Mayner

Richard Ellis once produced a 3D printed GNR JT 2-4-2T complete with 3D printed chassis on the Shapeways platform, it was intended that the builder source their wheels, gearbox and motor from a supplier like Markits or Alan Gibson than attempt to take the bits from a proprietary RTR chassis. Having assembled several 21mm gauge locos I think 3D printing or injection molded plastic would be a non-runner for a 21mm gauge loco body due to the nature of the material it would be extremely difficult to achieve adequate running clearances for 21mm wheel sets within the splashers and valences. Suppliers like Brassmasters supply replacement etched splashers for modellers intending to re-gauge Bachmann LMS 4F and 3F 0-6-0s from OO to EM or S4. I assembled a number of SSM J15s 0-6-0s and GNR 4-4-0s to 21mm gauge with EM profile wheels and found splasher/crankpin clearances quite tight, it would probably be necessary to reduce the gauge to 20.2mm if you use the wider RP25 110 wheels used in the majority of current rtr chassis. A 3D printed Irish steam outline loco and chassis should be doable in OO the main challenge would be finding a printer (person or machine) capable of printing to a similar tolerance to plastic injection moulding or die casting.

I think it was Michael McGowan author of the Hard Road to the Klondike a returning emigrant commented that the Donegal natives who built the Burtonport Extension slipped up badly by completing the line quickly and not 'making the job last'. The building of lines to remote parts of the West gave a short economic boost during their construction, but no long term economic benefit to the districts they served, as soon as they were able a large part of the population had to emigrate in order to survive and send back money to support the people that remained behind.

According to Paddraig O'Ciumin in "Baronial Lines of the MGWR an ex-WLWR 2-4-0 was tried on the Loughrea Branch, but "was unpopular with staff and earned itself the soubriquet of the "Bastard. He notes that 293 of Class G3 was on the Loughrea Line in 1934. Seàn Kennedy gave me a copy mid 30s photo of an ex-WLWR 2-4-0 on a mixed train at Loughrea, interestingly the loco is heading a pair of ex-GSWR 6-wheelers rather than the usual MGWR stock a "Southern train' on a Midland branch! The photo appears in Dònal Murray's Great Southern Railways pictorial album. as 290 and its Southern train filling in for a temporary shortage of MGWR stock following the closure of Broadstone as a rail works and transfer of loco and stock overhauls timeto Inchacore around the same time? A photo of ex-WLWR 2-4-0 290 (The Enniscorthy Pilot) appears in the same album leading a solitary GSWR 6wheel coach and a string of open wagons on an enniscorhy Wexford Mixed one of its regular workings in GSR /CIE days. Johnny Walker of he Wexford Club built a convincing 4mm OO gauge model of 290 (and other Waterford/Wexford based steam locos) in the late 70s/early mainly out of plasticard powered by an Airfix tender drive.

After considering a number of options including transferring 3D printing to Ireland or the UK, I have decided to continue with our current Chinese supplier both for the high print quality and competitive pricing. I am accepting enquiries/ expressions of interest in a similar manner to our our etched kits by PM on this newsgroup or info@jmdesignmr.co.nz. Wagons are printed to order and will proceed to production when I receive enquiries/expressions of interest for a minimum of 20 wagons. I will issue a Paypal invoice for payment when I reach the minimum order quantity for delivery March-May 2025, I will confirm shipping cost at invoice stage. Wagon kits will be supplied with wheels, couplers and decals, but without ballast weights, wrapped in bubble wrap in cardboard packaging. Wagons are supplied with Markits 3H disc wheels on 28mm pin point axles and suitable for 21mm gauge use to OO or EM running clearances, brake shoes are aligned for 21mm gauge. GSR/CIE "Standard Irish" 12T Open Wagon. $44.00nz approx. €26.50 approx. £23.00 Introduced during WW1, built by GSWR/GSR & CIE up to the 1956 introduction of the "Corrugated" open wagons. Photo is of one of our original prints wagon label print detail is sharper and door springs deepend to minimise risk of breakage. Covered Wagons JM Design have produced four different versions of the Covered Wagons or "H Vans" (Hard Topped) used introduced by CIE between the Mid 1940s and early 1950s All Van kits are priced at $49.00nz approx. €29.40 approx. £25.48ntroduced 1917 GSWR/GSR/CIE 15417-16812 Series Covered Wagon Planked Introduced by GSWR during WW1 , GSR and CIE continued to produce these wagons into the 1949s GSWR/GSR/CIE 15417-16812 Series Covered Wagon Sheeted Aluminium sheeted body with planked doors. GSR/CIE built/rebuilt covered wagons with aluminium sheeting over timber planking possibly to improve durability. Photo is of a model with the chassis produced by a different process to our current production. CIE 17012-17221 Series Covered Wagon introduced 1946 CIEs first design of H van basically an updated version of the GSWR 1915 design with aluminium sheeted body and doors on timber planking on 10' Wb underframe. CIE 1712-17221 Series Covered Wagon Known as "LMA Wagons" this small batch (10) + 16812 the bodywork of these wagons was assembled in light alloy sheeting completed with corrugated ends. GSR Bulk Grain Wagon. Introduced 1930s the GSR built 10 wagons for its own use and 8 for Ranks Ireland. All Bulk Grain Wagon kits are priced at $55.00nz approx. €33.00 approx. £28.60 A separate decal sheet is available for the grain wagons in GSR/CIE service covering the main livery variations. I can supply a Ranks Ireland decal sheet to order but can be challenging to apply and would recommend ordering additional decal sets as spares.

Several photos of Ballast Wagons with red bodywork in Wagons by Irish Railway Photographic Archive including a couple with snail logo! the majority of photos taken late 60s including a a 6w dropside ballast under repair and in service. Wagon album Page 3 Dropside Ballast Wagon (sides dropped) derelict Mullingar 86 ©Seamus Lattimer ref> SLR_CIE_X_Mullingar_23_Aug_1986 (2) Wagon album Page 6 Dropside Ballast weathered red/brown snail Logo + partially visible wagon with red bodywork ©Thomas A Davitt TAD_GSWR_Castletownroche_3_Sept_1969 (2) (Dungarvan-Mallow lifting train) Dropside Ballast 24514 1954 cattle wagon conversion red bodywork grey wooden underframe and ironwork ©Thomas Wall TMW_CIE_GNR_24514_2128N_Limerick_27_April_1969 (GN Bulk Cement in background) 6W GSWR Ballast Wagon 24103 under repair TMW_GSWR_24103_Limerick_27_April_1969 6W GSWR Ballast Wagon 24103 red bodywork tiny wheel logo! TMW_GSWR_24103_Foynes_04_June_1972 GSWR/GSR/CIE Ballast Wagon 8385 red bodywork stencil snail logo grey underframe marked for scrapping! ©Thomas Wall TMW_GSWR_8385_Wicklow_Murrough_04_May_1968

The ballast wagon MoL is referring to appears as a colour photo in the Wagon Collection of the IRRS Flickr album, its one of the 2415-24566 series Ballast Wagons converted from Cattle Wagons in 1964, the drop sides were red the underframe grey. Strangely there are also photos in the collection of ex-MGWR open wagons and vans (both Irish Standard types) in brown at a time CIE was phasing out/scrapping its remaining pre-amalgamation wagons There are other colour photos of PW wagons in red in the IRRS Flickr collection There is an old Irish saying saying that a person should believe none of what you hear and half of what they see, use a preferably colour photo if you intend to model a particular loco or piece of rolling stock.

The Cavan & :Leitrim was CIEs last entirely steam worked system and quite intensively worked to the end with the Arigna Coal specials in addition to the scheduled mixed trains. Ballinamore was a self contained railway works in miniature with running shed/repair shops, storage sidings and its own railway village adjacent to the sheds. Photo possibly mid 50s with 3T and 5T framing a pair of C&L 4-4-0Ts . 5Ts cow catcher was later removed after it worked loose and caught on a set of points on the Arigna Tramway. Kerr Stewart 4T and possibly 2L stored towards the end of one of the Carriage Shed roads together with a derelict C&L coach, and loads of coal wagons possibly the bunker of one of the Passage locos lurking behind the bushes towards the left of the photo. Ballinamore-Dromad the busiest section with three mixed trains daily during the 1950s (frequent by Irish standards) a daily mixed to Belturbet and Arigna and up to 4 Coal Specials daily Arigna to Dromad or Belturbet + empty workings.

Bitumen was imported through Dublin Port and loaded at a private siding into a Bitumen Terminal near the end of the Alexandra Road Tramway. Interestingly the Cold Chon siding at Sligo Quay was reinstated during the 1990s, Sligo Bitumen traffic transported on the trice weekly ESSO Oil train, presumably Bitumen traffic to other destinations were transported by scheduled Liner Train.

There is an excellent IRRS Journal article (Circa 1969) on the early stages of CIEs freight modernisation written by one of the CIE managers implementing the programme The IRRS Library may be able to assist with a copy, I donated my collection of Journals to the Model Railway Society of Ireland about 20 years ago! The article is headed by a photo of a B121 approaching Island Bridge Junction with a B&I Liner from Cork. The writer goes into detail on the introduction of different designs of Half Height/Swap Body for Keg and Fertiliser traffic and the adaption of ISO standards in the late 1960s. Sometimes Half Heights and Side Door Containers were treated as Opens and Vans (usually mounted on 14' wb flats) during the final years of loose coupled operation, I remember seeing Half Heights and Side Door Containers being loaded/unloaded in the goods yard at Athy scheduled for closure under Railplan 80 during a trip from Heuston-Waterford in 77-78. There are photos in one of Jonathan Allen's collections of containers being loaded/unloaded in the Goods Yard at Youghal during the mid-late 70s

Models are 21mm-friendly. Pre-Bullied era wagons in service up to the mid-70s, including 4 different versions of the H Van! I have ceased production of RTR wagons, but can supply 3D printed wagon parts to order shipped direct from our suppliers in China. I'll do an update on the JM Design forum next week with indicative minimum order quantity, pricing and potential lead times.

Not a lot different from Dundalk's 1937 'heavy overhaul' of the S & S2 Class incl. 171 as virtually new locos complete with new deeper frames The GSWR appears to have started the trend in 1918 by beginning the re-build of its large 321 Class 4-4-0s with new stronger frames and raised running boards (retaining original saturated tapered boiler and Coey Cab) , MGW picked up the trend in 1925 by re-building 3 (half) of its Celtic Class 4-4-0s with superheated boilers, piston valves, new frames with raised running boards and canopy cabs. Its alleged that the 321s were re-built with frames cut but not used for additional members of the 341 Class following Richard Mansell's resignation as CME and move to the South Eastern. One of the theories behind the rebuilding of 62,88-89 in 1925 a contemporary styling was that it was intended to use the locos on a fast Dublin-Cork Newspaper Train and the 60 Class had a reputation as a fast reliable fast passenger loco. I must get the finger out and assemble the set of parts I have had in stock for a D14 since February.

3D printed 1946 & GSW Versions once available.

The GSR/CIE rebuilds of the D14s is somewhat complicated. The GSR rebuilt 3 of the 15 D14s 62, 88 & 89 with new frames, running boards and canopy cabs in the mid-20s 62 & 88 were re-built with extended smokeboxes retaining the original saturated boiler. 89 was rebuilt with a saturated Belpair boiler (later used in the 700 Class 0-6-0s) and re-classified as D13 from 1925-33 65 was rebuilt with a 700 Class boiler and a canopy cab but retained her existing frames and curving running board in 1931! 62,88 & 89 were later re-built with Z Superheated boiler same as used on the J15. 61 & 65 appear to be the only members of the class that were not superheated. D14s like several ex-GSWR classes locos ran with tenders with diffent https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-FWNJ8dc/A 62 Inchacore Superheated boiler high capacity Type C Tender https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-bKSrFvc/A The ugly duckling 65 https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-TTc9HH8/A 88 Superheated boiler small Type A Tender https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-L8CzXDF/A 89 Early CIE days being prepared for the road Superheated boiler medium capacity Type B tender.

The Midland 6 wheeler appears to be a Cusack outline 6 Wheel Full Brake 2 introduced 1908 & a further 8 in 1924 so not that old by Irish Standards Most likely A35 is on a Tuam-Galway local, there is a 1957 Sam Carse photo of A40 at Tuam with an almost identical consist with a 6w GSWR rather than a MGWR Full Brake leading the consist. I wonder whether the trailing vehicle is a fitted van/cattle wagon or a non-passenger vehicle (Horsebox or Meat Van)?

Not quite correct at one stage coaches without the TL suffix ran with 3201-3212 Series Brake Standard Generating Steam Vans on Dublin outer suburban services during the late 1970s possibly into the early 80s Sometimes travelled on Connolly-Drogheda suburban trains in the late 70s/early 80s, the consist was usually 3-4 non TL coaches and a bogie generator/heating van converted from earlier stock hauled by a B201 Class loco. Coaches tended to be a mixture of early 1950s Inchacore built, stock, Park Royal and Laminate coachs. The Park Royal Suburban coaches 1379-1418 are listed without the TL Suffix in 1979 edition of Locomotives and Rolling Stock of CIE & NIR which claims than details of CIE coaches are corrent for 27 November 1978. My impression at the time was TL fitted stock was primarily used on long distance Intercity services out of Heuston and Connolly, while stock in use on suburban and branch line services continued to rely on the traditional dynamo and battery lighting system possibly into the early 80s. Park Royal suburban and some late 1950s Laminate stock were later fitted with TL lighting.

Amazing progress Alan seems to be evolving into a master class on layout building.

Can anyone identify the railway/tramway company? 411 looks like some sort of freight/luggage motor van/loco. Besides the DUTC hauling Dublin & Blessington wagons onto its system, Dublin Corporation used to transport 'municipal waste" from its Stanley Street over the DUTC system for dumping in the landfill that later became Fairview Park.

IE phased out Sundries traffic and the use of 10' containers between 1987 and the mid 90s as it struggled to make a profit on its freight business. IE closed its smaller depots to sundries, container and some to all freight traffic shortly after its formation in 87 concentrating traffic on a few major terminals. As far as I recall Ballinasloe, Roscommon, Castlebar, Boyle were stations/depots that were closed completely to freight traffic in 87, Tullamore remained open for Bulk Cement and Fertiliser, Westport Logs. Longford, Claremorris, Ballina, Sligo and Boyle remained open for Sundries until the traffic ceased. Galway was served by a trip working from Galway that connected into the Claremorris Liner at Athlone.

The thing that impresses me about the RM Web Irish Railways Group is the strong focus on modelling together with the variety and quality of modelling. Group members do not appear to be deterred from modelling a particular loco or piece of rolling stock by the absence of a rtr model or a kit. Members appear to have persuaded Worsley Works and others to produce parts for several of the designs of railcars and rolling stock introduced by UTA and NIR incl. (a) UTA AEC cars 6&7, (b) MED, MPD, 70 Class railcars. In certain respects the railways in Ulster are/were quite different in character and operation than the rest of Ireland, compact, with intensively worked passenger traffic and a technically innovative approach. A good example of the contrast was Cavan where the GN(i) treated the Cavan Branch as an extension of the Ulster Railway main line with 4 through Belfast-Cavan trains (made up of modern stock) daily to the ending of passenger services in 1957 while the CIE line from Inny Junction was a mouldering goods only branch with 1 train daily from Mullingar. Besides the loco hauled passenger and goods trains, the GN also regularly ran Railbuses on the branch and 'coal specials' from Belturbet to the Drogheda Cement Factory. For those who like a challenge of modelling the GNR SSM produce suitable Loco and Rolling Stock kits ably backed up by Provincial Wagons while the Worsley Works NCC Mogul and WT can be assembled into fine models, Worsley also produce parts/sides for both GN and NCC/UTSA coaches and if someone likes to model 'something completly different' there is always the SLNCR, County Down and the various narrow gauge lines and tramways.

It looks like Tony may have etched the parts for the SLNCR tank using a 'home etch kit" available from electronic hobby stores. Using these kits the unser prints their design of a selfadhesive resist film using a photocopier or laser printer. It might be worth asking Tony & Kieran if they are willing for Alan or a business like PPD to check whether the existing artwork is suitable for producing a phototool. Tony's chassis/running plate artwork appears ok. Main potential issues I can see is that the artwork in the photo does not appear to follow the colour conventions used by commercial photo engravers and the narrow width of the artwork. Ideally the artwork shoud be drawn 290mm wide with the loco underframe and substructure on a single sheet, I would recommend 0.4mm nickle silver for strength and stability where the underframe and superstrructure are etched from the one sheet. PPD Artwork Guide summarises industry conventions https://ppdltd.com/artwork-guide.html PPD have a 1 off set up charge for preparing a Phototool from the artwork and will print a single or multiple sheets at a fixed rate per sheet.

Challenging converting a OO Gauge model to meter gauge a scale gauge perspective. Does the modeller compromise by converting a 4mm model to 12mm gauge or select the correct 12.2mm to S4 standards, build a model from scratch in HOm or follow the example of the Malasian modellers who appear to compromise on Japanese N. https://www.facebook.com/groups/railwaymodellersmalaysia/

The onus is on the PSNI to keep the DCDR 9the victim) informed of progress with the case throughout the investigation, its not acceptable to keep the DCDR in the dark on progress or their decision making. The wheels of justice turn very slowly its possible that a Diversionary Sentence requires the same level of proof as a Court Prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that an offender has committed a crime. The PSNI may have discussed Diversion as an option in a interview or meeting with the alleged offenders, their parents and solicitor but may still not have completed the investigation File, which may give the offenders and their parents that they will not be facing reprecussions. While working in Ireland and New Zealand I had 6 months from the date of the offence to complete a Prosecution File and a further 6 months for our legal team or state prosecution service to make a decision to Prosecute. Even in a seemingly open and shut case (admission of guilt, sufficient evidence a crime was committed & co-operative defendant) I found it challenging to complete a file within the 6 month deadline as a result of conflicting work demands.I would expect a PSNI Diversion Officer to be faed with similar challenges. If a case progresses to Court takes approximately 3 months from the date the decision was made to prosecute to the First Appearance in court when the defendant is given an opportunity to enter a plea and if they have a decent lawyer request an adjournment, usually 6-12 months from First Appearance to a Sentencing Hearing if the enter a guilty plea or a lot longer if they plead not guilty and the case progresses to trial. So potentially a minimum of 6 months for PSNI/Youth Justice to hold the offenders to account if the DCDR , possibly 1-2 years in the case of Boness with adult offenders who may already have a criminal record which is likely to progress to court.

Police Warnings and Judges Sentencing notes are discoverable under the UK Freedom of Information Act once the case has been dealt with and closed by the Police or the Courts not exactly the most effective way of demonstrating that the system is transperant and that justice has been done. Its possible the Boness case may not yet been dealt by the Courts and therefore not be discoverable under Freedom of Information. In my experience prosecuting H&S cases (white collar crime) in Ireland and New Zealand it can take over a year for a prosecution case to be heard in the District Court, as a result of workload the system tends to become clogged up with public order and drink driving cases. The offending a Downpatrick does not appear to meet the criteria to be heard at Crown Court. The PSNI have a number of options to deal with the matter including a Restorative Caution which would require the perpetrators and their parents to apoligise and offer reparations to the DCDR for the damage done. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/youth-justice#toc-3 GSWR 90s post indicate that the PSNI and the offenders parents may have agreed on a Diversionary Sentence which can vary from an Informed Warning to sentences which require an apology and an agreement to take part in work to make ammends to the victim. GSWR 90s commented that the perpetrators felt very lucky to have got off without facing any reprecussions for their actions indicates that they may have got off with a Warning. Did the PSNI, DCDR and the parents consider the offender taking part in some physical work on the railway? and if not why not? PSNI have a duty to keep the DCDR informed of progress throughout the investigation process and the rationalle behind the sentencing decision.

Interestingly the DSER obtained powers to divert the line Greystones and Wicklow further inland in 1909 but was unable to raise the money. The DSER re-located the erosion prone section of the line between Dalkey and Bray and sections of the line around Bray Head further inland before the 'Amalgamation' https://rathdown.wicklowheritage.org/topics/the-railway

Being the parent and caregiver of a teenager diagnosed with a mental health disorder, I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by the current generation of teenagers and found the knee-jerk reaction towards teenage crime expressed by some posters on this and the Boness tread distasteful. I am a strong believer in parental responsibility towards their teenage children and that society has a role in their up bringing, which is consistent with both the New Zealand and Northern Ireland legal systems. The New Zealand legal system identifies the 'Absolute Importance of the Family in Youth Justice' In both systems parents have legal responsibilities towards their children until they reach 18 and where the child's upbringing, health and all other relevant factors are considered in the prosecution and sentencing for a crime. GSWR 90s recent post indicates that the 'authorities' and the childrens' parents are doing nothing in response to the vandalism at Downpatrick despite a number of different sentencing options being available some of which required the perpetrator to make amends to the victim. In New Zealand the expectation in a similar case would be for the perpetrator (accompanied by parents and caregivers) would be required as a minimum to attend a restorative justice conference to apologise and to make amends to the victim or to carry out 'Community Work' if sentenced through the Court system. As I stated before PW maintenance and renewals on some of our heritage railways are sometimes carried out by offenders on 'Community Work' under the supervision of a qualified PW ganger, some offenders later found full time employment as trackworkers on Kiwirail. Spending several days or longer carrying out manual work on the DCDR would have been a good way for the perpetrators to work off their boredom and narcissist tendencies as part of a Restorative Caution or Community Work sentence.