spudfan

This looks a little rough. Roll on Mr Murphy's model...... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/C-I-E-A-class-diesel-locomotive-No-A20R-Scratchbuilt/113272531604?hash=item1a5f91aa94:g:NJUAAOSwNvRbV3~D

This is an article from the horses mouth so to speak. It will give you some idea of just how vulnerable the supply chain is. https://www.con-cor.com/

This has nothing to do with the model railway side of things but it might be of benefit to someone in real life. For mixing paint I use an old paint bucket with a hole in the lid. I put the mixing paddle through the hole, close the lid and attach it to the drill. I can then mix the paint without any splashes. I needed some countersinks for a project I was working on (a picnic bench). I bought some but they came in a blister pack which was no good for storage. I used an off cut of wood to make a storage rack for them. I used each item to make a hole for itself. I also made a storage hole for the Allen key that is used to loosen and tighten the grub screw on the countersinks. This fits in the drill case.

These were delivered today. They are HO so not for the purist but look well in the freight yard. They take very little time to assemble. Funnily enough they came with a wine card which entitles me to $100 discount when I spend $160 at some wine place. Methinks that bottles of wine and assembling HO gauge accessories do not good bed fellows make as the saying goes. I told the wife that I was expecting delivery of some flat packed stuff. For some funny reason she was thinking "IKEA"...Might need that wine card after all! Counting shipping they came in at about €10 each (I bought four), from here. https://www.hobbylinc.com/walthers-acc-20-tank-container-stolt-ho-scale-model-train-freight-car-load-8104

As mentioned earlier there is a demand for the "A" class. With Murphy Models 141/181, 071, 201 classes and the imminent (?) arrival of the 121 class there is a lot of mainline power available. I still think that a CIE shunter would sell well. A small layout with a station with a passing loop, some sidings and a goods shed together with a shunter and some IRM wagons would help those with lack of space to buy stock that they could actually use. Even a shunter with some cattle wagons would give lots of scope. I'd like an "A" class too but I'd be more than happy with a shunter...or two until the "A" class lumbers along.

I was rummaging around looking for the Pecolube. "What are you looking for?" asked the wife. "Some lubricant" I answered Wish I had a photograph of the expression on her face....

I have a daughter with special needs. When she was young a lot of the things that parents take for granted in their children had to be worked on. One of these was my daughter's eye/hand coordination. My daughter used to come up to my layout. I showed her how to use a controller to move a loco. Speed was either maximum or stationary when she used the controller. I put a loco on a long siding and showed my daughter how to move it to the buffer stop using the controller. Sometimes she would hit the buffers and get upset. Her trouble was that in order to move the loco she had to look and what she was doing with the controller and thus she didn't see the loco moving. Anyway to cut a long story short we persevered and one day she edged the loco to the buffer stop WITHOUT having to look at the controller. We had cracked the eye/hand coordination. Not all of the other things we had to work on were as easy as this but it just goes to show what time and patience and a little fun can do. While working at this I had to remove any signals in the area as sometimes shed catch on them when helping me and get upset. I never got around to putting them back on the layout. Funnily enough I never had an issue safety wise due to this!!!! Just realised I clicked the wrong section and put this in the wrong section. Perhaps it could be moved.

Here are a few comments regarding CIE which you might find interesting (well I did, sad I know). They come from this thread http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=160297&p=1344014&hilit=cie#p1344014 1. "This is anecdotal so I will understand if gets deleted in such a technical discussion. I visited Ireland with my family in 1963. Due to a storm in Galway preventing the tender reaching our ship, CIE put together a special train to take us to Cobh. How they threw together a train for 150 passengers so quickly is a true wonder. When we got to station platform, the driver was standing next to a relatively new Class 121 EMD. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_lo ... of_Ireland As noted in this article, the engine was oriented "cab forward". I asked the driver how come it was pointed opposite to the American style. He replied that this way they only needed one man in the cab, i.e. no fireman. I'll find another forum to discuss the behavior of my mother and my aunt as they drank Baby Chams at every station stop on the trip" .2 "(pjw1967-- CIE continued to be able to put on special trains on short notice. When I first went to Ireland in September 1977, Dublin Airport was fogged in and Are Lingus had to let us off at Shannon. And arranged a special train with CIE to take a 747-load of passengers from Limerick to Dublin.) Pneudyne-- I didn't realize that EMD had made a 3-foot gauge traction motor! I had assumed they relied on things like the GA-8 for sub-meter gauge applications. (National of Mexico had a few GA-8 and I think even its successor model the GA-18 to serve some of their surviving 3-foot gauge lines.)" 3 " Re CIE, my understanding is that it adopted single-person crewing for its main-line diesel locomotives quite early on. Its mid/late 1950s A, B and C classes, all of the double end-cab type, were designed for that, and had driving positions on both sides of the cab. Somewhere – and I might be able to find the reference – I read that in the days of mixed traction, where a given crew might operate both diesel and steam locomotives during a shift, the fireman typically travelled as a passenger on the diesel legs. Re Babycham, I recall that it was popular with the YLs when I was living in London in the 1970s. I wouldn’t though have associated it with mothers and aunts..... Returning to EMD exports, I have attached a drawing for the Clyde-GM version of the G12. This clearly shows the extra length and the back porch. The drawing is from the 1957 January edition of the generic operating manual, and I suspect, basis the buffers and couplers, was based upon the initial QR delivery, with fabricated trucks. The D36 3-foot gauge traction motor was used for example on the Colombia GR12 fleet. Clyde-GM also used its version, the CD36, on the (Cape gauge) QR GL8C and GL18C models, ostensibly to assist in keeping weights down". )

Imagine if the boss says "Get the 35th in line out and back in action" Bit sad really as I like diesel locos......

Like you say, there is always a fly in the ointment but in my case it turned out to be an ELEPHANT! Read on (but for those of a nervous disposition I'd advise reading no further) "Well as you are not going to that train thing tonight, perhaps we could watch those "50 Shades" films ? Then afterwards maybe we could...." All I can say is these wagons better be GOOD and the discount even better.

"I thought you were going to that train thing tonight" "I was, but I changed my mind" "But that's all you've talked about for the last few weeks" " I know, I know. I thought it would be nicer to spend Saturday night with you. Besides there was all that expense. You know the travelling, the food, some drink and the overnight stay. So I decided against it and decided on a nice Saturday night with you instead. So as I am staying in with you tonight, would you mind if I bought some wagons for the layout with the money instead?" (Nailed it, me thinks)

"Good morning dear, light of my life, apple of my eye. You are looking exceptionally lovely today. By the way, what's the limit on the credit card?"

Any of the CIE shunters . Anyone with a small layout could use them with the bubbles or shale wagons. I'd definitely be in for a couple.

Joint venture with a UK company to produce UK wagon?

Just ordered this for €86 which includes postage. https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/produkt/PIKO/15-4-004001-184331-0-0-0-6-10-2-0-gatt-gb-p-0/ein_produkt.html

Here are some very nice Piko HO scale locos. Some are really well priced. I'll be getting some of these myself. Here's one I fancy,https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/produkt/PIKO/15-4-004001-256014-0-0-0-6-10-2-0-gatt-gb-p-0/ein_produkt.html. Just thought I'd post this incase someone fancies something different. https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/gattungliste/0/15-4-004001-0-0-0-2-0-0-0-0-gatt-gb-p-0/gattungliste.html

Never knew this was an Irish registered company. http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/business/single-view/view/mrce-sells-diesel-locomotives.html

Wonder if the Murphy Models assembly operation looks anything like this????

Came across this. It is from Iran. http://www.andrewgrantham.co.uk/images/rail/iq-dem2410.jpg This is the only details I found on it. J26CW/AC EMD 16-645E engine 2200hp diesel-electric 1981. Only work on western lines, owing to weight. All are out of service (Feb 2004). .

Thinking that €5 a member ought to do it..... http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=16401 Each contributor gets to keep it for a weekend.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/freight/single-view/view/iarnrod-eireann-tests-longer-freight-trains.html

http://www.railpage.com.au/news/s/how-mothballed-carriages-from-trams-used-almost-100-years-ago-are-being-turned-into-incredible-houses?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=top-stories-this-week-on-railpage

This reminds me of those halcyon days of yore. This would make the ideal camping coach...if you had somewhere appropriate to place it. With the current exchange rate it works out at €11,522. Postage might be expensive though. http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=15883

This backs up my memory of only being allowed to rent a camping coach if you travelled to it by rail. I am almost certain that these were bogie coaches. They were on a length of rail hidden in long grass. Also I seem to remember them being of mainly red colour.