Mayner

The Canal with its lock in the foreground certainly captures the atmosphere of the Midland Main line and Liffey Junction. While I have struggled to fit a layout featuring a simple single line 1950-70s era crossing station in 4mm-21mm gauge into an 9'X17'6" space, Paul is planning to fit an S Scale Main Line Junction into a slightly larger space. The choice of the pre-amalgamation era with its use of generally shorter rolling stock than the late GSR-CIE era helps, the mock up of the Kerry Bogie its 4 6w coaches and horse box works well visually, where a 4mm consist of 071 diesel loco and 5-6 MK2D coaches may not work as well visually. After 30 odd years building/adding CIE era stock, I have began to backdate to the GSR era with its shorter passenger trains and greater use of shorter coaching stock. I have a preference for "eye-level" baseboard height starting with a Irish N scale "around the wall" shelf layout in the early 80s. Track level on my Irish 4mm narrow gauge layout is 1.5m or approx. 4'11, the height in this case was set to clear a computer desk as opposed to deciding on 1.5m. The planned garage layout will have a similar viewing height but at this stage its unlikely that I will have time to work on the layout for another 1-2 years during which a lot could happen. I admire Pauls determination to get trains running on Broombridge by the end of this year. Importantly my 'eye level" layouts were all intended for home as opposed to exhibition operation, the narrow gauge uses plain old analogue control with a Guagemaster hand held controller that plugs into sockets at various locations on the layout fascia, I will probably use a similar set up on the broad gauge layout if I ever get round to it, its too much hassle fitting DCC decoders to locos built from kits and scratchbuilt years ago, Functions like working marker lamps are largely irrelevant on steam locos and my hearing is largely shot to enjoy dcc sound (went theough that fad 20 years ago) My preference is for B&B couplers of the British variety from my experiences in EM and Kadee although totally non-prototypical from over 5 years working on and operating the MRSI Loughrea layout at exhibitions, my Irish 4mm narrow gauge layout uses Kadee HOn3 couplers though automatic uncoupling is not 100% reliable, I may fit B&Bs if I find time/get round to it.

An important factor to consider is that Templot uses different track gauges for "Irish 5'3" depending on whether you model to EMGS or S4/P4 dimensions. Specifying a gauge of 20.2 for EM(I) and 21mm for S4 (I) Martins rationale for using a narrower than prototypical track gauge for EM(I) may have been based on providing adequate running clearances for wider than scale wheels in loco and stock bodies in a similar manner to the choice of 18 and later 18.2mm rather than the more accurate 18.83 to model the British Standard gauge during the 1940/50s or possibly Martin simply adding 2mm to EMGS dimensions in a similar manner to Martins subtraction of 2mm from EMGS in advocating 16.2 mm gauge in order to achieve improved running than 16.5 for OO gauge rtr models.

Bit like a story of one of my aunts as a young woman being 'chatted up' and followed by a driver of a CIE bus who was so besotted he took the wrong turn at Harolds Cross Park and had to back-up with a busload of passengers. I guess we were all young once!

Back in the day on a sunny summer morning walking the top level of a scaffold of a round a house I noticed a beautiful girl walking by on the street below and suddenly found myself walking in thin air! luckily I grabbed on to a scaffold standard and lived to tell the tale getting away with a few bruises and learned to keep my wits about me regardless of the temptation! This was back in the days when 'I was learning the trade" guardrails and toe boards on scaffolds and any formal though of safety were unknown you could easily "walk off" a scaffold if you wern't 100% alert, yet working for the same firm building several hundred houses serious accidents were practically unknown.

Looking back apart from the drama that was going on in the background with the license holder of the 'building system" the project ran smoothly at site level with the exception of one potentially serious incident. The metal framing system was accurate, components arrived on time and everything fitted accurately co-ordinating with brickwork modules and aluminium glazing system often a serious problem on large projects. The building was four storey with concrete floors supported by the steel structure on a metal decking system that was supposed to be self supporting, I had come across similar systems in the UK that used a lightweight concrete topping but not with a dense concrete topping. Unconvinced that the decking would be self supporting I ordered in props while waiting the paperwork from our Lead Contractor that the floor was self supporting. Armed with the paperwork we started to pour the first floor of the building without propping, the concrete gang noticed the decking had began to deflect in one area, we paused the pour to install the propping and resumed the pour after 1 hour and used propping on the remaining three floors while the powers that be argued over who would pay for the propping. Ironically I investigated two floor collapses involving similar flooring systems while working in Health and Safety (Ireland and New Zealand) one as a result of inadequate propping one as a result of inadequate design, luckily no one was killed or seriously injured in either incident though it was a close thing. The Irish case (which involved my former employer on the hotel project) resulted in a successful prosecution of the contractor who installed the propping the New Zealand case a change in the Design Code for Composite Floors. One near miss and investigating two collapses leads me to take nothing for granted and to look upwards when it comes to building and construction.

As far as I remember IRM ordered the initial order of Ballast Wagons through an established UK "Commissioner" or agent, but ended up having to deal directly with the Chinese Factory because of problems with their agent. In the end it was simpler and more effective to deal directly with the Chinese factory (whose staff speak English) by phone from Ireland than working with middle men in the UK and China. Going back to Murphy Models 'excess production" being flogged on e-Bay in common with standard manufacturing process the Chinese model train factories manufacture above the quantity ordered by MM to cover manufacturing defects and returns, on an order of 1000 items you could potentially be looking at an additional 50-100 items based on the factories QA system. These 50-100 additional models may be mint boxed as opposed to seconds. It looks suspiciously like the factory held on the the 'additional' production for a couple of years to cover potential warranty claims before selling the 'surplus" to an on-line Trader. The case of the Cravens being flogged by a Spanish on-line Trader may be a case of a stock clearance by a large retailer. A bit like Palitoy/GMR in the 1980s MM may have over estimated demand for the Craven Coaches resulting in retailers ending up with slow selling stock, while ahead of Hornby in terms of detail Palitoy/General Mills basically flooded the UK market with slow selling locos and stock in the early 80s which took several years to clear. Although I did not buy an 071 or Cravens when originally introduced I managed to pick up an 071 and several Cravens on special offer well below the RRP from Marks Models several years after their initial release. Similarly MM effectively had a 'clearance sale" of Craven and MK2 Stock on the IRM Website possibly to free working capital and space in the warehouse for the arrival of the 121s, reinforces that the 'Spanish Cravens" may have been a retailer clearing stock as opposed to a Chinese factory holding stock to 'age" taking up space and eating up working capital

As far as I recall the 2600 Railcars were originally commonly know as Arrows because of the Arrow branding of the new Heuston-Kildare Commuter services and nicknamed Jarrows (Japanese Arrows) when the 2700 Sparrow (Spanish Arrow) railcars were introduced for GN Line outer suburban services. The Sparrows (Alstom) and their DART equivalent apparently had a lot of reliability issues, the Sparrows were replaced by the 2900 on Dublin suburban services, the Sparrows transferred to less demanding duties in Limerick and Alstom railcars and EMUs stored have been 'stored' for many years

I guess the moral of todays story is that the Irish can beat almost anyone when it comes to sharp practice and its sometimes difficult to judge whether a Gombeen Man is just incompetent or a rogue. Abought 30 years ago I was working as a Site Manager for a major Irish Construction company one of whose specialities was building Hotels for "Investors" who were taking advantage of tax breaks for investments in 'tourist infrastructure. The company successfully completed 'budget hotels" in Cork and Galway using pre-cast technology and were approached by the promoters (firm of architects) in mid-96 to complete a similar hotel in Dublin by the end of the (96-97) tax year. The company advised that it was unable to complete the project within the expected time frame using traditional construction or pre-cast technology. Promoters came back a couple of months later advising that they had found the Irish Licensee to a British "fast build" building system that would that would complete the building superstructure within the foreshortened time frame. The Irish licensee would be appointed as Lead Contractor while our role was to manage the overall project and collect our fees. I had just completed a manufacturing project in Athlone and was asked to be present at a meeting in Dublin the following morning with my bosses, the promoters, services contractors and the Irish Licensee for the 'fast build system' our Gombeen Man. This was before the days when everyone on a construction site wore high vis or branded clothing, most of use arrived at the meeting wearing a combination of business suits and smart casual wear though our Lead Contractor turned up smoking a cigar and dressed like Arthur Daley complete with soft hat and Crombie coat. Our lead gave use a presentation on how he would complete the project on time, though the information on his concrete supplier and sources of labour were not convincing, the left the meeting While promoters and my side did not say a word, the services contractors immediately turned to the promoters and asked for a 'extension of time" to complete the project when the Lead Contractor failed citing major problems on a number of projects where the same individual was involved In the end we finished the hotel in time for the 'investors" to receive their tax breaks, though we had to take direct control of the works from the licensee to complete the project (similar to adminsitration) The Gombeen Man had sufficient leverage in terms of the Irish license to the proprietary UK system to be retained as contractor to carry out the "off site" assembly in Dublin, though he remained a nusiance and was banned from site for much of the contract, though he did appear to take credit and guide prospective clients around after we handed the completed hotel over to the client. Think it may have been mainly a case of our Gombeen Man not realising his limitations getting in too deep both in the case of the organisations he was dealing with the construction team were aware of his track record and used him as long as necessary. Surprisingly while our Gombeen Man struggled with the off-site assembly, he employed a highly competent site manager and team of carpenters and roofers to complete the roofing works. One interesting snippet was receiving a call to remove the company sign board as the ISO Quality Auditor was expected to drive past the site on his way to carry out an audit at head office. The company possibly keeping the project "off the books" in terms of its Quality Assurance system to avoid reputational damage if the project failed. I left that particular firm shortly after completing the hotel and never experienced a similar problems on a construction project again

About 30 years ago used to drive to regularly take the remote A412 road from Bala to Trawsfynydd ( Trawys)on Friday nights en-route from work in the Home Counties to Portmadoc to volunteer on the Welsh Highland. The drill was to phone ahead from Bala and order a few drinks if I was running late and would not reach Port by closing time. One night there appeared to be someone on 'high beam' following behind me for several miles as I climbed until I realised that it was a full Moon and that there was no one behind me as I drove around the loop above Lyn Celyn. I literally had the road to myself for most of the 18 miles across the hills between Bala and Trawys and reached Port before closing time. Not sure if I would be up to the drive, and staying up with my mates till the early hours of the morning before spending a weekend volunteering these days, but great fun when I was up to it.

Wasn't sure if it was Athlone West or Westport for a moment positioning on the buildings, tracklayout and hill in the background, though I managed to find a photo of Athlone West Junction looking the other way in Ernie Shepherds MGWR book. The signal cabin and station canopy in the background are a give away. C204 is on the MGWR Cattle Bank Road, the large building to the left of C204 is the 'new" MGWR loco shed the original loco shed in the right background opposite the signal cabin. The area west of the Junction was cleared with just the main running line remaining after Athlone was re-signalled in the mid 1980s, in "Fayles Bulletin" 1No 35:8 1937 the writer speaks of a day trip to Athlone double headed by a pair of recently introduced 342 Class 4-4-0 (favourite for mystery and excursion trains> During their stay the visitors observed 531,532 (Achill Bogie) 590 (Std Goods) and 623 (Cattle Engine) at the 'small shed". 533,535 (Achill Bogie) 589,606 (Std Goods) 621 (Avonside H Goods),635,642 (Cattle Engine)659,663,665 Ks Passenger (2-4-0). Not a bad 2½ hrs in Sep 37. Visitors probably though the railway was run down and lacked variety to pre-amalgamation days. Midland Main Line and Mayo Branch singled. Distinctive GSWR and MGWR identities and liveries obliterated , all locos painted drab grey, lining obliterated, loco nameplates removed.

It looks like we are thinking about two different models of the "Turf Burner" built to two different track and wheel standards! The Turf Burner that ran on the Loughrea layout was built by Brian Fennel, the trackwork on the Loughrea layout was laid to 21mm gauge to modified EM standards while Adavolyle was laid to P4 Standards.

One of the MRSI Loughrea group built a presentable model of the Turfburner CCI about 20-25 odd years ago, plasticard body on an Athearn SD9 (Co-Co) Chassis. In the days before MM brought out its 1st 201 there was quite a cottage industry in the club turning out quite presentable 201s and other IE diesels in plasticard and resin only one Turf Burner was built.

The re-built C&L carriage 1L was transferred to the West Clare where it was used in passenger trains and later used as on the BNM Bellacorick system where it was destroyed by fire shortly before the current C&L operation was established. Apparently BNM staff were embarrassed when the preservationists turned up at Ballacorick enquiring about the C&L Coach. C&L Coach in West Clare passenger train Ennistimon (Photo courtesy Railway Magazine Irish Narrow Gauge Vol 1. Tom Ferris 1993.

A layout combining Drogheda station, Buckleys Siding and Platin is very ambitious for a first layout, on the plus side a lot of the locos and stock are available or announced in ready to run form, the challenge is likely to be fitting a workable layout into the available space and considering train length and degree of compression to achieve a workable layout particularly if your focused on prototypical train working. The other thing to consider is that apart from a double track continuous run or some degree of automation we can only control/drive one loco at a time, during solo operation you could become fully occupied shunting wagons in and out of the wagon-repair shop at the old loco depot and you don't have the time of inclination to shunt Buckley's sidings, or simply time to run the layout. It might be worth contacting the Model Railway Society of Ireland. The society built and exhibited a OO Gauge model of Drogheda which included the station and viaduct which was one of the clubs principal exhibition layouts during late late 80s/90s. Its possible that some of the buildings and structures may exist. There are photo of the viaduct on the section on the Dundalk Work's Layout https://www.modelrailways.ie/layouts/dundalk-works

I was tempted by the Agenora Models Steam Locos when I was going through my British Industrial phase during the late 80s/early 90s, but ended up building a small fleet of Impetus Industrial diesels and a solitary Manning Wardle Steam loco instead! The Agenora kits appeared to be aimed mainly at the 7mm market and seemed to have a good reputation among kit builders while reasonably priced.

There was a hydraulic buffer stop at the end of the arrival road at Sligo Station up to the mid 70s. The hydraulic buffer stop had been replaced by a set of friction buffers when I 1st visited the station in 77-78 and the hydraulic buffer stop partially dismantled with the buffers and hydraulic removed.

Strong family connection to Broadstone and Liffey Junction and later explored the remains of the station in the early 80s. My maternal grandfather joined the Midland as an engine cleaner in 1900 married my Grandmother shortly after being appointed as driver in 1918 and raised a family in a railway house in Great Western Square. Although his railway career was cut short as a result of ill health and passed away years before I was borne, my Mother often talked about childhood memories of her father working on the railway at Broadstone and Liffey Junction. The area around Broombridge would have been completely rural market gardens and cow lairage up to the 1940s with the development of the Cabra West on a Garden City model with Corporatuion housing and industrial units backing on to the railway.

Interesting to see how Irish voters would react to say the FF/FG coalition running in the next election on a platform in Income Tax cuts and road building financed by cutting 'wasteful' Government expenditure including axing the Dublin Airport Metro, and other public infrastructure projects and job cuts in all Government Departments. This is basically what happened in New Zealand last year where a centre right coalition was elected which effectively reversed the majority of policies on a centre left government which was heavily committed to investment in public infrastructure primarily rail, road safety, electricity and water. The coalition parties specifically identified the axing of an Auckland Light Rail project that would have linked the CBD with the Airport and local fuel taxes used to fund transport infrastructure. Cross-subsidising rail/public transport with taxes levied on motorists/road users was deemed unfair on principal. "The sting in the tail" for the road user so to speak was a post election announcement that "congestion charges" (similar to London) would be introduced to 'manage-demand and Tolling (something of a taboo in New Zealand) would be considered for new roading projects. Roading projects have the advantage over rail in using mainly local labour and material and keeping people at work in a recession, and can operate on a true user pays basis if tolls and duties are set at the correct level.

At first sight the loco reminded me of a cross between the Triang 'Continental" 0-4-0 https://www.ebay.com/itm/375294131391?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28 and Big Big Train 'Continental" 0-6-0 of the late 60s http://www.tri-ang.co.uk/2020/General 28/BBEngineA.jpg. Maybe Triang/Rovex idea of what a continental loco looked like. Its not a bad freelance conversion combining Triang 0-6-0 chassis and parts from the "Continental" 0-4-0, the seller seems to have 'lost the plot" in listing the model as a County Donegal loco.

Interesting 6w 1st 39m apparently kept as a spare on the former carriage shed siding to strengthen the branch train. Quite a long mixed train with a passenger brake at the rear. There is a 21st April 1955 HC Casserley photo of 656 with the branch train at Loughrea made up a single H Van, ex-GSW 6W Brake 3rd and a 'modern' Bredin Composite coach most likely 2115. The Casserleys party chose to travel in the 6 wheeler despite exhortations from the guard "You'll be much more comfortable in the bogie, Sorr".

Its possible that a set of ex-MGWR 6w were in use as late as 1961. According to Padraig O'Cuimin in Baronial Lines of the MGWR bogie coaches were introduced on the Loughrea Branch in the 1950s. A GSR built composite 2115 (Built 1935) ran with 91 an ex-GSWR 6w Brake 3rd No91. "At other times a Midland set was used" 39m 6w lav 1st, 85m 6w second and 9m 6w BK 3rd rebuilt by the GSR without the birdcage look out. This looks like the set in the first proto. O'Cuimin states that the final steam set was made up of 2111 a 1925 GSR Composite and 2932 one of the recently introduced 4w Luggage and Heating Vans. The coach in the photo with 610 appears to be a 1920s GSR coach and likely to be 2111, the 6w Passenger Brake appears to be ex-GSWR with gas lighting possibly No 91 (the shape of the lamptops is a feature of gas light carriages). The steam locos are both ex-MGWR L Class 0-6-0s or J19 rebuilt with superheated boilers, these engines originally ran with "Stirling" style tenders with springs hidden behind the framing, but apparently replaced with larger tenders, the first off a 2-4-0 or more modern (1890s) LM/J18 or a 2-4-0, 610 has a larger post 1900 tender possibly off a scrapped 4-4-0 or 0-6-0.

Speeder (Inspection Car) tours are a popular pastime in the USA. https://www.timesreporter.com/picture-gallery/news/2023/07/14/photos-speeder-railroad-inspection-cars-used-tours-age-steam-roundhouse/12255446002/ There were stories about farmers using gangers trollies (push along) "to bring in the hay" on the C&L, some 'young people" from Crooksling used a Dublin & Blessington gangers trolly to go to dances/parties at Brittas the 1920s, (the source who passed away long ago remembers there was a flat on one wheel giving a bumpy ride. Said it was an exciting ride down hill (in the days before teens had cars/motor bikes) but a pain pushing the trolly up the hill after a night out! Some people considered using a preserved Wickham car for a 'run on the main-line" on a Christmas Day but thought better of it! BNM used to carry out track inspections by scrambler motor bike, but locos (with a push button start no keys) used to be parked 'out on the bog" if you were in the mood for taking a spin.

Been a problem for generations. The line was closed between December 1956 and March 1960 because of serious flooding at Ballycar, services were restored on 10th March using 301 the last surviving GSWR 4-4-0. The firebox was supposed to be high enough above the flood waters for 301 to get through although the diesels (locos and AEC railcars) could not

David put it succinctly 21mm gauge can be laid to OO/EM profile wheels and running clearances, but not really suitable for sharp/small radius curves (I use 2'6" as a minimum on plain track) and points need to be at least 3' radius. Its important to understand that EM/OO fine wheels are to a finer/narrower profile to wheels fitted to RTR locos and stock and importantly that critical dimensions such as wheel Back to Back and Flangeway Clearance vary between EM and Double O Association Intermediate Track and Wheel Standards. I use EM profile wheels set with a Back to Back of 19.3mm for the majority of my locos and stock with a Flangeway Clearance of 1mm while Brendan 8056 uses existing (NMRA) profile wheels with the B-B set at 19mm presumably with a wider flangeway clearance. It was necessary for me to reduce the thickness of the bogie sideframes of a B141 re-gauged with the original Bachmann wheels as the wheels rubbed on the sideframes with the B-B set to 19.3mm. Clearance between wheels and side frames was not a problem on my B141s fitted with narrower EM profile wheels. While diesels and stock are relatively simple to re-gauge, a 21mm gauge steam outline loco is basically a scratch or kit building exercise in sheet metal due to the very tight clearances between wheels, splashers, outside cylinders/valve gear on the full size locomotive. I think Stephen or Fran from IRM/Accurascale pointed out that it was not practicable to produce an EM gauge variant of the Accurascale GWR Manor due problems achieving sufficient clearance given the characteristics of the material used, on of the reasons British OO exists.

The existing Parkside kit https://www.petersspares.com/p/parkside-models-pc65-br-12t-palvan-kit-oo-gauge is probably a better and cheaper option than the new Bachmann model for modelling the CIE Palvan. Apart from the underframe the main visual difference between the CIE and BR vans was that the Irish Vans were fitted with sliding doors (2 types) and three different types of end stampings. Some of the vans were fitted with corrugated ends similar to the standard BR Van, its possible to produce this type of van by doing a 'mix n match" between a Parkside Pallet and Ply sided van kits as outlined in James Hiltons recent article on Irish vans https://paxton-road.blogspot.com/2024/03/irish-vans.html The underframes on the CIE Palvans were quite unlike the BR vans a combo of Bulleid Triangulated Underframe, axleguards with spring dampers like the BR Pallet Vans and 'either side" brake gear similar to that fitted to older style British built tank wagons a very strange combo. The Bachmann/Parkside chassis are best described as near enough for the Irish pallet vans if you don,t look too closely.