Glenderg

Words fail me, for once... taking a cue from Masterchef Richie

I'm totally for this crackpot idea, as it means someone like the RPSI will have to buy and fix up the roundhouse at Clones, and fill it with nice locos for us to oogle over. Then get all the stuff out of Cultra, and put it back into use... On a more serious note, I'm reminded about another cross country notion from another century of joining Rooskey with Newry, of which Tom Ferris noted "Even the most fanatical of railway enthusiasts might have shuddered at the prospect of having to spend maybe eight hours in a rattling narrow gauge carriage to make an unlikely odyssey from Newry to Rooskey". The same could apply here. Is there a bankable connection from Sligo to Enniskillen that would justify the route? Same with the easterly route through Clones, Monaghan, Armagh, and onto Newry? (The Dundalk route seems really unlikely given the limited population centres on the line) This one makes the most sense as the majority of the trackbed is still untouched though Lisbellaw and a few others would have to be bypassed. Would there be enough local use of the line to justify it's existence? Richie.

Acrylonitrile tank tainers are the only ones i can think of Edit - well spotted Garf!

Ah...you dcc junkies...push 1 to fart, 2 to squeak etc... Gimme old skool DC any day and the smell of a ringfield motor in tha mornin!

I think joestadt has given you a get out of jail free card george, and i wouldn't touch it. Possibly cake it in muck and diesel

Likes the fleet makeover, but especially the resin 201. Looking forward to seeing it develop. I'd seen one in the cabinet in hawkins street, but wasnt brave enough truthfully! Love to see the bit of detailing on the mogul too .R.

Lovely work George, what you have done to that 071 is nothing short of a miracle! I believe, open to correction, that the white stripe was 6 inches wide, a scale 2mm, she looks a fraction fatter than she should. There's also a rounded kick and drop down at the lower tan banding to avoid the grille openings, shouldn't interfere with the decals though. A lovely looking thing nonetheless Richie

Hey Timmy, glad you like the content, and thanks for the kind words. The first thing you need I suppose is drawings, and I'd be happy to do up drawings for you of a specific building if you want and stick em in the post. Usually about two pints and a bag of crisps, p&p included. All scaled to 00, so you just have to glue them to the card, and cut out the windows, doors etc. PM me, and we can sort that out fairly easy. Next thing is the card itself. Sounds like you got the right stuff from Easons. 5mm foamboard, whilst a bit pricey, is the best for a beginner to use for backing material as its easy to cut. Most buildings I did early on had no internal support, they were just designed to have self supporting strength. As for glue, UHU or ordinary PVA is best starting off, as it allows for a bit of adjustment if things are going pear. When you get confident and want instant adhesion, Deluxe Materials Card Glue is second to none. When you have main building panels set up, try and do it so the card junctions are hidden by stone quions at the corner. For roofing materials, I always build a balsa wood roof truss, overlaid with 1.5mm mounting board card. Thin strips of roofing coloured card are overlaid, to create the same effect of a slate roof, which can be very effective. Chimneys are usually built up with balsa, sanded with 1200 grade wet and dry and painted. Chimney pots can be made from all sorts - bic biro ink tubes to tops of the pens themselves. Gutters and downpipes can be made from cutting bits of a kitchen sweeping brush and given a run with a permanent black marker before stiking to the side of the building. The key to a believable building is layering of detail, like an overlay strip at the bottom for the plinth, or extra strips by the gutter to build out the fascia boards. Cills and convincing doors all add. Cheapest way to make windows is to get clear plastic and lay it over a drawing. Cut white insulating tape into tiny strips and lay it over the plastic. When it's all finished, it can be painted with Humbrols Gloss Varnish, which acts like a glue. Doors can be made by making one out of thick card and impressing turkey foil into it, then painting. Oh, the most basic one really is to make a thick floor plate at the start, preferrably on 1.5mm mounting board - Easons do it. I have two substantial buildings on the workbench at the moment, and if I get a chance after wednesday, I'll do a blow-by-blow! Richie.

Bosko, How does one add files to the existing sections, or create a new one? Do I email the stuff to you for upload? I have the elusive 22K drawings that were being sought. R.

Great build lima, most impressive. I've tried the trimline and found it on par with electricians insulating tape, you seem to have the magic touch with it. Mine likes to fall off models! The cd cover option for windows is something i've advocated for ages, and you'd be surprised at wedge fitting them, and how well they look, especially since you can adjust them afterward. Only when they are perfect can you glue them with varnish. Your alternative with the backing plate is interesting though, will happily steal that idea! And any man with il2 sturmovik on his desk, gets a serious thumbs up. Tried "Cliffs of Dover"? Richie.

CAD > 3D model > iMaterialise for master > mould casting > resin snout to plug into brass sides. 40 hours my eye!

Damn george, not a bus man either, but that is sweet workmanship. Can nearly smell the cow dung off the drivers wellatons! Richie

Yeah, I have to say the site is running tidy on Chrome. When you have new postings pop up when the "what's new" page is up and you select one, read it, and come back the new postings are added without having to reload (like before) . A simple but useful tweak. Cheers Bosko for all the effort, and the IT support

Were you a thirsty student be any chance, and were your interests, let's say, diverted elsewhere? You might have been too distracted to see the shop?

Sweet as a nut, love it! Hope the lads in the yard have their on

Ha ha rich, well remembered! I got him back and fed him a taco chip one night, he hopped off the wall that night, darse burnt off 'im! Weshty is on fire lately, i've had sight of how the barrier wagon etch is put together, quite remarkable stuff - gimme plastic or card any day. Looking forward to seeing the test etch Des! *Rich - Dark Side trumps Sgt Pepper any day...

Nelson, well done, it's very close to the BCDR prototype, 10 ton open wagons supplied by Hurst Nelson of Motherwell, running numbers 592 - 616. It would really be lifted if you could get your hands on some bcdr decals. I wouldnt stress about outside framed chassis and all the peculiarities of the undergubbins. If its running in a rake with the other 23 you have to make, you'll never spot it! Richie.

Give him a break, it's his birthday today!

You call that untidy? In comparison to mine, it's at laboratory standard! I see you're also a fan of the curry tray/tupperware storage option. They fit lovely in an IKEA dvd rack incidentally Richie.

Paudie, welcome aboard, dont be a stranger when it comes to questions and answers here. Patricks advice above is both concise and brilliant, worth printing in bold and hanging it up in the container! You have a tricky size - very big - and the impulse to fill it all with track must be immense. If i had that space, i know what i would do. I'd take one wall and do a prototype station to allow a full length train stop. Mallow or Limerick junction would tickle me pink but i'm biased to that neck of the woods. As stations, they also have other things going on like pw sidings, freight loading etc. So perhaps have a look at real stations in your neck of the woods and pick all the bits you like and smash them together to make a layout. The 10 foot width also allows for something akin to a beet loading plant, cement, or ballast loading area, or even a city (north wall or albert quay) area of shunting puzzles to move stock around without interfering eith the main running lines. This is the bit i'd do first, so you can get something running, without losing hope for the big picture. The other wall, i'd go for the scenic spectacular, a viaduct, IKB coastal tunnels, again look at patricks layout for inspiration. A small station, not in the center, with a siding doing something like a coal loading or cattle loading area. But very few trains-less is more! The scenery is key. The last wall is a railway free zone. It just has two running lines and maybe a siding to check stock, clean wheels and program dcc. Essentially its a workbench. That's where you have the kettle, radio, soldering iron, and badly abused but most necessary offic e chair, with about 20 plug sockets nearby. Heater beneath but a sneakyclocation to also hide a blood fridge for a few cold ones. Richie.

€4.25 for 15 ml, which equates to €25.50 for 50 mil? Diamonds are surely cheaper?

MGWR have only 4? What a crock of *****. And wheres GSWR? Have I missed something, ye all seem so chirpy?

OH that is sweet. Two TPO coaches together....sad I know.

Wow what a motley collection, superb.