Mayner

It sound like the new book may partially duplicate "The Dingle Train" David Rowlands, Walther McGrath and Tom Francis Plateway Press 1995 which is well worth looking out for! https://www.amazon.com/Dingle-Train-David-Rowlands/dp/1871980275 The book is ideal for the modeler including a short history of the line, social history, a large section of photos drawings and photos of locos, coaches and freight stock and a detailed history of each locomotive. The Tralee and Dingle Railway David Rowland Bradford Barton 1977 is probably the best source of photos of the line locos and stock copies available of Amazon from $17 https://www.amazon.com/Tralee-Dingle-Railway-David-Rowlands/dp/0851532675 I used 'The Dingle Train" as a reference for building my models of 3T & 6T

Well spotted a relic with MGWR design features built over 30 years ago using Wills scenic materials. It was the station building on a minimum space MGWR branchline terminus inspired by Richard Chown's Castlerackrent. An early attempt at 21mm gauge a turntable release and a double slip were beyond my scratchbuilding ability. The building will act as a Customs House/Dock Office as East Dock is goods only though definitely MGWR!

A concealed fiddle yard works well where a layout is operated from behind such as at exhibitions, but can be a nuisance if a layout is operated from the front. The fiddle yard on my Irish narrow gauge layout is partially concealed and all the shunting/fiddling has to take place on the scenic part of the layout.

I was always fascinated by port and dock railways and needed a OO gauge test track and backdrop for my models, so I looked at the John Allen's Timesaver switching puzzle for a small self contained layout. The Timesaver was basically a model railway board game where the operator shunts/switches 5 freight cars between set starting and final positions in the shortest time possible. Originally intended as a brainteaser for operators on John Allen's famous Gorre & Daphetid Railroad, the original Timesaver layout was on a plain baseboard with no scenery or stopbolcks to stop stock running off the ends of spur tracks. I first worked out the minimum space require by setting up a Timesaver track layout with the original design constraints based on Irish 4w wagons & a B121 locomotive. Timesaver mock up with B125 and 5 wagons. Min length 1600mm. The main Timesaver constraints are that the spur tracks are each capable of holding 3 vehicles (loco or wagons), the run round loop and release tracks a maximum of 2 vehicles. Track is Peco Code 100 with small radius Insulfrog points which I had in stock. In practice the length of the release tracks limit the majority of moves to a loco and 1 wagon, though its possible to shunt two wagons when pushing and pulling. I extended the scenic section to 1850mm as I had a suitable piece of ply with a 500mm fiddle yard section to fit a 2350 shelf in the home office which would allow more realistic operation 1850mm extended Timesaver Mock Up. The extra 250mm allowed me to extend the run-round loop to hold 5 wagons and extend the release and spur tracks at one end to hold an additional wagon. The increased length & fiddle yard allows more purposeful shunting that possible with the original Timesaver concept. A train can be made up off scene and arriving/department traffic modelled rather than just shuffling wagons back and forth. The corrugated buildings are a mock up for 1930s era grain silos/feedmill, the large red brick buildings are based on the Canal era maltings on the North West side of Grand Canal Dock. B132 arrives with two empty opens, a covered wagon and a brake. B132 has propelled her train out of the year before uncoupling the opens from the remainder of the train before running forward to pick up the 'full" wagon from under the hopper and position to two empties. B125 has run round her train and positions the brake on the loop so the guard can complete his paperwork in comfort while the (human) shunters make up the outgoing train. B125 has picked up the outgoing Ranks Wagons and Open to add to the outgoing train before shunting the incoming Covered Wagon into position at the mill. Ready to depart B132 has collected the outgoing traffic, the crew have retired to the office building for lunch before departure. Apart from the track most of the layout will be built from material in stock, the baseboard will be all ply construction with track on dense foam underlay. Point motors are Peco likely to be controlled using Lenz stationary decoders last used on an N gauge layout, control Digitrax Empire Builder system with Duplex Radio remote control. Buildings and structures are mainly salvaged from earlier projects mainly built using Will Scenic Sheets. Scenically the layout is a section of rail served quay or basin with backround buildings and structures. I will probably do a couple of mockups of the Feedmill Grian silo, possibly 1930s concrete construction or corrugated iron, the hopper arrangement for loading wagons is similar to that used at Waterford North Wharf The next job is to cut the profile of the quayside out of the baseboard top and assemble the baseboard, the baseboard framing will be formed from 80mm rips of ply with the quayside area reduced to 50mm to give a shallow quayside basin effect.

I have updated the web site and we are currently accepting orders for the Ranks Grain and the CIE 1946 Covered Wagon https://jmdesignmodelrailways.com/blogs/news/october-2021-update

Australia and New Zealand are not far behind the States in per capita energy use, the coal, gas and mining lobby has a similar influence on Australian politics while NZ tends to oscillate between Neo-Liberal and and more Interventionist (slightly left of center) economic policy. Like Ireland and the UK the elephant in the room in New Zealand is poor health and high home heating costs as a result of poorly insulated and ventilated homes. The cost of owning a car or truck in Ireland tended to be higher than the UK as a result of high rates of taxation, most appears to go into the General Fund (health, welfare, education, public transport rather than being ring fenced for roading and traffic policing. Ireland faces similar challenges though on a smaller scale to the United States, Australia and New Zealand with high per capita energy use for transportation and housing compared to countries with higher population densities in the Far East, the UK, Germany and the Benelux Countries where its economic to provide efficient public transportation and high density housing. Ireland is likely to be faced with the twin challenges of establishing sufficient 'green" electricity generating capacity to power a changeover to EVs for personal transportation and the IT industry (incl Data Centers) essential for economic development while simultaneously getting the public to accept paying similar rates of excise duty for re-charging an EV as petrol or diesel. Although NZ electricity generation is mainly renewable (hydro and wind) we are currently importing coal from Indonesia as our natural gas fields are unable to meet peak demand. One of the more interesting changes in the United States during the past 15-20 years is the increased shift to Bio-Diesel and Ethanol refined from corn grown in the Mid Western grain belt. Some of the Bio-fuel companies have ties to agribusiness and food processing with strong links to agriculture rather than established oil and gas companies. It will be interesting if businesses such as Glanbia and Kerry diversify into ethanol and bio diesel as an alternative to dairy and meat processing as livestock numbers are reduced in an attempt to control greenhouse emissions. Personally I am unlikely to go for an EV, I recently replaced our 25 year old SUV with a slightly more modern low emission model after our last vehicle was written off in a collision. The current vehicle hopefully should last another 10-15 years till I pop my cloggs or am no longer fit to drive.

Classic Iain Rice with trademark single slip on the crossover on the run round loop

Irish Covered (Convertible) and Cattle Wagons appear to have been built to a length of 13'6" over headstocks up to an Oct 1892 IRCH Order which fixed minimum inside dimension of 14' X 7'3" for wagons to carry cattle. The MGWR increased the length of its Convertible Wagons to 14'2" in 1893 (1" body planking). Open Cattle wagons (both crib & roofless) continued to operate on both the Broad and Narrow Gauge until at least the late 1950s. Open (crib) Cattle wagons were used on both the Tralee and Dingle and Cavan & Leitrim until closure, while roofless K & KN (14' & 17'6") cattle wagons appear in several photos of 1950s steam hauled fair Specials. Presumably roof covering and planking was removed but wagon continued in service when roof boarding was decayed rotten but wagon otherwise servicable. The order presumably would have applied to new construction and existing wagons as they came due for renewal/re-building, its possible that some 13'6" wagons (shortie-shortie?) were still in service into the 1920s or possibly later. The MGWR had a policy of replacing/renewing all locos and rolling stock on a 25 year cycle, which would have left approx 200 Convertible and Open Cattle wagons introduced in 189-2 due for renewal between 1916-17, with replacement likely to be delayed into the mid 1920s as a result of War time disruption.

Station looks familiar and the tracklayout is prototypical! It will be interesting to see if Tony models a working Horse Tram.

Steve Johnson's take on the Q Kits E Class http://www.stephenjohnsonrailways.co.uk/E401 Class.htm I think I bought mine along with a B101 from Mark's Models D'olier Street shop during the early 1980s.

An E401 body kit. I had one many years ago, not a bad kit by the standards of the time. Challenge was a working chassis either scratchbuild or Hornby Dublo/Wrenn English Electric Type 1 motor bogie. Mike Cole (Q Kits) pioneered 'Modern Image" modelling in the 70s scratchbuilding BR diesels like the 40,45,50, Deltics & the Type 4 Prototypes in plasticard usually on Triang motor bogies, Q Kits seems to have been the spin off. Mike Coles work featured in the Modeller during the early 70s, I think Steve Johnson built a 21mm gauge E Class using a Q Kits body and Dublo chassis which appeared in articles on his layout in Practical Model railways and at Warwick Model Railway Club exhibitions in the 80s & 90s.

Some positive news to report this month including successful test prints of the 17012-17221 series Covered Wagon and our main 3D print supplier resumed production following the easing of Covid restrictions in Auckland. I will update website later this week Currently I am focusing on fulfilling current orders. Brake Vans: Currently I am completing the light grey and brown versions of the Brake Vans. I expect to complete shipping both versions mid-late November Fixing the warning stripe transfers (in particular seating the bottom edge) has been challenging to put it mildly due to the slightly coarse surface texture of the 3D prints. Open Wagons. I expect to fulfil orders for the "Unlettered" open wagons mid-late November, the first batch of production opens arrived this week. I expect to fulfil orders for the "Flying Snail" version of the open March-April 2022. Its planned to supply these wagons with snail and tare markings fitted and a selection of running numbers (10) to be fitted by the purchaser 17012-17221 series Covered Wagon. Introduced in 1946 these wagons were basically an update of a 1915 GSWR design on a traditional underframe with aluminium sheeting covering timber planking. The wheelbase was increased for 9'6" to 10' and CIE introduced a new pattern of buffer. I expect to release an un-decorated version of the van (with a decal sheet) for delivery March-April 2022 with light and dark grey decorated versions to follow. I spray painted the vans with an etch primer with a grey gloss topcoat and a Matt spray laquer to check fine detail is visible on a finished model. Wheel logos are Railtec, I haven't tare or suitable running numbers at this stage. All JM Design wagons are readily convertible to 21mm gauge, the Markits wheels can simply be pushed out on the axle for modellers who adapt OO or EM running clearances Bulk Grain Wagon I am considering releasing this wagon in un-decorated form with the alternative of Ranks Ireland or CIE Decals as there has been little interest in these wagons to date. The wagons were a very small fleet with 8 Ranks and 10 railway company wagons, the CIE decal sheet will cover the main livery variations as some wagons did not receive full repaints retaining GSR numerals and lettering with Flying Snail and 1960s roundel. I completed a cut of wagons in Ranks livery using custom transfers produced by Railtec-Models. Discharge wheel side Ranks wagon. Originally introduced in GSR dark grey CIE repainted the Ranks wagons in red during the late 1940s, I have been unable to find a decent colour photo from this era though the chassis appears black in a photo of one of these wagons from the early 50s. We modelled the discharge gear basically to prove that it could be done! 18 Months progress: I had my first meetings with potential 3D designers and manufacturers in May 2020 as business began re-opening as Covid restrictions, it took 12 months to take the Brake Van from prototype to production stage and considerably shorter for more recent models while it generally took upwards of 18 months to design and release an etched locomotive or coach kit. JM Design 52 Class locomotive & CIE 4W Van kits. The majority of these models were pre-sales, the 52 Class locomotive kit sold out. The majority of 52 Class locomotive kits have been delivered to customers despite some drama with An Post Heating and Luggage and Post Office Van kits are now in stock, a number recently shipped and a number of orders will be shipped with the Luggage Vans. I am waiting for castings to arrive for the Luggage Van (Hooded Van) kits as we had to order additional castings to satisfy increased demand for both PO & LV kits.

Don't get discouraged, we all face setbacks in our modelling, your rendering Ballycastle Tank is an impressive model. I have a soft spot for the Antrim Black Hawthorn saddle tanks and was hoping you would design the Ballymena 0-4-2 version in OOn3. Designing and printing a complex 3D model such as a locomotive or other railway rolling stock is challenging as there are so many variables, my 3D Modeller produced multiple revisions of the Brake Van before we produced acceptable prints. Similarily the CAD work for most of my etched kits goes through several revisions before we reach the production version. It might be worth approaching future models by designing, checking or even printing the basic outline before starting the fine detail. It would be worth saving the model as a separate version or revision as you progress to the next step, this would minimise the risk of loosing your work and having to re-start from the beginning if a file becomes corrupted. There are 11 separate versions or revisions of the Bulk Grain wagon although we only required two test prints to achieve an acceptable result. Saving a model such as the Brake Van chassis as a separate file before adding steps and brake gear was the first step in designing a "standard" GSR wagon chassis which we were able to modify with different wheelbase, springs, buffers and brake gear for different wagon types. I can't offer much advice on the actual printing and adding supports because I am still at the early learning stage on that front.

My father was quite impressed by the Drumm Railcars and claimed that they were "sabotaged" off the line possibly the 1935 Sandycove derailment or more likely the Free State Governments 1941 decision that it could no longer support the Drumm Battery Company and could not justify further expenditure on new battery research during the Emergency. https://brakebetter.com/drumm-battery-train/ . The main problems appears to have been the high capital cost and relatively short life of the batteries compared to steam and later diesel traction, scarcity of materials during the Emergency would not have helped. The GSR claimed that a set of batteries (with an un-known service life) for a 2 car train had the same capital cost as a Main Line Express (steam) Locomotive capable of hauling 10 coaches. In the 1950s BR tried battery traction for several years on the Ballater Branch in Scotland with not dis-simular results https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_BEMU The Drumm batteries seem to have had a 7-8 year service life Trains A&B received new batteries in 1938 which kept them running through to the end of Drumm Battery service (1948?), Train C (int. 1939) received new batteries while Train D received rebuilt batteries which appear to have only lasted for four years. The 7-8 year service life of Drumm Batteries compares reasonably well with many First Generation diesel railcars that required engine-transmission transmission replacement or refurbishment within a similar time frame.

Just about possible NIR borrowed/hired a complete CIE train set (and possibly motive power) on at least one occasion for a Loyal Order special possibly to Londonderry in the 70s, I suppose its just about possible a CIE turned up at Larne on the weedkilling train.

Another package arrived this morning. Time for a photo before A23r relocates to a display case! Possibly July-Aug 1971 recently re-powered A23r arrives in Keadue with an early morning a trip working from Sligo before working an overnight goods to the North Wall. At one stage there were plans for a Broad gauge Collonney-Arigna line and even a proposal in the early 1902 to convert the C&L to Broad gauge!

Ea 348 departs Arboles for Jackson City, outdoor workbench and toolshed in background 464 and Rail Motor 4 rest between duties, I still have to build the depot building. The yard is approx 30' long from the deck to the end of the freight yard The crews of 348 & 463 plan their next move, the Dispatcher in Ridgeway has decided that 348 will work the Stock Extra to Placerville and 463 switch places on the Freight Extra picking up cars at Jackson City, Utah Junction and Arboles. 463 pulled out the stockcars and placed them on the siding before departing for Utah Junction via Arboles. 348 has coupled on to her stockcars and picked up the caboose ready for departure, a meets planned with PL-JC 2 at Utah Junction. 464 on PL-JC 2 has set back into the Siding at Utah Junction to give 348 a clear run at the Highline with the Stock Special Last photo of the day as the light fades, just before 348 disgraced herself by de-railing her pony truck and leading driving wheels on the facing switch at the East end of the yard. Re-railed fairly quickly by reversing the loco through the switch 348 resumed her journey and just about made it round the curve onto the Highline with some wheel slip, 4 cars and a caboose is the normal limit for 348 on the High Line without assistance but just about made it in dry :Summer Rail" conditions. 464 backed her train up the High Line to the staging while 463 picked up the cars from Utah Junction and Arboles by which time it was quite dark. Railmotor 4 required a carry home because of flat batteries, the original (second hand) set having just about given up the ghost.

Just under a year since my last posting, it was a fine sunny day I had gotten the garden tidied up after the winter and though I might as well run some trains using April 2019 train manifests! The first was a 'positioning run" with K27 463 for a Livestock Special with some general freight tagged on stopped for water at a rather green Utah Junction. I had set up the water tower and Depot building just before the shot! The jungle (New Zealand Bush) is starting to take over behind the railroad. Train is approx. 20' long. Climbing towards Jackson City (named after original 1924 owner of property). The curved upgrade from Utah Junction to the tunnel is one of the most challenging section of the railroad requiring full throttle to avoid stalling with a heavy train. This area originally featured a pond and waterfall which was a major maintenance challenge, now a dry stream bed! Originally a 2 span truss bridge, visually works better as a piled trestle, have to add more trestle bents to reduce the span. Arriving at Jackson City. Loco shed spent winter indoors which should help extend its life! Switching the stockcars to the House Track, I will have to add a stock yard some day! Meanwhile 348 worked another 'positioning run' with Gondolas for loading with coal traffic at Utah Junction and Boxcars for lumber loading at Arboles. 348 and her train have turned on the Utah Junction wye and reversed direction for the run to Arboles, having positioned the gondolas under the hopper. In a way the train is a tribute to operations on the DRGW Gunnison division in the mid 1950s when small 2-8-0s handled coal and lumber traffic North and West Of Gunnison. 348 has placed the Gondolas under the hopper and is now ready to depart with the road site for the Arboles line, the track on the left is the "High Line" to the staging, a bit like Foynes Trains at Ballingarne crossing trains to and from the High Line involves a switching movement due to the layout of the Siding (Crossing Loop). Arboles is starting to live up to its name 348 has dropped the Boxcars in the Siding and now is now backing down to pick up the Caboose and head for Jackson City Late afternoon K27 464 heads overnight symbol freight (scheduled) PL-JC 2 (Placerville (staging)-Jackson City) through Utah Junction.

Back to Large Scale work, I finally completed the refurbishment and re-installed the Loco Yard turnout and carried out maintenance to switchstands as part of the Spring maintenance programme (the absolute bare minimum to keep trains running. Refurbed turnout with all ties spiked in place. Underside of turnout all projecting spikes clenched/bent over. This was the most difficult/painful part of the whole operation, the spikes have needle sharp points, bent over using a small pin hammer and a short piece of rail as an anvil in the web of the point rails. Refurbish turnout installed on layout ties (sleepers) on plain track is due for replacement later this year. The ties on the main running line and siding trackage (running loops) to the left of the photo were replaced 3-4 years ago as part of an upgrade of the yard. The last of the handlaid turnouts with yellow cedar ties and modified barrel bolt Ground Throw in the freight yard, the ties on the plain track are due for replacement, but the switch continues to operate flawlessly 11-12 years after its installation. The Switch Stand targets work on the same principal as disc signals used on the early railways, If the disc is visible stop, if the disc is not visible the line is clear, The switch in the foreground is set for the siding or diverging line, approaching trains in either direction are required to stop before proceeding through the switch at reduced speed (15mph max) The switch in the middle distance is set for the main line Disc is no visible the Fan Tail indicates that a train can proceed through the turnout without stopping at reduced speed. Not the sharpest the switch in the foreground is set for the main line , the switch in the mid distance set for the Wye Track. While the cast brass switch stands have been quite troublefree the targets have been an on going maintenance problem the section of shaft above the top of the casting is a brass tubing and easily damaged by pets and unfamiliar operators who try to change the point by twisting the target rather than lifting the lever. The shafts on both targets were damaged and eventually snapped off at the top of the casting. I repaired the targets by trimming back and boring out the damaged ends of the tube to take a steel pin (galvanised nail with head removed) and reduces the risk of accidental damage as the pin is pressed into rather than rigidly fixed to the casting. The fantails are an etching that's superglued to the target.

A large package arrived this morning. Can't complain about DHL Express 5 days Dublin-Hamilton NZ via Leipzig-Singapore-Sydney-Auckland.

Tony has asked for an Irish example of Alan Wrights classic Inglenook shunting puzzle http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/sw-inglenook.html Basically a small goods yard with two points and two sidings that can be modeled as a self contained layout on a single baseboard with no hidden staging or fiddle yard. Private sidings serving a Paper, Linen or Flour/Feed Mill are probably closest to this sort of arrangement in Ireland, Patrick Davey's "Brookhall Mill" is a good example. Branchline terminals like Ardee, Castleisland and Fenit are a lot more spread out though a compressed Fintona would be very close to John Allen's classic "Timesaver" shunting puzzle. http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/sw-timesaver.html

I am planning to supply the Brake Vans to order in kit form (with transfers) during 2022. I am unable to provide a potential release date at this stage as production has been disrupted as a result of local Covid restrictions and global 'supply chain' problems since August. I will provide an update on IRM and the website once the position becomes clearer.

I saw the flyer for me it looks like a 'must have" forget the price

It arrived yesterday, very nice surprise! Hard to choose which article to read first between Valencia, West Cork, the GNR Vs and "Learning the Road" Leslie Hyland's 1952 exploring the CIE & GNR rail system in 1952 including Leslie's father driving from Dublin to Athboy so his son could catch an Athboy-Dublin GAA special probably the last passenger train to run on the branch. The article covers the Indian Summer of CIE steam operation before the AEC railcars took over mainline passenger diagrams and provides a detailed snapshot of CIE locomotive and carriage workings in the early 1950s with details of train consists. The article includes some excellent photos including 533 formerly Wolf Dog (incorrectly captioned as 544) the last operational Achill Bogie at Loughrea.

Have you considered Omagh Market Goods Yard? https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/negative-ireland-gnr-ireland-railways-464111290?popular Appears to be close to an Inglenook ladder arrangement with four rather than 3 sidings off a single line. Seems to have handled a variety of traffic including ESSO oil and petrol tank wagons in additional to covered and open wagons