Mayner

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

That's great news, & reasonable transit time! I thought a shipment of vans was 'lost in the post" your order and other orders in the shipment are still listed as "Printed" in the NZ Post e-ship system, the Courier apparently forgot to scan the packages into the system following pick up on the 29th Sept. We have updated the TARIC codes on the customs declaration to the required 10 digit format should minimise the risk orders being returned to sender.

The Peco HOm turntable is a bit on the short side for small tender locos and a tad long for C&L & T&D locos! The table is hand operated with Meccano gearing track alignment by eye and squeaks. For turning Large Scale locos I use a piece of hardwood as a deck and its worked effectively for 10 years fine for smaller locos like 2-8-0s and 4-6-0s but a bit short for the 2-8-2s that work the heaviest trains. The particle/chipboard pit was recycled from a workbench and nice and scruffy. Track alignment and table locking is brass tubing soldered to the rail web and a removable pin.

Peco produce a turntable kit (327mm long) is probably the simplest most inexpensive option though large by Irish standards https://peco-uk.com/products/turntable-well-type . Greenwood Model Railway Products and London Road Models produce shorter turntables in the small family car/weekend in Kerry price range. Greenwood produce 55 & 60ft OO Turntables https://greenwoodmodelrailwayproducts.co.uk/product-category/oo-gauge/ Mike Edge ran a thread on assembling a Greenwood Turntable. https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/146364-michael-edges-workbench/page/27/ I have my heart set on a London Road Models 45' & 50' turntables if I ever get round to building a layout https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/blogs/entry/17974-building-a-london-road-models-50-turntable/

Earthquakes, slips, fires just every day stuff in this part of the World https://contractormag.co.nz/feature/midland-line-bridges/

I thought it looked familiar! 2016 North Canterbury earthquake.

I don't think there is a lot of difference between the standard of service offered by An Post and other national postal services, they are all struggling to cope with very high levels of parcels traffic international changes in customs clearance processes (not just Brexit) and recruiting/retaining enough people to do the work. One of my shipments has been lost in the NZ Post system for a week because the Courier forgot to scan the parcels into the system following pickup, a Royal Mail package showed up yesterday with a 1/7/2021 postmark. The United States Postal Service recently suspended deliveries to 21 countries including Australia and New Zealand due to the effects of the Covid pandemic and other problems.

Brings back memories I used to walk from Bray to Greystones along the coastal path and return by the 80 Class 'Shuttle" during the late 80s early 90s and also did a Cork-Cobh in an 80 Class visiting Fota as part of my summer holiday ritual. At the time IE showed a lot of initiative in hiring the 3 80 Class sets for the "Shuttle" and Cork-Cobh services offering reasonably frequent service with modern comfortable stock compared with the decrepit AEC push pull set used on the shuttle and the early 1950s stock used on the Cobh trains. Greystones lost its local passenger service when the 80 Class were recalled by NIR in the mid-1990s An 80 Class set may also have operated a Sunday only Heuston-Connolly-Dunlaoire Boat Train before the introduction of the HSS ferries.