Mayner

I re-gauged one of my MM B141s using the existing Bachmann wheels on 26mm 2mm dia axles and re-gauged the other pair using Ultrascale wheel sets. The thread of the Bachmann wheels are wider than the "OO Finescale"/EM profile wheels produced by Ultrascale & Alan Gibson. I found that the re-gauged Bachmann wheels fouled the inside of the B141/181 side frames and it was necessary to remove a lot of plastic from inside the frames before the loco would run. This does not seem to be a problem with the MM 071 as the bogie side frames are thinner. Loco re-gauged with existing wheels top Ultrascale wheels bottom I used small 2mm top hat brushes secured to the axle with Loctite 601 to restrict side play

Another repaint No14 posed on newly re-laid main track Based on Rio Grande Southern 4-6-0 No 20 converted from a Bachmann 4-6-0 No 14 has been the backbone of the fleet since the Connie 2-8-0 threw a wobbler with a faulty motor in 2011. No 14 has used up my stock of GSR (Floquil) weathered black paint though I have two unopened bottles of Scalecoat acrylic for my next repaint. C21 arrives in the siding with a freight as No 14 holds the main All is not what it seems in this photo the light is closing in and the C21 is on a rescue mission. I had just finished track cleaning and sent out No14 and another track powered loco No 11 to clear the yard and haul back their trains to the garden shed, when the DCC system shut down with a dead short. I could not find the fault later I found a small coin had fallen onto one of the circuit breakers that protects the DCC command station and shut down the entire system: A bit like the saga of Tralee & Dingle 8 in the spring of 1952 when they could not get 1T to steam. The C21 had to make an extra two trips to haul all the stock home to the shed, No 11 & 14 got to fly.

Love the U2 on the goods the U2s straight out of Mac Arnold's NCC saga with 4-4-0s working goods trains on the Cookstown & Derry Central lines and ex NCC branches.

The main drawback with both the Dapol and Heljan models is that the majority of the ESSO Teo. tank wagons had the noticeably longer Class A Tank barrel. Its easy enough to extend the barrel of the Dapol tank with parts cut from another kit, but expensive to chop up a rtr model. http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/essoatankwagonvb/h32cd852b#h32cd852b http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/db999xxxtank/hb25d798#hb25d798

I converted a couple of MM B141 to 21mm gauge, I have not had time to build a layout The diesel locos can be converted easily enough, the coaches are more of a challenge as the bogies are unsuitable for the wider gauge. Converting the locos is basically a matter of swapping out the wheel sets with those on a longer axle. Its possible to re-use the existing Bachmann/MM wheelsets some users have turned down the wheelsets to S4 standards. Murphy Models coaches need new bogies and most rtr wagons new chassis as the width between the bogie sidframes/axleboxes is too narrow for a 21mm wheelset. Tony Miles "Adavoyle" now in the care of the South Dublln Model Railway Club (SDMRC) is probably the most famous 21mm S4 layout, A number of SDMRC members built an S4 model of Belturbet in 21 mm gauge. The Model Railway Society of Loughrea is built in 21mm to EM/OO gauge track standards. Andy Cundick a 21mm S4 layout based on Valencia Harbour regularly appears on the UK exhibition circuit

I always had a soft spot for the "Large Tanks" a tin plate model based on a photo of Lough Gill was my first "scratch built" loco that actually ran. The body was glued together from soft drinks tins, the chassis was from a second hand Triang-Hornby Princess bought for £1 re-wheeled with Jinty wheels it waddled but at 16 or 17 was my pride and joy and only working loco.

Hi Helene A young lad living in the area around Heuston would have a much better chance of breaking out of the slums and poverty than a lad living in the area around Connolly. The area around Connolly (Amiens St) had quite a history. The area around Railway Street between Gardiner and Amiens Street was Monto the old red light area shut down after the founding of the Free State, Sherriff always seems to have been some thing of a no-go area, excellent baggage for a obsessive father who is unable to shake off his roots. Going to the trains building a large model railway could be a lifetimes work the father like Pete Waterman the musical producer might commission professional model builders to re-create his childhood memories. During the 1970s Harry Connaughton a prolific professional modeller produced high quality models of mainly Irish steam era locos and rolling stock mainly for private clients. Dave a member of this news group builds layouts to order allowing dad more time to cut himself off from the family and play God.

Nice to see a scratchbuild, the SLNCR 0-6-4Ts with their short coupled wheelbase and firebox behind the trailing axle almost seem to be a development of the long boiler type of locomotive used on the NER. The short coupled wheelbase would have been easier than a conventional six coupled tender or tank loco and the bogie would have improved stability compared to a long boiler 0-6-0. Look forward to seeing more of the build.

Tralee & Dingle railcar on a dry Mid Winter day The bridge is on a lift out section for gardening. Railcar passing a freight on a newly rebuilt section. The track quarry screenings ground cover is laid on a butyl rubber membrane on 19mm treated ply on the usual 4X2 treated pine framing. I am only running battery power at the moment as there is too much hastle cleaning track in damp weather. A ray of Sunlight catches the caboose A bit the east side of Alpine Pass on the South Park line this town is in shadow most of the winter time but we don't have to deal with snow or too much ice though! The bush (jungle) on the left grew up during the past few years after a large gum tree blew over during a winter storm

Time for the spring track repairs, including a spot of weeding C25 on the weekly mixed The yellow reefer is probably loaded with cold beer and fresh vichels for the mining and logging camps. Gondalas spotted under the hopper for loading Should have seen it before weeding. Moss and other plants thrive in this area section of line is in shade most of the day, sleepers bleached out after 7 years service though no other noticeable damage to probably get another year before re-sleepering. Major re-modelling at the main station/yard The spur on the left was recently added and is to be extended into a loop. Main running road lifted for re-sleepering Re-sleepering the crossover from Main to passing siding and yard Baseboards are open top principal built outside! All timber is pressure treated (CCA) pine been in use over 7 years without sign of rot. Track is supported on decking timber on 2"X2" cross members on weed mat on 1' welded mesh on 4"X2" framing on 4"x4" piles concreted into the ground. New switch ready to go in at East end of spur The new siding is mainly to allow through freights to set out or collect cars without having to switch the yard, without the problem of cars running away down the grade!

The photos of the goods kind of reminds me of photos of a B143 shunting Newcastle West in 1974 a bit like trying to solve the rubic cube every siding and the run round full of wagons. I find pick up goods or way freight operation far more interesting to running round with fixed formation trains. Like steam few people under 50 in Ireland or the UK have any memory or experience of goods trains dropping off and collecting individual wagons at wayside stations or when an additional coach or passenger rated van could be added to a passenger train.

Along with the Bob Barlow obituary Model Railway Journal No 240 has quite an Irish flavour with an article on scratch building Irish Narrow gauge locos and a colour photo of David Holman's Arigna. The models of C&L No1 Isabel and Tralee & Dingle Kerr No 4 are so realistically modelled I first though they were O rather than 4mm scale For modern traction modellers there is an article on converting an O gauge Class 37 to a real Co Co with traction motors driving each axle

404 was one of the Armstrong Whitworth built locos. These were un-superheated and supplied new with the large E Class tenders which carried 7 tons of coal and 4500 gal of water, probably needed the full tender load to reach Cork. There is a legend that orders to scrap 404 in 1930 were ignored, its number plates swapped with 409 which was scrapped instead.

I was over the Eastern end of the line twice once on an IRRS special to Kimacthomas and New Ross during the 70s and a final IRRS special on the day the line finally closed. The line was busy with passenger traffic on the final day a Pitzer staff excursion from Ballinacourty and associated ECS working hauled by a pair of 121s and the IRRS special worked by a 001. Kilmac was retained as a crossing loop with a short siding the old goods store at the Western end of the station.

Leslie 375 ties in with Locomotives of the GSR Type C tenders 374-77 built in 1922 most likely to run with 401,402 & 406 built 1921 & a spare. JHB The 400s & 500 seem to have been built with new tenders, but of 4 different types C,D,E & F ? The 3 surviving Inchacore 400s 401, 402 & 406 probably ended up with larger D,E or F tenders with the poorer quality "coal" available during the Emergency and during CIE days. Larger E Type tenders from the scrapped Armstrong Whitworth 408 & 409 and Type D & F tenders from the 500 class appear to have ended up behind the rebuilt 400 Class. 800 The K3 & K4 or 355 & 368 Classes had a reputation of being very useful heavy goods and mixed traffic locos . Some were scrapped in the late 1920s as the GSR had a surplus of heavy freight locos with the Great Depression and the introduction of the 500s & Woolwich Moguls. 356 was used as a guinea pig for the turf burner conversion as she was considered to be the best of the type

The GSR & Irish Free State publicity machines seems to have been aimed chiefly at competing with Northern Ireland and the GNR & NCC for overseas visitors. Once the GSR had successfully lobbied Government to allow the railways to take over competing road services there was no real need for a publicity machine in the Free State, the real problem was economic stagnation and the long drawn out closure process for uneconomic lines. Had the GSR got its way the narrow gauge and most branch and cross-country lines would have gone by 1939, this would have allowed most of the older and non-standard stock to be scrapped, leaving the GSR with a modern fleet of locos and rolling stock.

186 tender looks more like a GSWR Coey tender rather than MGWR. Visually the two companys tenders were quite different Midland platework very smooth countersunk rivets, GSWR covered in snaphead rivets, framing quite different between large Midland & GSWR tenders.

"Locomotive of the GSR has a whole section on GSWR tenders but unfortunately no photos showing the front end. 186s tender is most likely to be what described as a Type C Tender 67 of which were built between 1899-1922. These tenders appear to have been the standard for the majority of 4-4-0, 0-6-0, 2-6-0 & 4-6-0 classes built between 1899 & 1914 and the three Inchacore built 400 Class 4-0s 400, 401, 402, 406. The remaining 400s were built by Armstrong Whitworth in Newcastle and fitted with the larger E Class tenders, the English built engines were not superheated and would have been expected to be a lot more heavier on coal and water than the superheated Inchacore built locos.

I got mine from Tonys Trains Exchange in the USA a long-long time ago, Digitrains in the UK seem to stock them expensive though http://www.digitrains.co.uk/ecommerce/search/?loc=1&q=&c=1&m=17. Converting your Liliput HOe locos to DCC is probably more trouble than its worth and won't help the re-sale value or improve the running quality of your locos. DCC works best in N or 009 /HOe with bogie diesels or electrics with 8-12 wheel pick up. I converted my Irish narrow gauge locos back to analogue as I could not get reliable operation with 4 or 6 wheel pick up and found analogue more forgiving.

I found the CMX Clean Machine very effective in N gauge, should do the job in 009 Used to run the car around the layout in the consist of a train once or twice a month. Used isopropyl as a cleaning fluid in the car, and to clean loco/stock wheels.

Came across this explains what a Relco is supposed to do. Definitely not suitable for DCC but recommended for 009 http://www.mrol.com.au/Articles/DCC/Relcos.aspx

They would have needed at least 3 MPDs to put out a similar power output to a 141 or 4 to equal a 181 or Hunslet. The heavy freights would have put a terrible stress on the MPD engines and transmissions. In Diesel Dawn Patrick Flannigan spoke of power units shutting down as engines and transmissions overheated until there was only one 275hp power car trying to keep the whole train moving. Between the constant threat of closure, reliability problems with MPD cars and Crossley locos the drivers and fitters lot could not have been a happy one in the 60s and 70s

Harris imported Hino trucks into Ireland in CKD form in the 60s & 70s claiming that they were assembled in Ireland rather than imported. "Assembly" was basically attaching the cab to an already assembled chassis, topping up with fuel, oil and water and driving off the assembly line.

Having investigated spent the best part of the last 15 years investigating workplace accidents including several fatalities, I have found that common sense is not the most common of commodities as we are hard wired to take risks. Trains cannot swerve if someone cocks big time and permits a train to enter an area under possession, a high vis just might draw a drivers attention to warn workers of an approaching train. PTS certs and training has become more critical with the increasing number of contactors and casuals, with CTC and power signalling and multiple worksites there is probably a greater risk of control loosing track of possessions than during the era each section had a local ganger and control by a local signal box. The behaviour of the Ballymena signal man is a symptom of the casual culture on the railways during that era that that lead to the like of Buttervant and Cherryville and Clapham Junctions disasters. Was this the usual practice for exchanging tokens at Ballymena? Did the union raise the issue with management and ask for a platform for exchanging tokens or simply let sleeping dogs lie?