Mayner

664 is just about complete after another coat of "GSR' grey this time a semi-gloss laquer allowed to cure for a week before a coat of Gunz Mr Clear Super Clear Flat aerosol my standard finish. The existing paint finished was easily damaged and tended to chip when handled, the laquer appears more resistant to damage and the 'Clear Flat" results in nice eggshell finish This time I soldered the vacuum pipe to the front buffer beam. I need to glaze the cab spectacle before dispatch to the customer. On test the loco is capable of hauling 10 of my not so free running 3D printed wagons Loco is wired for DC on the customers request using the "American" using 'live axle' pick up on the loco and tender. I probabably now have enough of my own loco/rolling stock projects to keep me busy for several years without needing to buy another kit or rtr model.

Hi Paul Well done on finding 190, the MM 141/181 (1st batch anyway) are relatively simple to convert to 21mm gauge. Wooden sleepers supplied to Irish railways were reduced to 8'6" during WW1 same as England, Wales and Scotland I converted one by using the existing wheels and replacing the existing axles and a pair by replacing the existing wheelsets with 21mm gauge wheel sets supplied by Ultrascale. When using the existing Bachmann wheels with the B-B set at 19.5mm I found it necessary to reduce the thickness of the bogie sideframes to avoid the wheels fouling the sideframes, the Ultrascale wheel sets fit without modification. 21mm gauge 141 with Bachmann wheels top, Ultra scale wheels lower. Ultrascale wheelset fitted with Bachmann worm and bearing brushes, 2mm top hat bearing as trust washer. A 19.5mm B-B for 21mm gauge with OO/EM profile wheels was originally specified by Tim Cramer in a Railway Modeller article in June 72?, some modellers use B-B of 19.3mm derived from EM Gauge standards, some modellers have adapted a B-B of 19mm for use with NMRA RP25-110 wheels fitted to the majority of current rtr models. I haven't got around to converting the IRM 001 or MM121 at this stage which are fitted with a stepped axle to accomodate rotating bearing caps. I intended to convert some MM Cravens to 21mm gauge using my own etched bogie frames with MJT sideframes, though I used MJT etched bogies (coach suspension units) and side frames on some 21mm Laminate coaches. One cheap and simple conversion is to widen the existing plastic bogies by fitting new plastic or metal bolster which works remarkably effectively. I also re-used existing wheelsets by cutting and sleeving the existing axles with 2mm bore brass tube. Plastic wagon kits in this case a Parkside Palvan are easy to re-gauge by moving out the solebars and brake gear.

Recording the occupation as'farmer" rather than the actual occupation crops on my fathers side of the family. Great Grandfather appears to have been a Scottish stone mason who later became a Gamekeeper on Garbally Estate outside Ballinasloe -Grandfather a Gamekeeper marries a farmer's Daughter whoes father from a Mannion was listed as a Coachman on an estate near Woodlawn who later is listed as farmer apparrently on his own land. The young couple move to an estate near Kiltimagh where my grandfather is listed as Gamekeeper. The family move around the country as the old estates are broken up during the 20-30 eventually moving to Ballinascorney House a hunting lodge in the Dublin Mountains owned by Joe McGrath a relative by marriage, where my grandfather was listed as a "farmer" possibly on my grandmothers insistence. Grandfather was supposed to be an easy going guy not bothered about status while my Grandmother was very concious of her status as a farmers daughter. Hopefully the 1926 census will help fill some of the gaps between Kiltimagh & Ballinascorney, my father spoke about the Dublin & Blessington Tramway running Model T Fords which potentially places their arrival before 1932, though he also spoke about seeing "Model Ts" on the Clogher Valley which would have been about the same time (The family lived for a short time near the CVR)

So James Regan you publicly accused me of being an apologist and enabler of lowlifes because I posted 'what could the society/community in Downpatrick in particular childs parents could have done differently to support the teenager. Parental responsibility: Although in Northern Ireland parental roles and responsibilities include to protect, maintain and discipline a child until they reach 18 https://www.gov.uk/parental-rights-responsibilities . Apart from myself no one on this thread has raised the issue of parental responsibility for the upbringing and behavior of the 16 year old offender. Perhaps this is reflective of a society where it appears acceptable for one or both parents to spend time in the pub and leave young kids to their own devices. I grew up in a Corporation Estate in Dublin or next door neighbor's a relatively well-to do couple with a family of 15 kids were out most nights at the Greyhound races partying while thee older children brought up the younger ones. The broader community: My mother and father could not ignore what was going on and sometimes intervened when one of the neighbours older kids was left alone struggling to pacify a new-born baby or there appeared to be a disturbance in their house, and at a later stage when some of the older kids started experimenting with drugs. The neighbours were embarrassed but grateful for my parents intervention and were considered a 'respectable' family despite their partying lifestyle. I guess they could always afford to buy a round for the neighbours in the local pub and remain in high standing in the community. Vandalism: Like self-harm and suicide, vandalism can sometimes be a cry for help A cousin turned to vandalism in their early teens possibly to draw his parents attention when his mother and father were pre-occupied in caring for a seriously ill child. Luckily his father asked him why rather than simply striking out and punishing him. As a result of which his father took him under his wing as a result of which he grew into a responsible adult rather than a troubled youth. Prison is too good for them. Many of the kids in this part of the world who enter the Youth Justice system go on to and graduate from the adult prison system as a career criminal. Over 90% of inmates in the NZ prison system 91% have been diagnosed with long term mental health and addiction problems with a high re-incarceration rate 56%. Our imprisonment rate is higher than the UK and almost twice that of Ireland and hasn't exactly acted as a deterrent with an increase in gang membership and violent crime in recent years. In on case we had a mother shooting at the Police to create a diversion to allow her teenage sons to escape from Police following a series of ram-raids on shops and stores in the Waikatgo https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/ram-raids-hamilton-mum-admits-shooting-at-police-to-help-kids-escape-arrest/7OLSKGKQBVHCDGQB4YRM6UKAO4/ Some community lead initiative to reduce youth crime divert kids into sports and outdoor actives appear to be more effective and work out cheaper than sending people to youth or adult prison, but a politician 'talking tough' on crime is almost a guaranteed to be elected. Am I an apologist and enabler of low life? If you believe that I am an apologist and enabler of lowlife because I believe that parents have responsibilities towards their children until they reach 18 and that the wider community (family, school, health professionals, social service and police) have a role then I must be an apologist and an enabler.

The Wills "Coarse" Stone SSMP200 used in Alan's bridge is a completely different and much more useful material than their "Random; Stone SSMP228. The Coarse Stone is much more prototypical in appearance laid in courses than the 'Random" stone which is random in nature for the entire height of the panel. In reality a mason building a 'random' stone wall would have built the wall in 'courses' of about 2-3' and the horizontal layers would have been visible. I have used the Wills Coarse stone for building and structures, but as someone with a background in the building trade haven't been able to "build" a convincing wall in coarsed random stone widely used in Irish railway structures. Rubble Random Semi Coursed

I shipped the final orders of RTR wagons on Monday and closed the Shopify site, which should give me some time to catchup on my own incomplete modelling projects. Over the past 4 years we have sold over 300 wagons, Brakes accounted for 38% of sales, Opens (Std Irish) 20%, CIE (Post 1946) Vans 25%, Pre-GS Vans & Grain Wagons each approx 10%. While sales of Brake Vans have been predominently rtr (98%) since the model was released in July 2021, sales of other wagons were evenly divided beteeen rtr and kits during 2021-22, before shifting to predominently rtr during 2023-24. Although wagon kits were listed as a stock item on the website during 2023, there were no enquiries or dales of kits, however the models sold out quickly when offered as rtr items in late 2023 at a higher price point.

18828 the Pallet Van with the snail logo(photo dated 1963) on the IRRS Flickr site is in the same number series as the 1722-19754 series H Vans introduced from 1953 onwards, rather than the 26001 Palvans introduced in 1964. Doyle and Hirsch talk about 18762-18861 built in 1958 having vacuum brakes fitted 1961/2 and 15 being fitted with sliding doors giving them a similar appearance to the 26001 series vehicles. 18828 is on a fitted version of the 'standard' Bullied wagon underframe with handbrake wheel quite different to the 26001 Palvan underframes

The freights in the Lisburn photos are likely to be un-fitted, its unlikely that the two vans at the head of the train consisted are fitted or through piped. Interestingly in both photos a CIE built H Van is leading an older GSR van with external body planking. This particular type of van were a 'double skinned' version of the 'Irish Strandard' Van introduced during WW1 and used by several companies that made up the GSR and Great Northern, the double skinned body may have been to improve insulation to carry perishable traffic such as butter. The Belfast Line freight workings were an oddity on CIE as the majority of trains terminated at Dundalk rather than running through from Dublin or Drogheda to Belfast, possibly customs clearance purposes or possibly different Union agreements between train crews based in the Republic and Northern Ireland. Whatever the reason Cross-Border freights continued as loose-coupled unfitted operations (with modern fitted wagons) for several years (early 80s) after the rail system in the South converted to fully fitted Liner Train operation. Its likely that the trains in the two photos are marshalled in station order wagons coupled next to the loco for Dundalk, followed by a cut of Cement Bubbles for Drogheda wagons for Dublin and destinations further South towards the rear of the train. Sometimes 'modern' fitted stock like Cement Bubbles, Container Flats and Bagged Cement wagons ran unfitted because it was more convenient to marshall a train in Station Order than marshal the fitted wagons next to the loco. In several photos of the Burma Road goods Bell Container wagons to and from Waterford are often marshalled next to the brake van at the rear of the train. In the Mid 70s Cement Bubbles to and from Ballina were often marshalled towards the middle of Limerick-Claremorris goods trains. During the first season of operation Platin-Ballinasloe/Roscommon Pallet Cement train operated as a 20 wagon Liner between Platin and Drogheda before splitting at Athlone and running as loose coupled workings complete with Brake Vans to their destination.

Best of luck with the new layout, great to see an open frame baseboard with L girder construction being used on an Irish outline layout.

Doyle & Hirsch Irish rolling stock books are likely to be based on official CIE & NIR information, I am not aware of anyone publishing a "CIE Wagon Diagram Book". Its possible that CIE isolated the Vac gear on some 'Fitted" H Vans while the vans were still in traffic. The 'fitted vans appear to have been originally intended to run attached to Passenger/Mail Trains and the fully fitted Derry Vacuum, the majority of CIE goods trains made up of conventional wagons ran unfitted until the end of loose coupled operations in the late 1970s (A coupling broke as the final loose coupled Dublin-Tralee goods climbed the Gullet out of Heuston and the train ran back into the passenger station.) When I visited Mullingar in 81-82 "Fitted" H Vans stored waiting scrapping were all neatly lettered "Handbrake Only' indicating that the Vac gear was isolated during a works visit while still in traffic, unfortuinately I did not have a camera on the day. One of Jonathan Allen's photos is of a MPD railcar shunting an unfitted H Van (handbrake only) at Waterside indicating the North Wall-Derry "Derry Vacuum" scheduled to run as a fully fitted freight sometimes included 'unfitted' wagons"

I saw one Bulleid Open wagon with Vac brakes stored awaiting scrapping at Mullingar around 1981-2. The majority of traditional opens and vans built during the 50s were unfitted with handbrake only as the majority of goods trains ran unfitted.. Although no "fitted" open wagons are listed in Locomotives and Rolling Stock of CIE & NIR the need would have arisen for a 'fitted' Open following the closure of the Derry Road and the diversion of freight traffic for Donegal to run in a fully fitted freight to Waterside. Before the introduction of the Back to Back Fertiliser trains in the late 60s fertiliser traffic from Shelton Abbey was carried in conventional open wagons often Corrugated Opens, its possible that CIE fitted some opens with Vac brakes for this traffic. Its likely the body pressings for the Bulleid opens were manufactured by companies like the Pressed Steel Company a subsidary of Budd a US company that pioneered the use of corrugated pressings in railroad rolling stock. CIE experienced a shortage of end pressings when building the Pallet Wagons in 1964 which resulted in three different end designs on these wagons. Interestingly CIE turned out 11 vans with all metal bodies and corrugated ends during the early 50s but did not repeat the design. I suppose it would be simple enough to swap the chassis between an IRM Bulleid Open and their fitted H Van if someone wants a fitted Open.

I think there is a story in E M Patterson's Donegal book of a loco on a coal train departing Killybegs bunker 1st and demolishing the loco shed. The crew though they were on the main line and did not realise they were on the headshunt/locoshed road. There is also a photo in the same book of a loco running bunker 1st on an Orange Order specail at Bruckless on the Killybegs line.

Please contact me at info@jmdesignmr.co.nz if you have problems placing an order on the website and I can issue an invoice.

Hi Stephen The Vans are £48 ea plus £19 shipping by international economy with tracking. If your interested please PM and I will issue an invoice. John

All pre-orders of RTR Brake Vans and Covered Wagons have now been delivered to customers in Ireland and the UK. A special thanks to our customers for their support since I opened our on-line Store in July 2021. Two unsold CIE 20T Brake Vans 23642 in brown with wheel logo and Two "1946" Covered Wagons in light grey with snail Logo remain in stock If interested please order by 4th November when I will be closing our on-line store.

Traditionally the majority of Irish railways broad and narrow religiously turned their tank locos to run chimney 1st at the end of the journey. One of the factors is that some of the steam classes may have ran seadier and possibly faster running chimney first, many steam classes had a leading bogie or truck to help ease a loco into a curve and the valve gear may have been set up to allow a loco to run faster chimney first. The principal exceptions on the narrow gauge appear to have been the CBPR 2-4-2T which may not have been provided with turntables in narrow gauge days and the large'modern' Donegal (2-6-4T & 4-8-4T and Swilly 4-8-4T there does not appear to have been a loco turntable at Killybegs on the Donegal the later turntable was provided for turning railcars. On the Broad Gauge the DSER 2-4-2T & 4-4-2T appear to have been turned to run chinney first on Dubin subrban trains, though locos used on Amien St-Westland Row-Dunlaoire workings may have run bunker 1st The NCC/UTA WT/Jeeps appear to be equally capable of running at high speed chimney or bunker 1st but the locos were running chimney 1st in most photos of WT hauled passenger trains in UTA days, but there is a 1966 daytime photo of WT 56 running bunker 1st substituting for an MPD railcar on the CIE Derry freight, there is also a photo of a bunker 1st No4 on a PW train waiting to pass a 70 Class hauled passenger train on the Larne line.

Back in the day a number or prominent economists possibly including Dr Sean Barratt and political commentors criticised CIEs (the Government) for wasteful spending by ordering of the original DART cars with conventional rather than articulated bogies. At the time the Irish Government invested over £100m in the DART which was considered a huge a huge sum of money at the time. Around the same time CIE introduced suburban services to Maynooth for £1m to fulfill an Albert Reynolds election promise/stunt. Interesting how times and the attitude towards rail investment has changed.

The Park Royals were banned from Heuston based Intercity services because of inadequate crashworthyness around 87 but continued in used on suburban, branch and secondary main line services until replaced by more modern stock in the late 80s possibly early 90s. Dublin-Drogheda suburban services were worked by Park Royal coaches (rake 4-5 coaches + genny van) until replaced with the MK3 Push-Pull sets. I took the train to Drogheda in 89 or 90 hoping to travel in a Push-Pull set but found the Park Royals were still in use. Apart from Waterford-Limerick and the Nenagh Branch, Cork-Tralee trains were also worked by 'refurbished' Park Royals, I travelled from Mallow-Killarney in a Park-Royal set on a Cork-Tralee working during my summer holidays in 88 or 89. The interior was repainted and the upholstery replaced on the 'refurbished' Park Royals resulting in a clean though quite Spartan interior. Its possible the introduction on the 'International Train' and MK2AC stock allowed IE to 'cascade' some Craven stock from Intercity to suburban, branch and secondary services allowing the Park Royals to be finally retired. My longest journey in a Park Royal possibly suburban coach was in 77-78 Heuston-Westport on a packed train otherwise made up of Cravens and the mandatory early 1950s Buffet Car. Train was hauled by a 121-141 combo 071s had not yet entered service. The coach ran quite smoothly at speed apart from some alarming jolts on poorly aligned railjoints near Roscommon

1000 was the minimum batch size when I received quotes in 2020-21 from Accurascale and a number of the Chinese factories for rtr plastic injection molded models. One of the Chinese OEM factories also produces brass rtr models with a minimum order quantity of 500 units in a quote for a 4mm steam outline loco The minimum batch size of 1000 allows for tooling and livery variations, from memory 250 was the minimum number for a particular livery or number variations. Although the minimum batch size was 1000 I would have needed to sell over 2500 at a similar price point to other Irish outline rtr models of a similar nature in order to reach break even point. Kader (Bachmann) significantly increased its minimum order quantity for OEM models following its take over and closure of Sanda Kan (manufacturer for Hornby, Walters and other prominent Model Railway/Railroad brands around 15 years ago. This in turn lead to the emergency of the current generation of Chinese specialist OEM model railway manufacturers, some managed by former Sanda Kan staff to fill the gap/opportunity created by Kader. Its possible that Kader may have reduced its minimum order quantities in order to compete with this new generation of manufacturers. Its unlikely that Kader would have been exactly happy with major former customers like Hornby and Walters successfully finding alternative manufacturers and a new generation of disruptor manufacturers like Rapido and Accurascale emerging eating into its Bachmann US and Bachmann UK market share

I suspect the release of pre-group rtr and oddities like the Fell & gas turbines has become viable as a result of a combination of the sheer size of the 4mm British Outline market and the preparedness of some of the Chinese factories to produce manufacture small (1000+) commissions of a particular model. I think a persons age may also be a factor in their modelling taste many people start out intending to model the rail scene of their formative years and move onto different eras as they get older interests change. As a teenager I wanted to model the GWR steam era because of magazine coverage before I moved on to the contemporary CIE scene as I joined the IRRS and explored the railway network in my late teens. I became interested in modelling CIE in the steam era during my 20s and began to develop an interest in American Railroads in my 30s. Gone back to modelling the GSR in the late 20s-30s possibly because the locos appeared cleaner and the railway looked less run down that the CIE/IE era that I recall and the challenge for me of finishing a loco or coach in the elaborate lined out MGWR or GSWR liveries.

Quite a strong family resemblance between Robinsons WLWR 2-4-0s and the GWR Armstrong & Dean 2-4-0s

Possibly a next for Accurascale after their GER Buck or J67 0-6-0T https://www.accurascale.nz/collections/j67-j68-j69 Reasonably close in general outline to the ex-WLWR locos though driving wheels slightly smaller Holden's GER and Robinson's WLWR 2-4-0s may have been inspired by GWR standard gauge inside cylinder locos https://www.rmweb.co.uk/blogs/entry/26156-2-4-0s-and-the-armstrong-era-in-particular/ Holden was chief assistant to William Dean before moving to the GER and Robinson served his apprenticeship at Swindon under Joseph Armstrong before his eventual move to Limerick. Its been commented that Robinson's 2-4-0s resemble Armstrong's standard gauge GWR 2-4-0s. Perhaps some of the British Outline RTR commissioners may be tempted to bring out a GWR Armstrong or GER 2-4-0, Hornby having produced a Y14 (J15) 0-6-0 and Oxford a GWR Dean Goods. Failing that a generic GWR/GER/Irish 2-4-0 on similar principals to the Hattons 6 Wheelers and Evolution coaches allowing for variations in cab, boiler fittings and tender bodies.

Des Coackham in his book Irish Broad Gauge Carriages wrote about DNGR coaches and the ex-LNWR coaches acquired by the GNR during the late 40s and includes some photos. The three DNGR bogie coaches were 50' arc roof stock smilar in profile to the Bachmann coaches were built as 1,2,3 composites with lavatory accomodation for each class and a guards compartment at one end. The coaches passed to the NCC in 1933 where they were re-built as Full Brakes there is a photo of one of the vans at Larne Harbour on p75 but not really suitable for modelling purposes. The GNR acquired 20 ex-LNWR coaches a mixture of Arc, Cove (low elliptical) and High -elliptical roofed stock which became GNR Classes G7,K25-8, L5 & 02. The underframes of the Arc roofed coaches were too narrow to re-gauge to 5'3" and ended up as lineside huts! There is a photo of 470 an ex LNWR "cove roof" First-Thrid Slip Coach at Clones on p61 of the Irish Carriage Book and of 478 a High-elliptical roofed 3rd at Clones in Irish Railways in Pictures No.1 GNR (IRRS 1976) While the Bachmann LNWR coaches are correct for a DNGR bogie in lenth and profile, its said that the compartment and lavatory arrangement was closer to GN than LNWR practice, though a train of Bachmann D316 corridor brake composites especially in fully lined LNWR livery would probably pass the 2' test. The roof profile on the Rapido LNWR coaches looks closer in profile to High-elliptical rather than Arc roofed stock, are shorter and non-gangwayed unlike the GNR ex-LNWR stock nice coaches but quite unlike the ex-LNWR GN coaches.

What a dilemma, I was blown away when I sneaked into Amiens St 50 odd years ago and first saw the train and always wanted one although totally outside of my main area of interest and over committed financially what do I do? Keep away from electronic media, lock myself in the shed until I complete all my unfinished modelling projects?