Mayner

CIE used large and medium sized container handling forklifts at many depots from the late 1970s, places like Tralee and Galway that handled quite heavy container traffic never had gantries. The medium sized machines were mainly used to handle sundries containers and at smaller depots like Boyle and Mullingar. The main difference between the older and current machines seems to be the location of the cab http://www.taylormachineworks.com/THDC-TXC-TETCP%20series%20Table.htm

Nice stock the corrugated opens look pretty good, a "Back to Back" train show up in Cork City Railway 1975. The fertiliser was carried on open containers in a similar manner to kegs with lift off side panels rather than purpose built wagons, the flats were later used under the beet doubles.

The ex DSER goods locos would probably be the best bet for a simple rtr or kit built "Southern" engine. The moguls and J8 Class 0-6-0s were pretty close in coupled wheelbase to the 3F & 4F, nice simple outline straight running board, large cab and reasonably large boiler to hide the motor. While mainly used on the South Eastern the moguls seem to been quite widely used on excursions and freight working towards the end of steam. http://www.steamindex.com/locotype/dser.htm

About half of them locos and stock were divided 50/50 between CIE & UTA. SSM do the SG a large main line loco basically the goods version of the S, Worsley works do a kit of parts for the UG a "modern" 1937 light mixed traffic type. The UG a nice simple outline no crankpin splashers on a Hornby Dean Goods or slightly stretched on a Bachmann 3F chassis might be a good compromise http://irishrailwaymodeller.yuku.com/reply/6672/Re-old-loco-tender. John

I would second that about 207 I have vague childhood memories of a big blue steam loco with smoke deflectors storming across the viaduct at Gormanstown with a long passenger train, 10-15 years later I was pleasently surprised to discover that I may not have been imagining things there were indeed large blue steam locos. Along with the time machine you would also need a stasis machine to keep rust and corrosion at bay, though I suppose you could keep going back in time and contracting the maintenance to Dundalk or Limerick. John

Judging by the RPSIs experience with 184, 186 and 461 compared with 171 & 85 an ex CIE loco was probably a better prospect than restoring a Barry wreck. Most preserved steam locos require heavy mechanical and boiler work every 10-12 years often amounting to a complete re-build. The main drawback was that most CIE steam locos would have been scrapped by the time the RPSI got off the ground in the 1960s and they seem to have been disappointed that 186 (MacArnolds "its only a J15") was the best that was on offer. In contrast to the more modern locos the small GSWR locos were simple, rugged and capable of high milage between repair. Build a time machine and travel back to 1954 and there was a nice choice of CBSCR, DSER, GSWR & MGWR types. Take a trip to Kerry have a word with Jackie Healy-Reays Grandfather to have a word with Dev about setting up the Kigarvan Flyer as a Tourist Train complete with native "Kerry Bogie" on the Kenmare Branch

Beautifull those small tanks certainly have a Jurrasic look about them compared to the later SLNCR tanks. The Manchester Museum of Science and Technology should have the original GAs for the big tanks & Loughs. I am sorely tempted to have a go at one of those Tyrconnel kits but just might try 9mm on G scale track in the garden

Self drive rail http://railcruising.com/

Not quite modelling or Continental in its strictest sence recent steam hauled excursion on the Midland Line

There seems three main considerations if you are planning to commercially produce the a rtr model 1. whether the market is big enough and you have the resources to comission a mass produced model like Paddy Murphy, Heljan etc, 2. whether there is enough demand to batch build rtr models in brass or resin like DK or Silver Fox, 3 produce kits of models you personally like to cross subsidise your own personal hobby. Its hard to know whether a DART would fit into category 1 maybe category 2 or 3. Rapid prototyping is often seen as the solution to all problems as apart from the designers time there is little set up or tooling cost. I have seriously looked at batch production kits resin castings using RP technology as opposed to 3D printing and it worked out considerably more expensive than conventional techniques. No doubt RP will become more economic for small runs but that day is some time off.

I have a Worsley Works G Class with an early version of the ESU Loco Pilot decoder which basically sits on top of the power bogie within the hood. I would strongly recommend a Black-Beetle with 27:1 gear ratio in prefrence to a Tenshodo Spud for a small shunting loco.

The article indicates that next years performance will "be constrained" by a Chinese supplier aka Kadar cutting back on production. To a certain degree with Bachmann established as UK leading brand the writing was on the wall for Hornby once Kadar took over the company that supplied Hornby, Proto 2000 and other brands. Kadar's position in the US is weaker they would probably have to take over Atlas or Athearn to get decent market share, as Bachmann's American models haven't exacty got a great reputation (diecast steam locos excepted)

J!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no one told us with our poor parched throats:(

Jack Kennedy good to hear he is still with us! I first met Jack in the Southern Model Railways Shop in the Grafton Arcade, I won't say how many moons ago Very encouraging brilliant stories about the railway he even gave me a a load of photos free gratis, a true Gentleman

The 11.1mm spacers are intended for OO. Originally the S & J15 were supplied by TMD Models with 11.1 and 15mm square section brass spacers bored out to accept a through bolt, the screw in spacers are a more recent development. I tend to follow your example and produce my own rather than use the brass spacers provided.

I vagulely remember seeing TPOs with pick up apparatus and nets at Connolly, I think it was phased out in the late 60s/70s as most of the smaller stations on the Cork Line like Sallins where the odd mail bag was dropped off or picked up closed.

Originally TMD or was it SSM supplied the kits with 15mm brass spacers for 21mm use. If you can live with the compromise I can supply a set of 15mm etched n/s fold up spacers.

Chinese manufacturing is being seriously hit by the European recession, Kader (Bachmann) lost serious money in 2011http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=70564 so potentially less R&D for new models and fewer low volume comissions. While commodities like food are doing well coal and metal prices have collapsed leading to mine shut downs here and in Australia not good. Maybe its time to dig out the cardboard and low cost modelling materials and bring skill back into modelling again

It would make a splendid model with the railway soaring across the town just about dooable in OO Johnnie Walker of the Wexford Club and more recently Brian McCann built a couple of inspirational layouts featuring railway and village scenes from the South East. It looks like the station layout was more extensive in Boat Train days with the passing loop extending out onto the viaduct at the Western end of the station and a cattle bank serving the Fair Green. http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,639405,606320,7,9. If you had room for it a double deck twice around the room layout following operating American practice arranging crossings and shunting at several stations and yards would be interesting. Perhaps Carrolls Cross with its quarry, Kilmacthomas with the viaduct and village scene Durrow with its tunnel and Ballyvoyle Viaduct, with a double ended fiddle yard representing the rest of the system would keep a man busy for many years.

Interesting stuff those Mail Trains almost remind me of Amtrack in the same period passenger trains trailing a string of freight trucks. Most of the TPOs were new builds in the late 1950s with a handfull of ex-GSR Bredin Suburban coaches re-built in the late 1960s like the one in dave Rolands Photo. There was an explosion of parcel traffic in the early 70s and CIE re-built a lot of old stock as parcel brakes which also ran with the mails. All long gone now John

Stall type point motors like the Tortoise are the simplest, instant detection when you wire a LED into the circuit between swich and motor.

Estimated shipping to Ireland around $150 which appears a bit on the low side, add Customs Clearance and VAT if its shipped by Fed-EX.

Most of these printers are probably manufactured in China, TurbCAD also market printers with compatible software priced from $1200-$11000 US. If you are tempted to have a go first try producing a simple model model using one of the free-3d design packages like Google Sketchup or Autodesk 123D http://sitesupport.123dapp.com/home and having the design printed by a bureau like Shapeways or I Materialise. Shapeways can be a pain to deal with but their frosted detail material is suitable for our use and capable off producing small detail parts and I Materialise have a good reputation, local companies that offer a rapid prototyping service to industry may also be able to help.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2735[/ATTACH The 3-d Cad the easy bit, the headwrecking stuff is converting the 3-d drawing to a format the printer can use. Personally I think its probably easier and a lot cheaper to either scratchbuild or prepare a 2 d design for etching or laser cutting than mess around with 3-d printing in its current state.

Jeremy Suter produced some whitemetal wagon kits about 10 years ago including a standard 10T van, GN & NCC container wagons with bread containers, MGWR loco coal and a UTA parcel van all designed for 21mm, it might be worth enquiring if he would be prepared to do a re-run?