Mayner

GSP works well for international buyers, paying import charges up front saves time and money arranging customs clearance. I used e-bay a lot for large scale (very expensive) models from the States and United Kingdom, GPS items go straight through while non-GPS items sometimes take up to 2 weeks to clear customs. I never had a problem with scam sellers Could get interesting if the UK leaves the EU Customs Union on 29th, toys and models (new or second hand) imported from the UK would become liable for VAT at the Irish rate and an Customs service charge once they exceed the irish customs import treshold. Currently the UK Customs have an entry fee of £8 and NZ $45 in addition to sales and purchase tax.

Reminds me of my first visit to Northern Ireland a 70 Class special with River Maine & a driving trailer from York Road to Whitehead & Antrim with lunch stop at Whitehead, an extremely enjoyable day. Although the 70 Class had the same power unit, generator and traction motors as the 80 Class they (70 Class) appear to have been considered to be "more powerful" by railway staff than the more modern units and treated and used as locomotives rather than railcars. There is a photo in Diesel Dawn of a 9 coach Portrush special made up of a 5 Car 70 Class set (2 power cars) hauiling 4 de-engined MPD railcars near Ballinderry on the hilly Lisburn-Antrim line

For future kits I am planning to supply the etched parts direct as a flat pack from the photo engraver in the UK and the castings and hardware separately from New Zealand. The majority of my regular customers are appear to be experienced rather than novice builders, for whom forming tumblehomes, flares and rolling boilers should be less of an issue than a novice. Supplying the etchings direct from the engraver would largely eliminate the risk to UK (and hopefully EU)customers of a package being stopped by customs and having to unexpectedly pay VAT and Customs processing fee.

The design of the loco is at quite an advanced stage with the artwork for the various elements of the locomotive superstructure substantially complete. Subject to the level of demand I am looking at the option of supplying the loco as a complete kit complete with SSM GSWR J15 tender and detail castings or a flat pack of etchings only similar to Worsley Works kits.

There is also the scenario of the Midland Great Western extending the Kingscourt branch through to Armagh to a connection with the NCC at Cookstown. The Kingscourt, Castleblaney and Armagh railway was planned as part of an inland route from Dublin to Cookstown and possibly Coleraine. The Carrickmacross branch appears to have been built as a blocking line by the GNR.

Sperry were famous in the US & Canada for using old Gas Electric "Doodlebug" railcars as inspection vehicles which got just about everywhere. Sperry crews had a reputation of being avid readers and excellent card players working away from home for weeks/months.

A CDU would probably increase rather than decrease the risk of blowing up one of the LS110s. Luckily enough I was able to re-use the old lever frames and cable looms from the old layout and one of the frames is now hardwired into the yard section of the new layout. Funnily enough I used Triang lever frames to control the Seep point motors in the main yard and DCC to control Peco point motors in the staging and a crossing place on the old layout. I still have a hankering (and most of the hardware) to build an American main line layout controlled by a JMRI CTC panel with the LS110s controlling signals and switches

I have gone back to analogue operating the points with some very old Triang lever switches salvaged from the old N Gauge layout. Apparently the Seep pointmotors can draw up to 4 AMP and potentially overload the Lenz LS110 decoders.

Interesting no obvious sign of a goods yard. Goods traffic seems to have almost been an afterthought on early passenger carrying railways like the Liverpool & Manchester, Dublin & Drogheda, Cork and Bandon and Dublin and Drogheda. Its possible that the Luggage Hall may have handled urgent or valuable goods traffic (wines, spirits, tobacco?) in addition to "Baggage". Early coupled engines like the Liverpool & Manchester "Lion" 0-4-2 were described as a Luggage or Baggage Train locomotives, the MGWR had completed its main line to Galway and had 23 (2-2-2) passenger engines on the books before buying 0-4-0 No24 Hawthorn for "Baggage Train" service in 1852. The original Amiens St terminus would make a very interesting and challenging model

The kits will be ready for shipping from 25th February. Currently completing the instructions. A limited number of kits are available at $250NZ + shipping for those that have not already placed an order.

Interesting the invitation to tender was issued by the NTA as the "contracting authority". The invitation to tender includes the option of leasing or purchasing the trains directly by the NTA or IE acting as their nominated agent. https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=141241&B=ETENDERS_SIMPLE&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictender. This would simplify things if the government decides at some stage to contract out passenger train operation to Transdev or a similar operator.

Eoin Lining the interior of the sides with plasticard appears to be a new development in terms of 4mm coach building. Did you cut out the window opening by hand or use some form of profile cutter?

Ernie Shepherd's Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway includes a chapter on the Timoleague & Countmacsherry and includes a number of photos of stations, locos and rolling stock. https://www.amazon.com/Cork-Bandon-South-Coast-Railway/dp/185780198 The Ian Allen "Irish Railway Pictorial" series includes Rails around Cork & Kerry ISBN(10) 0 7110 3158 4 & Great Southern Railways ISBN (10) 0 7110 3150 9 include photos of the T&C Irish Railways in Colour a Second Glance (Midland Publishing) 1995 ISBN 1 85780 019 2 includes 7 colour photos of the line in CIE days. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Railways-Colour-Second-1947-70/dp/1857800192

It may be easier to find a CNC Profile Cutting business rather than jumping in at the deep end with buying a laser profile cutter. Businesses that carry out laser or water jet profile cutting for industry may be prepared to take on one off and low volume work for individuals, a company like York Modelrail https://www.yorkmodelrail.com/ is probably the best bet option for an in-experienced designer. http://www.cnclasercutting.ie/materials/ http://cirruslaser.co.uk/cutting-services Members of our local Large Scale modelling group have had plasticard coach sides cut using water jet cutting for approx $20 for a pair of sides and have also used water jet cutting rather than CNC milling for profile cutting parts in metal for large scale locos. CAD takes time to master AutoCAD or SolidWorks are professional level programmes which is reflected in their pricing, Draftsight is a more reasonably priced option for 2D drafting for the casual designer, while Sketchup is widely used for 3D modelling by amateurs and professionals alike.

I am planning to use Lenz LS110 Accessory Decoders to control Seep Point motors. Does anyone know if it is feasible to control two point motors used in a crossover from a single accessory decoder output? The unit appears to be unable to reliably operate a crossover with the pulse set at the default 0.1 sec. Would increasing the pulse duration and or increasing supply voltage above 15V/1A DC improve operation or potentially burn out the decoder? The decoder load capacity 1.7A continuous 3A peak (max 20 sec) (individual & whole decoder) supply voltage 8-25V pure DC or 8-18v AC or pulsing AC. The pulse duration for solenoid operation can be varied between 0.1 & 15 Sec.

Omagh had a loco depot at the Dungannon end of the station There is a interesting tradition in New Zealand of local volunteer groups exhuming and restoring old steam locos that were dumped into rivers 60-90 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_K_class_(1877) There is a great sense of self reliance in rural New Zealand most of the recovery and restoration of dumped locos is usually self financed and are carried out by groups that don't fit into the general category of railway enthusiasts or preservation societies Perhaps the boiler could become a s rallying point for a similar group in Omagh.

Pre-1900 would certainly fit in with the coaching stock in the 1st photograph. The 3rd & 4th coaches in the train look like 4 wheel coaches which had all gone by the 1925 Amalgamation. The GSWR & GSR operated through Dublin-Cobh boat trains in conjunction with the Transatlantic Ocean Liner services. Postcard of 500 Class 4-6-0 on Queenstown Mail. Does anyone know when the Transatlantic Boat Trains ceased running?

1905 Old & new Postcard

OO7 or James Bond christened by passengers on an IRRS special. In the late 1970s a returning Dublin-Youghal IRRS special was blocked at Thurles by an up passenger that failed at Templemore. 007 the Thurles pilot loco ran wrong road to Templemore to haul the failed train to Heuston.

Loco in the 1st photo most likely to be a 60 Class (GSR/CIE D14) the standard GSWR passenger loco of the late 19th Century or possibly the slightly smaller 52 Class (GSR D17) 60 Class No 95 52 Class No 59. The ex GSWR 4-4-0s went through major re-building which considerably changed their appearance after the 1925 re-building Both classes were re-built by the GSR & CIE with superheated boilers and larger/more modern cabs and lasted into the late 1950s. 60 Class No 89 rebuilt with superheated boiler, modern cab and raised running board. 60 Class 60 with rebuilt with superheated boiler. 52 Class 52 rebuilt with superheated boiler. As Eoin indicated no rtr model or kit is available for these locos and the Hornby T9 is a much larger loco and require considerable work. A Hornby 2P or Triang-Hornby L1 https://www.ebay.com/itm/HORNBY-R2099B-LMS-BLACK-4-4-0-CLASS-2P-LOCOMOTIVE-645-MINT-BOXED-nh/332408690831?epid=553125494&hash=item4d651a188f:g:5LEAAOSwrnNXP2 could be converted into one of the larger 321 Class 4-4-0s which were used on the Dublin-Cork main line and may have worked into Cobh 321 as rebuilt with superheated boiler modern cab and raised running board

JHB I would not dismiss the idea of 186s tender having run behind a 400 Class 4-6-0 as a myth. This type of tender appears to have been the standard for larger locos built from 1900 to the early 1920s including the four Inchacore built members of the 400 Class 400-402 & 406. Larger tenders were introduced for use with the six Armstrong Whitworth built members of the 400 Class & the 500 Class from 1922 onwards. 407 running with a 3345 gal tender similar to 186 before rebuilding in 2 cylinder form in 1937. This loco was the last survivor of the Class in its original 4 cylinder form before re-building in 1938 402 rebuilt in 2 cylinder form with 4500 Gal tender. The GSR scrapped a significant number of larger more modern GSWR locos during the Depression era including 3 members of the 400 Class, 6 inside cylinder 4-6-0s, and 5 large 4-4-0s and inside cylinder 2-6-0 locomotives. This scrapping would have freed up a number of 3345 gallon tenders for use with J15s & D14 4-4-0s and would have been useful on long distance work. D14 No 60 with 3345 gal tender

Tenders on 101 Class and small GSWR tender locos were not fitted with coal raves or extension plates in GSWR days. 134 looks very tempting with 4' boiler, cast iron funnel and wheels! 186s tender is of much more modern design than the loco and may have been built for use with the 400 Class 4-6-0s during the early 1920s. The chute arrangement on SSM kit appears to be an RPSI modification, the 1864 Gallon GSWR tenders had a low shovelling plate and appear to have had a snaphead riveted flat tank top/coal plate to make life difficult for the fireman/coal trimmers.

Up Claremorris Liner ESSO tank wagons attached Jully 2005

Most likely 26628-31 & 26636-26652 series tank wagons visually similar to the 26570-26589 tank cars built for oil traffic to the cement factories. Short of scratchbuilding a wagon the Bachmann 14t anchor mounted tank wagon although shorter would make a passable model of the tank wagons used by CIE for heavy fuel oil traffic to the cement factories and Ballinacourty.