Mayner

The Vans appear to have been originally built as ventilated Bread Vans and later re-classified as Parcel Vans (following the introduction of Bread Containers during 1930s?). There is a 1953 Lance King photo of 766 and 758 in "Irish Railway in Pictures No 1-The Great Northern' IRRS London Area 1976 The vans are quite different in detail! 766 modified with vertical planked sliding door(s) inside the sides and vertical matchboard panneling to waist height. (similar to the Van trailing the railcar set in Ernies (M Shannon DR Dunn) Trew & Moy? photo 758 possibly original condition with outward opening double (not sliding) doors, (same/similar van in Ernies photo of a grubby S Class departing Omagh with a heavy passenger train plenty of scope for kitbashing! Back in the day (late 60s-mid 70s) the late Harry Connaghton a professional model maker produced 7mm models of GN Bread Vans in plasticard possibly as part of a large commission of GN stock, also remember a model of the GN Bogie Van and a lot of GN cattle wagons.

Fair play Alan in building quite a fleet of BCDR locos, stock and Kilmore largely using traditional scratch building techniques. How do you cut brass/nickle silver so neatly?

A distinct improvement in the weather and almost catching up on stock maintenence/repairs, lead me to setting up an almost 'scale length' RGS freight typical of the roads final years. Freights of that era tended to be worked by pairs of K27 2-8-2 (usually leased DRGW) with second loco 'cut in' as mid train helper. Blocks of stock cars usually cut in behind the lead loco and box cars/mixed freight behind the helper. Main problem in running the mid-train helper was keeping the 'helper" coupled to the front section of the train due to very restricted front pilot coupler side play on curves. Same problem arises with loco pushing stock through No4 switches! 2 locos+12 Cars +Caboose too long for the passing sidings on the Jackson County & much too long to fit in a broadside photo! Repairs/tidy up planned to the track base in this area and extend the box hedge planting along the baseboard edge. Baseboard/trackbase in this area is treated (18mm) ply on 4X2 treated framing, track is laid on pond liner membrane (which at the time was on special offer) One of this springs jobs is to top up the ballast mixture of 8mm pebble and 'gap 8' crushed stone fines, glued down with concrete bonding agent (dilute pva). Some Large Scale stock on the workbench for repairs along with 'small scale' stock The caboose are in for replacement smoke stack after the original replacements fouled the loading gauge and the "long caboose" became wedged in the tunnel. The T&D Inspection Car in for attention to the transmission following a recent run! The drive is a 'home brew' using the original motor and wheelsets and a Northyard (NZ) gearbox. The Loctite bond between nylon gear and axle had broken down, possibly as a result overheating/friction as a result of wheelslipping against an obstruction on the track (twig/stick). Shifted gear from centre and degreased axle/gear with IPA before rebonding with Loctite. Oh I managed to drop an artist brush into the bottle of IPA before degreasing the axle! Probabably leave to cure for at least 24hrs before re-assembly. The Car is powered by a pair of AAA batteries mounted in the cabin, control a pair of DTSP switches. One on-off, one forward-reverse

Finally back to smaller (4mm) rolling stock having almost cleared the backlog of Large Scale maintenance/epairs. One of the first jobs was to print a Clogher Valley (Passenger) Brake Van body from a 3D Model I first prepared 2-3 years ago! The 3D model was based on diagrams kindly supplied by "The Colonel" (David) I designed the original model with body (incl floor) and roof as separate components similar to my JM Design 3D printed wagons, but modified the 3D model to print the body and roof as one part on a 'top down" hobby/desktop printer. The body is mounted on a Worsley Works CVR Van/Wagon chassis one of a pair bought along with several C&L wagon chassis about 30 years ago! The Brake Van is a step in building a complete CVR train. I have a pair of Branchlines CVR coaches and a horsebox, next step is a CVR loco and possibly an open wagon. Next print is an LMA wagon. I found that I had to LMA chassis but no bodies when 'sorting' through my surplus stock after I ceased producing rtr 3D printed wagons, most likely spares to cover defective prints. Supports (light duty) generated automatically using Anycubic software, next time/print I will manually add additional supports to try and eliminate the curve/bow forming along the bottom edge of the ends. Interestingly supports removed easily from the lower end. Set up at 45º in accordance with resin manufacturers recommendations, both reduces risk of print failure/distortion and the degree of support required compared with a shallower angle.

Hi Leslie The Ab had quite a pedigree a 1915 2 cylinder development of the A Class 4 cyinder de Glen compounds of 1906 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_AB_class both designed in house by NZR. Apparently the largest class of steam locos to run in New Zealand more a mixed traffic rather than a purely passenger design, The Vanderbilt tender was a feature of the Ab and larger Ja Class 4-8-2 locos. Interestingy I took a number of photos of 608 on a Soutbound special at Te Kuiti in 2014, I was working at the time and often managed to fit chasing trains/gricing into my work schedule

Test print of a GSW Van chassis in Monocure "Impact" resin. Printed at 45º, medium supports automatically generated by Anycubic slicer (Photon 2.1.23) excess supports deleted (mainly faces of solebars). Chassis after removing supports, recess for ballast weight nicely defined. Next step is to print a chassis using light supports at same density setting (100%) 21mm wheelsets fit chassis. Surprisingly van body fitted chassis without adjustment. Van body is a commerically printed body I 'had over" after JMD produced its last batch of rtr wagons in 2024/5 One little oddity, the replacement caboose smoke stacks were too tall and fouled the roof of the one tunnel on the garden railway and the doors for a Victorian terrace were a tad undersized so printed replacements. Interestingly the door and window opes printed in eSun waterwashable resin turned out marginally larger than the 3D model, possibly as a result of shrinkage.

Managed to get away on Sunday and chase the Glenbrook Vintage Railways "King Country Express" between Poro-O-Taro Tunnel and Te Kuiti (one of series of Spring day-excursions from Hamilton) Wasn't sure of the excursion was running until I came a cross a family group with cameras at the ready at Poro-O-Taro about 70 miles from home! Ab (Class)4-6-2 608 Passchendaele (named 1918 to commerate NZR staff killed during WW1) The train is emerging from the new Poro-O-Tarao (larger bore) tunnel built in connection with the electrification graded central section of the "Trunk" during the late 1980s. The tunnel is at the summit of the steeply graded section between Te Kuiti and Taumaranui and the watershed between two river systems. Train about to enter a crossing loop (signal in distance). The excursion aimed mainly at the general public rather than enthusiast and mainly locals taking photos. Heritage Railway/Tourist Train operators tend to develop their own distinctive carriage liveries rather than attempt re-create historic liveries. Interestingly both the Glenbrook Vintage Railway and Dunedin Railways selected a yellow livery for their Tourist/Heritage railway operations https://dunedinrailways.co.nz/scenic-train-tours/ Passing site Mangapehi station. Now a quiet spot in a sparcely populated area Mangapehi was once a busy spot and major source of timber, livestock and coal traffic on the trunk, site of a large saw-mill and a Bush-Tramway which eventually extended 58km into a forest and also served a local coal mine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangapehi_railway_station. The river and railway descends for approx 20 miles from Poro-O-Taro to Te Kuiti in a stepped valley where wide valley sections alternate with sharply curving sections where the railway follows the contours or even cut into a shelf on a hillside. Unfortunately the shelf/gorge section between Mangapehi and this location was in shade on this trip. 608 departing T Kuiti with her train and the entering the relatively flat Northern section of the Trunk to Hamilton and eventually Auckland. The OHL gantries is one of the 'signature' features of Te Kuiti, main street and avenue of trees on the opposite side of the 'tracks" to her train. These days mainly a crossing place for through trains, restored station building in now a Bar-Resturant, third road sometimes used by p.w.d (former goods yard) or access to turntable for very occasional steam specials. Te Kuiti (approx 4,800 pop) was served by the daily Auckland-Wellington "Overlander" passenger train until replaced by the tourist focused trice-weekly Northern Explorer in 2012 and Te Kuiti no longer served by passenger trains. "Te Kuiti Industrial Line" used to extend approx 2km South of the yard to serve a fertiliser depot and lime works out of use by early 2000s,

Well spotted JHB should have read UTA/GNR joint dieselisation proposal of 1953! 'Diesel Dawn" Colm Flanagan 2003) CH10 "Diesel Locomotives of the UTA & GNR(I) p116-120 incl. diagrams. Working in collaboration UTA and GN engineers carried out a study on how best to dieselise both networks. Interestingly 4 types were shortlisted from 19 proposals received, one diesel mechanical (experimental), two diesel hydraulic, one diesel electric (833hp Metrovick BoBo with Paxman or Crossley engine) similar in outline to a Baby Deltic!, EMD, MAK, Krupp and Harland & Wolff also tendered (too heavy, too long and too expensive!) Personally I think the 121s would have been disasterous on loose coupled Derry Road freights (poor traction, inadequate braking power), however the 6 axle (A1A AIA) version of the standard export G8 (same power as 121/141) or G12 (1200Hp) would have been a different story.

An article by Peter Cark on the Victorian Railways T Class (Motive Power Magazine (Australia) Oct/Nov 2005) provides some background on EMDs development of smaller/lighter GM6,GA8 and GL8 models during the late 50s/early 60s incl. Australian adaptions built under license by Clyde Engneering. The article identifies the GM6, GA8 and GL8 as the smallest units. GM6 The smallest unit the GM6 was adaptable to narrow gauges below one meter, but all units actually built were standard gauge, Lebenon being the main customer. GA8 Described as 4 axle version of the GM6 with two traction motors running on standard 3 piece American freight bogies. 3' narrow gauge versions supplied to Mexico and largest order to 5'6" gauge to Argentinan State Railway. GA8 was the same above the frame as the "top of the line" GL8. GL8 Built with both low and high clearance cabs, the 'best known version' with the high cab version was the Irish 121 Class like most T class built to 5'3" Clyde G6B The article identifies that while no GL8s were built in this form for Australia, Clyde adapted the GL8 design for the G6B. The Westrail J (standard gauge)being the closest thing to a 'real" GL8 in Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAGR_J_class_(diesel) The majority of G6Bs were the 75 Victorian Railways Y class (5'3" & std gauge) which looked much like the later T Class but running on bogies and traction motors salvaged from withdrawn electric suburban trains. https://www.victorianrailways.net/motive power/ydie/ydie.html Clyde G8B Victorian T (second order) Going back to Pauls question about the impact EMDs failure to secure overseas orders as a result of weight/axleload restrictions, Clyde Engineering developed a lighter version of the standard G8 export model mainly for branch line use in Victoria. The Clyde Engineering G6B (second order T class) appears to have entered service between June and November 1959 approx two years before the CIE introduced the B121 Class. https://www.victorianrailways.net/motive power/t347_356.html Kiwi perspective. New Zealand Railways successfully operated 3'6" A1A A1A versions of EMD standard export G12 (DA) and G8 (DB) locomotives for many years. While some light axleload EE & Mitsubishi locos were introduced during the 50s and 60s all had gone by the mid-late 80s, the poor performing EE 2-Co Co-2 DE class by 1980. In certain respects a double cab A1A A1A broad gauge version of the G12 would have been more effective than the B121/141/181 classes, higher power largely eliminating double heading, A1A bogies would have resulted in steadier riding/improved braking (especially loose coupled goods), more a case of 'what iffery" GNR(B) & CIE 1950s tenders. There is an interesting series of articles on a joint NIR/GN(B) proposal in No 2 & 3 Vol 3 (2005-6) New Irish Lines. The GN preference appears to have been for an Arn Jung 1000hp diesel hydraulic £38,675(cheapest tender) the GN comment on the evaluation "This is the only locomotive that completly meets our requirement". The EMD proposal(s) appear to have been for off the shelf G8 designs in Bo Bo or A1A A1A format price varying between £50,937 and £52,179. To long, too heavy and too costly for the GN Board and its political masters. Its likely EMD were aware of the political and financial situation in both the UK and Ireland and had to go through the motions and quote! Apart from the challenge of both Stormont and Merrion Street coming to an agreement to spend serious money on a cross-border initiative, its unlikely that the trade unions in the UK would have been exactly happy about an order for diesel locos going outside the UK. Still a G8 A1A A1A working hard on a cross-Border or Derry-Road freight would have been quite a sight and made quite a sound.

Basically melting & fusing finely grained metal powder in an enclosed printer with a laser. Not exactly home/desktop equipment https://www.ram3d.co.nz/metal-3d-printing/ https://www.renishaw.com/en/renam-500-metal-additive-manufacturing-3d-printing-systems--37011

I have trialled a number of different resins to overcome the problem with brittleness almost inherent in printing with "top down" home printers. I successfully trialled Monocure 3D (Australia) 'Engineering Resins" including Tensile resin with a Flex additive and recently Impact resin. https://monocure3d.com.au/collections/engineering-3d-printing-resins. I don't know if engineering resins with similar characteristics/properties are available in Ireland or the UK I used Tensile resin with flex additive as an alternative to whitemetal to produce some of the detail parts for a 2024-5 batch of etched kits and to replace damaged/missing large scale parts including caboose smoke stacks & handbrake wheels. The original injection molded smokestack Accucraft 1:20.5 scale caboose. Replacement 3D printed stack (different caboose!) The smokestacks are quite vunerable in garden railway use two broke off/lost in recent years. Fixing upgraded to a metal pin/stud into a hole bored in the roof and bedded in silicone to try and provide some resilience. Window and doorset for a 4mm Victorian Terrace printed in "Impact Resin' The base is sacrificial to assist printing per -anunknownconsciousness/ advice. I am planning to print a wagon chassis in Tensile to see how it compares with commerically printed chassis. 3D Modelling/Printing in metal? Lost wax (invesment) brass castings prepared from 3D models. The brass detail castings (buffers, sand/tool boxes & tank filler) for my GSWR 52 Class kit were prepared from 3D printed (Shapeways) masters (2019?) These days I would simply send the 3D Model (CAD) direct to the casters who would print the master in a 'burn away' resin rather than wax! I have used Morris & Watson a locally based caster who supplies to the jewellery industry, and kit/model suppliers. https://morrisandwatson.com/ I would expect that similar casters exist in the UK. 3D printing in Aluminium. I use(d) Facfox https://facfox.com/# for the commercial printing of kits and rtr wagons with their SLA-abs-like resin. I found their prints quality and customer service to be to a consistent high standard and pricing (incl shipping) highly competitive compared to local and UK based suppliers. NZR 9mm scale modellers (O gauge track-3'6" gauge) have have produced 3D printed aluminium drive components including , gears, flywheels, gearbox casings.

Spring seems to have finally arrived and had some work to do in the garden so good excuse for a running session. General view Jackson City RGS Motor #4 with the daily Passenger-Mail-LCL (sundries) service. Orange and Mandarin had fallen from trees in our garden (still on trees since Autumn!) Just about finished clearing (autumn/winter) plant debris (mainly leaves) from lawns and paved areas/decks, next job to bring in a load of mulch or stone to cover beds (weed control). Garage Staging around noon! Almost everyting out on the line. Staging Pilot DRGW#50 (LGB) parked No2 road RGS Motor #6 on charge. DRGW C19 #348 2-8-0 waits its next duty. Jackson City RGS Motors #6 & #4 & Caboose in Siding, DRGW#464 recently arrive on freight waiting to switch yard. Main-line clear for Stock Special. DRGW #463 arriving with Stock Special from Arboles. Spring and Autumn were the peak livestock (mainly sheep) shipping seasons on the RGS. Spring-moving stock (by trainload) to high summer pasture for graazing, Autumn to meatworks. This Special is likely to be an empty working returning cars for cleaning/disinfection, before working another special or storage until Autumn! Age/weather is beginning to take its toll on the trackbase and ground cover in this area long overdue for an upgrade after after 16-17 years use, track in this area was upgraded about 10 years ago (sleepers replaced, points on running lines upgraded from 1:4 to 1:6 about 8-10 years ago) #464 is now handles the heaviest trains following re-wiring and replacing her batteries. Ready to depart after adding all the freight cars (8) in the yard to her train (13 inc 2 Caboose) Motor #4 over took the freight and on her way home to the Staging after tutning on the Wye. Athough I replaced her batteries about a year ago Motor #4 remained problematic, unable to 'Bind" to (programme to run with) other throttles and did not seem to be holding a charge. Seem to have resolved both problems this week now seems to be holding and tracked down the cause of the 'Binding" problem, so can now programme to run with different throttles. #464 and her freight with #346 cut in mid train about to take the High-Line to the staging. Dry sunny conditions but bitter cold about 5:30pm though had been up to 16C earlier, frost forecast overnight followed by rain tomorrow, so today was a good choice for a running session and working in the garden.

Best of luck with the move the basement layout! Hopefully you'll find a place for your DRGW narrow gauge. Those Aristocraft/Delton C16s are quite historic at this stage. The photos remind me in a way of our 2016 visit to Como to see tthe remins of the South Park Line abandoned about 80 years earlier. The historical groups and local landowners appear to achieved on hell of a lot during the past 10 years! https://www.southparkrailsociety.org/a-vision-for-como

My layout building/operation appears to break down into short periods of activity followed by long periods of inactivity. Dublin late 70s/early 80s Irish Outline N Gauge My first successful(ish) layout existed for a couple of years in my early 20s in my bedroom of my parents home, dismantled following a house move. Probabably inspired by Castle Rackrent, exploring the remains of the North Kerry and an IRRS railtour to Foynes out by Athenry and home by Ballybrophy! Layout was basically an N scale 'shelf layout" on 12" boards. The terminus station was on a 5' board on a firebreast supported on the fireplace mantle piece, other main baseboards were supported on shelving brackets, though viaduct was on a lift out section across my bedroom window! Track was Peco with medium radius points, ballasted structures and scenic work reasonably advanced. Operation was based on CIE practice of the mid-late 70s, 3 return passenger services to Dublin Daily, a connection in and out of the Night Mail at Oranmore or Athenry and goods operations in transition from loose-coupled to Liner Train operation. Shunting/uncoupling individual wagons fitted with N gauge Arnold style couplers coupling could be challenging & it was even more challenging for wagons with the Graham Farish version of the coupling to stay coupled. I ended up replacing the coupling at one end of my Farish wagons with a wire hook, stayed coupled but not exactly suitable for hands-off uncoupling In the end most of the loose coupled vans ended up 'stored" around the loco shed, while the Liner (shortened Lima Freightliner wagons) worked out and back from the fiddle yard behind a 001. Regular Freights included: 1. Nightly North Wall-Duncommick Liner Bogie Container Flats +4w Guinness (Flats were shortened Lima Freight-Liner wagons-Guinness scratch built swap-bodies on std Farish chassis) 2. North Wall-Duncormick Oil Train-001 haulage-----(10-Peco 35T Tank Cars) CIE operated a twice weekly Dublin-Oranmore-Claremorris-Dublin ESSO Liner during this era. 4. Pallet Cement trip working from Athenry---6 Pallet Cement Wagons 141 Haulage--(Scratchbuilt bodies on std Farish chassis. Initially Pallet Cement for Ballinasloe and Roscommon was worked in 20 wagon fully fitted trains from Platin to Athlone, where the train was divided into 2-10 wagon portions and worked as 'loose coupled' trains to Ballinasloe and Roscommon. Ballinasloe and Roscommon were the most Westerly stations served by Platin. Galway, Tuam & Mayo received bagged cement from Limerick. Duncormick potentially served by a trip working from Athenry work worked by the 141 rostered to Mail/Pilot duties. The absence of Irish outline N gauge RTR or kits was not an issue during the era before the arrival of Irish outline models or kits in any scale. Diesel locos mainly used Atlas or Arnold chassis with scratch or modified rtr bodies, the performance of contemporary Atlas/Rivorossi, Arnold and Minitrax chassis tended to be superior to contemporary British outline rtr locos. Dublin late 90s-early 2000s American outline N Scale Oddly I didn't get round to building another operating system layout this time a division of the Delaware & Hudson "The Bridge Line" an American Class 1 Freight Railroad for about 20 years! During this time I developed and interest in American Railroads and built up quite a collection of N Scale American outline locos and stock and though it would be nice to build a small American layout 'to get something running quickly" as a diversion from scratch and kitbuilding in Irish Outline 4mm. This time the basic track layout was a folded 8 to maximise running distance and probabably more importantly run time between towns (stations) & staging on the layout. The focal point of the layout is a Yard and Loco Servicing depot where trains arrive from and depart to different destinations, sometimes reverse direction, re-marshalled, and locos swapped seerviced & re-fueled. The layout was devised in two distinct parts hidden trackage including a large staging (fiddle) yard, and portable modular scenic sections which included the main yard and a scenic section which included a small town and a long tall steel trestle. Trackage on the hidden section was Peco Code 80 (some salvaged from the early 80s layout, though turnouts were all large radius in order to achieve reliable running. One of the features of the layout was a series of crossovers to allow continuous running when the scenic sections were out of use or removed. Trackage on the scenic sections was Peco Code 55 fully ballasted with structures and scenic work reasonably advanced before the layout was dismantled before our move to New Zealand Operation was based on operating the "Symbol Freights" that operated over the system during the late 70s-early 80s. The railroad mainly functioned as a "Bridge Line' between different carriers during the era modelled, with little local traffic, primarily transporting through freight between Canada and New England (North & East) and the South & Mid-West. The yard modelled Binghampton was basically the junction between North-South and East-West routes. The folded 8 track layout had the advantage of allowing a decent running time (avg 5-7 minutes) between staging and the main yard, helping keep operators occupied. Usually solo operation there was just about enough time to run the Symbol Freights during an operation session, but not switch the Industry Tracks or cross trains at the passing station, though occasionally managed to operate a "Pusher Service" over the hill from the yard to the trestle a distinctive feature of the prototype. Interestingly visiting operators loved to run trains as fast as possible around the folded 8 at the end of a running session. Couplings were Microtrains (N Scale Kadees) and worked reliably (usually replaced car trucks (bogies) with Kadee trucks to ensure reliability, locos also fitted with Microtrains couplers. Running multiple loco consists (3-5 locos) with DCC it was simpler to match locos with similar running characteristics than attempt re-programme locos with different characteristics to run together. Postscript: I began to incorporate the Binghampton Yard module into a new larger layout following our move to New Zealand, but ended up building a Large Scale garden railway following a house move a couple of years later. I still have most of my N Scale collection (locos, stock and buildings), might come in useful if we ever have to downsize.

I saw Yaxbury at an exhibition in Essex during the late 80s, surprising what could be achieved in S Scale in a relatively small space. High overall standard of modelling and some interesting stock. I saw Castle Rackrent at an exhibition in Perthshire and the late Dave Walkers Killaney layout at a Chatham Show during the early 1990s. (Richard Chown inspired Dave Walker to take up 7mm broad gauge modelling and Killanney could connect end-to end with any of the Castle Rackrent modules. A final look at the Castle Rackrent system. One of the interesting features of the system was that the modules could be arranged in different formats (different exhibition halls) before moving to a permanent home opening up the prospect of regular (monthly) operating sessions) The layout/railway evolved considerably during the 30 odd years between its appearance in the Modeller (75 & 78) and MRJ 202 in 2010. Moygraney originally based on Kiltimagh (crossing loop and two sidings) was modified to include four sidings and a turntable (widening of baseboards?) and Salruck Junction evolved from a single baseboard (6-8') featuring a junction (single crossover) between WLWR & MGWR lines and a short private siding serving a mill to a Junction Station based on Ballingarne Junction between the Foynes and North Kerry lines including a complex double junction! With the focus very much on operation the buildings and scenic work in some sections. Though the railway appears to have had a functioning signalling system! I guess the eye opener for me is what could be achieved in modelling the Irish broad gauge during an era with minimal trade support.