Mayner

Not exactly a stoppage more a case of running the weekly train when there is enough traffic. Tonight the logging train made it though from the landing site to the mill. Meanwhile back in the workshop work continues on the railcar chassis. 1st serious attempt at milling and turning. I was intending to build the chassis with one fixed and one rocking axle but ended up fitting sprung hornblocks to one axle as I overdid the slotting. Bolt together assembly with accurately drilled holes and turned frame spacers seems to be a lot quicker than the solder and fold up spacers used in most 4mm kits. View of the transmission showing Northyard gearbox and silicone tube coupling. The motor will be secured in place using silicone sealant once the chassis is painted. Little and Large G Scale T&D Inspection Railcar & 4mm CIE Wickham trolley

The Digitrax is in widespread use among American modellers in North America, The UK, Australia and New Zealand. While the system is getting long in the tooth change or development of the operating system or throttle design would probably result in a certain level of resistance from individuals and clubs with large layouts, where it is pretty much the norm for visitors to turn up with their personal throttle plug into the Loconet network and start running. With 15 years experience running a Digtrax system indoors and outdoors the main advantage are reliability, robustness and above all good after sales service. The command station from my original Empire Builder set bought in 1999 is still going strong. I still prefer the user interface on my DT300 Throttle from 2001 upgraded to RC in 2008 to the more recent DT400 series throttles introduced in 2005. I suppose the most surprising thing is that DCC manufacturers like Digitrax, Lenz, NCE, Zimo do not appear to have designed their products in terms of planned obsolescence, but realised that modellers think long term in terms of control systems and getting the customer through the door to buy the starter set was just the beginning.

Another week or so should be clear Wall and broken plant pots supposed to be part of an abandoned lime kiln or coke ovens/smelter, some landscaping and planting when the Triffids die back. Pumpkin pie for Easter? needs to darken. More pumpkins on the vine climbing our neighbours fejoa tree, starting to fruit sign of approaching autumn and longer nights. Back in the workshop the "engineers" have set up the railcar final drive to get a feel for the new fangled gasoline powered technology. The motor is a 3v unit supplied with the kit gearbox and neophrane tube coupler by Northyard NZ local specialist supplier of model railway parts (mainly S Scale) Luckily the axle and worm wheel diameter match. 1st stage in building the railcar chassis, drilling out the axle holes with my Christmas present a 50 year old Unimat set up as a vertical drill and milling machine. The first job was to clamp two strips of brass together with the aid of double sided tape, then mark out the axle holes and frame profile on the upper strip, centre pop the axle holes and clamp the strips in position on the milling table. Next stage is to cut out the profile of the frames with a milling cutter, which should theoretically leave me with a pair of identical frames with accurately drilled axle holes.

The classic was the re-boilering of DSER 2-4-2T, 4-4-2T & 0-6-0 with GSWR boilers and later the development of the X superheated boiler that could be made to fit the GSWR 52 Class 4-4-0, ex-Midland 530 Achill Bogie 4-4-0, 566 C Class 4-4-0 & 563, 567, 594, & 614 "Standard Good" 0-6-0s While there was a lot of focus on the high average age and number of types in the GSR loco fleet. The introduction of the Woolwich Moguls, Midland Cattle engines and 400 & 500 class 4-6-0s against a background of falling traffic lead to a surplus of large modern main line locomotives that were too heavy to run on secondary lines. This may have lead to the scrapping of 3 of the recently introduced but problematic 400 Class 4-6-0, ex-MGWR 646 Class 0-6-0 and the partial decimation of the ex GSWR 321 4-4-0 & 355 & 368 2-6-0 while the majority of the 3 Classes were modernised and worked on top link services until the end of steam The 5 342 Class mixed traffic 4-4-0s introduced in 1936 almost seem to have been intended to replace the 341 & the Coey 4-4-0s scrapped in the late 1920s. It almost looks like the 800 were intended to replace the scrapped 400 Class, restoring the number of express passenger locos to 10, releasing the 500 Class to take up their intended mixed traffic duties, releasing Woolwich for work elsewhere

There seem to have been quite radical changes in motive power policy between Maunsell's depart to the SECR in 1913 & Morton's takeover in 1930 Maunsell had developed a proposal for a 3 cylinder 0-8-2T banking tank (perhaps an Irish equivalent of his SR Z Class) which was dropped in favour of the 900 Class A1. Building of futher Maunsell's excellent 341 Class 4-4-0s was dropped in favour of the 400Class 4-6-0s >It is rumoured that frames intended for additional 341 Class locos were used to rebuild the 321 Class locos in the 1920s Morton the MGWR CME although more senior was pipped for the GSR job by Bazin the GSWR CME with Morton as assistant. Bazin seems to have been opposed to superheating small and medium sized locos, but Morton was allowed free rein to continue the superheating of the 650 Class 2-4-0s at Broadstone. Morton reversed this policy with most GSWR & Midland standard classes superheated with a range of standard boilers from the 1930s to the end of steam. The scrapping of the 900s was unlikey to be a complete loss, boilers, wheels, motion were standard with other classes. Bazin Bazin

The odd thing is that 901 was built in 1924 after Watson's departure 9 years after 900. One of the theories is that some of the problems with Watson's locos arose as a result of friction between the Civil Engineers, the CME and the Chief Draftsman. One of the oddities is the speed with which the GSWR introduced the excellent 500 Class 4-6-0s so quickly after Watson's departure, were Bazin & Joyant working on the design when the boss was not looking?

It looks like those long MGWR buffers might foul the loading gauge on the running line when you are playing spin the loco. Locos turning on the Athlone MGWR table fouled the loading gauge on the Down Mayo Line and was interlocked with the signalling system.

Very few published photos of Castlegregory JHB very rare.

There is quite a bit of Sommervile and Ross (in the Castle Rackrent layout, the original layout was supposed to be in Joyce Country the terminus of a branch from Tuam, the layout was gradually extended eastwards towards Waterford. Station buildings are mainly North Kerry , The Burma Road gets a look in the station building at Moygraney is based on Kiltamagh though the signal box is from Towcester. There appear to be a few Australian 5'3" items of rolling stock Victoria Railways seems to have been rather fond of blue. Alan: Models of GSWR locos are challenging to build most locos had a combination of sloping smokeboxes, curly running plates, wrap around tank engine cabs & thousands of snap head rivets and drawings are not exactly easy to find. Apart from the SSM 101 no kits are available, the 201 0-6-0T the tank engine version of the 101 would probably be the simplest build should be possible to use many of the kit parts including castings, frames and smokebox. The 0-6-4T & 0-4-4BT have grown on me down the years would make really distinctive models and was surprised to find that the sole surviving NZR Single Fairlie 0-6-4T has a GSWR design cab, bunker and trailing bogie. A couple of GSWR 0-4-4BT were built as Single Fairlies, perhaps some deal was done in return for dropping the Fairlie royalty payments or the GSWR drawing office did a nixer for Avonside

The Midland Great Western built a track laying machine that worked on much the same principal in the 1920s complete with trolley that carried track panels along the train in the video. The GSR preferred to use the machine to lift track and dismantle lines. The Midland engineer patented the design which was developed and used in the UK into the 1960s as the Morris Track Layer see 1.39

Somehow or other the Shannon/Foynes and Galway Harbour Development Plans http://www.galwayharbour.com/new_port/dp.php?c=97 remind me of the rival 19th Century plans to establish a Transatlantic port on the West Coast. The rival plans to establish a container port for the new super vessels on the West Coast almost has the air of a South Sea Bubble about them underwritten by the state. Its possible that Limerick Foynes are considering transhipping container traffic between the Far East and ports in Europe on a new deep sea wharf rather than purely Irish container trade. This is starting to happen in some ports with most of the traffic arriving and departing by sea rather than through the port gate. Another factor is that now that shipping companies have become masters of playing port companies off against each other, locally Maresk has changed ports so often in recent years its difficult to keep track of movements. With three main container ports this is less of a factor in Ireland, most of the industry is relatively near Dublin & Cork, Waterford has to compete with Dublin and Cork to stay in business as it just has not got the population or industrial base. I think IE estimated a figure of $8m eu to re-open the Foynes branch as a basic railway for the Pallas Green traffic using used cwr on conc sleepers recovered from the Cork line re-lay, probably one train working. Level crossings should either be eliminated or automated, the cost of paying for a second man over 36 years to ride in the cab of the Tara ore trains to open and close the gates at Beaupark would have more than paid of a set of crossing lights and a barrier.

I stuck with the DesignCAD mainly because I don't want to take another 10 year getting used to another programme. The main advantage for me is that movement of the cursor can be calibrated to move in steps by the key board arrows, as I prefer to move the cursor with the arrows rather than the mouse. The personal version of Sketchup may be an option for 3D I was surprised to find that one of the local sheetmetal workshops use Sketchup for prototypng before converting to the cutter software.

I think Foynes and Waterford ports are in competition for the Pallas Green zinc traffic whenever the mine gets to the production stage. Train lengths and the short length of crossing loops and sidings is a real issue. While IE claim that its freight services are profitable, operating and maintenance costs must be high given the low capacity and age of the rolling stock, both the 071s and 201s are getting on a bit and fuel hungry. On average the loco and wagon fleet is now older than what the GSR took on in the 1920s, the vacuum braking system pretty much obsolete. Provided you had the traffic longer trains would allow freight to be carried at a lower rate and justify a financial case for new locos and stock and longer loops and sidings.

Unless you are a professional user or can get a student copy an AutoCAD or Solidworks license would be pretty serious investment for an modeller. I have use DesignCAD a 3D an inexpensive modelling programme for all my drafting including masters for etching and 3d printed models through Shapeways. It probably took me 5-10 years to really master the programme and after 15 years I am still discovering features that would probably be second nature to professional designers like Richie & Dave. Most of the cheaper programmes have their idiocyrcries weird things happen when you try to convert a DesignCAD file into stl. for 3d printing or dxf. or drg. for photo engraving. The 2D version of Draftsight has had good reviews and is free http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-sof...'>http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-sof....'>http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-sof.... I looked at changing to TurboCAD or Draftsight but could not get used to a new user interface after 15 years with DesignCAD. http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-sof... DraftSight - Dassault Systèmes http://www.3ds.com/products-services/draftsight-cad-sof... Going back to modelling the GSWR in 1910 the tapered boiler Coey 4-4-0 were really distinctive machines the GSR rebuilds with parallel boilers and canopy cabs really spoiled their appearance.

Sticks of rhubarb.......... worse than a Triffid the vine has started to climb the trees into the neighbours garden should be spreading its tendrils in Ireland in another couple of weeks. 1st of the pumpkins should be ready to eat in a few weeks

Nothing to report on the small scale side in recent weeks, mainly focused on the workshop installing a permanent power supply to the work bench and sourcing parts for the Unimat, buying a lathe/milling machine is only half the cost. I used the Unimat in anger for the first time when I turned a couple of silver steel replacement valve gear pins for a G Scale 2-6-0. The Dinge Railcar and a G Scale 2-8-0 are the main priorities at the moment. The railcar is urgently required to replace the Bachmann railtruck on the mails after the final drive gave up , parts for rear axle out of stock, the 2-8-0 has been out of service for over 5 years and is needed before the smaller engines wear out. Dingle Railcar sub assemblies Fresh from the paint shop. I am planning to build a separate chassis in nickel silver with a Northyard or North West Shortline gearbox as I am not 100% happy with the design of the kit chassis. Railcar posed on the main line outside the engine shed. The body is finished with aerosol car paint, in an attempt to get something close to the GSWR/GSR purple lake. The finish coat was applied over several layers of red oxide primer filler sanding down between coats. The ply required a lot of filling and sanding, I would have probably would have been better and faster to scratchbuild the body in plasticard. Close up of railcar Most of the weight is over the front axle with the whitemetal bonnet and castings. Roof to be painted dark grey/dirtyblack, grab handles, door knobs and glazing to be fitted. Some US narrow gauge lines ran similar railcars. Rebuild of Bachmann 2-8-0 into DRGW C25 The Bachmann large scale 2-8-0 was out of proportion to Bachmann Big Haulier and LGB American narrow gauge locos and stock. The rebuild is intended to improve the proportions with more typical North American details than the Mexican or South American look of the stock Bachmann engine. The cab took approx. one week to do laminated in 3 layers from 0.030", 0.060" & 0.030" Evergreen plastic sheet. The 3 ply construction is to resist warping and buckling, allow for detail relief and glazing rebates. When working in plasticard I usually stick the working drawing to the plasticard with glue stick or schoolglue then mark out/scribe with a Stanley knife or craft knife using a sharp blade and a straight edge. Apart from the cab the main visual changes to the loco were replacing the funnel, raising the headlamp, shortening the front platform by 1/2", narrowing the overall width of the loco and tender by a similar amount and removing the outside Baker valve gear on the loco, the DRGW engine had inside Stephensons gear. This loco will be fitted up either with on board battery radio control or wired for DCC with some form of "keep alive" decoder, even with pick up on all wheels reliable pick up on a garden railway can be a problem particularly in conditions of high humidity, i.e. most of the year! Unexpected problem in the Coke Ovens area Never get this with Woodland Scenics! Tomatoes plants and pumpkin grew up in one week after levelling out compost bin for landscaping. Better leave conifer planting until after the harvest

Very neat work Nelson the sand box shout out GNR. The GBL T9 might be an in expensive basis for a GNR Q or S Class or even a GSWR Coey 4-4-0, a few appear to have been kitbashed into Caley and Highland classes

Seemingly as a final fling the GNR operated a fast Belfast-Omagh-Enniskillen service with a single BUT railcar for a few weeks before the Irish-North closed in September 1957. The Enniskillen railcar operated as part of a fast Belfast-Derry service splitting at Omagh. The railcar used to haul a classical GNR Clerestory Brake Composite between Omagh & Enniskillen. The 701 Class railcars were Second Class only without a luggage compartment or van. No. 19 is a MGWR goods brake dating from the 1870s complete with wooden bake blocks, the vans were painted green rather than the usual MGWR dark grey or black. The photo of the C&L carriages was taken before the GSR removed the Balliamore carriage shed to save money on the rates and the carriages started to fall apart from the lack of shelter and a decent coat of paint

Alan The 14' outside framed convertible wagon seems to have been the standard up to around 1914-15 when the longer Irish Railway Clearing House open and covered wagons were introduced & the GSWR developed the steel framed H van. The convertibles were used to carry cattle or general goods traffic. Most companys did not have enough cattle wagons to handle the seasonal peak traffic from large fairs that could require 100+ wagons like Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Roscommon so convertibles were pressed into service. Resin casting from a plasticard master would probably be a quicker option than scratchbulding for building a rake of open wagons, most of my C&L coal wagons have a one piece resin body cast in a simple plug mould. Plasticard would be a better option for the master than brass to get a decent wall thickness, most of the earlier box style opens used min.3"planks or 1mm thick in 4mm.

Francis Shuttleworth's photo appears to be part of a series of photos taken on 29 May 1957, I have a dated black and white print of the same train probably taken a few moments earlier as the fireman boarded the loco and a photo of the train consist of 19th Century MGWR stock and brand new tin vans. 659 is probably on pilot duty making up the train for A Class haulage to Mullingar or possibly Westland Row. The 650s regularly worked mail and other passenger duties over the Sligo road in the 1950s until bumped from main-line duties by the A Class The weathering of the tender is interesting, the design is almost guaranteed to throw up road dirt on the sides. I tended to use Howes Railmatch "Weathered Black" for CIE steam locos and used a satin or matt varnish depending on whether I wanted an ex-works or worn finish. The "colour" is more a grey than a black.

The DSER engines seems to have been the exception, the J8 0-6-0s & K2 2-6-0s seem to have been highly rated when GSWR or Midland Section crews operating people could get their hands on them. It would be interesting to see how South Eastern crews rated the GSR built 850 2-6-2T & 670 Class 0-6-2Ts compared with ex-DSER suburban tank locos

Victoria Railways also had double ended 280hp Walker units similar to GNR railcars F&G http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/280HP%20Walker%20Rail%20Car%20Page.htm The Walkers appear to have been nicknamed "A room & a bath" and "Two rooms & a bath" . Victoria Railways were originally built to the Irish 5'3" gauge and pretty much standardised on EMD power from the early 50s

The B121s were a General Motors export design with nothing similar running in the BR or in the USA. B121 is on Murphy Models wish list, the Model Irish Railways whitemetal or resin version may pop up from time to time on the second hand market The Irish locos were a customised version of the General Motors GL8 export design developed in the early 1960s mainly for use in Australia, Asia, Mexico & South America. GM developed the GL design to break Alco & General Electric (USA) domination of the South American, Asian and Australian export markets. The B121 were closest mechanically & electrically and did similar work to the Victoria Railways Class T which also ran on the Irish 5'3" gauge, but the Australian and Irish locos were quite different visually. http://www.ask.com/wiki/Victorian_Railways_T_class_(diesel)?o=2802&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com The T Class was a road switcher design with a short hood rather than an end cabbed design like the B121s. The Mexican and South American locos built for narrow 3' & 5'6" broad gauge, were visually similar to the CIE locos but tended to have lower cabs and different door arrangement. The Mexican locos were only intended for low speed work, had simpler electrics and ran on American freight car bogies or trucks. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1566079

I have London Area IRRS book on the Turf Burner somewhere, mainly technical with diagrams of the fuel, drafting and steam circuits. The Turf Burner appears to have been designed to burn either peat or oil. The design of the loco had a lot more in common with a Double Fairlie than the Leader. CC1 had a small double ended boiler and central firebox in the area around the cab rather than the Leader's large conventional (by Bullied standards) steam locomotive burner. The boiler was designed to burn pulverised or milled turf on a fluidised bed in a similar manner to in a power station, peat was fed to the firebox by screw conveyor from bunkers located fore and aft over the bogies. Oil firing equipment appears to have been designed but never installed. The boiler appears to be distinctly odd with short and what appear to be rectangular barrels off a large central firebox. Engines presumably enclosed units mounted on the bogies with enclosed chain drive to the wheels. While CC1 appears to have proved the concept for a modern mixed traffic steam locomotive design, the requirement for 50 turf burning locomotives for seasonal beet and cattle trains envisaged in the 'modernisation plan" had disappeared by 1963 along with the requirement for most of the C Class diesels A considerable level of investment in time and money would have been needed to develop CC1 into a reliable loco at a time the long term future of the railways were in serious doubt. While labour was probably cheaper South Africa, India & China concentrated on improving the firing of proven designs rather than trying to -invent the steam locomotive. Going back to the story of CC1s frames and the buried Macroom loco, New Zealand preservationists have a history of pulling locos out of rivers and restoring them to working order http://www.plainsrailway.co.nz/stock?page=locos. Mainly because of an independent pioneering spirit with no expectation of official or Government support things get done rather than talked about.