Patrick Davey

I think No. 29 was primarily a shunter? As such it may not have been capable of much speed hence the low likelihood of her taking an excursion somewhere but I'll get thinking anyway! Edit: There could always be an 'engine exchange'.........maybe the GNR was thinking about buying a 0-6-4t shunter and asked the BCDR to trial their one on some GNR branches.......

Thanks Alan - I just need to dream up some insane reason to justify a visit by BCDR No 29 to the County Louth coast!

After a successful electrical test, I proceeded with the dry brushing of grey and white to bring out the detail on the sleepers, and to give the neglected bleached effect. Happy enough with the result, will begin rusting the rails tomorrow or as soon as my rust pen arrives!

Base coat applied: this is always a nice stage, when it all blends together. Another electrical test will follow later to make sure there’s no paint fouling the turnout blades. I have also learnt that I am petrified of double slips.

Decided to have a go at a test section of track to see if I can get the weathered 'sandy' look. The sleepers look a bit too glossy and copper-y in this shot but overall I'm happy enough and have decided on the following approach, once I get the correct colours: 1. Light matt brown base colour over everything 2. Dry brush sleepers with a mix of grey and white to give the 'bleached' look 3. Paint the side of the rails a rust colour (specific tool ordered for that) 4. Add clumps of foliage 5. 'Ballast' with chinchilla dust so it looks like the foliage is growing out of the sand. The subject of rusty rails is an interesting one. I have observed the prototype closely and believe the following is true: * On active railway lines, the movement of trains throws up dirt etc which gives the sides of the rails a muddy brown colour * On lesser used lines, the lack of movement of trains allows the sides of the rails to assume the rusty colour I think!

I love how you are teasing us here Alan!!!

Enjoyed that! Thanks for sharing - what a beast!

A small but important job completed this afternoon, the in-filling of sleeper gaps. 71069856164__E34AA8AD-3DB2-48CD-BC8C-3C188C0D467F.mov

Thanks for that.........!

Forgive me for interrupting what has become a highly entertaining comedy thread….. but I am pleased to report that this evening I have completed track laying and everything is working as it should, all turnouts are fully functional with no electrical issues to report. The track has been glued securely to the baseboard following sealing of this with a few coats of paint and final coat of neat PVA glue. I want to create a look of decay in a coastal context, so a bit of research will be done to get the right blend of colours. The look of the disused track on JB’s Dugort Harbour is exactly what I’m looking for. Next on the to-do list is the filling in of loose sleepers in the gaps and then applying a suitable base coat of paint to blend the whole lot together. I like David’s suggestion of using chinchilla dust, so I think I will go ahead and use that on the track, but I’m still holding onto the romantic notion of using actual sand from Clogherhead beach on the beach part of my layout, noting JB’s advice to boil this before bringing it anywhere near the layout.

Alan am thinking you must have worked in Queen's Quay paint shop in a former life..... The precision here is on a different level - the amount of concentration needed to apply the lining must be almost superhuman! I liked it in black but LOVE it in BCDR livery. Your BCDR motive power fleet is surely the envy of us northern modellers!! Looking forward to the final stages. A total masterpiece.

Cheers Noel - there is a bit of a subplot here in that I’m trying to build this without buying anything new, ie only using stuff I already have - most of the track hasn’t seen action in decades but thankfully with a clean up and new fishplates it has stood the test of time!! Also I am going to use sand rather than ballast, as this is a fictional seaside location (Clogherhead in Co. Louth)….. I am hoping to source the sand from the actual location…….

That magical moment when you see a locomotive running on your freshly laid track plan, with no derailments! I had previously carried out a rolling test with a wagon, then I wired up some basic connections, and thankfully all is well with only one small glitch, which I think I should be able to rectify. Please excuse the sudden stop & start, but I needed three hands for this test! IMG_2154.MOV FullSizeRender.MOV

100 & insulfrogs this will be a DCC Project

Let the tracklaying commence!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............ that looks vvvvvvery tasty...... When the A class landed, the UK model railway press were only really interested in them as an indicator of what the forthcoming Accurascale British online locomotives would have to offer. Time to reverse that: "The forthcoming Accurascale Manor class steam locomotive will surely provide a strong indication of the quality which we might expect from a future Irish Railway Models Irish steam outline locomotive." I really enjoyed that.........

Magnificent!

Irvinestown station was on the GNR(I)'s Bundoran branch (closed 1957) and has been thankfully preserved very well, with the station building now a beautiful self catering establishment: https://www.stationhouseirvinestown.com I was in the area on a work trip today and the very kind owners let me explore and take these photos. Lots of original features remaining, including the station building and adjoining goods shed with platform, both passenger platforms (trackbed filled in but the coping stones are visible, platform fencing, the classic GNR(I) wooden platform shelter and, for me the highlight: the signal cabin, complete with 'GNRI' on the fender.

Very sad to hear this - may he rest in peace.

Just catching up on this Alan, the locomotive looks absolutely stunning, especially in the black with the rivets blended in - I am 100% certain you will get over the slight mishap!

Guilty!

Very nice - full of atmosphere and detail. Looking forward to updates!

Ah brill - super research material!!! Imagine the size of layout that could be fitted in there too

Hope I got the scales right........