Mayner

Almost anything is feasible but re-gauging an assembled chassis from OO to 21mm would involve a certain amount of wasted time and effort. Dismantling and re-assembling the chassis would basically involve replacing the OO frame spacers and motion bracket with 21mm gauge parts supplied with the kit, replacing brake riggings (0.7mm wire), replacing loco and tender axles this would only work with Alan Gibson or Ultrascale wheels. Ultrascale probably supply the best quality wheels in 4mm and will supply 21mm gauge wheel sets, but have ceased to take new work on account of an order backlog. Alan Gibson supply suitable wheels, but axles have to be cut to length for 21mm gauge. If you are thinking of changing gauge at some stage in the future a better option might be to build a second chassis so that you have the option of running the loco on either OO or 21mm gauge. I can supply an additional chassis fret with the kit or at a later stage if you decide to re-gauge or build a second chassis.

The chassis is designed to be assembled in OO or 21mm gauge. The OO gauge chassis basically folds up into a box structure, conventional L shaped frame spacers are used in 21mm with slots and tabs to aid alignment. The bending jig is basically a section of round tube or bar of suitable diameter bolted to a section of rectangular bar or box section with a fixed stop. I basically use round bar/tube of differing diameters to form curves in sheet metal. Crude but effective I originally used the jig in combination with rolling bars to for the elliptical roofs for my 4w van kits. The raised smoke box rivets are formed as part of the photo-engraving process by etching half way through the metal to produce relief detail, the same process us used to represent raised coach panelling. An alternative is to mark the position of the rivets by etching little dimples on the reverse of the metal and then punch the rivets using a riveting tool, I used this technique with the "Inchacore" pattern cabs where the riveting pattern varies considerably from locos to loco.

Import duty/higher Irish rate of GST should not apply if you buy your wheels gears and motor from a UK supplier before the 29th March Being outside the EU my kit prices do not include VAT or other purchase taxes, but may be subject to import duty & VAT/purchase tax upon import to the EU, Ireland or other countries. I am pricing the option of supplying the 650 as a complete kit with wheels gears and motor for OO gauge users.

I will be re-releasing the coach side overlays in December 18/January 19 3201-3213 BSGV@$53.00NZ 356-71 Standard Open @$32.00NZ 1904-8 Brake Standard @$32.00NZ 2405-2418 Buffet Car @32.00 NZ Shipping minimum $15.00 NZ I expect to place an order by early October, please send me a PM with quantities required and I will be able to provide a more accurate estimate of shipping costs.

I found that Expo Tools & Equipment ttps://www.expotools.com & Eileen's Emporium https://eileensemporium.com/ are a good source of modelling tools and material in the UK. Both have been in business for many years have on line shops and attend most of the major UK exhibitions. Drills & Chucks: These days I use Titanium coated HSS twist drills for work between 0.5-1.5mm, small titanium coated drills are less inclined to flex and break than plain HSS. Both Expo & Eileens stock reasonably priced drill sets. https://www.expotools.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?WD=titanium coated&PN=16pc-HSS-Titanium-Coated-Twist-Drill-Set-11532.html#SID=109. I have a number of pin vices for holding these drills bought from suppliers in the UK & the States. The most useful tool for holding drills of less than 0.7mm is a miniature drill holder that I got as a freebie with my 1st order from Micro-Mark in the States, this fitsinto the collet of a larger drill. Nuts & Bolts: Traditionally British and Irish modellers have used small BA nuts and bolts, though fine metric threads are creeping in. Bolts are normally supplied slotted countersunk or cheese head. 8, 10, 12 & 14 BA are probably the most common sizes used in 4mm/OO gauge models with 10BA the most common for general assembly work. These threads will self tap in plasticard and possibly resin. Nuts, bolts, washers, taps and dies are available in these sizes from Expo & Eileens. Expo supply a useful BA and metric tap and drill sets complete with drills in the necessary tapping and clearance sizes.

Tender Assembly: The tender is designed to be assembled in MGWR/early GSR with coal rails or with plates to the bunker sides in late GSR/CIE condition The tender is designed to be assembled in three sub-assemblies, underframe, tank sides and coal plate. Underframe and drag beam/firemans platform. Tender superstructure, the half etched rebate in the tank rear plate are a guide for drilling/cutting slots for rear steps that were fitted to some tenders in CIE days. Flares formed to tender sides using bending jig. (The kits will be supplied with flared tender sides) Tender main sub assemblies, coal plate, tank top and end plates, tank sides, underframe. Tender sub assemblies, beading and coal rails fitted to tank sides. Assembled tender test fitted to chassis. Loco and tender with production chimney, dome and safety valve castings test fitted. Final detailing and fettling still required to loco structure, I assembled the smokebox back to front and haven't gotten around to fitting the cab front splashers. The 650 will be followed by a MGWR Standard Goods L (J19) at some stage in 2019, the castings are common to several MGWR loco types including Standard Goods, Achill Bogie and Heavy Shunting Tank. I will post pictures of the completed loco in about 2 weeks.

It looks like there is enough interest to produce another batch of overlays, I will check with my engraver and confirm cost.

Looks like Youghal! There appears to have been little change in the station/track layout from the early 1900s until the excursion platforms were removed following storm damage in 1962. https://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/1916-amateur-films/651943-storm-damage-youghal-1962/ The 1960s onwards would be simplest from as good quality locos and rolling stock is available both kits and ready to run. The steam era would be more challenging as apart from the forthcoming OO Works J15 most of the locos and stock would have to be scratch built.

There are photos of the newly opened Crosshaven & Carrigaline Stations in the Lawrence Collection of the National Library of Ireland which include some of the enamel signs. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000040470 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Search/Results?lookfor=carrigaline+railway+station&type=AllFields&submit=FIND

My LocoSound have ceased to manufacture small scale sound cards, the majority of production was sold in the UK and its no longer to supply to that market apparently response to Brexit http://www.mylocosound.com/mylocosound_018.htm. Phoenix Sound Systems and My LocoSound continue to manufacture sound modules for the large scale market, both do steam and diesel sounds with UK whistles, Phoenix also do a thunderstorm module complete with lightning A sound module with a fixed speaker or speakers & electronic chuff might do the trick with surround sound on a small layout like Arigna Town or Fintonagh

Great to see photos of the layout, which at the time was groundbreaking at the time in modelling an Irish station and its environment to a reasonably uniform standard in near to scale length. The layout was a great example by what was achieved by determined modelers when few suitable kits or rtr models were available. Around the same time another group of MRSI members were batch building 201 Class diesels to a high standard in plasticard on Athearn SD45 Chassis. One of the records set was researching, building and completing a 2750 Class railcar in a far faster time than it took IE to get the prototype cars into service after their arrival at Inchacore. The surprising thing is that despite a high level of exposure at exhibitions and the BRM article, very few people on this news group appear to have seen or were aware of the existence of the layout.

Some Midland 6 wheelers are on my to do list and should be able to release as complete kits in the later part of 2019. I need a couple of rakes of MGWR 6w coaches for my own layout. At this stage I am looking at a 3rd, brake 3rd, composite & TPO possibly a combination of pre and post 1900 vehicles with different roof profiles and paneling styles. Apart from coach springs suitable castings (from my patterns) are available for these coaches in Dart Castings MJT range in the UK.

The hobby has changed a lot in the last 20 years with a noticeable shift away from kit and scratchbuilding to rtr, the other factor is that the majority of people who model the railways of their childhood/formative years and there are relatively few people with memories of steam in regular operation on the CIE system or interest in the CIE black and tan era. I managed to convince myself that I saw a large blue steam locomotive with smoke deflectors leading an express across Gormanstown Viaduct on a childhood trip to the sea side in 63 or 64. Years later I learned that CIE sold Vs 207 to the UTA who used her on weekend Belfast-Dublin "Tourist Train" The other factor that has crept in is that a scratch or kit built model is somehow going to be far inferior to a ready to run model and a growing proportion of people are prepared to wait in the hope that Murphy Models or Irish Railway Models will bring out a model or their favourite loco or piece of rolling stock than assemble a kit or attempt a scratchbuild. Steam is easier to to scratchbuild than more modern power, basically rectangles and circles rather than compound curves. Hopefully Ken's excellent thread will encourage people to have a go at scratchbuilding or kit assembly

The sides on coaches with Attock panelling would have to be built up in two layers rather than the single layer used in the majority of etched kits. The additional layer would add to the cost, but could be used to provide a useful glazing rebate.

The inter relationship between TMD & SSM under Paul Green's ownership is a bit complicated. The initial range of locos and stock including a Glasgow and South Western 0-6-2T, MGWR 0-6-0T, J15 and GNR(I) S Class 4-4-0, 4-4-2T and GNR Coaches designed by the late Eamonn Kearney. Paul Green appears to have acquired the rights to the existing Irish range of kits during the late 1980s and expanded the range introducing the GNR(I) goods brake and SG 0-6-0, GSWR 6w coaches and whitemetal wagon kits. To complicate things TMD introduced the GNR (I) Compound and GSR Bredin coaches after SSM had acquired the existing range of kits. The Compound was kind of joint venture as it used an SSM S Class tender Funnily enough I convinced myself that the 7mm J15 frets were produced in nickle silver or maybe I was because the 4mm kit was produced in n/s during the later stage of Paul Greens ownership

There have been a number of serious accidents, involving passengers(including at least one involving a wheel chair) crossing the lines at suburban stations in Australia and New Zealand. The railways in Australia and New Zealand have historically operated under a less stringent regulatory environment than Ireland and the UK with no specific requirement to fence off railways or interlocked signals at level crossings. The crossing lights and barriers in Perth are likely to be operated automatically by the train, and unlike Ireland are not interlocked with the signalling system and remotely monitored and do not provide a fail safe if a person in a wheelchair or mobility scooter is on the line when the barriers come down. I am not sure how the Irish railway regulator would respond to the idea of passengers crossing the line at railway stations after over 100 years of using foot bridges. The problem with the lifts is either one of an inadequate maintenance or poor lift specification which becomes a major issue.

Ken Very impressive, a nice example of the scratchbuilders art. Could you expand a bit more on your techniques for cutting the external shape & straight lines and the use of the rivet press? Some modelers use a snips for external cuts and file to the finished line others use a razor saw or metal shear. Did you use a rivet press with an indexing table or rely on an eagle eye and steady hand while punching the rivets?

Now to assemble the boiler, firebox (wrappers anyway! and smoke box. The boiler is rolled from brass sheet and firebox formed to shape, the boiler and firebox and smoke box are designed as sub assemblies that bolt together and to the footplate. Preformed boiler and firebox wrappers. I used a strip of scrap brass to simplify joining the boiler and firebox together, a strip of brass will be provided for this purpose in the kit. Reinforcing/jointing strip soldered inside the boiler wrapper. Stainless steel clips to secure firebox wrapper while soldering to boiler. Assembled boiler & firebox wrappers. The disc at the front is used to align the boiler and smokebox wrappers. Riveted smokebox assembly for superheated boiler. The smokeboxes on the saturated locos were shorter and flush riveted with a smooth finish. The smokebox back and front fold up into a box to support the wrapper. A captive bolt is used to bolt the boiler and smokebox sub assemblies together. I used various brass tube and bar of various diameters to preform the smokebox wrapper. Wrapper is attached by working around from one side, using 17 watt soldering iron with small tip and very little solder in a similar manner to the cab roof. Smoke box front attached by sweating, cleaning the soldering iron tip before touching the riveted detail. Starting to look like a loco! I could not resist taking a picture though the chimney and dome are a bit pissed. I have started detailing the loco fitting boiler bands, leading springs and leading splashers, though I still have to sort out the cab splashers. The boiler fittings were lost wax brass castings prepared from my originals by a Morris & Watson a precious metal merchant fabricating and casting business in Auckland. The lost wax castings were also used as masters for the production pewter castings by another business in Auckland

A "National Railfans Association" has a distinctly American feel to it a railfans/gricers lobby group like the NRA to defend the gricers constitutional right to bear a camera and go where they like on railroad property.

Probably the "Thomas & Friends" franchise realising that they need to appeal to a much broader audience than small boys if the series is to survive rather than so called p.c. crap Daughter has been pretty much into the hero girls stuff starting with Dora the Explorer, through Disney Princesses to Lego Elves made it pretty clear she did not like Thomas & Friends or British made kids cartoon programmes India &China are both potentially huge markets heavily rail orientated with parents who want and are prepared to pay the very best for their childern. Interesting to see if Bachmann or Hornby bring out any of these new international characters, Bachmann's Rusty looks like a reasonable start for a BNM Ruston, apart from Frateschi in Brazil I don't know of a manufacturer that produces a reasonably priced model of the EMD GA8 export model (Noor Jian Indian Royal Train locomotive)

And now to the loco body! The fret includes parts to assemble a member of the MGWR Ks/GSR/CIE 650 Class (G2) with round topped superheated boiler post 1918. The kit includes 3 alternative cab types and smokeboxes for superheated and saturated boilers. Cab interiors suitable for OO or 21mm gauges. The MGWR had a policy of renewing or replacing locos and rolling stock at a 25 year interval and commenced rebuilding the K Class with superheated boiler and canopy cabs in 1918, although the GSR CME Bazin appears to have been opposed to superheating smaller locos the rebuild programme continued at Broadstone after the Amalgamation. Although some locos retained their "flyaway" Attock style cabs the majority were rebuilt with low wrap around GNR/Stirling style cabs which were eventually replaced by cabs similar to the J15 and other GSWR classes possibly as a result of problems with enginemen hitting their heads on the low GNR style cabs. The locos with "Inchacore" style cabs were fitted with circular spectacle plates and retained laminated springs on the leading axle with distinctive hangers, the locos received rectangular spectacle plates and volute springs were fitted to the leading axle following or possibly during the Emergency. Running board/valence/buffer beam fret. Support valences while bending up running board valence sub-assembly Starting to look like a MGWR loco with deep valences! Running board overlay half etched to dress over running board assembly. Running board overlays temporarily bolted to running board subassembly, the overlay is dressed by hand around the curves with small diameter brass rod or dowel (artist paint brush handle) clips are to check fit before final assembly. The half etched brass is reasonably soft, I worked from the front buffer beam backwards making sure everything was in line, dressing the overlay over each arch before temporarily bolting down at the end. I soldered the overlay in place by tinning the running board with 145 solder and phosphoric flux using a 25Watt soldering iron with a large tip. I then cleaned the iron and slowly worked back heating the overlay. Running board fitted, now time for cab and splasher assembly! I decided to assemble the loco in MGWR condition with a canopy cab. Cab and splashers are fitted with tabs that are intended to slot into the running board. I 1st tacked one side of the cab to the spectacle plate, checking for square, there is a half etched rebate in the cab front to assist alignment. I dressed the cab sides & roof around the spectacle plate using the spectacle plate and brass bar as a template, funnily enough the fit was good same as the initial test assembly 4 years ago! Splashers fold up with the splasher tops level with the sides, the splasher tops are slightly over long and need to be carefully filed back when fitting to the running plate. Really starting to look like a loco, excess solder to be cleaned up with a scraper on running board, splasher/cab joints. The challenges of building an Irish Broad Gauge steam loco to run on OO gauge! Scrunched up inside valve gear, main frames and wheels in the completely wrong place. Ks/650 progress so far, next stage assemble and fit smokebox, boiler and firebox! I will leave the motor and gears until I fit the boiler, firebox, smokebox subassemblies. Funnily enough wheels apart steam locos are reduced to similar sub assemblies while going through the works.

Assembled brake gear, coupling rods, fitted reverser and guard irons to complete chassis assembly. I usually assemble the brake gear as removable sub-assemblies to simplify painting. The little miniature drill holder that fits in the pin vice (miniature hand drill) came as a freebie from Micro-Mark Tools and is an invaluable piece of the tool kit for holding small drills, (0.5mm for boring out brake blocks and hangers on the fret. I used 0.45mm handrail wire to pin the brake blocks to the hanger, the work surface is ceramic fiber board supplied by micromark. Loco and tender brake hangers, I opened up the holes in the hangers with a small tapered broach to clear 0.7mm brass wire/rod. Loco chassis with brake gear, guard irons and reversing lever fitted. Loco and tender chassis and brake gear sub assemblies. Coupling rods. The test assembly picked up a number of glitches in the chassis that will be rectified in the production artwork. Coupling rods need to be beefed up, packing pieces to aid brake gear assembly, some details engraved on the wrong side of the sheet.

Apart from the NCC Jinties and Woolwich its probably easier to scratch build than attempt to modify a model of a UK mainland loco into an Irish Prototype. Even the NCC Jeeps, Moguls & Castle Class 4-4-0s were quite different from the LMS engines, the LNWR crossed the DX with its Crew Special Tanks for the Greenore line, the DSER Webb 2-4-2T that passed into GSR stock was rebuilt by the DSER with large boiler, DSER style cab and boiler fittings. The Hornby T9 with 6 wheel tender is probably about the right size for 131 or 171, but would need new cab, smokebox, boiler fittings and tender superstructure. The T9 would be an expensive option, there are also reports of problems with gear mesh and mazac rot. A Triang L1 with a plasticard scratchbuilt body would probably be a less expensive option compared with trying to carve a modern rtr 4-4-0 into an Irish model and mighty actually last longer.

There is a note on slip working in Shepherd's Midland and Great Western Railway of Ireland. Apparently in the summer 1918 timetable there was a slip at Inny Junction for the Cavan Branch. Shepherd comments that it was difficult to understand the economics of the slip in the timetable as it was necessary to send a light engine from Mullingar in advance of the Sligo passenger to pick up the Cavan coach. Slip working appears to have continued at Enfield up to 1926 into GSR days.

I managed to dig up my copy of Padriag O'Cuimin's paper on MGWR Carriage Stock. The "oul crate" was a very rare breed indeed a 6w brake composite with 1st & 2nd Class accommodation ideal for a mixed or 1 coach passenger train on a line with light passenger traffic According to MGWR Carriage Stock 36 a re-build of an earlier coach entered service in 1908 with seating for 8 1st and 24 2nd class passengers and electric lighting! The 2nds were presumably re-classified as 3rds and kept their upholstered seating when the MGWR abolished 2nd class in 1914. 36 appears to have started life as a 4 compartment 1-2nd composite and converted into a slip coach by converting one of the 2nd class compartments into a brake apartment with end and side lookouts, presumably in the absence of a luggage compartment bulky parcel and mail traffic would have been carried in a H Van or possibly one of the passenger compartments. Apparently very few passengers traveled on the mixed, there is a story of a passenger turning up at Limerick to ride the mixed. The lone passenger is escorted to the end of the platform by a porter, loco and coach arrive pipassenger and return to goods yard picks up the rest of the train, backs out past Check Cabin and departs for Foynes. H.C. Casserley photo of 36m at Adare