Patrick Davey

Late evening at the mill.

Cheers JB. Hard to believe it's actually nearing completion!

Some CIÉ action from Brookhall this evening. Apart from a protesting platform lamp everything is running smoothly! IMG_0931.mov IMG_0932.MOV IMG_0933.MOV IMG_0934.mov Those of you with the vision prowess of a large bird of prey will spot that the Provincial Wagons CIÉ vans are as yet unfinished, with buffers and decals still to be added.

iPhone not great with low light shots but I am pleased to report that Brookhall Mill is now fully illuminated, with all buildings so equipped. Really only the backscene, surround & overhead lighting rig to go.....

UPDATE: The original electrics are still working fine! Yay!

Without the voltage!

I had a decision to make regarding the turnout control on Brookhall Mill. There are only three turnouts, and not being electrically-minded, I wanted to keep all the electrics as simple as possible so I was considering some form of mechanical solution. One of my modeller mentors had previously offered to wire the turnouts for me but then with lockdown etc I got impatient and kept building the scenery and buildings etc and thought that this would make it tricky to work on the electrics (I know now that this isn't the case as the baseboard is quite deep and can easily stand up on its side). Anyway I seem to have found a mechanical solution, a bit rough 'n' ready but it seems to be working! An 8mm wooden dowel, with a short length of brass tube inserted at one end which has a 1mm Peco turnout pin soldered inside; a drawer knob at the other end: The dowel assembly is positioned under the layout, after an 8mm hole is drilled in the baseboard side and screw eyes provided: The knob (behave in the back row) is on the outside of the baseboard side: And...... it works! Points.m4v It certainly is rough but it works, and as the three knobs (stop the sniggering) are very close together, they can all be accessed without having to move from the operating position. So the next stage is to set the layout up for a running session tomorrow and to find out if I have destroyed the electrics......

Superb!

Looking forward to seeing how the louvres work out - an ideal solution!

This is an absolute masterclass Alan, the model is of course going to be a complete work of art and I am watching progress with great interest but the main question has to be this...... how do you keep your cutting mat so clean??????

This is great news, an order has been placed!

And videos!

Now that is a really nice bit of work!!! Thanks for taking the time to photograph each stage LH, that is appreciated as I always find it very useful to see how a fellow modeller approaches, and solves, challenges. Great stuff!

Wow!!! Very nice!!! Fair play those guys!!

Hoping there are lots of photos and videos from the show tomorrow!! Hope you all enjoy!!!

Welcome to Belfast David - you are probably only a few miles from Brookhall Mill!! Have a fantastic show tomorrow.

There used to be exactly that, a short narrow gauge line from the lower transport gallery up to what is now the site of the rail gallery. Few photos of this exist and I'm not sure it ran for long. A few disfigured stretches of rail can still be found among the hedges if you know where to look...... Still gutted to be missing the exhibition - wishing everyone safe travels to and from Cultra and I hope the day is a huge success for all involved.

Nice work, love seeing an old model getting an upgrade!

JB I wonder are the station pics here maybe Ballyboley Junction rather then Rathkenny?

Safe trip David - still gutted I have to work on the 12th and miss the show!

Provincial Wagons NCC brown van and GNR(I) loco coal wagon complete, with just the decals to go, which is my least favourite part of it because I seem to have less patience and poorer fine motor skills for this job these days…. The instructions for the brown van encourage the builder to add the supplied brake shoes as they apparently make a big difference to the finished model so that made me determined to master them but I had to admit defeat after a lot of expletives were uttered. The eyesight and fine motor skills really aren't what they were.... Maybe I'll add the decals next year......

Delighted to hear of your progress Ken, great news. And that is one incredible layout, detail everywhere, and all very realistic!!! Your 'gaffer' must be a close relative of my 'Mr. Weaver' at Brookhall Mill!

Again am gobsmacked by your progress Alan, great work altogether!! Two questions: 1. Have you found a solution to the louvre question, and... 2. Are you planning an appropriate layout to showcase this beauty when finished? Maybe a finescale recreation of Ballynahinch terminus.......? https://mikemorant.smugmug.com/Recent-uploads-and-queries/Recent-uploads-other-material/i-2xWNWzr/A

On the workbench today, two more of Leslie McAlllister’s fine Provincial Wagons kits: an NCC ‘brown’ van and a GNR loco coal wagon. Lovely models!

I wasn’t happy with the colour of the benches so I repainted them grey and also found an ideal use for the extra bus destination blinds which I had for my GNR buses. Also picked up some handy flower tufts at the show yesterday so I quickly knocked up a planter for some of them from matchsticks, to replace the one which used to sit on top of the air raid shelter.