Mayner

Fantastic Moggie great atmosphere and fair play for having a go at something as odd ball even by Irish standards as the steam era West Cork.

Great tutorial Gareth. Styrene is a very easy material to work with all you need is a craft-knife a steel straight edge and imagination. Are some useful tips on the Evergreen web site http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/Book.htm

After building two rakes of coal wagons I thought it was about time to show it actually runs too. First off 3T with a laden coal special.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzctNhlwjAE 6T with the daily mixed empty coal wagons need to do some work on the sound effects

Interesting photos from the early 1950s including good 3/4 view of D Class shunter 1003 in early CIE livery

I found Howes "Weathered Black" to be pretty good an eggshell or matt varnish will give two totally different effects. Similar loco same paint totally different effect. 6T in Halfords satin black

Well done on finding that gem there is a whole series on the Australian Metrovicks! WAGR must have sorted out some of the problems with the Crossley engines to keep the locos into the 1980s.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F8s1InPWxM&NR=1&feature=endscreen.

Paul Greene took over Studio Scale Models from Terry McDermott in early 1990s and was probably the driving force behind the GSWR 6w coaches and open and convertible wagons. I wonder if Paul produced S scale photo toolings of the SSM J15 & 6 wheel coaches, the GSWR & MGWR convertible wagons are a dead ringer for the SSM 4mm kits.

Some more editions of IRN published on the RPSI web site July 1965 takes me into more familiar territory The Stones had just released Satisfaction, C233 & 234 just received their Maybach power plants, bulk cement and Shelton traffic started. NET supplied Albatros in New Ross and Gouldings Alexandra Road with raw material (sulphate of ammonia). On the down side The GNR Derry Road closed in February, the Guinness Tramway had just closed and Mallow-Waterford had two more years. http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/IRFN/IRFN1103.pdf. The most striking thing was the UTA were literally giving away its railway assetts £21,000 for 24 steam locos, two diesel railcars and some boilers. Mostly modern GNR locos Us, Vs, SG3 & 4 NCC Moguls................& the Warrenpoint Branch for £30,000. The only consolation was that 207 might just show up on steam powered Belfast-Dublin "Tourist Train", I may not have imagined seeing a big blue steam locos with smoke deflectors crossing the viaduct at Gormanstown as a kid all those years ago:banana:

Even more gob stopping photos of Kilbrandon on the S Scale Society Web Site http://www.s-scale.org.uk/gallery15.htm the station is based on Killorglin.

If anyone wants to have a go I have 4 sets of Georgian windows and doors complete with foot scrapers for the doorway and brick arches.£10 fret including postage just right for a two storey house around Dublin's North Inner Citty. I can do a similar fret for a 3 or 4 storey building if anyone fancies a go at a replica Monto or Merrion Square.

For someone wanting to have a go at 3D printing its probably better to have a go at building a model using free software and a bureau like Shapeways before forking out for a 3D printer. A lot of models have been produced using free software such as Google Sketchup, the demonstration version of Cubify Invent http://cubify.com/products/cubify_invent/index.aspx or Alibra are probably a better option as they can produce a file in a printer friendly format.

I used Loco-Buffer http://www.dccsupplies.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=24_231&products_id=884 as a USB interface with JMRI open source software at one stage to set up route setting on an N gauge layout. The main benefit of computer control was that it didn't take long to get the system up and running and easier to let go of with only a virtual panel to scrap when I had to dismantle the layout. The main draw back of computer control or any form of automation is that when you add signalling and detection you will end up with nearly as much wiring and hardware as Connolly CTC.

JHB Nearly as bad as a Dublin man been asked in South Kerry "arru from Tralee?. 1975 brings back mixed memories doing the Leaving all those line closures, it was another year before I was working and could splash out on a rambler ticket. Except on a wild calm day its always windy in the stone wall country across east Galway and Roscommon either a South Westerly across the Atlantic or an Easterly all the way from Russia. I helped out operating the MRSI Loughrea layout at a few exhibitions about 20 years ago I always remember a German woman looking at the layout and remarking that the country around Loughrea must be pretty bleak.

Richie its more a case of determination than patience, my biggest problem is impatience rushing things and destroying models or starting projects and not having the patience to finish them. Building a working chassis is probably simpler than detailing a loco or coach, provided the axle and rod centres line up you should have no problems. I cut my teeth with OO Gauge Craftsman 02 & 07 diesel shunter kits http://www.pagenumberone.co.uk/layouts/dock/Stock.htm before tackling EM or 21mm locos. The Craftsman kits are quite dated but simple to assemble using Marikits Wheels and a modern High Level Gearbox and motor, Comet produce excellent replacement chassis for most British rtr steam locos which will basically run for ever. The number of driving wheels makes little difference at one stage I had a nice little side-line building DJH Austerity 2-8-0s taking on average 30hrs to complete a loco.

Going back to locos its about time I got the J26 running, the first thing is to sort our the wheels. Marikits or Romford wheels are probably the best option for OO or EM as they are simple to use, and with metal centres last for ever, for 21mm gauge Ultrascale or Gibson plastic centred wheels are the only option. Ultrascale are probably the best wheel on the market and will supply with axles cut to any gauge, the downside is a limited range, slow delivery and very expensive. Gibson have a huge range, reasonably priced but a lot of care required in their use. For the J26 I used a set of 4'6" drivers the wheels are supplied with OO & EM axles, but an extended axle is available. The 14BA crankpin bolt cuts its own thread in the soft nylon wheel centre and is secured in place with Loctite, the last thing you want is a in working loose when the loco is assembled. The next stage is to fit the power pick ups, press on the wheels fit the coupling road and test run the loco which I hope to cover in the next couple of episodes. Progress has been slow of late as I had a couple of miss haps with the large scale locos including nearly dissolving the body of one in paint stripper and damaging the cab of another during the final test fit.

I always found Bangor to be a bit of a disappointment was a Model Shop in the lower end of the High Street, if you have the time Portmadoc is a much better option both the Festiniog and Welsh Highland Heritage Railways have large model railway sections and the WHHR shop have an excellent book shop usually stock books of Irish interest. Plenty for er-indoors excellent scenery crafts shops, pubs and cafes. Almost makes me want to up stiks and go back

The SLNCR seems to have ordered the engines after the war and hadn't the money to pay for them on completion in 1949, eventually a hire purchse agreement was sorted out with the Northern Ireland Government paying 2/3 of the initial down payment of $3000 allowing delivery in 1951. Presumably Beyer Peacock received marginally more than the scrap value for the locos from the UTA, there was not exactly a ready market for small 5'3" gauge steam locos in 1958.

Entertaining stuff Richie I always loved the discription of the SLNCR as a Pirateering Railway handing its doors on the opposite side to everyone else, fighting against overwhelming odds to remain in business and ordering its final pair of locos from Beyer Peacock when it was virtually broke. The SLNCR remained independent mainly because of Sligo business opposition to a Midland & GNR take over, apparently the take over would have given the Midland a strangehold of Dublin-Sligo traffic and they knew a thing or two about running a monopoly. Besides cattle traffic to the North East the SLNCR & GNR competed with the Midland and its successors for Dublin-Sligo freight traffic and cement from Drogheda to Sligo and the North West. Although both the SLNCR and C&L made a lot of noise about capturing the Arigna coal traffic, neither was willing to risk money on a line to the mines. The Arigna Valley Railway and the Wolfhill and Deerpark lines in Leinster were built by the Government near the end of WW1 to support the war effort. While Iron making had taken place at Arigna it could not compete with mainland iron manufacturers, the coal was not great as one C&L driver told Mr Leyden (the mine owner) "this stuff wont burn even if you pour petrol on it." The upper section of the Arigna Valley line was abandoned less than ten years after it was built when some of the mines played out, traffic from Leydens mines was spasmodic, probably the main reason why the GSR did not standard gauge the line or install mechanical exchange at Belturbet or Dromad. Besides the ex GNR hand me downs a pair of very small 4-4-0s and a trio of small 0-6-0s, in the 1940s the SLNCR seriously looked at a Beyer Garratt articulated loco as an alternative to ordering Lough Erne and Lough Melvin the final Leitrim tanks. An interesting might have been is what would have happened if Stormont had adapted the 1957 proposal of retaining Enniskillen-Omagh as a goods siding presumably worked by the SLNCR in order to retain the West of Ireland-Belfast cattle traffic. UTA atempts to capture the traffic by road largely failed and CIE had to introduce a new Sligo-North Wall shipper and extra goods trains on the Sligo line to handle the additional traffic. `

The Argentinian & Mexican GA8 locos are probably the nearest appearence wise to the 121s http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=350229&nseq=2 They have the same engine as the 121s but ride on freight trucks with a pair of traction motors inside the body.

Have you any Irish stock Chris? We might need an Irish Special Interest Group at next Easters National Convention in Hamilton or at least Richies Irish Railway Modellers group poster

Richie how do you do get time to do it time travel? Amazing

Although they had the same engine as the 181 Class the re-powered C Class always seemed to be a lot noiser and they were really worked hard on the Push-Pulls on the Dublin suburban.

A little bit heavier down South http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8qVRF1VD0s Tom The electrics handle most run through freights over the 255 mile central section of the Trunk, with a changeover to diesel at Hamilton & Palmerston North. The electric are rated at 4000hp and diesels basically cannot keep time with the current load rating of 1200Tonnes. Diesels are used for short distance freight workings from Palmerston North to the pulp and saw mills at Tangawai 83 Miles and Hamilton to the dairy plant at TeAwamutu and lime and stone traffic from the Waitomo area 60 Miles. Pairs of DX (GEU28C) work the traffic from Tangawai to the Ports of Napier and Wellington, while large and small GMs handle the trip workings at the Northern end. Anthony. The Northern Explorer was quickly nicknamed Dora after "Dora the Explorer' hopefully we will get a chance to take our 3 year old daughter along some weekend to "see the snow". The last car is an open obseervation car for hardy Kiwis. While the TrazAlpine is reasonably secure, its hard to know if Dora will succeed,the train set became available basically because the newly equiped Coastal Pacific was failing, the long distance passenger business its aimed mainly at overseas tourists rather than the domestic leisure or travel market.

1st snows of winter on the plateau.

J26 nearly ready for the paint shop, Inchacore style smokebox and chimney (SSM J15) smokebox door fitted with riveted straps. Only realised one of the foot steps was missing when I took the photo. Sandbox operating levers stilll to be added. J26 stripped down to its main component parts, the chassis was spray painted with Howes Weathered black then sealed with a flat varnish before fitting wheels. The motor and gearbox will be concelaed in the boiler leaving the cab free for detail, this area is wide open in the kkit so I fabricated the cab floor/bulkhead in brass and fitted a whitemetal firebox backhead (probably Alan Gibson). The next stage is to fit the wheels and get tthe chassis running which should be reasonably straight forward. The NZR tank loco has been dismanted for painting, I have airbrushed the loco using a Floquil "Engine Black" and Flat Finish as a sealer. I will do the same with the plumbing sub assemblies, which should protecct against scratching during final assembly. Des supplied a sheet of custom lettering for my C&L stock, most of the wagons are now weathered but there are still one or two in reasonable condition. CIE used solid rather than stenciled lettering and numerals on the C&L.