jhb171achill

Never mind the diesel, Roxy; (a) it's yours and your call, (b) it's a light hearted and fictitious thing, and © it looks great! Fun is what this hobby should all be about. Keep 'er lit! :-)

To answer a few points above, the RPSI is indeed registered as a charity and has been in the south for some 20 years, and in the north about 30. So, incidentally, is the DCDR, though that's another matter. The RPSI is also registered in the south (only) as a train operating company and thus, bona fide railway operator. The C & L coaches at Dromod are sides and ends only and would require as big a rebuild as a new-build, if you know what I mean. The derelict operation at Blennerville is subject to attention by a new group, who assure enquirers that they are making great strides, though nothing has happened, Local stories - which I have no way of verifying one way or another - seem to suggest that vested interests in the local authority may be making it difficult for what's really needed - a skilled enthusiast group - to take over. A carbon copy situation exists with the badly managed and equally defunct Foyle Valley operation in Derry. 18T and the C & L loco are indeed still in the USA, and the loco at any rate requires very substantial work, including a brand new boiler. The one member of their operation who took a great interest in it, having been involved in its move from here, has now passed away. The remains of the SLNCR coach - one half if it - have now almost totally decomposed back to nature, along with the last remaining cattle truck, which fell apart about 15 years ago. Based on the RPSI's and DCDR's experience, extremely few fare paying passengers are enthusiasts. Thus, exact accuracy isn't a big deal; if it was, who would travel behind a CIE diesel or CSET steam loco in a 70 class trailer on a part of the BCDR, or in a BR Mk.2 coach behind an NCC tank engine on the MGWR! Studies have shown that a Severn Valley style operation, with a seven-train-a-day timetable with maybe three main line steam locos out, would be utterly unrealistic for Ireland. Economically, for 5ft 3, as well as 3ft gauge steam, the optimum length of line here is 2-5 miles. Shorter, and you won't get as many people as you might, and you'll have to pitch the fare quite low. Beyond 5, and you'll find the public won't pay a fare sufficient to deal with track maintenance costs for a longer line, and more coal per journey. You also need a good population centre. Moyasta survives because Co. Clare is quite busy tourist wise. Tralee was a mess because it was run by a county council and was thus almost doomed to failure. Finntown has wobbled financially because, again, wages have to be paid; this is utterly unsustainable in a set-up like that. Downpatrick is sufficiently close to Belfast, just as Suir Valley is to Waterford plus a good tourist area. Suir Valley manages a longer run because of much lower operating costs; a turf or ESB diesel will run thrice round the world on the amount of diesel that would take A39 to Inch Abbey and back. An Alan Keef loco of that size will run for three years on a bottle of PC correct, eco-friendly, no-emission, low sugar, non-sectarian vegetable juice. May contain traces of nuts; do not try this at home. And there we have it. Now; to old coach bodies - DCDR has numerous ones, but until and unless $$£$$£$£$£€€€€€€€€€€ appears, a laminate and 70 class trailer will operate public services. Accurate? No. Popular with the paying public? Yes.

No, they're correct, believe it or not! "Back to front" ones, i.e. facing the other way, were used on the driver's side of lorries and buses, and that side of steam loco tenders, but never on trams, carriages, wagons or diesel locos. If you look at the other side of the tender, provided they've done it correctly, it should face the other way, i.e. the "normal" way with upper bit pointing left. Actually, to be strictly accurate, the snail should also be lined in gold....

I'll shtand on me head to watch it.

Definitely. It's all Trump's and Putin's fault! :-)

That's a serious looking beast. Pub it is. (Snails are back to front, though..) ;-) ;-)

I recall someone telling me, back in the day, that they had just seen one struggle into Westland Row, ages and ages late as the locomotive (A7 I think) was very ill indeed; there was so much heavy black oily smoke that people on the platform thought it was a steam engine and you actually couldn't see the loco. Think what it would have been like under that roof breathing all that in! Needless to say, the loco was absolutely filthy as well.

I could not agree more.

Maybe it was only me, but when I first saw them new I thought they looked a bit like a "sawn-off" or shortened 52...... Think of that in NIR maroon!

Might be as easy making them out of very thin plastic. What I used to do, moon ago, is jab what would become the back of the strapping, i.e. the side next to the wood, with a sharp point (like a maths divider instrument), so that when the other way up it showed a small "bump" for the rivet. The divider thing had to be blunt or it would go through it. Worked adequately, though I am afraiod I've no photo to show what it looked like, as I sold off the wagons 25 years ago...

Haha! Excellent! A class 52 as a Hunslet?

Looks great!

Then that's it! Sound chip for black 1960s, or green or silver 1950s "A" class models! It would be interesting to hear a layout based about 1970 with a GM version alongside a non-rebuilt Crossley (suitably weathered with spilt oil!)

W O W !!!!!!!!! Fantastic!

My contact over there is unfortunately now no longer with us, but as recently as 3 years ago told me that the owners of Lady Edith and it's carriage would have been amenable to disposal back to Ireland. The combined shipping bill and rstoration costs would be truly, staggeringly, astronomical and only possible with massive state asistance, I would think.

Very interesting stuff, especially the letter from Egan to Henry Casserley!

Black'n'tan could be interesting too.... maybe take a photo and put it on a photoshop thing and try different variations without actually painting.... "White flashes"? - CIE green (either variety) wouldn't have had anything white......pale green would fit as EDN.

While it's a very long time since any of us heard a Crossley "A" class, from DIM memory that Ossie thing sounds about right.

I had wondered about that - ingenious!

VERY realistic!! The weathered pick up truck is also a realistic touch - vehicles on layouts can often look unrealistic due to being in glossy "showroom" condition, especially vans and lorries. the windscreen of that truck even has marks of wipers in the "dirt". That series he has of other scenic stuff is also inspirational. Good find, Broithe.

Maybe someone will make model customs officers to stand beside model "Enterprise" DD sets....!! Like the scenes on platforms at Strabane and Castlefinn back in the day....

I think overall, Broithe. We are all well aware of how, PRE-Brexit, certain retail multiples charge more for the same goods in Dundalk than they do a few miles up the road in Newry, in circumstamces where their costs are demonstrably NOT higher. Pure and cynical profiteering. As you say, watchfulness will be required for a long time. For once, I hope that people here all club together to send a message to anyone trying to rip us off that we will boycott them and spread the word. Maybe, possibly, opportunities for one of our model shops to do a Hattons-type set-up? Possibly, possibly not; we have an extremely small market compared with the 60+ million of the UK. We'll see.

Beautiful photo, Broithe.

It's worth going to the area, db1969, as not only will you see the buildings, you'll get a feel for the countryside and setting. Be sure to look at the beautifully restored Glenfarne and Belcoo stations in particular. Naturally, you can't do it by rail any more; but bus services in the area are also very sparse, so a car is necessary to explore properly. Incidentally, this September will mark the 60th anniversary of the closure of the SLNCR (and much of the GN).

But I wonder, WILL UK suppliers deduct the British VAT? Any that don't - boycott them!