Mayner

Alan, worked out quite straightforward in the end, the Hi Level gearboxes were self jigging when assembled, only significant modification was to cut away the surplus metal in the now redundant motor mount and to get my head around the idea of using the rotating layshaft as a pivot for the rocking axle/gearbox. The system is the same in principal to the motor, layshaft and gearbox arrangement used in a lot of RTR N and narrow gauge locos. I will probably use the same arrangement if I ever get around to assembling the 21mm gauge chassis supplied with the original Worsley Works G Class and a D401 if I ever get around to it. Reducing the thickness of the axle bushes and careful adjustments of the B-B transformed the running of the loco, better hide that OOF B-B gauge when using Bachmann or other RTR wheels. Interestingly I had a similar problem years and years ago after I picked up a job lot of PC models coach wheels (cutting edge 4mm kit manufacture) wheels were very nice with a narrow thread but a narrow wheel profile, had to vary the B-B for the wheelsets to run reliably.

The Ferries with their 3 1/2 hour crossing are effectively the backbone of New Zealand's SH1 road and Trunk rail system linking . The 6th Labour Government which included Winston Peters (a very canny politician & pro-rail) party NZ First as a coalition partner approved the replacement of the existing ferries with new larger ferries in 2021. Like CIEs late 1940s order for twin engined Sulzer 'express locos' Kiwirail was forced to cancel the order for the new ships following a change of Government in late 2021. The new 6th National Government a coalition of center right National, NZ First and libretarian ACT struggled to decide on whether to replace the ferries with road only or combined road and rail until Winston insisted that the ferries had to be rail capable or possibly withdraw his support for the Government. National is best described as agnostic when it comes to spending public money on rail, ACT would consider it a waste of public money. Interestingly the Labour leader later claimed that Winston had signed off on the original project while in coalition with Labour in 2019. https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360635225/cook-strait-ferries-saga-explained Original project costs had blown out over port works at Picton and Wellington where the existing ferry terminal requires replacement due to high risk in the event of a severe earthquake built on port & city formed as a result of an earthquake. Interestingly the rail decks on the new ferries are to be designed to accommodate 40-60' wagons or 120TEU same capacity as the cancelled order so same rail capacity as the cancelled 2021 order. Although the project is likely to over run and Government likely to end up as a price taker, the new ferries potentially secure the future of the 336km line south from Picton to Christchurch which was severely damaged but reinstated following the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake While there is talk about saving the taxpayer billions, Kiwirail have had to pay a cancellation fee to Mitsui the Korean shipyard that apparently had started work on the two new ferries, the Government have not disclosed the projected project cost for the replacement ferries and port works, claiming it to be commercially sensitive, though more likely Ferry Holdings a Company established earlier this year to procure the ships and manage the project has is only at the project scoping and preliminary costing stage. The whole saga is not unlike the Mary Harney's as Transport Minister in the newly elected FF government during the mid 1990s cancelling CIEs original Dublin Light Rail project despite EU funding approval apparently in response to concerns that the Light Rail System would add to city center traffic congestion and would be ineffective from a public transport perspective based on a projection that only 1% of Dublin area commuters would use the Light Rail System. More likely explanation was that it was seen as a FG Labour coalition project and the incoming Government did not want CIE with its history of poor industrial relations controlling the Dublin Light Rail system. The EU Dublin Light Rail funding was diverted to upgrading Maynooth suburban services, including the reinstatement of double track between Clonsilla and Maynooth, a new signalling system and station improvements. CIE still being in the dog house Light Rail Project staff were transferred to the Rail Procurement Agency although still working from Portacom in the Heuston Carpark, the Dublin Light Rail Project was re-christened LUAS and the operating contract was awarded to Connex and a non-strike agreement agreed with the Unions representing LUAS staff. In the end the LUAS project was 100% funded by the Irish Government although 10 years earlier the project was promoted as an EU funded project a benefit of Ireland joining the Single Market and closer European integration. I guess the craftiest politicians are those that focus on keeping in the news and getting elected.

Nicknamed 'Sparrows' (Spanish Arrows) in a similar manner to the original 2600s Arrow railcars or Jarrows. (Japanese Arrows) Remember a friend commenting that a Northern Suburban driver calling the 2700s 'Spanish crap' when asked what he thought of the new railcars. First saw the 2800 in service on the Northern Suburban when I returned to Ireland for a couple of weeks in 2005, what impressed me was the sheer intensity and frequency of service with the new railcars compared to a couple of years earlier when most services were worked by MK3 Push Pulls. Travelled on Northern services on three different types of train during the past 30 odd years, 1st refurbished Park Royal hauled by 141 around 1989, 121 hauled Push Pull late 90s, 2800 in 2005.

Managed to make some time for modelling on Saturday and Sunday evenings after an unpredictable and challenging week. This time adjusting the B-B and pick ups on G617 to try and achieve more reliable running. The loco which is on a scratchbuilt compensated chassis had a tendency to de-rail the fixed axle while running through Peco small radius points. I still have the original Worsley Works 21mm gauge chassis and was seriously considering converting it to a OO rigid chassis as a replacement for the compensated chassis. I replaced the existing North Yard (NZ supplier) wheel sets I originally used on the G with a set of spare wheels I had from a Murphy Models/Bachmann B141 (original release) for improved pick up, but struggled to achieve a 14.5mm B-B on the rigid axle due to the thickness of the insulation bush on the Bachmann wheels. In the end I reduced the thickness of the brush using a flat needle file, thus correcting the B-B and adding some much needed play between the axle bearing and wheels significantly reducing friction, the loco runs freer and motor a lot cooler following this modification. G617 which was assembled about 20 years was originally fitted with a Black Beetle motor bogie, which I may have re-used in a Wickham car and I built a replacement OO Chassis for use on NorthWharf about 2-3 years ago. Replacement chassis uses a step down gearbox which in turn drives a layshaft with final wormdrives to the axle similar in principal to the Bull Aunt and drive systems used in N and Narrow Gauge HO locos. Motor and drive components supplied by Hi Hevel although the step down drive 'Tender Riser' is intended for 4mm locos with the motor in the tender. At the time I was tempted to use a High Level 'Quad Driver' similar to that produced for Industrials like a Ruston 0-4-0 but wheel base was too short for a G Class. Chassis is compensated by allowing one axle/gearbox free to rock pivoted on the layshaft and now appears to operate quite reliably. The wiring harness above the motor is a DCC Concepts 6pin DCC socket with a DC jumper rigged up from a DCC plug. I have a stash of 6 Pin DCC decoders somewhere, I bought a a selection of 1 & 2amp 6pin decoders from a selection of manufacturers but need to find them! G617s decals are looking the worse for wear but the Duetz 'plates' still look reasonable, I need to ask Des for some replacement running numbers and CIE logos. E421 assembled from a Shapeways shell with my own detail overlays is running once again but needs ballasting, glazing and some paint touch ups. My own 3D printed and IRM bulk grain wagons.

Its was a bitumen tank car, probably not of Irish or British origin. Possibly imported by an Irish bitumen imported/distributor. The coupler pocked on the end of the chassis looks the wagon had some form of Centre buffer coupler draw gear similar in principal to that used in the States and elsewhere. Possibly from some Eastern European narrow gauge system that operated into the 90s The tank is a lot shorter and the tank ends (cladding) quite different in appearance to the small number of Bitumen Tank wagons imported by ESSO in the late 60s. The Bitumen Tank wagons were basically to the same general design as the Heljan model, but with insulated tanks clad in aluminium, https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/essobitumenrebuilt C

I remember the Guard of the Sunday afternoon Longford-Connolly passenger telling me in the Spring of 96 that CIE had placed an order with Alstom for 27 Railcars for a similar price to 19 Mitsui railcars. Their delivery and introduction into service was quite protracted to say the least requiring a lathe number of modifications before they were allowed to enter service. IE introduced a through Sunday afternoon Ballina-Waterford service probably aimed a Athlone & Waterford RTC students that actually appeared in the timetable intended to be worked by 2700s that had not yet entered service. They eventually displaced 201s and MK3 Push Pull sets from Pearse-Drogheda services for about 2-3 years in the early 2000s before being replaced by 2800 Class Units and transferred to Limerick where their reliability improved careful maintenance & less intense usage than Dublin. By contrast the AEC railcars introduced by CIE in the early 50 operated for approx. 20 years in Main Line and Suburban duties before being converted into non-powered units after British Leyland ceased to supply engine and transmission parts for AEC railcars, The 2700s may have a shorter in service life as a result of their slow introduction to service and being out of service for many years. Be interesting to find out whether IE seriously considered the economics of upgrading the Alstom Units (2700 and DART) to improve reliability/reduce maintenance costs or was its simply cheaper to replace the Units with new possibly dual mode stock. That young Guard appeared to enjoy his work and optimistic about the futher of the railways all those years ago, you begin to feel old when you remember 3 generations of Irish passenger trains entering and being withdrawn from service (Supertrain, MK3, Alstom diesel railcars).

Back in the day would you believe 2013-14 Nelson Jackson as a teenager built some convincing models of NCC and possibly BCDR stock complete with their distinctive outside W Irons using a mixture of kit bashing and scratchbuilding techniques. Outside W irons seem to have been fabricated out of plasticard. Also built a NIR 70Class railcar set & British outline stock, all to a consistentlly high standard of modelling

David's comments about the railways Common Carrier obligations were the railways & possibly CIE & UTA road services were obliged to accept and transport all goods at a fixed Published rate is an interesting one. Internationally the ending of the railways 'Common Carrier' obligations (CIE 1958?) and the later de-regulation/liberalisation of road transport were significant turning points in the large scale shift from rail to road transportation and the shift of rail from a retail customer faced operation to a wholesale business that transport very large Volumes/Tonnages of freight for a small number of large customers. The railways lobbied to be relieved of their common carrier obligations which like David's example of the lady that manufactured 'posh hats" obliged a common carrier to accept all traffic offered at the published rate even if it was loss making, the flip side of the coin was that the railways were prohibited from offering discounted or reduced rates to high volume customers. Although CIE largely retained its steam era railway with a large number of small stations following the ending of its common carrier status CIE largely focused on attracting and retaining high volume customers by offering discounted rates for large customers such as Irish Cement, NET, Guinness and shipping companies like Bell who used CIE as its Irish distribution system. The shift to Block train operation ended the days of wagon load where a farmer or a merchant would buy a wagon load of fertiliser or cement to unload at the local station at his own leisure, largely ending that connection between the customer and local staff. There was the story of the local station Agent in New Zealand phoning customers to let them know their goods had arrived at the station, then later delivering and collecting sundries traffic from local homes and businesses for shipping for overnight delivery the next day. Phone and telex but all admin was paper based. Irish Rail probably managed to hold on to its relatively extensive railfreight network for so long because of CIEs almost monopoly position with surface transport and very strict licensing of road transport. Because of the difficulty in registering a Licensed Haulage business, many Irish companies and Multinationals operating in Ireland owned their own transport fleets and were internationally renowned for their efficiency. The final nail in the coffin of Irish Railfreight was the de-regulation/opening up of the Irish Road haulage industry making it attractive for multi-national and Irish owned transport and logistics businesses such as TNT, Irish Express Cargo to enter the industry quickly wiping out Irish Rails Sundries and Individual Container services. the remaining large shippers such as Guinness and Cement Limited shifted to road apparently as a result of a significant increase in freight rates when their existing (long term?) contracts came due for renewal in the mid 2000s.

Love the station and railway cottages a seldom modelled feature but common in real life

I managed the construction of a large Warehousing and Distribution Centre in North Dublin about 25 years ago. At the time the warehouse was the largest in Ireland over 12,000Sq Ft & we ended up constructing a 4,000Sq Ft ware house on the second phase to store the output of one of the American PC (personal computer) manufacturing plants, total project was over I£12m in value built over 18 months The warehousing side stored the output of various Irish manufacturing plants high value goods (mainly electronic & IT), before being distributed (exported) to various destination in the UK and Europe approx. 30-40' containers arriving and departing every night. One of the more interesting aspects was the level of security with Satellite tracking of trucks (usually accompanied trailers) from the Distribution Centre to their destination in the Uk or Europe. In the control office I was once allowed to track a truck in real time delivering freight to a destination in the Netherlands. Historically rails had a poor reputation around security and timeliness/reliability of delivery, fine for heavy bulky freight such as coal, mineral traffic or train loads of grain, milk powder or other products from New Zealand's dairy plants, but not really suitable for the high value exports from Irelands Pharma or IT manufacturing plants. With Brexit its more convenient to send Ireland's high value exports by direct RoRo ferry from Dublin or Rosslare to Cherbourg or Le Harve avoiding the problem of 'landbridging' across the UK. The less valuable exports by container ship from Dublin, Waterford or Cork to ports such as Rotterdam Locally the dairy industry is set up to use rail with a small number of very large processing plants controlled by one dominant processor, in some cases bulk milk is transported (by the trainload 12 Bogies 1000T train ) from a small number of collection points in intensive dairying areas to a centralised processing plant or in the case of the Waikato dairy products are transported by feeder services (typically 8-10 bogie flats 16-20 TEU wagons) from a number of medium sized processing plants to a large warehousing complex for consolidation and storage before eventual transport again by the train load 30-50 Bogies--60-100TEU trains. Irish dairy industry has been set up for many years to export its output by road using Ro Ro ferry to the UK and the Continent. Avonmore's daliance with rail during the 90s was based on importing cattle feed (Mollasses & Grain) through Foynes, Waterford and later Dublin ports with minimal capital investment by Irish Rail attempting to transport freight at marginal cost using low capacity fully or almost fully depreciated rolling stock.

I remember reading somewhere that Coca Cola use rail rather than road for its Ballina Beverages operations in order to claim Carbon Credits which can be used to offset some of the Emission Costs on its global operations. It appears that there was little difference in cost of shipping by road or rail from Ballina to Dublin or Waterford Ports. The Ballina liners typically load to 18 bogies 36 TEU (20' equivalent load) in this part of the World 30 Bogie 60TEU is considered the minimum required to break even. In the past the Irish Government/CIE offered reduced freight rates to encourage business like Asahi to locate in an area remote from a deep sea port like Ballina. CIE operated at a loss loosing money on most of its rail services, for a long time the Government was resistant to providing an above the line subsidy to rail, instead there seems to have been an understanding that the Government would make up CIEs losses up to a certain level. Rail freight was expected to operate commercially from the early 2000s after the Government (possibly forced by EU) began to pay above the line subsidies to public transport services rail and road. One of the excuses by a Transport Minister (early 2000s) for not subsidising Rail Freight was that the Government subsidising IE to transport railfreight breached EU competition regulations, it was claimed that subsidising IE (a State body) to compete with private sector hauliers was illegal. In the UK Track Access Grants (a subsidy) were paid to Private Sector railfreight operators avoiding potential claims of unfair State competition from the road transport industry.

There is a serious risk of ending up in a diminishing returns even loss making situation tooling up to manufacture 4 physical variations of a relatively obscure steam loco with several livery variations in a considerably smaller market than for British outline. Based on population alone demand for model railways in England alone is likely to be 11 times higher than Ireland, hence the founders of IRM shift in focus from Irish to British Outline models. The popularity of the LNER and GER (with its own historic society alone) would have driven demand for ex-GER Locos including the Hornby Claude J15 and Accurascale Buck in all its variations. My experience with the JM Design MGWR 2-4-0 kit, I produced the kit in three of the four main variations 1) late MGWR/GSR condition with round topped boiler and a choice or canopy or Inchacore Cabs 2) late GSR/CIE condition with roundtopped boiler, Inchacore cab and slotted valences, 3 late GSR/CIE condition with Y Belpair superheated boiler. Interestingly while I received orders for equal numbers of the two roundtopped boiler versions of the loco, demand for the Y Boiler version was significantly lower. Although I considered producing the original Flyway Cab version of the loco, I did not receive a single enquiry request for the loco in its original condition. My experiences with the JM Design rtr 20T Goods Brake were relatively similar while demand for the original as built version Planked & Aluminium sheeted duckets in 4 livery variations was quite good, demand for the 1960s upgraded version with modernised duckets in particular the ply bodied version were lower than expected. Interestingly the upgraded versions of the Brake Van would have been more appropriate for the Black and Tan and early Supertrain diesels than my earlier versions of the Brake Van. I suppose the WT is the most logical choice for a tank loco, no apparent requirement for costly major tooling variations, large 'go anywhere tank loco (in preservation anyway), loco still exists, apparently digitally scanned by RPSI (though scanning technology likely to have moved on) suitable rolling stock not really an issue.

I produced some etched brass Irish farm gates many years ago, the main expense is the one off 'set up' or photo tool cost for a min 290mm X 135mm brass sheet, I use 0.4mm for the majority of applications incl. locos, rolling stock and architectural features. To minimise cost of producing the gates and make the best use of the sheet of brass, the gates were added to a window, door and quoin set for a station building. The section drawn black retains the full thickness of brass, red 1/2 thickness in this case etched from the front, in more complex models blue is used for half etching from the rear and the white area etched through completely. I use PPD in Scotland for my photo engraving for 15 years, they are geared up for doing small custom jobs as well as large contracts and can also laser cut in metal. In any form of production system you have to allow for material and process tolerances, in some processes its necessary to draw a part larger than scale because of these tolerances. Generally in photo etching a solid object such as a rectangle or a circle is smaller than drawn and openings in the object larger that the opening because of a process tollerance called etched factor, not dissimilar to kerf (or blade width) when cutting an item with a saw. The PPD https://ppdltd.com/artwork-guide.html website has guidance on producing artwork (drawings) I have been using a drawing/3D modelling programme I first used about 25 years ago mainly because I am familiar with the user interface, though other programmes may be easier to use.

The closest I got to seeing Thin Lizzy live was around 1980 when a work colleague told me he met Phil Lynott at a family wedding. At the time I kind of modelled myself as a pale Phil with an almost Afro hairstyle and a whispy moustache and clothes from Peter France in Capel St. These days I am starting to look like a younger version of Robert Plant long whiteish hair and beard still can't sing or play an instrument though my kid sometimes says I look like an aged Rock Star. When I pass away my wife has promised to dress me in my 20 + year old faded black ragged Lynard Skynard tee shirt, worn jeans and work boots, still making up for lost time from a protective childhood. The Gamers World is an interesting one different members of a group collaborating to build digital models of a railway system and its rolling stock not a lot different to physical or 3D model making and they don't need DCC or analog to run their trains. Gaming thread has been hijacked by the dynosaurs

On the Midland the 'small tanks' appear to have been mainly restricted to shunting and pilot work (Galway, Liffey Junction, possibly Mullingar and Athlone in CIE days. The three surviving branch lines with mixed train service (Loughrea, Ballinrobe and Ballaghadreen) were worked by tender engines mixture of (Midland) Standard Goods, 650 Class 2-4-0 and 533 the last servicable Achill Bogie, the remaining short branches were closed to regular service by 1947. Effectively looking 4 different versions of the Class to cover Midland, GSR & CIE eras, 1. Original as introduced version with tall chimney, flush smokebox, ornate smokebox door and front vaccum pipe looped around the smokebox front, 2. Post 1912 MGWR/GSR re-boilered version flush smokebox with tall chimney, dished smokebox door with handwheel, ross pop safety valves and front vacuum pipe in conventional location, some locos operated in this condition up to and possibly into the Emergency. 3. Post 1930s GSR/CIE version flush smokebox, tall chimney and dished smokebox door with handwheel replaced by Inchacore 'style" riveted smokebox, built up chimney, conventional smokebox door with solid hand wheel. Waterford & Tramore version with enclosed bunker inset cab steps version 2 or 3 smokebox. Lot of variation in a simple almost 'standard" small tank loco. Resource wise MGWR/GSR weight diagrams exist (similar level of info to drawings published in model railway mags, Padraig O'Cuimin prepared a nice large outline drawing of the loco (no dimensions) as part of his Broadstone Series drawings (more suitable for display in a picture frame than a working drawing, its possible the original Sharp Stewart GA drawings may exist in some museum in the UK.

No offence taken or intended, I am under a lot of pressure at the moment with a teenager that has mental health problems and probably oversensitive to what I perceive as intolerance not specifically at your meme. JHB never got to see Thin Lizzy perform I had over protective family environment, instead I compensated by spending my 'Misspent Youth' in my thirties hanging out (carousing) with railway volunteers in the UK and only started going to rock concerts in my 40s although I got to see Lynard Skynard (& Deep Purple) at the Point, Joe Cocker, The Stones, Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel in Auckland. My mother in law in her 90s who can do a very good aged rocker particularly impression particularly Keith Richards headscarf, sunglasses (at night) wrinkled face and long dark coat accompanied us at the last two concerts.

I made the suggestion quite tongue in cheek as I am quite unlikely to buy a rtr model of 299, more likely to enjoy assembling the Alphagraphix kit version of the loco if I ever move up to O Scale. I don't think the relative obscurity or the actual use of the prototype has any real effect on the potential volume of sales to an 'average modeller" who wants to buy an "Irish Steam" loco particularly if the price is kept at an affordable level by leveraging off an existing British Outline model as witnessed by Hornby "Irish" Trainset GWR 0-4-0T, Hornby & Bachmann UTA & NCC Jinties, OO & O Gauge 'Woolwich' Southern Moguls. Interestingly the OO Works West Cork Saddle Tanks were a variant of their existing LSWR 330 Class Beyer Peacock saddle tanks a popular loco among British Outline locos in addition to the LSWR and Southern an number of these locos were used on the Kent and East Sussex and East Kent Light Railways and also into industrial usage. Producing a model of a specific small/medium tank/tender loco is likely to be a significant risk to a manufacture due to the large number of small classes leveraging off an existing British model largely eliminates this risk. While the 12 ex-Midland Small Tanks were somewhat spread around in GSR/CIE days with examples eventually working on the Waterford & Tramore, Shillelagh Branch (closed 47?) West Cork system and Tralee & Fenit (redundant from Waterford & Tramore late 50s) they were practically unknown on the southern where the J11 was the dominant Shunting Banking loco. Although the GSR built a prototype suburban/mixed traffic 2-6-2T 850 this loco remained unique, South Eastern suburban services were worked mainly by ex-DSER 4-4-2T and 2-4-2T and 5 GSR 0-6-2Ts to the end of steam, while Cork-Cobh services relied on GSWR 4-4-2T and 2-4-2T. While not working suburban services as such Limerick retained a variety of ex-WLWR 2-4-2T, 4-4-2T and 0-4-4T locos for branch line and local services some of the ex-WLWR locos migrated to the West Cork. I suppose the West Cork 4-6-0s 6 surviving towards the end of steam could be considered a 'standard' Class, apart from their work in West Cork one was allocated almost continuously to Dublin-Bray suburban services from 1929-56, different members of the Class rotating on these services incl 466.468,469 & 470. A GER Buck or a LNER J72 in grey as a 'generic' GSR/CIE tank loco anyone? Anyone for an Accurascale 'Buck' in grey with yellow numerals as a fictious CIE loco?

The Accurascale/IRM 800 appears to be primarily aimed at modellers who are primarily interested in buying a prestigious express locomotive, not unlike Hornby Dublo's post WW11 focus on express passenger locos of the Big 4 and British Trix late 60-70s production of Gresley Pacifics, Western Diesel & AL1 25Kv Electric. The 800 also fits in with Accurascale production of the Brush Class 89 a prestigious one off prototype. A GNR Compound would appear to have a similar appeal to an 800 and a potential popular choice with the GN having a strong following among enthusiasts and modellers in the North East of Ireland. The RPSI also carried out a digital scan of their loco fleet (10-15 years ago) to encourage manufactures to produce a model/models of locos in their care. Where would this potentially leave use with a potential model of a less prestigious tank locomotive that would also appeal to British outline modellers in order to minimise development/tooling costs with Hornby and Bachmann already producing a Jinty how about an Industrial steam loco that was used in both Ireland and the British "Mainland" Curiously Fenit Harbour Commissioners Hunslet "Shamrock" later GSWR/GSR/CIE 299 just might fit the bill particularly if Accurascale were to bring out an O Gauge version . The loco was basically a standard Hunslet design used by industry and civil construction in the UK. The GSWR also inherited a similar though slightly larger loco 'Erin" from the Waterford & Wexford Railway which was allocated but never carried the GSWR No 300 I declare an interest because I have been toying for the past 10 years with the idea of replacing my 4mm stuff with a simple O gauge layout with 1-2 locos a couple of coaches and about a dozen wagons.

My teenager and their friends mainly use discord each generation develops their own views outlook on life. Although a Boomer (68) I disagree strongly with intolerant views expressed by my own and other generations both in person and on social media. Some of the opinions expressed at social gatherings among so called 'railway friends" were as intolerant and entrenced (less well off, race, sexism) as what appears on un-moderated social media, maybe I am one of those aging liberals an idealist to young to be a Hippy and to old to become a Punk Rocker so I settled for Thin Lizzy to express my teenage angst. If the gamers in the model railway space find alternate platforms such as Discord where they feel safe to express their opinions without out down or ridicule and outlet for their youthful energy well and good

The B101 may be on a Heuston-Dunlaoire Pier working. My first memories of the B101s were in the bay platform at Dunlaoire on parcel or passenger trains during the late 60s in my early teens, at the time I noticed the B and that the locos had 6 wheel bogies. Some Southern Section passenger trains worked through to Dunlaiore Pier until the connection was severed around 1980s in connection with the the DART works and Busses substituted. Its possible B101s may have been used between Island Bridge Junction & Dunlaoire Pier allowing the train engine a pair of Baby GMs or an A Class off an incomming train to run to Inchacore for servicing.

Car Turntables are sometimes a planning planning condition for new homes/renovations in fashionable (expensive) suburbs in some of New Zealand's cities. https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/latest/105333242/car-turntables-and-car-stackers-in-hot-demand-in-crowded-cities We have also built the odd rotating house and resturant. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/20/new-zealand-rotating-house-sale-auckland-maraeta-hillside-valuation-pictures. While the traditional urban New Zealand home was a (3-4 bed bungalow on a 1/4acre section (site), there has been a growing move towards intensification in recent years with town houses on small sites in major cities together with a tendency to build large architecturally designed homes on very small sections in the most expensive suburbs. Another New Zealand oddity is the high proportion of private funicular railways/cable cars used to access homes on Wellington's hillsides. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/19/city-of-cable-cars-the-ups-and-downs-of-life-with-wellingtons-private-incline-lifts

Quite a contraption and its interesting that the 'Diving Bell" was apparently in use into the 1950s Strictly speaking the bell appears to be a "Pneumatic Cassion" https://fendermarine.com/what-is-a-pneumatic-caisson/ a technology that's still used for underwater excavation work. Technology 1st seems to have been used for bridge pier foundations near Rochester Kent in 1851 so proven technology by the 1860s The cassion is open at the bottom and basically operates as an inverted cup of air that provides a working chamber for the divers and keeps the water out. The workers entering and leaving the cassion through a double air lock in the shaft. The cassion appears to have been used for 'levelling up' the seabed rather than excavating foundations or other heavy hand excavation work. Dublin Port info https://www.dublinport.ie/about-dublin-port/a-city-port/ talks about the 'excavated soil (muck) being stashed in trays inside the bell and brought up when lifted. Interestingly workers classed as "miners" excavated shafts and tunnels by hand sometimes in compressed air on drainage and civil engineering projects in our cities at least into the 1990s. Like occupational diving, mining was considered high skilled, high paid specialist work usually carried out in Ireland and the Uk by people from Donegal. I worked on a couple of projects in the UK where 'miners' sunk shafts and drove headings for sewer connections, in one case being treated to a ride on bogie on the 18" gauge rail line used to remove the muck and access the working face in a tunnel about 30' under Watford High Street, it was necessary to crawl or lie on your belly to pass through the tunnel, unlike the Dublin Port diving bell the atmosphere was nice and cool in the chalk beneath Watford and no water to keep out or need for compressed air.

In the larger scales Battery Radio Control is often used to control both live steam and electric locos, I originally used a model aircraft transmitter before graduating to a model railway transmitter which is capable of controlling both live steam and electric locos together with a number of functions Contemporary receivers/controllers for electric models are not unlike DCC Chips, while the regulator and reverser on a live steam loco are operated by separate servos. For a clockwork loco possibly looking at at separate servos to control the on/off and reversing controls. Possibly worth chatting to RC model aircraft people for info on suitable transmitters and receivers that may be suitable for clockwork.

Colour shades vary over time depending on a lot of variables. The 'Tan" on the 101 Class Sulzers laid up on the Inchacore sound barrier during the late 70s varied in shade from golden brown to pink although they were all likely to have been re-painted around the same time., Ironically the B101s still in Black and Tan appeared to be the least faded although possibly the 1st withdrawn. I guess it really depends on what suits your personal tastes attempting to capture the variety of shades that existed on the prototype or a more pragmatic uniform approach most of my 'green' stock is painted in an approximation of the late 50s light green scheme custom mixed at a local auto paint supplier. I forget if the paint was originally matched with a photo or a 90s repaint of a Hornby Stanier. These days I retain a sample of each custom colour on a piece of MDF or Plasticard, though the shade tends to vary between others although colour 'matched' with the original sample, not drastically though.

I remember reading somewhere that the West Cork railcar set was serviced weekly (at Cork) and a steam working substituted on the day (a GSWR 2-4-2T?) Its possible that railcar maintenance was centralised at Inchacore? as sufficient railcars became available to work all regular diagrams, in a similar manner to the way the Cobh 2600 set was swapped around on Sundays using a return Cork main line working. There was some odd C Class diagramming for maintenance rotation purposes on the West Cork system, the one of the Up goods trains was apparently scheduled to swap locos at Clonakilty Junction with the loco of the Up Branch train. The loco off the Up goods presumably working the Branch for several days while the Branch loco continued to Cork for service/maintenance. Presumably swapping the loco of the goods with the Branch train avoided a light engine movement from Cork to Clonakilty Jnt With the C Class reputation of poor reliability its possible that a lot of swapping about was required to keep sufficient locos in operation to operate the two daily goods trains & the Baltimore and Clonakilty mixed. Dan Renehan in his article on the Metrovick diesels in the IRRS Journal wrote about the amount of 'swapping' around that was necessary to operate the schedule using the A Class diesels, main line passenger and goods workings were diagrammed to the locos in the best mechanical condition and lubricating oil regularly monitored to assess condition and locos rotated to less ardous passenger and finally goods workings as the condition of the lubricant deteriorated. He wrote of fitters travelling in the engine compartment of A Class on Knock Specials attending to leaks and faults as they developed while the train was running. There was a story of Radio Technicians boarding a loco in white overalls which quickly turned grey while trialling radio telephones on the A Class during the 60