Mayner

Each generation brings out its own unique style even genius always in a state of flux. We all threw shapes in our time. I suppose I caught the tail end of the 60s mid 70s generation not quite a hippy or a punk into Thin Lizzy, Lynnard Skynard, The Stones at the time never really appreciated the post Punk movement but blown away years later Nirvanna. These days its a matter of seeing the survivors of bands I never got to see in my teens and 20s. A 60 odd year olf Jagger strutting like a cockrell around the Stage at Western Springs in Auckland, Lynard Skynard at the Point, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison being their own inscrutible selves, though I did find Coney Island on a trip around the Ards. John

The Digitrax Zypher is another option 2.5Amp consul style controller with read back programmer at £140 in MG Sharp fully compatible with their other systems. I went for the slightly Empire Builder 1 as it ws in 2000 still running with the original firmware whatever that is in 2012. Going back to stack recall its just a way of bringing up the most recently used loco addresses and nothing to do with the number of locos you can have running. Digitrax claim that you can run up to 20 locos with the Zypher and the system can support 20 Throttles a lot in any language. John

They robbed the overhead cable off the Howth Branch before the DART was first energised in the 1980s. Though scrap thieves are not the brightest sparks if you know what you are doing its simple enough to isolate a section of overhead line. Scrap lead and copper from redundant water pipes and cables used to be a useful source of beer money on building sites, you had to be careful I remember one lad who dug up and tried to burn a live cable with shocking results. John

Wow!

The companies that specialise in manufacturing controls systems DCC or Analogue tend to produce better control systems than those that produce model trains like Hornby & Bachmann. Because its a pretty expensive purchase most people tend to buy into and stick with one system, but you can mix match decoders. Lenz, NCE & Digitrax are probably the most popular and widely available. As far as I know the Gaugemaster Prodigy Advanced DCC system is produced by MRC an American Company. Its a proven product that has good reviews in the Model Railroader. The most important thing is chosing a system thats capable of expansion and compatible with other DCC products, I have used Digitrax for over 10 years with a mixture of other companies, decoders and accessories. John

Is there a version with subtitles could only understand two words. John

Its a pretty widespread problem apart from copper our local line has been targeted for cast iron and steel including steam locomotive tyres, rail and fixings. A ban on the cash sale of scrap metal combined with joit clamp down by Revenue and Police on scrap merchants would largely eliminate the problem. John

Interesting piece on assembling these kits in RM Web which basically recommends buying the old Airfix version of the kits on E-bay, supposed to be cheaper too! http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/56338-dapol-wagon-kits-made-from-re-cycled-plastic/ John

Very nice I especially like the signal cabin and crossing keepers house. John

A bit of cheating by packing out the solebars with plasticard. I built a rake of 10 but had a lot of trouble in achieving reliable running with a rigid chassis as some of the Dapol solebars were quite badly twisted. I had a similar problem building a rake of OO Presflo Cement wagons, so its worth checking that the solebars and chassis are straight before assembling one of these kits. To ensure that everything is flat and sqquare its worth assembling this type of chassis on mirror or small piece of plate glass. John

Frank Does anyone produces rtr models or kits of Tassie locos or stock? I spent a very enjoyable week several years ago exploring the railways while the wife was at a conference in Launceston. Some excellent museums and preservation sites and interesting main line operation with large English Electric powered road switchers. John

The Dapol (former Airfix) wagon kits date from the early 1960s and are a great starter kit even by present day standards. These wagons were originally used by ESSO in the UK who imported a batch into Ireland for the North Wall Sligo & Oranmore-Claremorris oil trains. The tops of vacuum brake cylinders attatch to the shorth chassis cross members. Long lever side. Short lever side. I have lengthened the barrel to represent the Type A wagons used to transport petrol and diesel. I extended the tank by chopping up a spare kit. John

Thanks lads for the drawing and photos. Waffles drawing was first class though it looks like the CIE draughtsman added in the bracing by eye I spent the evening preparing the drawing for the main part of the chassis including top of the skeletal framing, solebars axleguards and backing plate for the buffer beam fold up from one piece of brass. The buffer beams and internal angle iron framing, cosmetic axleguards and various outriggers will be designed to be either glued or soldered to this basic frame. I am looking at using MJT castings for the axle boxes and buffers, they do a very nice whitemetal roller bearing axle box and heavy duty buffers but I havent come across suitable springs and J hangers which as Rich indicated maay become a bit of a mission. John

Great stuff I love the idea of starting the units and doing all the tests with the shed doors closed, the lads in the shed would have been smoked out of it with diesel fumes. Does anyone recognise the station at the end? Looks like it was shot on the Eastern Region ex GNR loco, somersault signals, seaside terminus. Possibly the terminus of a long branch line in Linconshire famous in the 70s & 80s for double headed Class 20 hauled excursions from the Middlands John

Newcastle West what a suggestion! Two stations in one every, a shunting mans dream as every train had to reverse directing loose coupled freights would have to be re-marshalled. The North Kerry and Limerick-Sligo line sure had some compact and interesting stations. John

Lads a bit like the scene where Alf Garnet corrects Elsie over the West Indians and Pakistan playing cricket those people are not Chinese. Everything neat and tidy, well organised, some very interesting narrow gauge trains, Shikansen those people are Japanese. John

Rich I am working around a design based on a 28mm axle suitable for 21 or OO gauge. I have worked out the basic principals for a chassis suitable for glued or soldered assembly. I am looking at a rigid chassis with the option of Bill Bedford springing as a conventional rocking W Iron design is not feasible with these wagons. I cn turn over the etch designs fairly quickly the challenge will be in producing the castings as for some unknown reason my computer software no longer converts to a usable 3D modelling file. John

I think it was John Byrne the former Hornby rep who got the ball rolling with the Lima Irish HO stuff not sure if this was around the time he set up the Hobby Shop in Sackville Place around the side of Clerys. I was mainly into N at the time and had the Lima 4F in CIE livery and 3 Green coaches. Did Lima continue with the Irish stuff up to MM arrival or was there a gap in production? John

I have used Shapeways for producing parts with their Frosted detail material, apart from cost the biggest drawback for rolling stock particulary for wagon chassis is the sheer lack of weight. Several modellers have used 3d printed models as patterns for resin castings or wax masters for lost wax casting. I am not sure if its possible to get a wax model from shapeways or the plastic materials are suitable as patterns for whitemetal castings. Going back to the 4 wheel flat wagons I am working on the design for a fold up brass chassis for the 22'6" skeletal flats, a bit more work to assemble than a casting but should combine a nice combination of weight and free running. John

I built a pair of 121s, a 141 & an A Class but sold them about 7-8 years ago. The 121 & 141 were quite good by the standards of the time they were introduced, MIR originally used their own whitelmetal bogies and stretched the wheelbase to use the contemporry Mashima DS10 motor and Romford gears. Most lads ended up using Athearn chassis which could pull anything with the heavy MIR whitemetal bodies. I think the whitemetal A Class was produced by Q Kits and sold by MIR. The A was pretty horrendous even compared with the original resin Q Kit bodies.. Along with the modern wagons MIR also produced a very nice former Model Wagon Company (Ardrossan) GNR (I) cattle wagon. John

Frank Good to hear another voice from the Southern Hemisphere, I live in the Shakey Isles but had an enjoyable trip to Tasmania chasing EE Units At one time MIR did have a printed catalogue it threw mine out in one of those periodic clean ups, perhaps some of the lads in the group may be able to help. MIR started in the late 70s early 80s with whitemetal kits for the Bubble cement wagon and B141 diesel and gradually expanded to cover most of CIE & NIR locomotive & CIE wagon types. MIR was unusual by British standards in complete kits which included motor gears wheels paint and transfers. Many of the kits were re-tooled and produced as one or two piece resin castings complete with etched detail to simlify assembly. The introduction of the Murphy Models (Lima) 201 and later B141 and later Silver Fox 001 & B201 would have affected loco sales, poor sales volume and the owner wishing to retire were the resons given for discontinuing the business. John

I think the loop was removed with the first stage of the Cork Line CTC between Inchacore and Ballybrophy around 1975/76. Around tha time Tullamore and Portarlington were served by a morning trip working from Athlone, a 001 one or two H Vans and Brake always seemed to be waiting in the Up CTC loop waiting a path as the early morning Cork Line and West of Ireland passenger trains passed. With most intermedite stations closed the overnight Galway line loose coupled goods were altered only to call at Mullingar and Athlone with Ballinasloe and Roscommon served for a short time by day time trip workings from Athlone. During this era I remember seeing a a 141 waiting at Ballinasloe with a short train made up of H Vans, Keg Flats and Back to Back fertiliser wagons and brake van. John

I love it Lone Star an alll my baby caught the Katy (Missouri Kansas Texas) and left me a mule to ride

Fair play to Garreth its amazing what can be achieved with some plasticard and determination. ideal for pottering around the North Wall any chance of a second run ? John