Mayner

I was quite taken with the stylish 1930s architecture (and signal boxes) on London Transport and the Southern Region when I first moved to the UK during the mid-80s though professionally I was marginally involved in restoring 4-500 year old buildings in Watford during the construction of the Harlequinn Centre during the late 80s which involved the oblitteration of early-mid 20th Century streetscape. The GSR signalling and electrical department managed to achieve a lot with very little with the conversion of Kingsbridge Station and Islandbridge-Dunlaoire to power signalling during the 1930s actuated by miniature lever frames fabricated using standard interlocking components housed in quite modernistic signal cabins (Amiens St & Westland Row quite stylish in design). While the majority of the 1930s era power signalling system was replaced in connection with the introduction of the DART during the early 80s, Heuston Cabin and 1930s signalling system remained in operation until the re-modelling of Heuston Station approaches during the early 2000s. What was considered modern state of the art during the 1930s was obsolete but sitll functional (if maintained properly) by 2000. As far as I recall control of Heuston and Island Bridge Junction was transferred to a temporary interlocking located in a new building at the Nort end of the Platform 9 a permanent interlocking installed upon completion for the remodelling of Heuston approaches and the re-instatement of platforms 1-5.

The majority of older photos tend to be 3/4 front views of locos or rolling stock, photo surveys of wayside stations became more common from 60s onwards as cameras and film became cheaper. Photos of the Meath Line before the ending of passenger services are relatively scarce, back in the 80s I bought up "Real Photograph Co" (Iain Allen) 1930s photos of 2-4-0 652 on shed Kingscourt (x426) and on the up passenger (3-6wheelers cw oil lighting) at Navan Junction (x429), (in those days publishers like Iain Allen and groups like RCTS published photographic catalogues) more recently "Great Southern Railways" Irish Pictorial album (Donal Murray (Ian Allen) 2006) included 1939 photos of Midland Standard Goods 601 with a similar consist (possibly electric lighting) a Down Passenger at Kilmessan Junction and Kingscourt, interestingly the consist of the "Passenger" includes a single Cattle Wagon as tail traffic in the Kilmessan photo. There are a couple of published photos of steam hauled 'Kingscourt" goods passing Gibbstown in goods only days one northbound behind a large ex-GSWR 0-6-0 (Stephenson Locomotive Society) and the second southbound behind an ex-MGW "Cattle Engine" (large powerful 0-6-0) uncredited photo Decade of Steam IRRS 1972?. With the KingscourtGoods reduced to a 3 times weekly working after 1917 and once weekly Wed &Thurs) in the 1960s WTT something more powerful than a Standard Goods was required to work the remaining traffic. During the 70s-80s Herbert Richard an IRRS member and photographer was very helpful in supplying comprehensive photos surveys of Kilmessan Junction (before track lifting) and Ballymoe on the Mayo Line for modelling purposes, hopefully at some stage his photographes may be added to the archive. In a way Kilmainham Wood is one of the more attractive Navan & Kingscourt stations from a modelling perspective with its distinctive brick station building and crossing keepers cottage and largish stone built goods shed once served by a spur siding off the goods loop, visually interesting on a slight curve. Kilmainham Wood contrasts with other station/halts where the station buildings on the N&K which had a rendered finish and small goods shed on the passenger platform at Gibbstown & Wilkinstown with a goods loop that served a long cattle bank. By contrast the goods shed at Nobber was served by a spur on the up side behind the station platform with a goods loop and long cattle bank opposite with an overbridge crossing the line at the south end of the yard

It may be worth while contacting the IRRS Librarian or visiting the IRRS on Library Night. John O'Meara published a 2 part IRRS Journal paper on the "Meath Line" during the early 50s which included details of staff and operations at the individual stations including Kilmainhamwood. The station was probabably at its busiest following its opening under Navan & Kingscourt Railway ownership when it acted as terminus for several years before the line was extended to Kingscourt, but there appears to have been little traffic under CIE ownership from the mid 40s onwards. One point of local interest is that a section of line alongside Whitehouse Lake was diverted away from the lakeshore as a result of a landslide during the 1950s, don't know if this diversion is noticable on the cycle track.

Finally got round to starting work on the loco release for the traverser staging in order to allow a 5 wagon train to enter the staging. For some odd reason I made the bookcase/shelving 7'6" rather than 8' long, possibly to fit the available space before a house move almost 20 years ago. First task was to cut and fit a L shaped piece of ply to fit between the existing baseboard and end of the baseboard. and then form the framing for the loco release all cut with a handsaw from some 6mm ply I had in stock for several years after lining the interior of a garden shed, all glued and pinned together with panel pins! Mock up with a loco on the loco release board . It will be necessary to pack the trackbase level with the traverser deck and provide some fall prevention to avoid driving/dropping locos onto the floor! I moved the layout outwards from its original position in the bookcase, to avoid cutting a slot in the gable end of the bookcase. There should be room for 3 spurs in this area capable of aligning with the traverser, which hopefully should help boost my motivation to use this layout.

The decline in the availibility of specialist parts and kits is tied up with the increasing availability of high quality British outline 4mm rtr models (since late 90s) as much as the business owners retiring or passing away. Designing and manufacturing high quality 3D printed models or parts involve similar levels of skill and experience to traditional methods. Markits beautiful turned brass parts are likely to have been mass produced using CNC techniques, rather than individually made by a craftsman. Ironically several years ago I used 3D modelling to produce lost wax brass detail parts for a D17/52 Class kit a precious metal supplier producing the lostwax masters and rubber moulds from my 3D digital model. There are 3D printers and 3D printers, for small parts I use a desktop resin printer that cost around £450, the businesses that carried out my production printing use full size machines costing upwards of £45,000.

The older generation of model makers including Sam Carse used tinplate spoke about sourcing tinplate from Belfast in a newspaper article on his CDJR system during the late 60s/early 70s, Harry Connaghton a Dublin based professional model maker active during 60s -80s trialed tinplate on some 7mm GNR 0-6-0s but reverted to n/s possibly customer preference. I think problems with rust was likely due to use of failure to neutralise Bakers Flux. When I started model making my main source of tin was from drinks cans! shifted to brass when Ks metal sheet became available in hobby shops. I built an O gauge Ranks wagon with a tinplate body on a Triang-Big-Big chassis over 40 odd years ago, corded solder and "Frys' flux not much of a paint job wonder if it survived.

Noel: Sorry to hear such devestating news, thankfully you, your family and pets are ok.

"Back in the day" when I joined a club as a junior member (14-15) in the early 70s the vast majority of members collected/ran rtr models (British & Continental outline) with a small minority who collected and assembled kits, one professional modelmaker who batch built mainly 7mm models of Irish outline locos and stock and one off comissions and a 1-2 modellers who modelled A Class diesels and Supertrain stock using a combination of scratchbuilding (mainly plasticard) and heavily modified BR rtr stock. Although one of the minority of model makers had assembled (though not painted) a largish fleet of LMS locos (incl a Ks Coal Tank, various Wills and GEM loco kits)), the majority had assembled and completed small-medium size tank locos of a GW or Southern theme. When I re-joined the club 20 years later some of the remaining model makers from the 70s had moved up to O Gauge or had shifted to 4mm Irish Outline modelling outline modelling using contemporary MIR and TMD/SSM kits. One of the most impressive things was that a younger generation of modellers had taken the initiative to scratchbuild and kitbash models of IE & NIR contemporary operations. A high proportion of the modelling was to a high standard exemplified by the construction of a 'fleet' of 201 diesels with plasticard bodies on Atheran chassis and the Greystones Layout the pre-cursor of the Barrow Street layout with the use of production techniques for the production of railcars and coaching stock.

Uncredited photo of J9 252 on Lisduff No1 Ballast at Attanagh 1958 "A Decade of Steam" published RPSI circa 1972

Alan It might be worth considering using the existing chassis rather than fitting an etched compensated chassis, the combination of heavy whitemetal loco body and strip brass frames is likely to result in a smooth running loco when assembled with a rigid chassis. I assembled several whitemetal kits with similar rigid chasssis during the 90s which turned out to be smooth reliable runners, at the time I mainly used Branchlines gearboxes as HI-Level gearboxes had not yet arrived on the scene. Alan Gibson produces an outside crank set which includes an extended axle which may be an option of the existing driving wheels and coupling rods are usable. https://www.wizardmodels.ltd/shop/locomotive/5000/. The cranks are moulded in the same nylon material as the wheel sets, although I substitute a 14ba brass bolt for the crankpin as I always managed to ring off the AGW steel crankpin. Back in the day Beyer Peacock built some outside frame locos for the Ulster Railway though don't recall a photo of an 0-6-0. So possibly a kit bash for Kieran's loco

Finally got round to resuming work on 229 or more correctly its tender axleboxes! Several years ago I produced a set of etched parts for the GSWR Type tender than at one stage ran behind 229, but still required springs, axleboxes and other traditionally cast parts to complete the tender. I decided to produce a 3D model of the springs and axlebox using Fusion 360 as the CAD/3D modelling programme I used over the past 20 odd years is not the most user friendly for 3D modelling, though excellent for conventional 2D drafting. First step was to find some 'suitable' drawings and photos in order to prepare a 2D sketch. Close up of one of 186s tender axlebox and a tracing from a GSWR Type B tender drawing were the first steps, not really practicable for me to travel to Whitehead to take measurements. I omitted the horizontal stay as it would be challenging to print/cast! Completed? 3D model of spring/axlebox assembly. Basically parts are initially drawn as 2D sketches then extruded into 3D componets. Individual leaves are modelled by forming rebates in spring outline, components such as spring hangers/hornguides duplicated or mirrored. The finished product! Springs/axleboxes were printed in a High Tensile resin with a Flex-admixture (both Monocure an Australian manufacture and printed at a 45° angle to the build plate (reduces risk of print failure and distortion) I used the same resin and set up for printing some detail parts for my recent run of "Tin Van" kits. Printer is an Anycubic Mono X bought several years ago and now finally producing reasonable prints after sevral years of trial and error! I had used brass castings from 3D printed Shapeways masters for the GSWR 52 Class produced several years ago but simpler at this stage to use my home desktop printer for other detail parts for the tender.

Used to regularly hear a Hunslet on evening Dublin-Belfast Enterprise while waiting on the 54 bus home from work in Killester almost 50 years ago. The Hunslet's made quite a racket climbing the bank towards Killester and Harmonstown. About 20 years ago found that mute (FO on American decoders) was the most important function on sound equipped locos during a running session in a club room with poor acoustics (low ceilings concrete block walls). At the time one of the senior club members was into collecting sound equipped UP SD70s and loved to run them in multiple on the club test track to everyone elses consternation!

The "Welch's Transport" cement tanker appears to be a generic tanker branded by EFE for various businesses rather than a model of an actual bulk cement tanker and quite different in outine to the bulk cement tankers used in Ireland and the UK. Whatever about the body I think a truck with an AEC or Leyland Ergonomic Cab (introduced 1964) would be more appropriate for use on a 60s-70s layout than the the late 1940s EFE model Trucks collecting bulk cement from the railhead likely to be owned and branded CIE due to the Boards almost monopoly position in licensed haulage and closed shop agreement with trade unions. During this era concrete product manufacturing companies such as Roadstone, RMC, CPI would have been allowed to collect bulk cement from the railhead using their own trucks and unionised crews, or Licensed Hauliers. https://www.flickr.com/photos/96862991@N03/50579882578/in/faves-60482654@N03/ EFE seems to have done a nice model of an Ergo but seem to be scarce on the second hand market. https://www.awesomediecast.com/efe-1-76-aec-ergomatic-short-2-axle-flatbed-lorry-alan-firmin/ Interestingly there is a Welch Fencing Ltd (est 1971) in Preston that supplies pre-cast concrete fencing components. Cement Terminals tended to serve plants within a 30-40 mile radius Tullamore -Banagher Precast Buildings https://banagherprecast.com/sectors/buildings/ Athenry-Oranmore Precast https://oranmore.co.uk/ plus smaller plants and readymix batching plants. When I worked in Dublin during the 70s-80s we received pre-cast products (blocks, pipes, roof tiles) from plants up to 40 miles away likely to have been supplied by rail to Cabra or direct by road from Platin. Working on the Masonite project at Drumsna during the mid 90s we received readymixed concrete batched at the Roscommon and Boyle Roadstone plants, using cement possibly railed to Tullamore or Sligo and transhipped by road or possibly direct from Platin. Roadstone was highly unlikely to buy cement from Sean Quinn although the Derrylin Cement Plant was a lot closer than Platin and transportation costs likely to be considerably lower

Really neat work, think its time to invest in an RSU as my hands are not as steady as they once were.

Close up from H C Casserley photo of Loughrea Branch train showing difference in profile, height and width between a GSWR 6wheeler and an early 1950s Inchacore built coach. Some comparison between models. Hornby (80s) Stanier Coach --width-----36mm-------9' (at waist) MM Craven--------------------width----37.6mm----- 9'-5" (at waist) SSM (1937) Bredin------------width----36.8mm------ 9'9" (at waist) WW Laminate-----------------width---40.9mm-------10'3" (at waist) SSM GSWR 6w coach---------width---36.2mm------- 9'-2 (at waist) Prototype MGW Atock 6w coach--------width-------------------9' at waist 8'6" at floor. LMS coaches that ran in Ireland. NOC----new suburban and main line stock built in UK----LMS or Irish width? NCC & GNR(I)-- former LNWR and Midland coaches Wartime replacement coaches. DNGR----------were coaches built to same width as LNWR coaches used in Great Britain?

It seems that the Park Royal coach builders struggled to build the AEC railcars in accordance with the 'official drawings" I have copies of official drawings and diagrams of the railcars, the CIE diagram appears closer to what was actually built than the detailed dimensioned drawings! The title section of the drawing is illegible but possibly based on a Park Royal origonal. Section from large scale drawing, bogies similar design (longer wheelbase) to GWR railcars. Windscreen profile appears similar to GWR cars. Section from 1955 diagram of "Diesel Railcar Set with Buffet Car attached, appears closer in general outline to what was actually built than the large scale official drawings (if you ignore the buffers! I guess the biggest challenge facing a potential manufacturer is obtaining adequate information to construct a reasonably accurate model. The railcars were de-motored over 50 years, does the remaining Push-Pull Driving Trailer 6107 still exist? I built a pair of AEC railcars from a set of Worsley Works parts about 15 years ago and forming the curved end profile was not a significant problem, I formed the roof from balsa wood though these days would form the roof and a jig for forming the ends using 3D modelling and print technology.

Politics and windscreen wipers. Missing LH wiper possibly an economy (penny-pinching) measure under Todd Andrews Chairmanship of CIE during late 50s, LH wipers missing in the majority of late 50s photos of A, B101 and C Class, but LH wipers re-appear in photos taken from early 60s, possibly following Andrew's resignation. The Government expected Andrews to make CIE 'pay its way" in return for being given a free hand in the management of CIE and the railways with economy measures and major closures, but met his match when the Unions refused to agree to one-man operation of Dublin? bus services and resigned when the Government refused to support Andrew's taking a storng stance with the Unions. Whatever about its financial position CIE definitely improved the image and ultimately the reliability of CIE and the railways after Andrews departure with new corporate image and initially smarter. cleaner new livery and the introduction of reliable GM locos.

I checked out Cabra and Athenry cement terminals on a number of occasions during the 80s-90s on each visit no road-tankers or CIE personnel were present! I guess the tankers had earlier collected their load of bulk cement from the terminal and were either en-route to the customers premises or had discharged their load and returning to the terminal. A bulk cement train had arrived from Limerick just before I visited Athenry on a Saturday morning in 1996, a pair of local teenagers were 'hanging out' with the signalman in his cabin when I asked if I could have a look around and we walked together to the silo for the signalman to check the rate of discharge, the train crew having booked off following the arrival of the train and connecting several wagons to the discharge system. There were relatively few people to be seen about CIE goods yards following the ending of loose-coupled goods operation during the late 70s. I guess all thats needed to accommodate a short cut of Cement Bubbles is a siding with vehicle access where the wagons can be spotted for unloading even if no suitable road vehicles are available. Flange Lubricator I had completly forgotten about CIEs twin silo bulk tankers on Leyland chassis, perhas Enda (CK Prints) might produce a 3D print of those distinctive t bodies to fit on an EFE 8 legger chassis?

Bulk Cement appears to have been transhipped direct from rail to road (bulk tanker) at Ballina in connection with the construction of the Killala Asahi Plant during the mid-late 70s. I saw a couple of Cement Bubbles marshalled towards the centre of the then daily Claremorris-Limerick goods train outside Athenry station on more than one occasion while travelling by train from Dublin-to Galway during the Summer Holidays during 77-78. Athenry later began receiving Bulk Cement by weekly? block train from Mugnet after the opening of a silo on an existing loading bank on the downside on the west side of the level crossing. The loading bank was served by a loop with connections to the Galway and Limerick lines, Bagged Fertiliser wass received and distributed from this area. Bulk Cement is transported by road in bulk powder containers (similar in principal but smaller than modern road tankers) Some bulk cement trucks/trainers were fitted with a donkey engine driven air compressor to load/discharge cement.https://www.donedeal.ie/trailers-for-sale/cement-tanker/41345804?modal=gallery Up to the 1990s Bulk Cement was likely to have been distributed largely in CIE owned trucks initally 4 axle rigid (8 leggers) possibly Leyland or AEC, tanker bodies possibly fabricated to CIE own design or proprietary UK design https://www.roadtransportimages.com/shop/product/p8-wheeler-15ton-bulk-powder-tank-body Roadstone and RMC may have used their own trucks for distribution from the factory/railhead to precast yards and pre-mix plants in the Dublin area. Artics with 2 axle trailers mainly used 70s-90s bulk cement tankers were similar in outline/profile but shorter than the "County Down" donedeal.ie trailer, but with the donkey engine/compressor mounted at the rear of the trailer above the axles! A distinctive feature of the donkey engine/compressor was that they were mounted in an enclosure with a metal hood and tarpaulin sides. I guess the question is whats the best option for accomodating Bulk Cement wagons with no really suitable trucks/trailers available from EFE/Base Toys. Bulk Cement wagons appear to have been discharged at Waterside and Ballina in a siding where truck could draw alongside a siding using its one truck/trailer mounted compressor or possibly a protable compressor. A compact silo incorporated into an existing goods yard may be worth considering as an option, a signature structure with a compact footprint similar to that at Athenry or Tullamore.

A Bachmann "Big Haulier" GE diesel was one of the first locos I converted to on-board battery RC control about 10 years ago as the power pick up system was unreliable on track power. I modified the loco from a centre to an end cabbed design based on the GE diesels used on the Georgetown Loop Railroad https://hawkinsrails.net/preservation/glr/grl_motive.html leaving plenty of space for a pair of 7.2V NiMh batteries, but possibly need to use more compact batteries converting a centre cabbed loco to on-board battery power.

I was recently in contact with Roger who confirmed that he had received sufficient expressions of interest in a MGW 6w 5 Compt (3rd) coach and had actually begun to modify the (existing 7mm artwork to produce a 4mm version. Roger further advised that he did not need 'many more' suscribers to proceed with the J19 & MGW BK 3rd in 4mm scale. I am planning at some stage (possibly 1-2 years) to produce some etched 4mm MGW coaches for my own use incl 6w TPO, 6w Comp & 1st (Cusack profile) with the etched parts available direct from my supplier in the UK in a similar manner to my existing 4mm kits. Though ironically 7mm may be a better option (easier to see and work with as we get older)

I seriously considered upscaling to 7mm with a Timoleague & Courtmacsharry themed layout about 10 years ago, I guess I will need to make a decision soon hands are not as steady or eyesight not as sharp as it once was. Still necessity is the mother of invention and might prompt a change to a larger scale. A couple of locos, a couple of coaches and a handful of wagons is tempting, though what to do with 40 years collection of mainly kit built 4mm stuff.

Had a running session this evening and noticed a phenonomum as unusual as Newgrange's alignment with the Winter Solstice. Sunlight flowing through the tunnel at dusk on 1st Feb #464 & 463 completed a couple of laps of the circuit without incident.

Visited Pukemiro Junction today (1st Feb) for their 1st operating day of the New Year, not a lot of people about being a hot sunny day probably gone to the beach. Passenger was topped and tailed by a pair of small diesels while recently restored 1650 was running up and down the yard! The Climax was used on a "Bush Tramway" (NZ) logging line in "King Country" as opposed to a New Zealand Railways (NZR) operation. Geared locomotives including Climax, Heisler and locally manufactured AG Price locos were widely used on Bush Tramways and in industry. Vee engined Heisler locomotive undergoing overhaul at Pukemiro Local engineering firm AG Price Type E combined features of the Climax B (engine) and Heisler coupling rods. The AG Price C locomotive of the 1920s echoed the design of the Climax A with 2 cylinder vertical cab mounted engine! Former Pukemiro Colliery Co Peckett 0-6-0T once worked the private 1/2 mile line between the Junction and the Pukemiro Mine, the loco is similar in outline and size and outline to the 2' gauge 0-4-2T Karen preserved by the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway formerly used on the Seluke Peak Light Railway in Rhodesia (chromium mines) NZR F Class 185 Dubs & Co 1874 'standard" mixed traffic loco of the 1870-80s replaced in main line service by larger (more modern) locos from the 1890s onwards. 185 was sold into industrial service with a local coal mining company in 1933 and purchased by the Bush Tramway Club in 1973, out of service since the late 2000s currently awaiting an overhaul.

I worked on a construction project in Dublin during the late 90s and apart from the CDL/Gouldings siding i hadn't really thought of the potential of Dublin Port in terms of small layout for the 90s/00s era. Although CDL traffic had ceased Dublin Port renewed the connection to CDL/former Gouldings factory and disconnected a number of disused sidings when it upgraded the Alexandra Road Tramway during the late 90s Although traffic along the Alexandra road to and from the ESSO, Bitumen and Irish Rail fuel terminals appear to have been worked by Port Tractor, locomotive hauled mainly 141? workings operated along the Alexandra Rd Tramway to the short lined Container Terminal at the end of Alexandra Rd Tramway and the Ashai Chemical Terminal. The Asahi Trains ran round using a short loop within the Irish Ferries terminal on the south side of Alexandra Rd. The loop within the Irish Ferries premises was the terminal for B&I Liner trains during the 60s-70s. As far as I recall a container train (from Cork) operated along the Tramway mid-late morning, while the Asahi Chemical train was an evening departure. The trains handled at the Ashai terminal appeared to be relatively short , 42' flats used up to their final year of operation 1987? Tank wagons worked along tramway by Dublin Port owned Tractors, but possibly a shunter or main-line loco in a main line scenario. IRM/Heljan tankers--ESSO traffic Containers-4w Flat Irish Tar and Bitumen, though some 1950s era tankers sitll used for storage inside terminal late 90s. CIE?IE 1970s eara Fuel Tankers Wagonload era sidings serving miltiple oil terminals, granaries and quays. Shell-BP Planet diesel shunting loco to early 1970s Scope for mionimal space/modular or quite large layouts.