the railcars gained a front coupling and more poring over photos shows this was a hefty item that looks like it could be hinged up or down to allow access to the starting handle. I won't be using this coupling, but it still needed making, so more plastic strip to create an approximation. In the course of all this, I'd gradually realised that I was going to need to do the interior sooner rather than later, including painting it all, because the glazing is a key part of the rest of the body work. The floor is slightly higher than on the real thing, but hopefully this won't notice. The seats are more plasticard and I've included the driver's one too, together with a few basic controls.