Mayner

The photo is a bit of a shocker although they killed few passengers CIEs employee safety record was nothing to write home about. Apart from the public wandering about the guy that looks like an Inspector and his side kick seem to be standing dangerously close to that wire rope if its under tension, at least the crane is clipped to the rails a practice long outlawed in the UK.

Interestingly one of the figures seems to be wearing a hard hat and another high-vis shoulder panels. Apart from letting Sean Citizen have a wander around th guys p

Scrap steel around £100 tonne from scrap merchants small amount of copper and other non-ferrous metal slightly better priced. Not much profit out of say £3500 per coach when you take out cost of labour, cutting, transportation and disposal of a lot of non recyclable insulation plastic.

Nice tasty job of the Park Royal

I like the stone walls and hedgerows really looks like an Irish layout

The buffers are from Dart castings http://www.dartcastings.co.uk/mjt/2350.php which can also improve the SSM brake van . The brake lever bothers me, it should be heavier and will be replaced. A handy etch with brake gear and rectangular plates would make this conversion so much easier.........and decals of course!

Fingers crossed I am working on a fret for the earlier steel floored version, several Prestwins & some 20' containers recently turned up in the wagon shops.

I

I came up with a half reasonable way of forming a roof. QUOTE]

 

Any guidance John, on how to crack this problem inherent in building Allen Doherty's kits, would be most welcome?

 

I basically widened Comet BR MK1 roofs for the Laminates & Park Royals by splitting them down the middle, filling the gap with car body filler and a lot of sanding. These days I would form the roof in metal using bending bars and a wooden template.

 

The GNR and UTA coaches are less of a problem and in some cases Worsley Works sides and ends can be used to re-skin Bachmann LMS coaches. SSM also supply roof & castings suitable for some of the Worsley Works GNR coaches.

 

There are a couple of articles on alternatives for building the coaches in the May 2009 New Irish Lines https://www.dropbox.com/s/ihpwp3egjme7rom/New%20Irish%20Lines%20-%20Vol.%205%20No.%203%20-%202009%20May.pdf

Great photo fairly typical of the Mid 1950s when older GSR & GSWR corridor composites replaced 6w stock on the feeder branches with passenger services in the Midlands & South West.

The bogie coaches were probably displaced from the main lines by newly introduced Park Royals and Laminates, but a 6w rake 3rd was normally retained for the guard and parcels.

CIE introduced C Class diesels on the Baltimore, Birr & Clonakilty lines & fitted some early GSR Composites with electric heating driven off an alternator. This did not work out and some Cs were modified with jumper sockets to provide electric train heating to these coaches.

Kenmare, Ballinrobe and Ballaghaderreen were steam worked to the end, Loughrea went over to G Class operation with a modified 1959 Laminate Brake Composite.

I dusted off a few coaches mainly to try and finish off some unfinished jobs. Still need couplers steam vacuum pipes

Bredin Composite late 1950s green livery

The coach is one of three built from TMD now SSM Kits, this coach was the last to be completed and definitely a Friday afternoon or Monday morning job. I decided to finish the ventilators in chrome and lost one during the final assembly , the roof did not sit properly as I managed to cross tread one of the locating nuts. Weshty came up with the goods with a couple of replacement ventilators even though he did not supply the coaches or own the TMD side of the business at the time. Eventually got around to fitting the ventilator and fixing the roof.

The Kits are supplied in GSR condition I don't know if the ventilators were chrome plated in CIE days or if the rotary roof vents and air condition in 1st class compartments were retained.

In the 1950s CIE tended to mix and match modern and older stock the general idea is to build a couple of rakes with a mix of these and older wooden panelled GSWR & MGWR stock.

About 10 years ago I bought a couple of Worsley Works Laminates and a Park Royal. These were basically scratch builders parts and they kind of went through the wars before I came up with a half reasonable way of forming a roof. Most of the fittings are from Comet of MJT the biggest error is the BR heavyweight bogies and bodgery along the roof line.

Assembling the Worsley Works parts and sorting out the details did not take long, but forming the roofs tuned out to be a major saga all because Irish coaches were a lot wider than the UK. I also managed to do quite a bit of damage tot the sides during the assembly.

I took an each way bet with these coaches and painted one side black and tan the other green.

I could probably add another couple of Park Royals or Laminates, probably use a formed metal roof, if I was doing two or more it would probably be worth while to do a moulded interior.

Then again 2-3 coaches was pretty much the norm on secondary routes and branches and I may be better to concentrate on some more older stock.

Test run the 21mm gauge chassis by pushing it by hand and with a loco through a crossover next step is to ray he same with the coupling rods fitted.

For the next stage I decided to look a the firebox boiler and smokebox. Attock locos like the K Class were unusual in that the smokebox finished flush with the boiler cladding rather than projecting out a couple of inches past the cladding like most other railways. I formed the boiler and firebox from sheet rolled to shape with half etched rebates for the boiler bands which has worked out well on the trial build loco.

Boiler, firebox and smoke box parts

I was initially unsure of how I would attach the smokebox to the boiler, in the end I settled on a bolt together assembly with a brass disc as a kind of dummy tube plate. I simply butt the firebox & smokebox wrappers together with a piece of strip brass to reinforce the joint.

Boiler wrapper with disc/dummy tube plate

I suppose I could go the whole hog and detail the disc & inner smoke box former as tube plates.

This arrangement keeps the boiler and smokebox wrappers flush with each other. To complicate matters the Midland took a completely opposite approach to Inchacore, with smooth platework on locos and tenders with little visible riveting even on smokeboxes. Wanting to have my cake and eat it the smokeox can be assembled either as smooth or riveted platework by embossing the rivets using a centre punch or a riveting tool.

Rolling the smokebox tends to be interesting on account of the reverse curves where the vertical & curved sections meet, I used a rolling mill to form the main curve then formed the reverse curves around the shaft of a screwdriver. the two rows of horizontal rivets are a useful reference point.

Smokebox wrapper temporary clamped together

The smokebox front was designed for the flush riveted version, this is covered by a half etched overlay for a riveted smokebox.

Mock up of boiler smokebox assembly

Whats the Story on the Last Van in the Pictres John, Are these Available kit wise too? Must of missed that one popping up here!

 

Oh TPO or 3 would be on order with me as well!!

I have a few Luggage Vans in stock, the interior with the bars is a one piece fold up etching that also retains the glazing.

The TPO will probably follow the MGWR Meat Van Mid-late 2014. with alternative sides to cover the Heuston tool van conversion.

 

 

 

Which one? The alphagraphix one? 53M? Happy to collaborate on drawings, have it done.

 

 

Filthy talk of steamers. This thread is all about the glorious girls at the back, not the kettles up front!

You have to have something up front to haul the train.

Having got to the stage of designing and building a couple of 2-4-0s I need some suitable coaches and non-passenger stock so some MGWR 6wheelers & a horsebox are on the too-do list most things post 70 are a bit too modern.

The evils of temptation

Things could get interesting I have the patterns & castings for the MGWR one just need to draw the artwork.

The current batch of vans are basically all sold out with a number on back order for a second batch due April-May.

I had few false starts but the rtr vans are going through the shops and should be complete in the next 2-3 weeks.

Already thought of doing at least one of them, can't remember where I saw a drawing of it though. 1874 Standard Goods Brake Van is next up. There's a photo of the back of her in "A Time of Civil War" helping with a derailment...

 

One I baked (20 years) earlier

Evergreen plasticard body Northeast 4X3 Stripwood straakes. Floquil Burlington Northern Green.

 

The chassis I used was a wrenn diecast with 10' wheelbase and 17' over headstocks. I *think* the original was 10'6" WB and 17'6" OH, but I can't locate where I got that from just now. So you reckon a brown colour would be more accurate then?

 

(It's from your Cramer articles and scans that this obsession started - cheers!) Richie.

I have lot to answer for: Might have to send some horse box diagrams.

Amazing detail I especially like the railbus and the whole scenic composition. Four weeks to build a railcar your work rate and standard never ceases to amaze me.

Love it, Richie! Makes a nice change to see MGWR prototypes being modelled... too many people get distracted by flippin' blue yokes!

Have to agree not enough Midland

Nice model Richie now you will have to build a rake of the Spanish hopper wagons that were used in the Broadstone loco coal train:banana: .

I dug out a copy of Padraig O'Cuimin's IRRS paper on MGWR Wagon Stock.

Standard colour for MGWR wagons. dark slate gray. Loco & Traffic coal wagons black . PWD wagons sand-beige (Yellow), Passenger Train Vans brown, Brake Vans "generally brown" 1874 type mid-green 1923-24. Open wagons also started to appear in grey in the mid-1920s.

The shortie 20T brake van was a 1924 design the last of which were completed by the GSR and lasted into the late 1950s. The Parkside short LNER brake van might be a useful doner chassis and source of parts for an ex-midland van.

In the United States several railroads used reefers to prevent produce from freezing. The Bangor & Aroostook was famous for its potato traffic carried in red white and blue "State of Maine" reefers.

http://www.bradfordexchange.com/products/1401255014_n-scale-bangor--aroostook-box-car.html

Most of the 20' flats had brake shoes on one side only. Shows up a bit better in the photo of the flat with the "back to back" Fertiliser swap body.

The 25436 flats were similar with a steel deck

You can nearly feel the frost in the air and hear the sound of the B141 for mlles around as she works the beet special up to the tunnel.

Brilliant work David, an interesting and challenging prototype with its combination of complex curves, large windows and recessed doorways.

Or maybe you mean the RSD12? I think Atlas did one of them before...

Yes the RSD12 basically see to have had an RS11 on body on CC trucks, shorter than an RSD15 or SD9 might be short enough or an A Class,

Some photos of the locos in GSR & CIE days.

655 Flyaway superheated MGWR condition.

664 Mid 1930s condition

Leaving Bray on Commuter

The K Class were originally introduced in an emerald green livery with ornate black and white lining, in the early 1900s a number were painted in a short lived royal blue livery, the blue was replaced with a grass green from 1905, followed by lined black from 1913. Broadstone started rebuilding the locos with superheated boilers from 1918 the work continued following the amalgamation and the entire class was superheated before Broadstone closed as a railway works. The situation on the GSR in the 1920s was similar to that on the LMS with something of a power struggle between ex-GSWR & MGWR factions. In the 1920s Inchacore under Bazin was sceptical about the value of superheating with the Midland encouraged by f saving took the opposite approach superheating most of its loco fleet. This changed when an ex Midland man Morton took over and a standard range of superheated boilers was designed that could be made to fit nearly all the major ex-GSWR & Midland classes including the J15.

Something I baked earlier. MGWR K Class on left canopy cab saturated boiler with short smokebox. GSR 650 Class on right Inchacore cab superheated boiler with extended smokebox Inchacore style boiler fittings

Anyway back to work & a quick look at the tools of the trade so to peak.1/8” Parallel reamer for boring out brushes and axle bearings, I also have a 3/32” & 2mm for bogie and tender axles. Stainless steel tapered broaches for opening out holes for bearings and rods etc, the disc like thing is a back to back gauge for 21mm wheel sets supplied by Terry McDermott founder of TMD about 20 odd years ago, the section of threaded road with the punch is a London Road Models riveting tool which will see plenty of work later.

Loco chassis with wheels temporarily set up as a test bed for the equalisers. I will probably add some weight and push/pull the chassis around to see how it behaves. I wont fit the motor or detail the chassis until I am happy with the running!

Comparison of OO & 21mm gauge chassis or the dilemmas involved in building a model of an Irish steam loco in OO gauge

OO Gauge chassis with frames under the smokebox wrapper wheelsets inside the firebox.

Mashima 12X20 motor and High Level gearbox allows cab to be kept clear and motor to be hidden inside firebox.

The wheels are Mike Sharman and were salvaged from an earlier model of a D Class in true MGWR fashion.

Comparison of 101 J15 and 650 classes. The MGWR locos appear to have been a tad narrower with a slightly higher pitched boiler, the boilers on the two classes were the same diameter similar length. In real life the two classes were most likely to have crossed paths in Athenry, Claremorris and Sligo and worked trains together on the South Eastern and between Athlone and Portarlington & on the Banagher Branch. Even in CIE days the two systems were operated like separate railways with Midland & Southern engines generally kept to their own territory.

Brings back memories of Army lorries during the bus strikes and the maintenance men being vilified for bringing the country to a standstill. One of the best stories from the era was a production workers strike in a Dublin chocolate factory. A shop stewart brought the worker out on strike without telling the union head office then immediately went off on holidays to Spain.

A those were the days!

Funnily enough I will be exploring/researching that particular avenue in the next week or so for someone. Will report back!

I used the truck and guts from the old Athearn SD9 to motorise an MIR whitemetal A Class, really powerful loco good at demolishing wagons and buffer stops. I basically built a fame out of Ks Brass strip and brass section. I managed to shorten the Athearn drive enough to fit in an Class by re-moving one of the flywheels & used the drive from a GP35 in a MIR 141 class.

I am not sure if anyone produces a HO RSD11 but has similar unequal truck centres and maybe short enough for an A Class.

The Proto 2000 SD & GP drives are more up to date direct copy of the Athearn.