Glenderg

Bosko reckons there's about 33 hours before a refill. So once every few days, or if it's sitting idle, once a fortnight.

Leslie, Aside from all the sound suggestions above, would you consider 4-plank wagons, here, possibly with the BD Containers also (?) since you already have a perfect chassis in the GNR(I) wagon? Combined with the H-vans and the bullied opens, this could be recreated ? Richie.

Controversial in the face of the bubble tsunami. I like it Jhb!

Not taking the bait. too busy today, but i'll do it when some better low angle shots of Darth Slatey come out.

Oh that is sweet. I was distracted by the dutch van on the mk 2 while darth powered through. Whats the background for the timber wagons they look stunning. Richie.

Paint or backscene Bos? It looks well all sky and summery. You'll need a bridge, A canal, and youngfla's in aldi wetsuits diving off the bridge to make it authentic.- it's not all grim here in the North Inne...uhm... take you on a tour next time your over?

Vincent, I think the most likely punter is UBC/IBC /Interbulk group - them with the red 20' and 40' containers. They specialise in dry bulk grain and Portlaoise would make a perfect loading terminal (CIE have loads of land to spare in PL) from the midlands for grain and dry goods, loading onto the mainline to Cork for onward shipping to south america etc. A straight run in laymans terms. Would be great if it worked out, nice to dream...! Have you got container/freight on the brain be any chance?

Both look stunning, I can't see what the varnish problem is! Love the valves and pipework attention in the cab, god bless your eyesight! Richie.

I have the GW stuff too, and it's dafty expensive, not to mention the powerful stink off it. Those little tubes are €2.75 each, and you'd get enough out of a tube to "wash" Bosko's entire stock and still have leftovers!

Cheers lads, I'll get some natural daylight photos when I can. The gouache has really brought some "plain jane" models to life, even sheep dipped (as JHB would say) in a charcoal grey bath. The kit is a doozy to put together if you take your time with the instructions, and I'm looking forward to doing another one in the grey 20 ton variant, with longer duckets and the rivetted end panels.

Yeah Thump, you blob on a rice shaped bit, and use a wet brush to push it into the corners, really heavy and crude. When it dries in a few minutes, run the wet brush over it again and take the heavier stuff off. Keep repeating as much as you need, and if it goes wrong, wash the model and start again! R

Thanks for the kind words on Garfields Signal Box. One thing that wasn't mentioned was that it completely comes apart so Garf can get a custom interior into it, or lighting. Getting it all to work was a bit on the tricky side and the red still spooks me. I got the SSM Brake Van Kit from Des some time ago, and had a few hours over the weekend so I thought I'd put it together. This is my first brass kit so I thought I'd show how straightforward it is. First off, I bent the etch. Good start. Then I numbered the parts with a CD pen so I wouldn't have to flick the instructions sheet constantly! I assembled the basic parts really quickly and mixes a batch of burnt umber, cadmium red acrylic, some white and black ink. There might even be a blob of yellow under all that. Base colour on, and a dusting of pencil dust on the veranda pieces. These would be impossible to weather when in. Using watercolour gouache paint, I made up a wash and liberally let it run into the grooves. It starts to pick out the detail nicely. Once happy with the wash, a quick spray of matt varnish to fix the colour. Splotches of more gouache, and washed down again. Filthy. Yum. The roof was formed with styrene, and held in place with dressmakers pegs. Two sheets of light styrene, finished with acetate - the type used for overhead projectors. I used this for the finish because it bends on the axis you need and is better than styrene which bends everywhere. It gives a uniform curve to the roof. I didn't prime the roof because I wanted the white to do some work.. Random! Two more vans underway with the same technique. The finished item with sun blushed rusty roof. When it'll make it's inaugural trip across Ballyvoyle Viaduct is unknown, but that's what this is all building up to..! G'Luck Richie.

Yeah, fully agree, it was one of the smartest looking, and in hindsight of the grey and yellow sensible schemes. I am partial to the grey and yellow though... That "short goods train" photo is a classic though!

Lovely work on Inchicore, uh, I mean Cork. The loop and the headshunt are a great simple addition. Refuelling road is the loop?

Drinking the stuff or whackin her over the head with a bottle? or both?

Kicks like a mule shem. 7.5% and has a great flavour.

Wow! Ballasters look stunning, the whole scene is really well put together. Vader is looking perfectly evil too!

There were several architects and their apprentices constantly trying to impress each other and corporate clients in Dublin with ever more spectacular victorian buildings. If you're looking for rugged, the GNR(I) is possibly not the best place to look. Some of the most impressive stations, even the tiny ones. Moira or Troooperslane for instance. For rugged rural stations, you should look at some of the munster branches, cork, kerry, limerick, tipperary, waterford, and up along the east coast. Rugged beautiful buildings.To my mind the most Irish of all (understated that is) would have been Croom or Bruree in Limerick. The Midland buildings tend to have an "educated" quality to them, and even some of the small station heading West have quite elaborate waiting shelters and buildings, but don't generally go overboard on detailing. Richie.

You gonna set fire to the bus too, to get the full effect? Oh, and there's a man trapped beneath the fence. Where's Elf and Safety when you need em! Lookin good Bosko.

Liveatc.net for the radio feeds, and flightradar24.com to track them on screen.

There's an interesting "tin foil hat" theory about councillors and brown envelopes, a site on a fog ridden hill etc. about Cork Airport, though it's the only place close to Cork city where one could put that alignment (perfect) of runways. Would love to read that book... Once upon a time Dublin Airport was going to be built at Sandymount, on the advice of councillors because of transport links (what a thought!) but some captain reckoned the flying lark was better elsewhere. It seems you can never win. I do feel sorry for anyone stuck tonight. They put on busses, then ran out of them. So you can stay in shannon/cork/belfast and hope to get home tomorrow, or deal with a bumpy overnight ride to dublin airport. Mick O'leary will be in poor form tomorrow though, the amount of fuel spent by at least 20 aircraft in holding patterns over the irish sea might give the bugger indigestion. I'll drink to that. R.

Just listening to Shannon ATC and watching the airlines, some poor buggers diverted from Dublin to Belfast, then Belfast closes, then onto Prestwick. If anyone is in the Shannon area, it's gonna be a busy night. All Cork and most of Dublin flights diverted there.

Interesting reading indeed! Am I right in thinking that the maximum loading gauge in the UK is 2700, and the max width of the Class 80 is 2879mm, which would make their chance of purchase in GB unlikely? or is weight and axel loads a factor? They might be going continental to other less loading gauge conscious parts of Europe?

From the front you'd never notice the pony tail gone. Great cause Dave, to be applauded.

When i first saw this layout emerging, i was astonished by the progress, and still am. At no point during this lightning build did it look like a train set or overly compressed. There must simply be years of planning gone into it, and thats not to disregard the amount of kits worked on, resprays, and stock variety you have assembled. WOuld love to hear the backstory. If Kirley Junction isn't worthy of a visit from one of the mags soon, there's something wrong. R.