Noel

This is the look I'm after in the CIE early 1970s livery (Rosslare) even though the GSV below is BCK layout, my model is BSK. Photo (C) Stephen Rabone of 3174 taken 1984 (cleanish GSV) from his site: http://steverabone.com/RailwayPhotographs/ireland_1984.htm

That's really helpful Jonathan, thanks for the info. I do plan to weather the sides. The paint is still drying.

Back to GSV for some spray painting. Tan and White bands approx painted before reverse masking. Roof light grey as I was going to use maskol to create light grey peeling blotches under black roof but decided against filthy black roof as these were not in that state in early 70s when delivered. Reverse masked the white band and tan bands. I meant to make the white and orange edges in the black zone fuzzier so there wouldn't be a ridge but I had a 1/2" ridge of masking tape between the white and orange zones while I was spraying so I could do both in one go without overspray, but left a slight ridge at the edge of the temporary white band which would end up narrower after the reverse masking. After this I sprayed black all over, and then a dusting of frame dirt on the chassis, bogies, ends, and gangways. Relieved when I pulled the masking tape off to reveal the white band and the tan band. The white band (4.5") during CIE Black'n'tan era was not as wide as on the laminates, cravens, etc (6"). As this GSV is done in early 70s CIE livery I decided to do the roof in the earlier grey colour lightly weathered. It wasn't until the IR/IE era that the roofs were in an awful state with black peeling off to reveal the earlier grey underneath. Next up add the gangways, bogies, light weathering, then gloss varnish, decals, matt varnish and add the door grab rails, water fillers, etc. I'm enjoying this but it's taking forever. Can't help wondering of it would have been easier to buy an RTR one and modify it!

Thanks Jonathan. Somewhat inspired by "Rails Through the West". Did you notice the slight coach wobble I've accidentally introduced to the Laminate due to thinning the chassis bogie mounting plate. Same problem as the RPSI cravens. Will need to add a washer shim inside the chassis to tighten up the bogie pivots.

Thats a good idea. This is the LED I'm using for tail lamps http://ie.farnell.com/kingbright/l-2060hd/led-1-8mm-red/dp/1142456 Its the same one sold by Train-tech as a tail lamp.

I've been trying to figure out the simplest and most cost effective solution for coach lighting and tail lamps for brake vans, coaches, etc. I've looked at some of Train-Tech's battery offerings and others, but decided to experiment by trying to 'grow' my own. Experiment no 1 - Tail Lamp - Runs off track DCC, no decoder required, flicker free. Same circuit would do for coach lighting. On all the time. It's about 1978 since I last used a bread board, but I have to say its fun going back. Components used in test 3v Red LED (or LED lighting strip for coach interior) Bridge rectifier (converts 16v pulsed DCC/AC to 12v DC) - 50v rated 1k Resistor to drop voltage to approx 3v suitable for LEDs 1k Trimmer resistor to adjust light level 1000uF capacitor - avoids flicker if wheel pickup interrupted while running (e.g. over points, etc) - 25v rated The little Red LED that I have sourced is almost the same shape as a tail lamp with a flat bottom, curved top and 1.8m lens so I will paint it white except for the 'lens' and it might pass as a tail lamp. . . . more to follow when I fit it to a brake van and test run on track, then a coach. Have to decide wither I will use axle spring pickups or phosphor bronze strips to wheel backs for electrical pickup. PS: I ordered these parts only last night from Farnell and Radionics and to my astonishment both were delivered this morning!!!

Video Clip. CIE local branch train early 1970s. Dutch heating van (SF), CIE Laminate (ex-Hornby LMS Stanier) and Bulleid luggage van (IFM).

Running trials for the pseudo CIE Laminate (Hornby Stanier) respray I did last spring behind B121. Ride height is a little high. Have already remounted bogies closer to chassis, will have to take another 1.5mm off the ride height. B121 (3D + Athern chassis) hauls local train A nice little local passenger train. Dutch heating van, Laminate and Bulleid luggage van.

Darwin!

Cork train 1979 http://euscreen.eu/item.html?id=EUS_47DAF4AEC39D4F42B3B87978122B406A Well its video of an Irish train and a train station. How far we have come as a country since this train in 1971. http://euscreen.eu/item.html?id=EUS_50208AD978A54A2790305D71849B6EF0

Thanks Paul for posting that little nugget.

It looks like a giant storage heater on rails

Noel, that scene looks super. Yummie. Concrete yard finish looks spot on. the other Noel

Any rough idea when you might be able to ship orange Bubbles to customers? (i.e. is there a possibility they could ship this side of Christmas).

Careful now, Down with this Sort of Thing 201 is the class leader - worth waiting for

Thanks Dave. You're a treasure trove.

Does anybody have a spare copy of this to sell? As featured in Dave's Lima Murphy Models thread?

Photo Gort Railway Station (C) Barry Carse Fab 1970s photo of Gort with loose couples 2 axle goods traffic active in sidings with B181

Fairwell to my two DC block section control panels. Since moving to DCC these have become redundant. I've only two wires connected from the NCE controller to the layout via these and have had all section switches left on. I don't have any droppers, just a pair of wires for each of four block sections on each loop. Back in the days when I made these I had 'push to make' switches at the end of the 5 termini platforms so if I got distracted a train could never hit the buffers. These had the old 'relco' track cleaners, but DCC seems just as good at keeping track clean. And this from a hobby electronics mag in 1977 - inertia control - I thought I was on Star Trek

Would a compressed version of Gort circa 1970 work? It had a loop and small goods yard. JB has a great photo of it in his book 'rails through the west'

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I'm dreaming I've died and gone to heaven I will never tire of looking at photos of your fabulous layout. The era is just so 1972-1974. Two axle pickup goods traffic heaven. Love it.

Film and Brass are both yesteryear technologies. I was one of the slowest to migrate from film to DSLR, but now my smartphone takes most of my pics and frankly they are usually as good as my daft lump iron DSLR except when I need a telephoto or ultra wide lens. Anyway, enjoyed the visual feast that was the movie even if it was vanilla Agatha Christie.

What are folks preferred methods of adding coach lighting and/or red tail lamps and lighting to a brake van? Below is a clip of a Train-Tech AL2 kit I picked up with a hefty discount. Going to try it on a brake van or a heating van. Very simple but will only suit models that can easily be opened every few years to replace the batteries. It has a motion sensor that turns the lights on as soon as rolling stock moves, and switched off again 4 mins after the last movement. The alternate seems pickups from wagon or bogie wheel axles using springs rather than prosper bronze strips, a bridge rectifier, resistor and a capacitor to avoid any flickering due to single axle pickup (suit DCC or DC). I'm not keen on the idea of batteries for coach lighting unless I can mount the battery under the coach for easy access rather than opening up.