Scots Mac

Hi Leo, the Lining is by Fox transfers, white-black-white but you'll also need just black/white lining for the cabs and tender edges.I spoke to the girl at FOX and I'm sure she said they do it as coach lining. as for the varnish I use satin. At the moment I;m using a tin of "Marabu" "Seiden-Matt-Lack" which I presume is German for satin matt laquer.Its really good stuff. I'm used to humbrol enamel paints. I can work with Humbrol gloss varnish with a brush no problem and likewise their matt varnish brushed but for some reason I always ended up with a pig's breakfast if I tried to use their satin varnish brushed so now I always use satin spray cans. That Marabu stuff is excellent and very quick drying. My local model shop now has Revell enamels , their paints are fine but I hate their varnishes. Railmatch paints are excellent too as is their satin varnish spray. Incidentally on the subject of the 800s ... 801 Macha and 802 Tailte sported single chimneys in their final years. I tried a couple of stanier chimneys on the one I did but they didn't look right .Last night I took the plastic chimney section from that 2nd King Arthur and buffed it down and fitted it onto the 800 ..... I think it looks the part now.

Hi Guys,heres the Lima wagons I'm doing up to represent the Tara mines ore wagons. Old Lima units painted oxide. I have about 6 or 7 of these ,so far simply spray painted with primer to get rid of the various Lima liveries they were in, Yeoman,ARC etc. I'll try and get a colour nearer the right colour for the Tara wagons as and when. I'll cut roofs for them out of plasticard. They won't be 100% accurate but there are 12 side panel divisions on these as per the Tara wagons and next to the Irish locos they stand approximately the right height to my eyes so they'll do for me. I will add buffers to them too at some point. I also saw an IE (track maintenance??)train with similar wagons to these on a you-tube link but not on Tara mines traffic, but those wagons had no roofs they were open. I've looked for that bit of video again but haven't been able to find it since ??.

Hi UP, I honestly don't know how many I have on the go haven't counted but theres a good few . Worked on a bit last night and started filling the body work, looks a bit of a dog's breakfast :puke:but she'll get there !! (I hope )

Last pic for tonight... sittin next to its sister, smokebox front attached in its new position and some balsa packing done. Ready for filling and shaping.

Hi Nelson, don't have a layout at the moment but I have a fair size lean-to shed along the side of my house where I was into OO years ago.The shed is full of junk at the moment and my O gauge stuff for the garden is out there too.Hopefully I'll get it squared up shortly and make a start to a layout. The shed is long but narrow and I have to get the O gauge trains down one side coming in off the garden. So the OO layout will need to be to one side unless I wangle some kinda split level.For now I'm just pushing on with gettin as many irish engines done as I can during this winter. I don't expect I'll be able to get them all on the layout at once but we'll see !!??. As for this other 4-6-0 , the old Hornby King Arthur chassis will never be 100% right for the irish engine because the driving wheels should be bigger and the driving wheel spacing shouldn't be equal , the rear driver should be further back,but I'm just looking to capture the essence of the type. If I manage that I'll be happy. I've just cut off the smokebox front and am extending it forward like I did on the 402. When you do this it leaves the front end of the smokebox with a flat bottom edge instead of circular so it needs packed out and reshaped wityh the dremel to complete the circumference of the smokebox. Next I'll insert balsa wood extenders into the boiler and glue the smokebox front on further forward as per the other 400 class . Once thats done I'll fill everything up with cattaloy and wrap the whole smokebox area in a sheet of fine plastic. 1st picture shows the plasticard glued to the bottom of the smoke box face and the next picture shows it buffed away to shape.

Hi Guys,well I bought another old Hornby King Arthur I saw goin cheap on ebay. It arrived in todays post. Having made a good start to B2 402 which is now waiting for a steam dome etc., I thought I'd have a go at one of the others of the class which didn't have its side running plates on one level .402 was the only one of the 400 class with conventional pistons that had a straight running plate. Anyway, in for a penny in for a pound. Made a start to things tonight. I cut out the King arthur chimney and may use it for some other project. So far I've hacked and buffed away most of the boiler detail. Anyway here's the progress so far. 1st picture shows the real thing. 11057[/ATTACH]

Heres a pic with one painted,right am away to finish the last one ,paint them ,have a cuppa and watch a film ! catch you later Nelson

Hi Nelson ,seem to work OK,though I'll need to replace the traction tyres on some of them but they seem to be easily available on ebay. Anyway,just been working on putting replacement steam pipes back on my three 800 class queens.I removed the original mainline Rebuilt Patriot ones as they were quite different from the 800 class I drilled out holes in the running plates and cut plastic straws at an angle ,just estimated it by the eye then rubbed it with sandpaper to get the angle and pitch right.Applied superglue to the end of the straw and around the hole in the running plate. Held the straw in place with light thumb pressure while the glue set. Then snipped off the end of the straw. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Have done two ,another one to do and thats me for the night !!

Hi Guys,well have made a start to another project Airfix 4F 0-6-0 to CIE J5 . Really like the look of the J5 and seeing this really good picture of one in the second of Tom Ferris' colour book its a must. 2nd pic attached shows the 4f with its cab removed and tender top removed. The tender top I'm going to install (oxide one in the picture) is off a Hornby B12. WHile it isn't exactly the same as the irish tender it looks pretty close. Studying the airfix tender drive and base I intend to cut away part of the traction weight front and rear and I'll also shorten the plastic tender base at the front and re-work the tenders steps back and front to look more like the irish tender and make the base look better with the B12 tender top. I need to re-work the loco running plate and re-hash the cab but I don't enviseage any major problems. Will post progress pics as I go.

Hi Leo, watching this with interest, HO versions might be your answer right enough for the wheelspacing . Looking good though.

Hi Nelson , I'll see how I get on with the 2 deans goods. I've already buffed off the Great Western steam domes. I was going to leave one with its belpaire firebox and do the other as a round top but after having found this other loco I probably will buy one. What northern irish engines look like this ?? DAVY

Hi Nelson , typical,I find this model after buying two Deans Goods for conversion and have already started to them. Mind you they have belpaire fireboxes . Just shows you though eh ? I've also noticed today that the tenders attached tp the new Bachmann Great Central engines and "Scottish" directors are damned close to the type of tenders attached to the irish 400 4-6-0s.However I don't see any on ebay as spares yet .

Hi Guys been browsing the net looking at various locos and kits and came across this loco I'd never seen or heard of before. An English Southern 01 0-6-0 apparently. This loco and tender resin casting is available from Golden Arrow models and damn me if it doesn't look like a dead ringer for an Irish round top boilered J15.Fits on a Hornby 0-6-0 chassis,thought I was seeing things..... a few wee extra details on the loco and it would pass muster as a J15 to my eyes no ??

Hi UP. its just the way the US scene is. Hangover from the power of Lionel past and present. I personally can't stand 3 rail but each to their own, However there are still great RTR models in 2 rail all bells and whistles and increasingly so from MTH. I nearly have all the B&O locos I want,

Hi UP, Those F units are old Atlas F9s (produced back in the late 70s early 80s I understand by Rivarrossi in Austria for Atlas). They are two-rail and they come up really cheap on the US market regularly. They are decent models driven on both bogies by a central motor. They are plastic bodies and the main faults with them are the steps tend to break off easy and the bogie sides can unclip very easily too but a wee spot of glue sorts that .On the upside you won't get a cheaper decent way into the US 2 rail O gauge scene.I've seen these sell in good condition for as little as $30 dollars on ebay USA ,and you can buy older ones that have faults for peanuts to use as spares. Also from time to time really nice re-paints come on the market and also I've seen some really good renditions of B units for sale produced by chopping off the cabs etc. They are really decent models. They were produced in UP,Santa FE, Chesapeake and OHIO and Burlington Northern. Right now there are two very good looking UP ones on UK ebay for sale by Rails of Sheffield. However as usual they are more expensive this side of the water than in the states.I have quite a few of these in Santa Fe, UP,and Chesapeake and OHIO. They are 12 volt DC. Rivarrossi also made another O gauge American diesel of which I have two in Pennsylvania Brown livery but I can't remember the type off the top of my head, I think ??? they were C liners??? Again fine models for their day. If you want to get into US O gauge 2rail cheap thats the easiest way in. Cheers DAVY Just remembered , I think it was Roco who made the Athearn models in Austria but Rivarrossi made the Fairbanks Morse C liners. Rivarrossi also made an IHB 0-8-0 in O in kit form, an old time 4-6-0 and an old time 4-4-0 both in woodburner and coalburner versions. The fairbanks Morse C liner was accurate for Pennsylvania but was bogus in the Santa Fe livery. Anyway found this on you tube guys. All hese models can still be found cheap on US ebay. I wish I could say the same for my big brass O gauge steamers. The B&O EM1 was over £600 and believe me I won a watch that day for they usually go for a helluva lot more !! Enjoy

Hi Guys, see a few of you like myself are not tied to modelling one theme. I started converting my garden railway from G to O gauge in 2012 and started to collect some continental O gauge. I have stuck mostly to the products of Lima which though now out of production can still be bought on ebay fairly cheap and are decent models, they did a nice Italian electric loco "Tartaruga" (Turtle) and a French diesel . They also did some nice coaches in French,Italian, Swiss and German outline and some colourfull continental freight wagons. I've also picked up a few other locos including some old semi-scale 3 rail O gauge French-Hornby electrics which I've repainted and am converting to 2 rail.

Hi Guys, heres a couple of pictures for UP6936. My FEF on the garden turntable (just makes it !) and another picture of her with a couple of diesels "on shed" .These pics were taken in 2012 when the loco servicing area was still being constructed.

Hi Guys' I am into USA stuff in O scale in my garden but mainly B&O 1950s steam era as its my first love though I do have L&N and CNJ and Pennsy steam and diesel too . I also have the beginnings of a small modern UP west coast collection but mainly diesels but I have an FEF 4-8-4 which of course the UP have never retired and she still runs today. I might add a Big Boy and a challenger if funds permit as the challenger is also preserved in working order and UP are in the process of restoring a big boy too. I also have a fair collection of european O but Ill post that on the continental page in due course.

Hi UP havent measured it but it will be about 3 feet in total.Just bought it recently from the states 2nd hand . I have quite a few tasty American engines in O. Mostly B&O types but I have some UP diesels and an FEF 4-8-4 steamer. DAVY

Hi Mike, God knows when I'll get a start to the 850. I got the engine 2nd hand off the net from rails of Sheffield ,it isn't even here yet. I'm no even up to speed about the recessed snokebox door you refer to , so I'll certainly pick your brains Mike when I get hands on. I'm pushing on as much as I can in these winter months with the irish kitbashing because come the spring my attentions will be turning to my O gauge interests in the garden. I started re-building my garden railway to O gauge in 2012 and got about halfway complete ,never got much done this season at all but am hoping to push on again next season and hopefully if not finish it at least get one track circuit all the way round and a train or two running. So the Irish OO stuff will take a back seat for most of the summer months. So 850 may or may not get done yet this winter . My garden interests are USA / European and some British O scale.Running beasties like this.

Hi guys ' at the end of the day for me personally economics among other things dictate the pace , I have a pal over here who is as good a brass kit builder as you'll get,his workmanship is superb but he's always up to his eyes in work so if I chose to use him to build kits for me . I'd need to join a very long queue and wait for weeks on end to receive my loco and 2. it costs a fortune. I know full well that the 800 class by SSM is a superb model and not all that expensive as brass kits go and my efforts in kitbashing UK proprietary plastic types will never be as accurate , BUT on the other hand I can buy at least three good 2nd hand rebuilt patriots/Royal Scots or whatever that with a wee bit work I am skilled enough to do myself in a few hours and will produce acceptable renditions of an Irish 800 class for the price of just purchasing one brass model not including the cost of building it. Same applies to many of the other specialised irish items for sale on the home-produced irish market. So no they aren't expensive for what they are and profit margins may be low for the producers but nonetheless the hard reality is in the real world theres a huge 2nd hand market of close looking UK rolling stock which can be re-painted re-decaled/kitbashed to produce if not perfect , still decent representations of the chosn prototypes.This doesn't apply to the diesels being produced by Pat Murphy because however Pat does it he brings to the market locomotives which are superbly accurate and at a price comparable to UK diesel prices AND theres few if any UK diesels that lend themselves to conversion to Irish types. It seems to me that it would be more appealing if the likes of SSM produced cheaper resin /plastic irish loco bodies that fit onto suitable UK chassis. Like the 800 class. Buy the resin body and tender body and fit it straight onto say a Mainline or Airfix,etc,etc chassis. I'm only talking for myself and others will see it different but I am comfortable working away the way I do. I have no interest in learning to build brass kits nor spend the money or time on them. One of the big attractions to me in getting into irish steam was the fact that using the UK 2nd hand market I realised that I could very quickly build up an acceptably pleasing (to me) collection of Irish outline models by kitbashing UK types. And the other thing is I also have other model railway interests that require my time and money. DAVY

Hi Guys ,well as newcomer to the Irish scene ,heres my tuppenceworth for what its worth.Personally although I've always been a steam man first and foremost it was my trip to Ireland a few weeks ago that got me hooked on the Irish diesels and my visit to Ballina yard in Mayo. So I thought ,right,a modern Irish layout would be something different. Then I started to look at what preserved steam was out there , soon got to see the usual suspects,Jeep 4, the J15 etc., THEN I got pulled towards the 50s and 60s steam scene,and well you know from my posts what I'm into now. Compared to the UK the Irish market is tiny so the home Irish market I don't suppose will ever be able to support many RTR models. Its great to be able to buy the Murphys model's diesels and so far I have bought 6 ,new and 2nd hand. I would also like to have supported SSM locos and its great that they produce what they do and may I add they appear to be excellent value. Had I been used to building brass kits I'd gladly have bought 3 of the SSM 800 class 4-6-0 ,the J15,etc., BUT unfortunately I have no experience in building brass kits so thats why I've chosen to kitbash UK types. I may buy a few RTR rolling items from SSM and some of the other Irish manufacturers in future ,but the reality for me is my main interest is locomotives . Calling a spade a spade from a financial point of view,I'd rather spend my money on cheaper 2nd hand Hornby,Lima,Bachmann UK types that are close to Irish types for my rolling stock needs and kitbash them ,which leaves me more money to concentrate on locos . So really as it stands I'd mainly buy only Murphy Models diesels from the home Irish market. On the other hand if , for example SSM or whoever produced RTR Irish steam types I would gladly support the home Irish market. Generally speaking though it strikes me that the best the Irish scene can hope for is to stimulate as much interest as possible across the water in England/Scotland etc.,..... if Irish modellers can stir up interest over here and get the interest level up in the irish scene in the UK then theres probably more chance of RTR becoming more viable as the interest expands among UK modellers. In past years I'd glance at the Irish scene but it was never really regarded as a scene that had very much going for it in terms of available models. Pat Murphy has done wonders to change that. However especially in the current economic climate I think the best way to advance the market is to stimulate more interest in the irish scene generally. Thats why I have encouraged Steve at Railtec and 247 Developments to produce irish decals and nameplates etc.,etc., here in the UK,...NOT to undermine Irish manufacturers like SSM at all but to make the whole scene more available and easier to access by UK modellers. British railway modellers have always been quite cosmopolitan in their interests ,over the years I've watched phases of interest in Japan ,germany ,USA,France ,Italy ,Switzerland ,Spain,etc.,etc., the reason I think Ireland gets a bit left to the side is that most/many guys in the UK just don't know much about it.... but I'm sure more and more would/will become interested thru the likes of this forum and the word spreading ....... Anyway guys I hope it all goes from strength to strength, and I do hope PM produces that single cab diesel because its a must have item eh ? Cheers DAVY

Hi jhb ,she's getting there. Just painted the chimney. Looks better with a tender behind her.Not the correct tender of course but I'll see what I can come up with once the locos finished. I'm actually pleasantly surprised how this model is turning out because I really wasn't sure at all about it when I took the knifes and dremel to it in the beginning !! Just crossed my fingers and hoped for the best:rolleyes:

Hi Horsetan, just checked out the Gresley N2 for a 650. No use. Boiler is way too fat.You could never get the chimney and dome looking right. Would stand way too tall. No, on reflection I think the LBSCR 0-6-0 was the right choice all in all. Anyway, my B2 project ,engine 402, has just got her new chimney and cabside decals. Still waiting for its steam dome etc....but a bit of progress nonetheless !! Starting to look like a locomotive !! The chimney isn't exactly right but its not bad.Its an LNER B1 brass chimney casting by Cavendish. Bought it off Ebay.

Hi Mike, well bought a V3 from Rails of Sheffield so I'll be using your model as a guideline. Im hoping to do mine in the lined green. Mind you ,don't hold your breath because I already have so many things on the go ! , but thanks for the inspiration to have a go at this engine !!