jhb171achill

I fell foul of that this morning, and tried to solder a tiny door vent, and made a mess of it. Much fibre brushing must follow - but - I didn’t burn my fingers yet!

Thank you, I am sure it will test me, plus my patience!

I will definitely take this on board!

Following my first tentative foray into brass, I’m going for something a bit more ambitious now. The GSWR had a small number of coach-type-panelled short-wheelbase four wheel vans which were variously used as mobile tool vans, hearse vans of parcel vans. Several variations. The MGWR had several vans similar in concept, but the Midland being the Midland, the design was about as similar as an ICR is to a grandfather clock. This Roxey kit, a native of Narrow Gauge Island back in the day, is as similar as can be had. Without windows, I thought it might be a reasonable next step. If I don’t make an unholy pigs ear of it (and my expert tutor should hopefully stop me) maybe a carriage next…. So, the kit arrived…. The prototype, by the way, ran on the London, Chatham & Dover Railway, ultimately the Southern Railway. It’ll end up either in CIE dark lined green, or if I make it into a departmental tool van, it’ll either be wagon grey or dark lined green with red ends. Another possibility is very badly faded GSR maroon, for when I’m in early 50s running mode….

“Did ye see that fella in the Ford Anglia out by Paddy O’Sullivan’s this afternoon? He must have been going at thirty miles an hour. He’s up in Eddie an’ Bernie’s now all scratched and blood, but the car’s wrecked….” “Ye’ll never lift a thing that big with a hand barrow!” ”Yer man with the Anglia….” ”Never mind the man with the damn Anglia, get this loaded before PJ starts givin’ out!”

June 1965. The evening train being loaded, by hand. The ramp and the barrow were left in the van of the afternoon train to the junction, so they’ll be passing through the Carrowmore boglands by now….

“Maura, I can do this on me own. Just open the van door. An’ would ye ever nip into Sarah on your way past an’ tell her to boil up the water, coz I want a bath tonight!”

Following my post on 24th March, the gap is finally filled. Track connected; all again thanks great assistance from jhbJnr and my Expert Learned Friends (you know who you are). Now, a yella machine takes a spin into Dugort Harbour. Once all declared good, the crew hit the bus back to Castletown West. “Footplate Pass? Nah, don’t worry if you’ve lost it. C’mon up. What part of England did ye say ye were from?”

I have been informed by the Peers that you are hereby commanded to start this project at 08:00 tomorrow, and continue until complete.............

Lovely little layout

It's basically a single circuit, so it's operationally simple. You've maximised the extent of the single round-the-room loop by maximum use of the "oeninsula". The issue now is to see where you can put stations and sidings. The long top area and the long left hand side 9seperated by a short tunnel as a scenic break) would appear to be the best with lengths or platforms and loops in mind. Maybe on one side of the peninsula wild rural landacspe, and an industrial siding or country halt on the other.

Yes, very much so. Unusually, some Irish tank wagons were actually built by British firms like Charles Roberts, whereas the vast, vast majority of non-passenger stock was built here. I’ve two of these things and they look the part.

Which particular stock?

I like this distillery idea. Can you send me samples?

Fertiliser maybe? Always liked those bogies….

I’m the same! Solid booked now to mid June with tours with Awwwsum Murrikans….!

Congratulations!

I had the great pleasure of meeting MOL-pmb on the Cork to Galway railcar tour yesterday, and the masterpiece “E”! The connection from Dublin was 220….

Derry to Letterkenny & Cork to Passage.

Hope you’re staying incognito and drinking Murphy’s. Dem oul langers down dere, boy, sure dere a mad oul lot, boy, doon in de REEL capital, boy….

Senior told me, back in the day, that there were a number of similar adjustments, but perhaps only relating to one or two locos or vehicles, but I am unaware of any details without perusing some lists I have somewhere, in detail.

They must have been made of tissue paper!

Green wheels & frames…. en route?

Yes, the whole fleet did indeed end up with CIE, and were thereafter treated as a common fleet with their own "H" vans. An initial allocation to the UTA was on paper only and as you say, quickly altered - if, indeed, any sort of UTA allocation was ever actually made "official" at all. It may not even have been.